On Tuesday, December 16, 1997 6:57 AM, Tracy Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
said:


>An MIS Director at one place I worked solved these kinds of problems with
>policy.  "If it wasn't purchased with MIS approval, MIS was not obligated
>to support it."


I've always followed that policy and it really ticks 'em off when its
enforced - but ya know what they say - "TFB" (Too Bad)... it makes them
think twice before they do it again.

The other thing we did was to work this type of issue as a time and
materials call, where if the equipment was "not issued by IS" - and we had
to work on it, the department receiving the service had to "pay" for that
service with dollars from their budget at a rate of $190.00 per hour (which
was HP's current T&M rate at the time)...  that too, made them think twice
before doing it again.

We even extended it to supplies.  One department bought a Laserjet knockoff
("it was cheaper than a Laserjet"), but the toner cartridge was not a
standard issue Laserjet cartridge.  Since we had to stock the supplies, we
charged that department for the cost of the item and a storage charge as
well.  I wonder if it was really cheaper than a Laserjet when all was said
and done :-)

(How's that for turning IS into a "profit center" <g>)

Joe ("he's such a bastard when he wants to be" :-) Geiser