Chapter 1: The Cloud's Impact on Office Operations

Do disruptions in internet service disrupt cloud systems as much as traditional desktop applications? This is the pressing question at hand.

Though Edgar frequents the Palmyra store approximately twice a month, and Marla’s presence mirrors that, their next encounter guarantees her all-day attendance. While he might not assert that she’s intentionally trying to be bothersome—there's no concrete proof of that—it certainly feels like a hint of annoyance is sprinkled into their interactions today.

Upon finding Edgar immersed in his projects in the break room, Marla relentlessly bombards him with requests for convoluted report combinations. Her demands escalate to a point where she nearly insists, “Why can’t I visualize various items and have them magically appear in one report? What is your problem?”

Edgar contemplates how much longer he can endure this without losing his sanity. He realizes he should have thought of a solution sooner, yet he hesitates to suggest it to anyone else at work. This method—although personally tested—could ease Marla’s burden and potentially reduce their antagonistic exchanges. However, it’s likely that he’s just inviting more work for himself.

Thus, he instructs her to open an Excel sheet on her tablet while he retrieves a simple, USB-powered scanner from his bag, which operates without needing an internet connection.

“Here’s the deal: you can scan whatever you want, and it’ll drop the barcode into your report,” he explains, demonstrating with an outdated package. “Then, just email me the file. I’ll compile a report for you, but I need this back—it’s the only one we have.”

Without a word of gratitude, she snatches the scanner from his hand, casting him a glare as if he has been withholding vital information. Marla storms off, diving into her task. While she inundates him with files, Edgar breathes a sigh of relief, knowing he won’t have to endure her presence until the end of the shift when she returns the scanner.

He has long advocated for acquiring more of these scanners since the Duane era, mentioning it in various meetings and emails to Felix. Yet, it seems no one understands his proposals, even when he elaborates on their benefits and affordability. Should he pay for them out of pocket or request reimbursement after placing an order? Neither option seems practical, especially with no guarantee of their usage.

However, inspired by this development, Marla persuades Todd to purchase one of these barcode scanners. He also announces a new feature from RU Data: a website for accessing movement reports, eliminating the need for the desktop application. Employees can now simply visit rudatacloud.com/wholesomeshoppermarket for all their reporting needs.

This advancement is indeed promising. Yet, aside from a handful of office staff who didn’t install the desktop application, very few at the stores—like Don, Destiny, and Russell—will likely benefit. Those who resisted pulling their own movement reports are unlikely to change their habits. Still, if Todd believes this is groundbreaking, it may bolster his support for Edgar when he challenges others about generating their reports.

“This enables anyone without prior access to utilize the system,” Todd tells Edgar, presenting his viewpoint.

“Everyone had access previously, but it’s about whether they knew how to use the software,” Edgar clarifies.

“No, I’m referring to the cloud. This way, there are no excuses. People are more likely to pull reports from the cloud than from a program.”

“I hope you’re correct,” Edgar responds, recalling recent disagreements with Shelly and others about accessing Outlook via a web browser. “Slingshot was online too, and many still resisted…”

Todd dismisses his concerns, insisting, “This is the cloud; it's not just a website.”

“Uh….”

“Just ensure everyone who needs it is set up. Marla should have access as well.”

“Sure, sounds good,” Edgar agrees, contemplating the potential benefits of this change, including for others. “Oh, does this mean I can stop sending out those daily sales breakdown emails?”

“Keep sending those too,” Todd interrupts, “along with adding them to the shared drive. This way, we have everything in one place.”

Overall, this might be a slight improvement, even if its main advantage seems to be perception rather than actual usability. Edgar isn’t particularly surprised by this update, as it turns out RU Data is only dumping item movement data onto the website with minimal details. The coder responsible for this project failed to incorporate internal structures for departments and sub-departments, limiting the ability to drill down into categories. This oversight will likely cause more frustrations once Marla discovers it.

Edgar confirms these issues by emailing Todd, who forwards it to Glen at RU Data. Glen acknowledges the limitations but mentions they might add the ability to delve deeper into categories in the future. For now, Edgar must recreate departmental structures in the cloud and upload a mapping file.

Creating these designations is straightforward, requiring only a spreadsheet upload. While not excessively burdensome, Edgar realizes any changes will need to be reflected in both the cloud and the RU Data central program, maintaining consistency across platforms.

Despite Todd's suggestion for Edgar to “delegate” more, the third boss seems oblivious to the reality of Edgar's workload. This becomes evident when he receives an email from Marla, who, for once, is not confrontational but rather dispassionate about a new directive. According to her, Don has instructed her to send Edgar scanned copies of Universal invoices, which he must sift through for new items. Attached is a PDF of 30 scanned pages from a recent grocery order.

Edgar, Don has informed me that we are to scan all invoices over to you now and you will search through these for any new items. This is the new method moving forward. Is this all you need? Please let me know if there is more.

The absurdity of this situation frustrates him to no end. He maintains a calm exterior but struggles internally, reminiscent of the day Corey blamed him for the Arcadia opening fiasco. One reason for his composure is the realization that Don seems to take pleasure in trying to provoke him, only to be met with indifference.

Marla replies, “This is the first I’m hearing of this. I think it’s a backward step from our previous process, but it appears this decision has already been made. I’ll start processing these invoices.”

Right now, the office could use someone marching in with a drum to liven things up. Edgar reflects on the absence of humor in the workplace. Though work is paramount, the team used to share a strong camaraderie. Despite being focused, he often comes off as humorless to those who don’t know him well.

The only source of amusement lately has been Dale's exaggerated proclamation of “killing it!” during conversations, often stylized as #KillingIt.

“So, how will we place orders at the new store?” Dale inquires a few days ago.

“That’s a great question,” Edgar replies with a grin.

“Will RU Data be ready for ordering by the time Lorena opens?”

“I’d be shocked if that happened,” he says, shaking his head.

“What’s the plan then? Todd either changes the subject or tells me not to worry.”

“Well, MRI has the proprietary guns they’re using in Palmyra. Beyond that, I suppose we’ll revert to emailing and calling everyone?”

Dale chuckles, retorting, “Hashtag killing it!” before exiting the room.

As Edgar types an email to Marla and the others, the catchphrase echoes in his mind. With a wry smile, he mutters, “hashtag killing it,” and hits Send, bracing for the inevitable fallout.

Chapter 2: Embracing Change in Reporting

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