It may have been a culture shock, if you consider it that way, having to work again in our own country after more than a couple of decades working overseas particularly in developing countries. The plant location may also be a contributing factor as it is located in a remote locality where cellphone signals only registers a single signal bar, likewise, it would be lucky if 4G will be available. Internet access is limited to access GMail and Google sites only. Opening an email will take eternity if you have been used to fast internet connections.
In this online information age, access to internet accessibility is essential to being productive. Without it, information gathering is too difficult and currency of information is questionable particularly if the references available are decades old. All I thought this scenario is only from movies but in our case, this is a reality we are facing. Internet connectivity in our plant is served by a 4G modem with a limited bandwidth that only halfway along the billing period, all the bandwidth allocation have already been consumed. To do some research online, it would be best to just use your own personal internet access rather than relying on the company’s internet connectivity.
Another reason for the low productivity is the geographical separation of the plant from the head office where procurements and financial approvals are located. The lead time for any request for purchase will already be three (3) months. That is too much in case a line-stopper spare part is required much earlier. The transmission of necessary documents to and from the head office is coursed through personnel going to the head office. Digital transmittal is still a light year away from reality.
Having said all of those frustrations, I do not regret joining this company. Sooner or later, it will be back to the future with the help of people like me. Notwithstanding the enormous legal battles the company is facing, it still resilient. It recovers much faster than anybody has expected.