After watching one of the analysts stand by our (at least) ten year old fax machine for 20-30 minutes cursing and pleading with it to work; it occurred to me that people within the building order themselves pretty much whatever they want. By whatever, I mean WHATEVER: Ergonomic keyboards, fancy purple scissors, brand new chairs, even cubicle ambiance lighting. So why hasn't anyone ordered a new fax machine? And why do we only have one if it's being used constantly?
I would propose it, but ideas are usually rewarded with more work. Instead, I'll just continue to watch coworkers flounder by the fax machine.
1 comment:
The reason is that in an office setting, ordering a fax machine isn't the same as ordering a calculator. For one, the perception is that a fax machine is a "big-ticket" item even though it probably costs less than your average office chair. Two, it's a purchase that affects everyone, not just the orderer, therefore would require a decision by committee, which means the decision never gets made. Third, fax machines, printers, & copiers are usually leased & attached to some kind of service/supply contract that the company is either locked into for x number of years, or it's been so long since said contract was put in place that no one can remember the process for getting an upgrade. Also, the fax machine doesn't live on any one person's desk, so no one takes stewardship of it's existence. It is the red-haired step-child of office equipment. An outlet for everyone's rage, and then they get to go back to their mid-back leatherlike "manager's" chair, their ergonomic keyboard, and their tilting foot rest things with the bumps and forget all about it.
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