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How to ask for a much needed system upgrade?
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I am working in a IT company and my system's specifications don't meet my workload and cpu requirements. While I am working, the system becomes very slow making me both less efficient and very frustrated. For these reasons I think I should escalate this to my TL and concerned department.
- What is the proper way to tell them what my problem is?
- What should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
software-industry communication
edited Jul 21 '14 at 21:05
Ian Holstead
1,0111230
asked Jul 21 '14 at 10:44
eatSleepCode
1237
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
I am working in a IT company and my system's specifications don't meet my workload and cpu requirements. While I am working, the system becomes very slow making me both less efficient and very frustrated. For these reasons I think I should escalate this to my TL and concerned department.
- What is the proper way to tell them what my problem is?
- What should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
software-industry communication
edited Jul 21 '14 at 21:05
Ian Holstead
1,0111230
asked Jul 21 '14 at 10:44
eatSleepCode
1237
Is anyone else in your shop having the same trouble or is it just your station?
– Bmo
Jul 21 '14 at 12:40
possible duplicate of How do I request new equipment for the office?
– Elysian Fields♦
Jul 21 '14 at 14:45
Did you even try just asking? Hey, my computer doesn't support the applications I need to run, is it possible to get a better computer? That might take 1 minute of your time to walk over to the proper person and ask. Why make a project out of it?
– Dunk
Jul 21 '14 at 21:23
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
I am working in a IT company and my system's specifications don't meet my workload and cpu requirements. While I am working, the system becomes very slow making me both less efficient and very frustrated. For these reasons I think I should escalate this to my TL and concerned department.
- What is the proper way to tell them what my problem is?
- What should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
software-industry communication
edited Jul 21 '14 at 21:05
Ian Holstead
1,0111230
asked Jul 21 '14 at 10:44
eatSleepCode
1237
I am working in a IT company and my system's specifications don't meet my workload and cpu requirements. While I am working, the system becomes very slow making me both less efficient and very frustrated. For these reasons I think I should escalate this to my TL and concerned department.
- What is the proper way to tell them what my problem is?
- What should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
software-industry communication
edited Jul 21 '14 at 21:05
Ian Holstead
1,0111230
asked Jul 21 '14 at 10:44
eatSleepCode
1237
edited Jul 21 '14 at 21:05
Ian Holstead
1,0111230
edited Jul 21 '14 at 21:05
Ian Holstead
1,0111230
edited Jul 21 '14 at 21:05
Ian Holstead
1,0111230
1,0111230
asked Jul 21 '14 at 10:44
eatSleepCode
1237
asked Jul 21 '14 at 10:44
eatSleepCode
1237
asked Jul 21 '14 at 10:44
eatSleepCode
1237
1237
Is anyone else in your shop having the same trouble or is it just your station?
– Bmo
Jul 21 '14 at 12:40
possible duplicate of How do I request new equipment for the office?
– Elysian Fields♦
Jul 21 '14 at 14:45
Did you even try just asking? Hey, my computer doesn't support the applications I need to run, is it possible to get a better computer? That might take 1 minute of your time to walk over to the proper person and ask. Why make a project out of it?
– Dunk
Jul 21 '14 at 21:23
suggest improvements |Â
Is anyone else in your shop having the same trouble or is it just your station?
– Bmo
Jul 21 '14 at 12:40
possible duplicate of How do I request new equipment for the office?
– Elysian Fields♦
Jul 21 '14 at 14:45
Did you even try just asking? Hey, my computer doesn't support the applications I need to run, is it possible to get a better computer? That might take 1 minute of your time to walk over to the proper person and ask. Why make a project out of it?
– Dunk
Jul 21 '14 at 21:23
Is anyone else in your shop having the same trouble or is it just your station?
– Bmo
Jul 21 '14 at 12:40
Is anyone else in your shop having the same trouble or is it just your station?
– Bmo
Jul 21 '14 at 12:40
possible duplicate of How do I request new equipment for the office?
– Elysian Fields♦
Jul 21 '14 at 14:45
possible duplicate of How do I request new equipment for the office?
– Elysian Fields♦
Jul 21 '14 at 14:45
Did you even try just asking? Hey, my computer doesn't support the applications I need to run, is it possible to get a better computer? That might take 1 minute of your time to walk over to the proper person and ask. Why make a project out of it?
– Dunk
Jul 21 '14 at 21:23
Did you even try just asking? Hey, my computer doesn't support the applications I need to run, is it possible to get a better computer? That might take 1 minute of your time to walk over to the proper person and ask. Why make a project out of it?
– Dunk
Jul 21 '14 at 21:23
suggest improvements |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
You should tell your Team Lead that your system is too slow, and is impacting your productivity and efficiency. Explain with as many specifics as you can. Make sure you have first done everything you personally can do to speed up your system yourself (defragment, change settings, remove unneeded applications, etc - whatever applies to your system).
If your company cares about productivity, and if the budget permits, this should help get you what you need. Remember that sometimes the budget or timing doesn't allow for an update. If that's the case, wait a few months and ask again.
Leave out the part about your personal frustration. That's something you need to work on individually. Work will never be as smooth as we would like - learn not to let that frustrate you.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
4
One should also be prepared to accept that, even if the tools do not meet the requirements of the job, to accept that the reality of the world proper tools ( outside of safety equipment ) might not be possible. A slow computer does not place your life in danager it just makes it a pain.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 12:00
2
@Ramhound depending on the salary ranges in your country, most IT professionals make about 30x to 50x what a new computer costs. This could potentially be part of the argument. The fastest most tricked out laptop is only about $3k US. In the US anyway IT programmers will make a minimum of $60k and often make more than $100k. Yet management continue to handicap this highly paid professionals by not providing the needed tools. They are seen as whiners.
– Bill Leeper
Jul 21 '14 at 13:54
1
Echoing @BillLeeper. While equipment may seem expensive, it's quite cheap compared to the cost of your developer's time. If slow equipment costs 1 hour of lost productivity per week and your developer costs $100/hour, that's $5000/year you're wasting on that developer twiddling his thumbs. A $2000 computer upgrade that will last that developer 2 years suddenly is very cost-effective - your net savings is $8000 over those 2 years.
– alroc
Jul 21 '14 at 14:05
3
@BillLeeper - A budget is a budget. Accounting rules can be tricky. In some cases it would be illegal to use OPM money on hardware because of the color of the money. If the project has no money for new hardware then new hardware cannot be purchased. Personal is often paid for by the total revenue stream. You might see this as an excuse but these are also valid reasons new hardware cannot be purchased. Hardware being cheap compared to a developer isn't the point, the reality of the world can go against what seems to make sense, because the reality of the world isn't pretty.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 14:17
2
@Alroc, what you are not understanding is that the money budgeted for equipment is not in the same pot as that for salries, so this argument makes no sense to the accounting people who have to approve spending the money. They don't actually care of you take longer to do some things. What they care about is that new computers are not in the budget or only a few are. If they approve one for you, then 100 other people may ask, so they have to be able to justify why you and not them.
– HLGEM
Jul 21 '14 at 21:04
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
3
down vote
First - start with bullet proofing the case that it is a problem. I don't mean to sound cynical, but the number of times that employees have brought me this situation while using a company specified machine that is rarely a problem is about 50%. Make sure that any extraneous software is not automatically provided and not needed to do work is removed. That includes IMs to the outside world and close windows hosting anything streaming. Also be sure that this is generally a problem with anyone having a machine of your type, and/or that your machine is of an incredibly ancient variety.
If you've done all that, fantastic, sorry to be a pain and ask...
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
1 - Know the comparison. If you are doing a job done by others, know the specs of their equipment and have a case for why yours is worse. "My machine is the 2009 model, and everyone else in the office was issued a new machine in 2011", or "I have half as much RAM as everyone else in the office". This is a much harder case to make if you have the nicest, newest equipment in the building than if you got the horrible leftovers.
2 - Know what your tools require - particularly if you are the special guy with the special tools - then know why your tools require more. "I'm using the XYZ tool, it requires X RAM, Y hard drive and a CPU of Z, and recommends XX, YY and ZZ -- I have less than X, Y, and/or Z which isn't supported by the vendor"
3 - Know the true impact and describe it with meaningful specifics. For example
The slowdown due to poor equipment occurs every time I start the XYZ tool. Starting the tool takes N minutes, and I must start the tool every morning/after lunch/every 30 minutes, etc
I can't use X tool and Y tool at the same time. Starting and stopping the tools causes slowdowns when doing task A which requires at least 10 cases of switching back and forth. What should take 30 minutes then takes 2 hours, and I do this task every day...
The system runs so slowly that a rebuild that would take 5 minutes on my coworker's machine takes 30 minutes on mine. Our coding environment is one where we rebuild multiple times an hour. While the code rebuilds my screen freezes making it impossible to review or research anything else while I'm waiting.
Don't go lower than this, but give the math that allows your manager to add it up and say "wow! This guy would be able to do twice as much if we gave him decent equipment".
what should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
There is no final answer on this part.
Your company will address your needs if they are both defined clearly enough that your manager or other budget decision maker will agree that it's a problem and if your company has the money to do this while being moderately fair. I point out "moderately fair" because if you are working on the same horrible machine as most of your office in a company that is strapped for cash, they may well not be in a position to approve upgrades. Particularly when they can't upgrade one horrible box if they are all horrible.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
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My brother the automobile mechanic owns his own tools. IT people can do that too.
If the upgrade you need is not expensive, you could just buy it with your own funds. For example, RAM upgrades can be very cost-effective.
That is a good first step to making the business case for upgrading everyone.
You can write something like this:
Dear Team Leader: For US$38 I added blah-blah to my system.
Before I added it, the zingotron task I do eight times per day took
twenty minutes to complete.
After I added it, zingotron took four minutes, a saving of 16 minutes
each time, or a total of just over two hours a day.
My rate of pay is $40 per hour, so this tiny investment I have made to improve my productivity has paid for itself in less than one day.
May I suggest that the company purchase the blah-blah upgrade for my
colleagues as well?
This makes the case pretty substantially. It has worked for me in two separate companies.
If they say, "hey, you're not allowed to upgrade company-owned equipment!" then you can channel Admiral Grace Hopper and say, "sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble. I will remove the upgrade." But your point has been made.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
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In some positions, the need for an exceptional computer is obvious so just saying, "I really need a faster computer" should be enough. If your boss isn't receptive to that, make the case in numbers: "For 8 minutes of typical work I watched the clock closely. I was waiting for the computer to catch up for a little over 2 minutes of that time. When you add it all up, this basically means 2 hours of every 8 hour work day that you're paying me for, I'm waiting for this machine. I really feel like I need a faster machine to work to my full potential."
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
You should tell your Team Lead that your system is too slow, and is impacting your productivity and efficiency. Explain with as many specifics as you can. Make sure you have first done everything you personally can do to speed up your system yourself (defragment, change settings, remove unneeded applications, etc - whatever applies to your system).
If your company cares about productivity, and if the budget permits, this should help get you what you need. Remember that sometimes the budget or timing doesn't allow for an update. If that's the case, wait a few months and ask again.
Leave out the part about your personal frustration. That's something you need to work on individually. Work will never be as smooth as we would like - learn not to let that frustrate you.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
4
One should also be prepared to accept that, even if the tools do not meet the requirements of the job, to accept that the reality of the world proper tools ( outside of safety equipment ) might not be possible. A slow computer does not place your life in danager it just makes it a pain.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 12:00
2
@Ramhound depending on the salary ranges in your country, most IT professionals make about 30x to 50x what a new computer costs. This could potentially be part of the argument. The fastest most tricked out laptop is only about $3k US. In the US anyway IT programmers will make a minimum of $60k and often make more than $100k. Yet management continue to handicap this highly paid professionals by not providing the needed tools. They are seen as whiners.
– Bill Leeper
Jul 21 '14 at 13:54
1
Echoing @BillLeeper. While equipment may seem expensive, it's quite cheap compared to the cost of your developer's time. If slow equipment costs 1 hour of lost productivity per week and your developer costs $100/hour, that's $5000/year you're wasting on that developer twiddling his thumbs. A $2000 computer upgrade that will last that developer 2 years suddenly is very cost-effective - your net savings is $8000 over those 2 years.
– alroc
Jul 21 '14 at 14:05
3
@BillLeeper - A budget is a budget. Accounting rules can be tricky. In some cases it would be illegal to use OPM money on hardware because of the color of the money. If the project has no money for new hardware then new hardware cannot be purchased. Personal is often paid for by the total revenue stream. You might see this as an excuse but these are also valid reasons new hardware cannot be purchased. Hardware being cheap compared to a developer isn't the point, the reality of the world can go against what seems to make sense, because the reality of the world isn't pretty.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 14:17
2
@Alroc, what you are not understanding is that the money budgeted for equipment is not in the same pot as that for salries, so this argument makes no sense to the accounting people who have to approve spending the money. They don't actually care of you take longer to do some things. What they care about is that new computers are not in the budget or only a few are. If they approve one for you, then 100 other people may ask, so they have to be able to justify why you and not them.
– HLGEM
Jul 21 '14 at 21:04
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
7
down vote
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
You should tell your Team Lead that your system is too slow, and is impacting your productivity and efficiency. Explain with as many specifics as you can. Make sure you have first done everything you personally can do to speed up your system yourself (defragment, change settings, remove unneeded applications, etc - whatever applies to your system).
If your company cares about productivity, and if the budget permits, this should help get you what you need. Remember that sometimes the budget or timing doesn't allow for an update. If that's the case, wait a few months and ask again.
Leave out the part about your personal frustration. That's something you need to work on individually. Work will never be as smooth as we would like - learn not to let that frustrate you.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
4
One should also be prepared to accept that, even if the tools do not meet the requirements of the job, to accept that the reality of the world proper tools ( outside of safety equipment ) might not be possible. A slow computer does not place your life in danager it just makes it a pain.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 12:00
2
@Ramhound depending on the salary ranges in your country, most IT professionals make about 30x to 50x what a new computer costs. This could potentially be part of the argument. The fastest most tricked out laptop is only about $3k US. In the US anyway IT programmers will make a minimum of $60k and often make more than $100k. Yet management continue to handicap this highly paid professionals by not providing the needed tools. They are seen as whiners.
– Bill Leeper
Jul 21 '14 at 13:54
1
Echoing @BillLeeper. While equipment may seem expensive, it's quite cheap compared to the cost of your developer's time. If slow equipment costs 1 hour of lost productivity per week and your developer costs $100/hour, that's $5000/year you're wasting on that developer twiddling his thumbs. A $2000 computer upgrade that will last that developer 2 years suddenly is very cost-effective - your net savings is $8000 over those 2 years.
– alroc
Jul 21 '14 at 14:05
3
@BillLeeper - A budget is a budget. Accounting rules can be tricky. In some cases it would be illegal to use OPM money on hardware because of the color of the money. If the project has no money for new hardware then new hardware cannot be purchased. Personal is often paid for by the total revenue stream. You might see this as an excuse but these are also valid reasons new hardware cannot be purchased. Hardware being cheap compared to a developer isn't the point, the reality of the world can go against what seems to make sense, because the reality of the world isn't pretty.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 14:17
2
@Alroc, what you are not understanding is that the money budgeted for equipment is not in the same pot as that for salries, so this argument makes no sense to the accounting people who have to approve spending the money. They don't actually care of you take longer to do some things. What they care about is that new computers are not in the budget or only a few are. If they approve one for you, then 100 other people may ask, so they have to be able to justify why you and not them.
– HLGEM
Jul 21 '14 at 21:04
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
7
down vote
up vote
7
down vote
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
You should tell your Team Lead that your system is too slow, and is impacting your productivity and efficiency. Explain with as many specifics as you can. Make sure you have first done everything you personally can do to speed up your system yourself (defragment, change settings, remove unneeded applications, etc - whatever applies to your system).
If your company cares about productivity, and if the budget permits, this should help get you what you need. Remember that sometimes the budget or timing doesn't allow for an update. If that's the case, wait a few months and ask again.
Leave out the part about your personal frustration. That's something you need to work on individually. Work will never be as smooth as we would like - learn not to let that frustrate you.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
You should tell your Team Lead that your system is too slow, and is impacting your productivity and efficiency. Explain with as many specifics as you can. Make sure you have first done everything you personally can do to speed up your system yourself (defragment, change settings, remove unneeded applications, etc - whatever applies to your system).
If your company cares about productivity, and if the budget permits, this should help get you what you need. Remember that sometimes the budget or timing doesn't allow for an update. If that's the case, wait a few months and ask again.
Leave out the part about your personal frustration. That's something you need to work on individually. Work will never be as smooth as we would like - learn not to let that frustrate you.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
edited Jul 21 '14 at 12:02
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
answered Jul 21 '14 at 11:43
Joe Strazzere
223k106657926
223k106657926
4
One should also be prepared to accept that, even if the tools do not meet the requirements of the job, to accept that the reality of the world proper tools ( outside of safety equipment ) might not be possible. A slow computer does not place your life in danager it just makes it a pain.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 12:00
2
@Ramhound depending on the salary ranges in your country, most IT professionals make about 30x to 50x what a new computer costs. This could potentially be part of the argument. The fastest most tricked out laptop is only about $3k US. In the US anyway IT programmers will make a minimum of $60k and often make more than $100k. Yet management continue to handicap this highly paid professionals by not providing the needed tools. They are seen as whiners.
– Bill Leeper
Jul 21 '14 at 13:54
1
Echoing @BillLeeper. While equipment may seem expensive, it's quite cheap compared to the cost of your developer's time. If slow equipment costs 1 hour of lost productivity per week and your developer costs $100/hour, that's $5000/year you're wasting on that developer twiddling his thumbs. A $2000 computer upgrade that will last that developer 2 years suddenly is very cost-effective - your net savings is $8000 over those 2 years.
– alroc
Jul 21 '14 at 14:05
3
@BillLeeper - A budget is a budget. Accounting rules can be tricky. In some cases it would be illegal to use OPM money on hardware because of the color of the money. If the project has no money for new hardware then new hardware cannot be purchased. Personal is often paid for by the total revenue stream. You might see this as an excuse but these are also valid reasons new hardware cannot be purchased. Hardware being cheap compared to a developer isn't the point, the reality of the world can go against what seems to make sense, because the reality of the world isn't pretty.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 14:17
2
@Alroc, what you are not understanding is that the money budgeted for equipment is not in the same pot as that for salries, so this argument makes no sense to the accounting people who have to approve spending the money. They don't actually care of you take longer to do some things. What they care about is that new computers are not in the budget or only a few are. If they approve one for you, then 100 other people may ask, so they have to be able to justify why you and not them.
– HLGEM
Jul 21 '14 at 21:04
 |Â
show 2 more comments
4
One should also be prepared to accept that, even if the tools do not meet the requirements of the job, to accept that the reality of the world proper tools ( outside of safety equipment ) might not be possible. A slow computer does not place your life in danager it just makes it a pain.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 12:00
2
@Ramhound depending on the salary ranges in your country, most IT professionals make about 30x to 50x what a new computer costs. This could potentially be part of the argument. The fastest most tricked out laptop is only about $3k US. In the US anyway IT programmers will make a minimum of $60k and often make more than $100k. Yet management continue to handicap this highly paid professionals by not providing the needed tools. They are seen as whiners.
– Bill Leeper
Jul 21 '14 at 13:54
1
Echoing @BillLeeper. While equipment may seem expensive, it's quite cheap compared to the cost of your developer's time. If slow equipment costs 1 hour of lost productivity per week and your developer costs $100/hour, that's $5000/year you're wasting on that developer twiddling his thumbs. A $2000 computer upgrade that will last that developer 2 years suddenly is very cost-effective - your net savings is $8000 over those 2 years.
– alroc
Jul 21 '14 at 14:05
3
@BillLeeper - A budget is a budget. Accounting rules can be tricky. In some cases it would be illegal to use OPM money on hardware because of the color of the money. If the project has no money for new hardware then new hardware cannot be purchased. Personal is often paid for by the total revenue stream. You might see this as an excuse but these are also valid reasons new hardware cannot be purchased. Hardware being cheap compared to a developer isn't the point, the reality of the world can go against what seems to make sense, because the reality of the world isn't pretty.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 14:17
2
@Alroc, what you are not understanding is that the money budgeted for equipment is not in the same pot as that for salries, so this argument makes no sense to the accounting people who have to approve spending the money. They don't actually care of you take longer to do some things. What they care about is that new computers are not in the budget or only a few are. If they approve one for you, then 100 other people may ask, so they have to be able to justify why you and not them.
– HLGEM
Jul 21 '14 at 21:04
4
4
One should also be prepared to accept that, even if the tools do not meet the requirements of the job, to accept that the reality of the world proper tools ( outside of safety equipment ) might not be possible. A slow computer does not place your life in danager it just makes it a pain.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 12:00
One should also be prepared to accept that, even if the tools do not meet the requirements of the job, to accept that the reality of the world proper tools ( outside of safety equipment ) might not be possible. A slow computer does not place your life in danager it just makes it a pain.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 12:00
2
2
@Ramhound depending on the salary ranges in your country, most IT professionals make about 30x to 50x what a new computer costs. This could potentially be part of the argument. The fastest most tricked out laptop is only about $3k US. In the US anyway IT programmers will make a minimum of $60k and often make more than $100k. Yet management continue to handicap this highly paid professionals by not providing the needed tools. They are seen as whiners.
– Bill Leeper
Jul 21 '14 at 13:54
@Ramhound depending on the salary ranges in your country, most IT professionals make about 30x to 50x what a new computer costs. This could potentially be part of the argument. The fastest most tricked out laptop is only about $3k US. In the US anyway IT programmers will make a minimum of $60k and often make more than $100k. Yet management continue to handicap this highly paid professionals by not providing the needed tools. They are seen as whiners.
– Bill Leeper
Jul 21 '14 at 13:54
1
1
Echoing @BillLeeper. While equipment may seem expensive, it's quite cheap compared to the cost of your developer's time. If slow equipment costs 1 hour of lost productivity per week and your developer costs $100/hour, that's $5000/year you're wasting on that developer twiddling his thumbs. A $2000 computer upgrade that will last that developer 2 years suddenly is very cost-effective - your net savings is $8000 over those 2 years.
– alroc
Jul 21 '14 at 14:05
Echoing @BillLeeper. While equipment may seem expensive, it's quite cheap compared to the cost of your developer's time. If slow equipment costs 1 hour of lost productivity per week and your developer costs $100/hour, that's $5000/year you're wasting on that developer twiddling his thumbs. A $2000 computer upgrade that will last that developer 2 years suddenly is very cost-effective - your net savings is $8000 over those 2 years.
– alroc
Jul 21 '14 at 14:05
3
3
@BillLeeper - A budget is a budget. Accounting rules can be tricky. In some cases it would be illegal to use OPM money on hardware because of the color of the money. If the project has no money for new hardware then new hardware cannot be purchased. Personal is often paid for by the total revenue stream. You might see this as an excuse but these are also valid reasons new hardware cannot be purchased. Hardware being cheap compared to a developer isn't the point, the reality of the world can go against what seems to make sense, because the reality of the world isn't pretty.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 14:17
@BillLeeper - A budget is a budget. Accounting rules can be tricky. In some cases it would be illegal to use OPM money on hardware because of the color of the money. If the project has no money for new hardware then new hardware cannot be purchased. Personal is often paid for by the total revenue stream. You might see this as an excuse but these are also valid reasons new hardware cannot be purchased. Hardware being cheap compared to a developer isn't the point, the reality of the world can go against what seems to make sense, because the reality of the world isn't pretty.
– Ramhound
Jul 21 '14 at 14:17
2
2
@Alroc, what you are not understanding is that the money budgeted for equipment is not in the same pot as that for salries, so this argument makes no sense to the accounting people who have to approve spending the money. They don't actually care of you take longer to do some things. What they care about is that new computers are not in the budget or only a few are. If they approve one for you, then 100 other people may ask, so they have to be able to justify why you and not them.
– HLGEM
Jul 21 '14 at 21:04
@Alroc, what you are not understanding is that the money budgeted for equipment is not in the same pot as that for salries, so this argument makes no sense to the accounting people who have to approve spending the money. They don't actually care of you take longer to do some things. What they care about is that new computers are not in the budget or only a few are. If they approve one for you, then 100 other people may ask, so they have to be able to justify why you and not them.
– HLGEM
Jul 21 '14 at 21:04
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
3
down vote
First - start with bullet proofing the case that it is a problem. I don't mean to sound cynical, but the number of times that employees have brought me this situation while using a company specified machine that is rarely a problem is about 50%. Make sure that any extraneous software is not automatically provided and not needed to do work is removed. That includes IMs to the outside world and close windows hosting anything streaming. Also be sure that this is generally a problem with anyone having a machine of your type, and/or that your machine is of an incredibly ancient variety.
If you've done all that, fantastic, sorry to be a pain and ask...
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
1 - Know the comparison. If you are doing a job done by others, know the specs of their equipment and have a case for why yours is worse. "My machine is the 2009 model, and everyone else in the office was issued a new machine in 2011", or "I have half as much RAM as everyone else in the office". This is a much harder case to make if you have the nicest, newest equipment in the building than if you got the horrible leftovers.
2 - Know what your tools require - particularly if you are the special guy with the special tools - then know why your tools require more. "I'm using the XYZ tool, it requires X RAM, Y hard drive and a CPU of Z, and recommends XX, YY and ZZ -- I have less than X, Y, and/or Z which isn't supported by the vendor"
3 - Know the true impact and describe it with meaningful specifics. For example
The slowdown due to poor equipment occurs every time I start the XYZ tool. Starting the tool takes N minutes, and I must start the tool every morning/after lunch/every 30 minutes, etc
I can't use X tool and Y tool at the same time. Starting and stopping the tools causes slowdowns when doing task A which requires at least 10 cases of switching back and forth. What should take 30 minutes then takes 2 hours, and I do this task every day...
The system runs so slowly that a rebuild that would take 5 minutes on my coworker's machine takes 30 minutes on mine. Our coding environment is one where we rebuild multiple times an hour. While the code rebuilds my screen freezes making it impossible to review or research anything else while I'm waiting.
Don't go lower than this, but give the math that allows your manager to add it up and say "wow! This guy would be able to do twice as much if we gave him decent equipment".
what should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
There is no final answer on this part.
Your company will address your needs if they are both defined clearly enough that your manager or other budget decision maker will agree that it's a problem and if your company has the money to do this while being moderately fair. I point out "moderately fair" because if you are working on the same horrible machine as most of your office in a company that is strapped for cash, they may well not be in a position to approve upgrades. Particularly when they can't upgrade one horrible box if they are all horrible.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
3
down vote
First - start with bullet proofing the case that it is a problem. I don't mean to sound cynical, but the number of times that employees have brought me this situation while using a company specified machine that is rarely a problem is about 50%. Make sure that any extraneous software is not automatically provided and not needed to do work is removed. That includes IMs to the outside world and close windows hosting anything streaming. Also be sure that this is generally a problem with anyone having a machine of your type, and/or that your machine is of an incredibly ancient variety.
If you've done all that, fantastic, sorry to be a pain and ask...
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
1 - Know the comparison. If you are doing a job done by others, know the specs of their equipment and have a case for why yours is worse. "My machine is the 2009 model, and everyone else in the office was issued a new machine in 2011", or "I have half as much RAM as everyone else in the office". This is a much harder case to make if you have the nicest, newest equipment in the building than if you got the horrible leftovers.
2 - Know what your tools require - particularly if you are the special guy with the special tools - then know why your tools require more. "I'm using the XYZ tool, it requires X RAM, Y hard drive and a CPU of Z, and recommends XX, YY and ZZ -- I have less than X, Y, and/or Z which isn't supported by the vendor"
3 - Know the true impact and describe it with meaningful specifics. For example
The slowdown due to poor equipment occurs every time I start the XYZ tool. Starting the tool takes N minutes, and I must start the tool every morning/after lunch/every 30 minutes, etc
I can't use X tool and Y tool at the same time. Starting and stopping the tools causes slowdowns when doing task A which requires at least 10 cases of switching back and forth. What should take 30 minutes then takes 2 hours, and I do this task every day...
The system runs so slowly that a rebuild that would take 5 minutes on my coworker's machine takes 30 minutes on mine. Our coding environment is one where we rebuild multiple times an hour. While the code rebuilds my screen freezes making it impossible to review or research anything else while I'm waiting.
Don't go lower than this, but give the math that allows your manager to add it up and say "wow! This guy would be able to do twice as much if we gave him decent equipment".
what should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
There is no final answer on this part.
Your company will address your needs if they are both defined clearly enough that your manager or other budget decision maker will agree that it's a problem and if your company has the money to do this while being moderately fair. I point out "moderately fair" because if you are working on the same horrible machine as most of your office in a company that is strapped for cash, they may well not be in a position to approve upgrades. Particularly when they can't upgrade one horrible box if they are all horrible.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
First - start with bullet proofing the case that it is a problem. I don't mean to sound cynical, but the number of times that employees have brought me this situation while using a company specified machine that is rarely a problem is about 50%. Make sure that any extraneous software is not automatically provided and not needed to do work is removed. That includes IMs to the outside world and close windows hosting anything streaming. Also be sure that this is generally a problem with anyone having a machine of your type, and/or that your machine is of an incredibly ancient variety.
If you've done all that, fantastic, sorry to be a pain and ask...
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
1 - Know the comparison. If you are doing a job done by others, know the specs of their equipment and have a case for why yours is worse. "My machine is the 2009 model, and everyone else in the office was issued a new machine in 2011", or "I have half as much RAM as everyone else in the office". This is a much harder case to make if you have the nicest, newest equipment in the building than if you got the horrible leftovers.
2 - Know what your tools require - particularly if you are the special guy with the special tools - then know why your tools require more. "I'm using the XYZ tool, it requires X RAM, Y hard drive and a CPU of Z, and recommends XX, YY and ZZ -- I have less than X, Y, and/or Z which isn't supported by the vendor"
3 - Know the true impact and describe it with meaningful specifics. For example
The slowdown due to poor equipment occurs every time I start the XYZ tool. Starting the tool takes N minutes, and I must start the tool every morning/after lunch/every 30 minutes, etc
I can't use X tool and Y tool at the same time. Starting and stopping the tools causes slowdowns when doing task A which requires at least 10 cases of switching back and forth. What should take 30 minutes then takes 2 hours, and I do this task every day...
The system runs so slowly that a rebuild that would take 5 minutes on my coworker's machine takes 30 minutes on mine. Our coding environment is one where we rebuild multiple times an hour. While the code rebuilds my screen freezes making it impossible to review or research anything else while I'm waiting.
Don't go lower than this, but give the math that allows your manager to add it up and say "wow! This guy would be able to do twice as much if we gave him decent equipment".
what should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
There is no final answer on this part.
Your company will address your needs if they are both defined clearly enough that your manager or other budget decision maker will agree that it's a problem and if your company has the money to do this while being moderately fair. I point out "moderately fair" because if you are working on the same horrible machine as most of your office in a company that is strapped for cash, they may well not be in a position to approve upgrades. Particularly when they can't upgrade one horrible box if they are all horrible.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
First - start with bullet proofing the case that it is a problem. I don't mean to sound cynical, but the number of times that employees have brought me this situation while using a company specified machine that is rarely a problem is about 50%. Make sure that any extraneous software is not automatically provided and not needed to do work is removed. That includes IMs to the outside world and close windows hosting anything streaming. Also be sure that this is generally a problem with anyone having a machine of your type, and/or that your machine is of an incredibly ancient variety.
If you've done all that, fantastic, sorry to be a pain and ask...
A proper way to tell them whats my problem?
1 - Know the comparison. If you are doing a job done by others, know the specs of their equipment and have a case for why yours is worse. "My machine is the 2009 model, and everyone else in the office was issued a new machine in 2011", or "I have half as much RAM as everyone else in the office". This is a much harder case to make if you have the nicest, newest equipment in the building than if you got the horrible leftovers.
2 - Know what your tools require - particularly if you are the special guy with the special tools - then know why your tools require more. "I'm using the XYZ tool, it requires X RAM, Y hard drive and a CPU of Z, and recommends XX, YY and ZZ -- I have less than X, Y, and/or Z which isn't supported by the vendor"
3 - Know the true impact and describe it with meaningful specifics. For example
The slowdown due to poor equipment occurs every time I start the XYZ tool. Starting the tool takes N minutes, and I must start the tool every morning/after lunch/every 30 minutes, etc
I can't use X tool and Y tool at the same time. Starting and stopping the tools causes slowdowns when doing task A which requires at least 10 cases of switching back and forth. What should take 30 minutes then takes 2 hours, and I do this task every day...
The system runs so slowly that a rebuild that would take 5 minutes on my coworker's machine takes 30 minutes on mine. Our coding environment is one where we rebuild multiple times an hour. While the code rebuilds my screen freezes making it impossible to review or research anything else while I'm waiting.
Don't go lower than this, but give the math that allows your manager to add it up and say "wow! This guy would be able to do twice as much if we gave him decent equipment".
what should be the matter in mail so that my request should get approved?
There is no final answer on this part.
Your company will address your needs if they are both defined clearly enough that your manager or other budget decision maker will agree that it's a problem and if your company has the money to do this while being moderately fair. I point out "moderately fair" because if you are working on the same horrible machine as most of your office in a company that is strapped for cash, they may well not be in a position to approve upgrades. Particularly when they can't upgrade one horrible box if they are all horrible.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
answered Jul 21 '14 at 18:43
bethlakshmi
70.3k4136277
70.3k4136277
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
My brother the automobile mechanic owns his own tools. IT people can do that too.
If the upgrade you need is not expensive, you could just buy it with your own funds. For example, RAM upgrades can be very cost-effective.
That is a good first step to making the business case for upgrading everyone.
You can write something like this:
Dear Team Leader: For US$38 I added blah-blah to my system.
Before I added it, the zingotron task I do eight times per day took
twenty minutes to complete.
After I added it, zingotron took four minutes, a saving of 16 minutes
each time, or a total of just over two hours a day.
My rate of pay is $40 per hour, so this tiny investment I have made to improve my productivity has paid for itself in less than one day.
May I suggest that the company purchase the blah-blah upgrade for my
colleagues as well?
This makes the case pretty substantially. It has worked for me in two separate companies.
If they say, "hey, you're not allowed to upgrade company-owned equipment!" then you can channel Admiral Grace Hopper and say, "sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble. I will remove the upgrade." But your point has been made.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
My brother the automobile mechanic owns his own tools. IT people can do that too.
If the upgrade you need is not expensive, you could just buy it with your own funds. For example, RAM upgrades can be very cost-effective.
That is a good first step to making the business case for upgrading everyone.
You can write something like this:
Dear Team Leader: For US$38 I added blah-blah to my system.
Before I added it, the zingotron task I do eight times per day took
twenty minutes to complete.
After I added it, zingotron took four minutes, a saving of 16 minutes
each time, or a total of just over two hours a day.
My rate of pay is $40 per hour, so this tiny investment I have made to improve my productivity has paid for itself in less than one day.
May I suggest that the company purchase the blah-blah upgrade for my
colleagues as well?
This makes the case pretty substantially. It has worked for me in two separate companies.
If they say, "hey, you're not allowed to upgrade company-owned equipment!" then you can channel Admiral Grace Hopper and say, "sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble. I will remove the upgrade." But your point has been made.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
up vote
-1
down vote
My brother the automobile mechanic owns his own tools. IT people can do that too.
If the upgrade you need is not expensive, you could just buy it with your own funds. For example, RAM upgrades can be very cost-effective.
That is a good first step to making the business case for upgrading everyone.
You can write something like this:
Dear Team Leader: For US$38 I added blah-blah to my system.
Before I added it, the zingotron task I do eight times per day took
twenty minutes to complete.
After I added it, zingotron took four minutes, a saving of 16 minutes
each time, or a total of just over two hours a day.
My rate of pay is $40 per hour, so this tiny investment I have made to improve my productivity has paid for itself in less than one day.
May I suggest that the company purchase the blah-blah upgrade for my
colleagues as well?
This makes the case pretty substantially. It has worked for me in two separate companies.
If they say, "hey, you're not allowed to upgrade company-owned equipment!" then you can channel Admiral Grace Hopper and say, "sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble. I will remove the upgrade." But your point has been made.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
My brother the automobile mechanic owns his own tools. IT people can do that too.
If the upgrade you need is not expensive, you could just buy it with your own funds. For example, RAM upgrades can be very cost-effective.
That is a good first step to making the business case for upgrading everyone.
You can write something like this:
Dear Team Leader: For US$38 I added blah-blah to my system.
Before I added it, the zingotron task I do eight times per day took
twenty minutes to complete.
After I added it, zingotron took four minutes, a saving of 16 minutes
each time, or a total of just over two hours a day.
My rate of pay is $40 per hour, so this tiny investment I have made to improve my productivity has paid for itself in less than one day.
May I suggest that the company purchase the blah-blah upgrade for my
colleagues as well?
This makes the case pretty substantially. It has worked for me in two separate companies.
If they say, "hey, you're not allowed to upgrade company-owned equipment!" then you can channel Admiral Grace Hopper and say, "sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble. I will remove the upgrade." But your point has been made.
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
edited Jul 21 '14 at 16:26
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
answered Jul 21 '14 at 16:20
O. Jones
13.6k24070
13.6k24070
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
In some positions, the need for an exceptional computer is obvious so just saying, "I really need a faster computer" should be enough. If your boss isn't receptive to that, make the case in numbers: "For 8 minutes of typical work I watched the clock closely. I was waiting for the computer to catch up for a little over 2 minutes of that time. When you add it all up, this basically means 2 hours of every 8 hour work day that you're paying me for, I'm waiting for this machine. I really feel like I need a faster machine to work to my full potential."
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
In some positions, the need for an exceptional computer is obvious so just saying, "I really need a faster computer" should be enough. If your boss isn't receptive to that, make the case in numbers: "For 8 minutes of typical work I watched the clock closely. I was waiting for the computer to catch up for a little over 2 minutes of that time. When you add it all up, this basically means 2 hours of every 8 hour work day that you're paying me for, I'm waiting for this machine. I really feel like I need a faster machine to work to my full potential."
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
up vote
-1
down vote
In some positions, the need for an exceptional computer is obvious so just saying, "I really need a faster computer" should be enough. If your boss isn't receptive to that, make the case in numbers: "For 8 minutes of typical work I watched the clock closely. I was waiting for the computer to catch up for a little over 2 minutes of that time. When you add it all up, this basically means 2 hours of every 8 hour work day that you're paying me for, I'm waiting for this machine. I really feel like I need a faster machine to work to my full potential."
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
In some positions, the need for an exceptional computer is obvious so just saying, "I really need a faster computer" should be enough. If your boss isn't receptive to that, make the case in numbers: "For 8 minutes of typical work I watched the clock closely. I was waiting for the computer to catch up for a little over 2 minutes of that time. When you add it all up, this basically means 2 hours of every 8 hour work day that you're paying me for, I'm waiting for this machine. I really feel like I need a faster machine to work to my full potential."
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
answered Jul 22 '14 at 16:46
RetiredAssistant
38715
38715
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
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Is anyone else in your shop having the same trouble or is it just your station?
– Bmo
Jul 21 '14 at 12:40
possible duplicate of How do I request new equipment for the office?
– Elysian Fields♦
Jul 21 '14 at 14:45
Did you even try just asking? Hey, my computer doesn't support the applications I need to run, is it possible to get a better computer? That might take 1 minute of your time to walk over to the proper person and ask. Why make a project out of it?
– Dunk
Jul 21 '14 at 21:23