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How Do You Justify the Existence of IT?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the all-about-roi dept.

bakamaki writes "I work for a small manufacturing company as a SysAdmin. My boss is a DBA. We are the only IT employees. He recently decided to record hours spent on his projects and then evaluate how much time the databases he writes save the employees. Then he translates that into a $ figure. He's asking me to do something similar but I'm kinda at a loss. It seems most of the stuff I do is preventative, IE care and feeding of servers and network infrastructure in addition to all the break fix stuff I do for the user base with their desktops. When in this position what do you folks usually do?"

8 of 411 comments (clear)

  1. Another question is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    How to spelling a headline?

  2. There is no justification for IT by Weasel+Boy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Your CEO should buy a Mac for everyone in the company and fire the whole IT department.

    1. Re:There is no justification for IT by dave420 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Not even that! Just get a single top-of-the-line Mac, put it on a golden pedestal in the lobby, and have it slowly rotate. Play some quiet acoustic U2 from hidden speakers, and your company will never need to spend another dime on IT ever again. A smoke machine and turtle-neck sweaters for everyone wouldn't hurt, either.

  3. simple by Lord+Ender · · Score: 3, Funny

    The business could not operate without computers. You make the computers work, therefore, 100% of revenue is dependent on you. Your ROI is $revenue/$your_cost * 100 percent. None are more valuable. Ask for either more money or exemption from these stupid and unproductive exercises.

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  4. Re:first things first (answered) by FuckTheModerators · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's IT.
    What is IT?
    IT's so cool, IT's so hip, IT's alright.
    IT's so groovy, IT's outta sight.
    You can touch IT, smell IT, taste IT so sweet.
    But IT makes no difference cuz IT knocks you off your feet.

  5. Ask him... by Angostura · · Score: 4, Funny

    how you should justify the cost of the time spent calculating the cost.

  6. Re:Compare with the present, not the past by Bandman · · Score: 5, Funny

    pshaw, how can they call the IT guy without phones ;-)

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  7. Do they really need you? by Bilbo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Try going on vacation for two or three weeks and see how many people are tearing out their hair trying to get their computers to function normally when you come back. Something tells me that should answer anyone's questions....

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