ADVA Reviews

Pros

Interesting projects, global exposure, much improved processes and systems. The company is still small enough to allow employees exposure across functional areas and to all levels of management.

Cons

ADVA is still much smaller than many and there is much competition for resources. Not all projects can be completed as quickly as desired.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to drive profitability to improve the stock price and increase flexibility Address the remaining pockets of low performers.

Pros

It used to be a fast moving, and growing, company with innovative products and aggressive sales strategies. Emplyees were expected to work long hours but the atmosphere was good and people were happy to respond.

Cons

Poor management. The Board of Directors were incapable of executing at the level required and this led to two board members leaving the company during 2007. However, the changes were, in my view, not extensive enough and more changes will be required for the company to recover some of it's earlier strengths

Advice to Senior Management

In my view the opportunity to make internal changes has past. Now I would recommend that they look to be acquired so that competant management can take over. Unfortunately I doubt whether other companies would see any value in ADVA so I do not expect this to happen.

Pros

ADVA typically deals in leading edge technology, has a high end customer base, and allows their employees a great deal of latitude. One is never bored.

If one has a Type A personality, the environment is highly receptive and accomodating.

Cons

Management at ADVA claim that "People are our most important asset", yet they don't live it. They always asked for input, but turned a deaf ear to those things they didn't want to hear.

Rather than promoting a consistent management philosophy for the company, every department develops their own. Management training was close to non-existent while I was there, limited to the basics. Ethical standards were never established.

Senior Management would pit employee against employee as a means to ensure that no competing power base was established. Silos exist in the usual power bases - Sales, IT, HR.

Because there is no chargeback for resource utilization, such as IT or Business Systems, these departments became highly politicised as people stood in line and vied for resources for their projects.

In the end, the only thing that mattered at ADVA was the revenue number. It didn't really matter what it took to get there.

Advice to Senior Management

Allowing Hansjosten to have the CEO slot was one of the most damaging things ever done to the company. I don't believe the man has the necessary integrity for the position. He certainly doesn't understand anything beyond revenue for the next X Quarters.