[SOLVED] I need some help getting some help Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
I have been having a terrible time finding any real help/mention/solutions concerning this product. Everything seems to be for "Premiere" and other products they offer. This is sort of like the forgotten step child in the product line. Even the help topics and chat they offer are very superficial along the line of "this tab does this" type tutorial stuff.

First off, and before you ask...my computer runs absolutely fine. There are no issues with my computer that need solving IMO.

So, I do a lot of work converting and editing pictures and work orders into pdf format. About half of our techs utilize Android devices to "capture" these forms and send to us via DropBox. The other half use Apple products. I am having a very specific issue with only one of our techs who recently upgraded to some manner of 'newer' Apple phone and pad. I do not know specifically which model but would comfortably make the assumption that it's the newest ones. I know ZERO about Apple in any real way. I dislike them and their business practice...but I am getting off subject.

Often I have to edit a date, clear up wording, mis-spelling etc within these work orders. Almost without fail anything sent to me from an Android, or one of the older Apple devices will allow editing without issue.
We have to send in pictures of deficiencies found on jobs. These are taken in a large format jpg and I convert them to a smaller pdf to send in. There are several clicks during this process in which you name/tell where to put/convert/and make smaller. By and large I (had) been able to just click through those steps as quickly as I could and everything worked and saved properly.

When the one tech got the new devices. I cannot properly edit all of his work orders. It will remove information from the base paperwork. When he sends me picture files the size of them is relatively the same. These are generally about 4-5MB files and I make them ~1MB to send. As above, I used to be able to just click through and save. For some reason, now, when I get to that last step to compress to a smaller size I have noted that the time I have to wait to actually hit the "yes" button is around 6-7 seconds, or I will get an error for the compression.

I have attempted to talk the tech through taking smaller pictures, just to see if that would help. As above the relative size of the files I am getting are consistent to the other techs, but the process time is just too much. In his phone camera settings there appear to only be two settings to do with "compatibility" and we cannot seem to locate anything to do with the size of the image. We have tried both settings and it is doing the same thing.

With the background laid...I have attempted to go on the tech chat with Adobe and I cannot seem to convey to them a proper way to GET someone (technically the bot) to even know what I am talking about, or how to resolve. Is there some critical aspect or verbiage I need to use to properly describe this issue to them (or y'all) and maybe get some assistance with this?

Just for giggles my system is a 2700X w/ 32GB of CL14/3200 RAM, GTX 1080, RM750...newest BIOS/Drivers/all that "jazz". My computer's temps are great. During the conversion process it rarely caps 50. Good stability and such. It has to be something to do with that "new" Apple device and Adobe....are they feuding or something?
 
Solution
This:

"...but you can imagine the frustration where ONE of my techs pics and paperwork are adding an addition 7-ish seconds to my time for EACH picture 15-20 times per file. The other five don't pose any issue."

Yes; I can imagine the frustration and I have shared it. And I know I am not alone there by any means.

Tech #6. (AKA Potential HR problem.)

Not only is Tech #6 causing you more work, Tech #6 is obviously adding stress to you and to your work environment.

You are the manager, you are the IT guy, 5 techs are no problem. (You mentioned a "we" - who is that? An owner, a partner?)

In any case, bring that Tech #6 back on board. Make the workflow rules/SOPs, etc., very clear.

Document and issue to all techs. Explain...

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Not a technical issue.

Do the techs provide/use their own devices or are the devices company owned?

If the former, you are only going to face more of the same in the future.

If the latter, then company management needs to step in and establish SOPs, spec's, standards, best practices, and so forth so that all technicians are consistent with respect to their work and submissions back to you.

Adobe is much like any other large company. When they no longer want to support something, support will first be nominal, and secondly non-existent.

My action would be to draft cradle to grave SOPs regarding the work orders.

Explain the current problem and possible future problems to management.

Get management support up front by explaining the problems, time and effort, and most importantly (to management) the costs being incurred by the current work flows.

You should be able to easily document the extra time and efforts imposed by non-standard work order submissions.

Set up the standards and work flows as you deem applicable and appropriate. Be open minded and solicit ideas from co-workers and technicians.

And, if necessary - consider and honestly mention any applicable and negative impacts on customers. Especially if you have complaints of any sort regarding the work order process. Customer problems tend to quickly gain management attention in most companies. Those that wish to survive anyway.....

Sketch out a revised work flow and demonstrate how work flows will improve and therefore benefit the company.

Write step-by-step procedures that all can refer to and use. May take some tweaking and later revisions but that is always the case.

Hopefully the company is not in the business of accommodating one "rogue" employee. (But I do know, very well, that such things happen.)

Take a proactive stance. Be fair, plan it all out, document, and make your case.

Just my thoughts on the matter.
 

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
^ Dude, no, really that all sounds awesome. I may or may not be fully understanding the way in which you put it, but I will try my best to reply coherently.

We are a small company and have no "standards" regarding all that. Mostly tech provided. We have tried to set a standard in regard to what they are using (and did with a bunch of iPads) which subsequently got broken lost and or simply in the hands of people that don't know how to use them. There is an SOP for work flow from the techs and it (mostly) gets followed. They have access to the file in dropbox, get it signed, save it back there. Take pics, drop into their folder. Pretty easy peasey one would think...


Adobe is much like any other large company. When they no longer want to support something, support will first be nominal, and secondly non-existent.

I am a little confused by this statement. The product I am using IS supported, current, I pay monthly for it. Obviously the new Apple product is supported by it's manufacturer so I am a bit confuddled as to what you are inferring here.


I AM the management, I AM the IT guy. I AM making my case...(to the forum to ask for assistance). There is no other outlet or source of help. We have six field employees. My tech support over this is by chatting with someone over at Adobe. So far I have been unable to convey the issue to them with any effectiveness in finding a resolution. I also run into this same sort of complacency when asking them about and unrelated hardware acceleration question.

It would be easy to say "well that's poor customer service" (and it IS), but my options for a workable application for this type of conversion are pretty limited. The online versions have a cap on what you can process, aren't particularly secure, don't do picture compression. I don't have the resources on my own to be familiar with anything else workable and as above Adobe themselves have been zero help. I think it has more to do with conveying the proper key word such that the bot directs me to the right help article or person (hahahahahahahahahaha, whew!)

It isn't that I would say the program isn't worth the $15 a month, it's actually pretty invaluable...but you can imagine the frustration where ONE of my techs pics and paperwork are adding an addition 7-ish seconds to my time for EACH picture 15-20 times per file. The other five don't pose any issue.
 
Last edited:

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
Jeez...I have been sitting here for an hour talking circles with a human I finally got. He keeps telling me HOW to use the product rather than actually discussing the issue WITH the product on this particular file set. Frustrating as heck!
 

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
Well, another complete waste of time.

I got fed some crap about meta data and layering, in essence a bunch of tech glitter to try and impress me with zero solution. I am just to live with the additional time and do some "thoughts and prayers" on a future update that might fix the issue they won't admit I have here.
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
This:

"...but you can imagine the frustration where ONE of my techs pics and paperwork are adding an addition 7-ish seconds to my time for EACH picture 15-20 times per file. The other five don't pose any issue."

Yes; I can imagine the frustration and I have shared it. And I know I am not alone there by any means.

Tech #6. (AKA Potential HR problem.)

Not only is Tech #6 causing you more work, Tech #6 is obviously adding stress to you and to your work environment.

You are the manager, you are the IT guy, 5 techs are no problem. (You mentioned a "we" - who is that? An owner, a partner?)

In any case, bring that Tech #6 back on board. Make the workflow rules/SOPs, etc., very clear.

Document and issue to all techs. Explain what is to be done and how it is to be done. Period.

You can be and should be nice about it all but if you do not act now Tech #6 (and maybe some of the others) will go even more rogue on you.

Overall, in most environments an employee who is not following SOPs etc. probably should be going somewhere else.

===============

As for Adobe - since you are paying for support then you should receive such support. However, support is limited to existing product functionality. Not in helping you figure out how to get Adobe to do some new function or meet a requirement particular to any given customer (or rogue Tech for that matter.) Might happen if many customers demand or otherwise need the function.

Reasonably sure that if you had a couple K 's count of Adobe licenses then someone at Adobe would likely pay more attention to you. Do not know what Adobe's threshold is.....

Software companies often add new "features" and also drop features that they deem unnecessary for whatever reason. And folks discover that "X" no longer works.... So the fix is usually that the customer is left having to run an older version of the software. At some point support for older versions end and the problems really begin.

Not your doing or fault at all - just the way such things tend to go.

That is also frustrating.
 
Solution

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
I am imagining that I must not be making the issue clear here or to them.

The tech is doing what they are supposed to be doing. They aren't doing anything specific the other techs are or are not doing to cause a work flow issue. The problem exists when I am working locally on the pictures and work order that he is following procedure by taking, and dropping onto Dropbox.
I honestly may be completely misunderstanding the direction you are offering.

As to Adobe themselves...I mean, the product is working, and I completely understand the checklist troubleshooting work flow. You have no idea of who you are working with trying to troubleshoot in so much as their experience, intelligence, or even comprehension. This whole situation is honestly making me think I am the problem here in one of the three listed there, lol.

I appreciate your comments, and attempt to help. Thank you.
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Are you in a BYOD environment?

In the proverbial "nutshell":

"When the one tech got the new devices. I cannot properly edit all of his work orders. It will remove information from the base paperwork. When he sends me picture files the size of them is relatively the same. These are generally about 4-5MB files and I make them ~1MB to send "

Note: new devices my underlining.....

My sense is that "new devices" is the issue. Not you. (And never has been.)

Roll the tech back from Apple/new devices.

AKA "some manner of 'newer' Apple phone and pad. "

Overall point being that sometime in the near future, Tech # X goes out and purchases Device Y (because it was a good deal) and you then discover similar or worse problems with Tech #x's work order submissions.

And, in the meantime, Tech #Y goes out and gets Device Z for whatever reasons.....

Who, in your environment, can control all that? Someone needs to....

Not sure what else to suggest.
 
  • Like
Reactions: punkncat
-----------------
I will get an error for the compression.

I have attempted to talk the tech through taking smaller pictures, just to see if that would help. As above the relative size of the files I am getting are consistent to the other techs, but the process time is just too much. In his phone camera settings there appear to only be two settings to do with "compatibility" and we cannot seem to locate anything to do with the size of the image. We have tried both settings and it is doing the same thing.
-------------

The newer Apple devices don't have any options to change the picture size or quality settings. No idea why but that is what they did.
 
  • Like
Reactions: punkncat

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
Are you in a BYOD environment?

In the proverbial "nutshell":

"When the one tech got the new devices. I cannot properly edit all of his work orders. It will remove information from the base paperwork. When he sends me picture files the size of them is relatively the same. These are generally about 4-5MB files and I make them ~1MB to send "

Note: new devices my underlining.....

My sense is that "new devices" is the issue. Not you. (And never has been.)

Roll the tech back from Apple/new devices.

AKA "some manner of 'newer' Apple phone and pad. "

Overall point being that sometime in the near future, Tech # X goes out and purchases Device Y (because it was a good deal) and you then discover similar or worse problems with Tech #x's work order submissions.

And, in the meantime, Tech #Y goes out and gets Device Z for whatever reasons.....

Who, in your environment, can control all that? Someone needs to....

Not sure what else to suggest.

Yeah, unfortunately nothing I can do about that device aspect. We tried to make everything the same and the lost/broken/etc. was very costly.

I took this to another level of tech support and it is indeed to do with the way Apple is handling metadata along with Adobe themselves. Lucky for me I got some good advice and tried Nitro. It isn't of particular help with the form editing, but for the pictures does and amazing job, one step replacing many, and FAR FAR faster. It's another $10 a month but the time savings will make up for that readily.

Thank you for the continued efforts to help me. I was being dense.