Sysadmin @lemmy.world hitwright @lemmy.world 1 wk. ago

I hope this is the right place for this

Spent the last 3 months getting requirements for computer upgrades. After that picked out some decent laptops. (Thinkpad L and T series)

Nothing fancy, but I'm just tired of diagnosing problems with previous sysadmin purchased Vostro laptops.

After getting quotes from multiple vendors, finally got everything and sent the CEO to confirm. Guess fucking what... It got fucking denied.

"Look for cheaper laptops and replace only whats critical"

Employees are rocking 7 year old laptops with 128G SSDs! The bloody things can't even run Win 11! The whole upgrade costs less than their single "teambuilding"! I hate this these cheapskates so fucking much...

27 comments

Have you considered updating your CV to get ready to leave for greener pastures?

Because that sounds like a "update your CV and get ready to leave for greener pastures" kinda situation.
- I've been thinking a lot about this, but there are collegues that I consider friends, and wouldn't want them to suffer the workload increase. Either way I still have some patience and not yet ready to jump ship.
  
  Thanks for the suggestion, friend.
  
  Your bosses are consciously taking advantage of your loyalty. Don't be their bitch. Leave, and tell your coworkers to do the same. They'll thank you, eventually.
  
  Don't tie your mental health to that of your colleagues. I know from experience how tempting it is to hang out in a bad place because you don't want to dump your workload on your work friends, but a bad org is going to make shit decisions and make life hard for the employees whether you're punching the clock or not.
  
  While you may not be ready now, put the feelers out, because you may hit a point where your patience suddenly runs out and you have to start from nothing and deal with no longer being in a good headspace at work.
  
  Considering it resume/interview practice until you find a good gig or just need to get out.
  
  The hero mentality props up the villains. They will never learn or improve if you keep saving them.
  
  Idk if it's a solid tip, but you can look for someone interested taking your place and when you find one - just leave this place
It’s frustrating to be in that position, especially when your proposal is reasonable and based on extensive research. Here’s a strategic approach to justify your purchase request more effectively:

Focus on Cost-Benefit Analysis: Highlight the financial impact of the outdated laptops. Explain how productivity loss and increased maintenance costs associated with old hardware end up costing more over time compared to a proactive upgrade. You could also point out the risk of data loss or increased downtime due to failing hardware.

Security Risks: Emphasize the security concerns of running unsupported hardware and software, especially if they can’t upgrade to Windows 11. Explain that outdated systems are a liability, especially if your company handles sensitive data. Mention the potential costs of a security breach compared to the cost of the new laptops.

Critical Functionality: Address the “critical replacement” directive by making a case that most of the laptops fall under this category. Show evidence that the old laptops cannot handle the required software, highlighting instances where employees struggle to complete essential tasks efficiently.

Comparison with Company Expenses: It may be strategic to tactfully compare the cost of the laptop upgrades to non-essential expenses, like teambuilding events. Avoid sounding confrontational, but emphasize that investing in core infrastructure benefits the entire organization.

Highlight Vendor Efforts: Mention that you’ve worked to get competitive pricing from multiple vendors, which demonstrates due diligence. You could also inquire about leasing or financing options if that makes the cost more palatable to management.

Emphasize Employee Productivity: Point out that employees’ effectiveness and morale are directly impacted by their tools. Explain how up-to-date laptops enable employees to work faster and more efficiently, which can boost overall performance.

Long-Term Plan: If budget constraints are tight, consider proposing a phased approach where critical replacements are prioritized but still push for a complete rollout in the near future.

Prepare to Negotiate: Be open to compromise if necessary. For instance, you could suggest a tiered approach where more powerful laptops are allocated to employees whose roles demand higher performance, while others get decent, mid-range upgrades.

Crafting your argument to align with the company’s priorities, such as cost management and risk reduction, will make it more persuasive. Good luck!
- Thanks chatgpt
  
  Is every well thought-out response going to be met with the "AI" sneering accusation from here on out? Some people really are thoughtful, knowledgeable, and have enough empathy and concern to share their expertise with the world. I find this attitude here is yet another flavour of anti-intellectualism. LLMs got their plagiarised material from real people, after all.
  
  My thoughts, chatpgt's wording. I suck at writing
- Basically, make a "business argument" for the upgrades. CEO's are generally business bros with limited practical experience. They understand sales and people pleasing/kiss assing. So the right argument is usually how it will increase sales and make their employees more productive and happier.
  
  Unfortunately with the current equipment being 7 years old, "anything is better than the shit we currently have". With win10 being put to pasture, your company needs to do a full replacement. So buy the cheaper ones that the CEO wants, then work on convincing him to buy the higher end ones when the cheap shit dies in the next 2-4 years.
  
  Phrase it like "Due to the urgency of our upgrade needs and budgetary constraints, I understand why we need to buy lower quality equipment. This equipment has a life expectancy of 2-4 years. I recommend when these lower quality models need replacement we go with a higher quality model and a life expectancy of 5-7 years. This will in the long term reduce our expected cost by $xxxx/year.
- to non-essential expenses, like teambuilding events
  
  Yeah, sometimes you just gotta tell them that teambuilding isn't going to do shit when opening any more than 4 MS Words make the computer stop.
  
  I remember having cramped hands when trying to write fast in examinations. This would the the modern analogue.
Sadly not surprising. You gotta spin it in terms they prefer, like productivity, profits, and ROI. Otherwise they assume it's an expense with no gains.
- Calculate how much time is lost by the delays and crashes caused by old hardware. If you can break down how expensive not upgrading is, it might be easier to sell the upgrade. You could also break down the upgrade into waves, replacing only a third (or maybe a fourth) of the machines each year, starting with the oldest, and with the users who rely on them most. Another benefit to the wave approach is that you'll reduce the likelihood of having to do another big upgrade every 3-4 years.
"Yes, I thought of that. The laptops we currently have are cheaper options and every time they fail an employee loses a days worth of work but the company still pays them. In the end it turned out to be more expensive than if we had gone with something like the ThinkPads in my proposal."
no i love memes i think we should put them everywhere thanks
There are a lot of well-reasoned, positive responses here, so let me just be the one to say f@$# that CEO and all CEOs like them.

Padding their buddies pockets with bs "consulting" and "team building" while the basic needs of the company don't get met.
Document document document. I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to put together something that further demonstrates the need to eliminate entire lines of laptops and replace them with something that will last. Think hardware repair costs, maintenance man hours and productivity, and what finally nailed the coffin for my teams, the dropping of Windows 10 and Windows 11 support. Windows 11 is going to require laptops have certain hardware features for full support. Microsoft’s planned obsolescence may actually come in handy for you. You might still have to go with something cheaper than Thinkpads, but maybe you could get more people upgraded. The CEO may just not know what is “critical” yet.
- Yep, OP needs to engage CYA mode. Write down all of your concerns, send it to the management team and have them reply indicating they don't care about them. Then print out that email and forward it to your personal email so that you can refer back to it when SHTF
It's the smell...
- If there is such a thing.
And here I though you worked for the CIA (based on the meme)

Anyway this is a management problem. Do your shift and go home. Also I personally wouldn't buy cheap hardware for the business
Lmao that’s just my existence in general 😭

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