Here at “someone else’s lilypad” it’s all about cost. This costs X but we only get Y back. That’s fine, it’s a business and we’ve got to make money. Why then is it so difficult to get a straight answer about how much something costs from the people who buy things?
Witness this exchange.
Captain Spendy: We’re spending a darn fortune on ink cartridges. It needs to stop dammit.
Big Boss: Yes, I agree. Mr hoverFrog, what are the alternatives?
Me: How much do we spend? How much do we use? There are several options but it all boils down to the capital outlay and the cost per print. You want a decent return on the investment.
*stunned silence*
Captain Spendy: I dunno.
Me: Let me know when you do.
….later…..
Captain Spendy: I’ve found a colour laser printer I like. Here are the specs. *makes some laser zappy sounds as I take the page from him*
Me: OK. *glances at printout from Rip Off PC Company That We Don’t Use Anymore* Um this works out at 59p per page of colour printing. How does that compare with what you spend now?
Captain Spendy: I dunno.
Me: Let me know when you do.
I can see this going on all day. I may have to kill someone soon.
/
Mas said,
30 November 2007 at 6:10 pm
…. and thus proving Darwin’s “natural selection” theory in the workplace
Mas said,
30 November 2007 at 6:19 pm
oh…. and in all seriousness; a lot of printers provide statistics of how many printouts have come from them – between yourself and them, you should be able to determine how much paper has been used for how many ink cartridges have been discarded; of course, I’m assuming you’ve not got a policy of sending spent cartridges for recycling and buying in re-filled cartridges at a reduced cost….
alternatively, I would put a policy in place whereby all printing it metered; the departments who generate the most printouts will pay the bulk of maintenance – paper, ink, repairs. It’ll come straight from their budgets, so no-one need complain; when they realize they have to fire two or three people to support their printing habits, maybe they’ll re-evaluate the printing culture and ask “do I really need to be printing this?”
Catch you later
M
Perpetual said,
30 November 2007 at 6:24 pm
I like your approach a lot Mr Frog. you bamboozled them I think.
Mas said,
30 November 2007 at 6:25 pm
(and as a third (I know – I did a typo – it instead of is – but that’s not what this is about) suggestion…)
You could halve the printing paper budget. With no paper to print on, the costs spent on ink cartridges will be reduced – by around 50% – that’ll please Captain Spendy who’ll be able to afford the brand-spanking new printer with the money saved
(although why Captain Spendy simply didn’t say “I want to buy a new laser printer” I don’t know; unless the Captain is that stupid? Expect a similar meeting in 3 months time “we’re spending too much on printer toner for the laser printer…” – “I think you have to stop people sending us things you want to print; as such I will start decomisioning the email server and cutting our connections to the internet”
have a good weekend
M