A Shutdown in Ammonia

A SHUTDOWN IN AMMONIA Continues the adventure... The best laid plans of mice and men, and indeed of engineers and managers, do often go askew, thus, as the story of the Muddy River Bay Ammonia Factory continues we find the engineer wants to concentrate on preparing for the total shutdown for their first all-over, complete, maintenance overhaul and inspection, and he throws the planning job to his junior engineers. But his manager needs to have work done which will increase sales, hence revenue and take them closer to profitability, so the juniors have to be shifted to that urgent work. And the manager's life is troubled by absence of two important staff, can he expect the Production Manager and the Marketing manager will return? The unions are also contributing a share of concerns, fussing about safety with a large temporary workforce coming in for the shutdown. Directors continue in their merry way, enjoying morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. The Marketing Director has a bright idea and promotes it, some of his associates like it, one doesn't. Who will win this contest? Will there be any progress towards the Chief's aim of getting new blood into Head Office? "The author brings to this stage in the Muddy Waters saga his wealth of personal experience from a multiplicity of perspectives which is mirrored in the career path of Al Grassy, the Production Engineer. What is also highlighted is the gulf [which, in the real world and across most disciplines, is almost endemic] between 'one discipline' graduates who not only progress directly from school to university but also enter the workforce at middle management level simply on the basis of their academic qualification with limited or no vertical experience and entrenched, built in prejudices."