Scope of IT Department

timheaton5571 · 2012-02-16T10:38:51.000Z

Recently I was tasked with make a document that overviews all task that my IT department is responsible for. Currently, our IT department has been taking care of any odd ball task such as hanging pictures for people’s offices and fixing door hardware. We are trying to cut down on things like that and I have to put together a detailed list of what we are actually expected to do. I was wondering if anyone has a document or anything I could base my list off of. I have put together a pretty good list of things but I feel it does not look professional.

Also, what are some random task people in your office think fall under your responsibilities that are just ridiculous? Thanks!

theschnak · 2012-02-16T10:52:39.000Z

Does it plug into a wall socket? Does it have buttons that you press?

If yes to either of these then i would not be surprised if it fell into your lap.

I’ve tried limiting it to just computers but then we get a security systems that integrates with a server, so thats mine. HVAC that has a management server, thats mine now too.

michael9595 · 2012-02-16T10:59:03.000Z

If there is electricity, IT must know how to fix it. That’s what my users think.

childebrandt · 2012-02-16T11:06:06.000Z

That is my role it it plugs in to a power sorce, has buttons, electrical, alarm, HVAC, or classified as a Misc. Job it is mine to fix. Also anything on the internet is mine to according to my users.

mildbil · 2012-02-16T11:08:08.000Z

I work in a mostly female environment.

need I say more?

michaelbacon9661 · 2012-02-16T11:15:13.000Z

Your office parties must be awesome!

justinmowry2048 · 2012-02-16T11:25:45.000Z

Agreed. Anything that has power or buttons or anything of the sort. There is also the “Hey, can you grab a box off the shelf for me?” because I sit near a storage closet and I am tall.

shaunrohde · 2012-02-16T11:27:50.000Z

Ditto!

Also - I’d love to have a copy of this “IT Responsibilities” document. If nothing other than to dream that I was limited to that list…

timheaton5571 · 2012-02-16T11:33:56.000Z

Yeah, I expect to make this document and then no one pay it any mind. It’s just a waste to ask me to make a list of my responsibilities when I know that I will still end up being asked to pick up boxes after people that don’t know how to pick up after themselves.

molan · 2012-02-16T11:42:02.000Z

don’t forget shovelling snow, laying sod and operating the forklift. those all fall under official duties of our IT department

dennisobrien8210 · 2012-02-16T12:04:14.000Z

Previously, I worked in healthcare environment in a mostly female office. Anything that required a tool or lifting anything heavy was usually IT-related.

Now I work in home office for a construction company. IT is not qualified to use tools that are not specifically IT related. If we lift a large box, everyone ooohs and ahhs, like we are doing something special. I love it!

scott696d · 2012-02-16T12:21:19.000Z

If it’s on a network or could be on a network, it’s ours to support - hardware and software. We did just hire a training director, but I think some of the lawyers here were hoping for more of a babysitter to do things for them in Word that they didn’t want to do with that addition. We also re-arrange office furniture (I think I have the strongest back here for some weird reason) and do other weird little things that aren’t in any official listing (like restocking the fridge with water bottles).

jamiepetersen8016 · 2012-02-16T12:50:26.000Z

We seem to be expected to have a can opener with our tools because people will bring in cans and not bring one themselves. They also expect us to provide support for home computers that are not used for work. I also was asked if I could restore someone’s angry bird progress on her personal phone because she updated iOS and didn’t do it right.

dennisobrien8210 · 2012-02-16T12:54:39.000Z

Jamie8560 wrote:

We seem to be expected to have a can opener with our tools because people will bring in cans and not bring one themselves. They also expect us to provide support for home computers that are not used for work. I also was asked if I could restore someone’s angry bird progress on her personal phone because she updated iOS and didn’t do it right.

Did you get the Angry Birds progress request in writing? That one is a keeper! I would quote that one in new hire meetings on what NOT to ask IT to help with.

jamiepetersen8016 · 2012-02-16T12:59:17.000Z

Unfortunately no, she would only do drive-by request. She seemed to justify that this was our issue because she only upgraded iOS 5 because when she asked my coworker what he thought of the update he said “It’s cool”. To her this meant he told her she HAD to do the update.

justsayin · 2012-02-16T13:24:48.000Z

We used to say that if it had a wire hanging out of it we work on it. Then they invented WIFI, 4G, LTE,… We pretty much work on anything that has a battery, hmm, well there is all that pesky PoE stuff.

Ok, if it was made in a factory and runs on electricity. No, that wont work. I had to fix the Dr.s blue tooth in his Mercedes the other day. By fix I mean make it talk to his new Iphone that I ordered for him on the company Verizon account so therefore we gotta make it work in the car too.

Get the picture? Everything including the circuit breakers when they plug in too many office heaters and blow the breaker. It’s OK, small IT shop, 2 techs and we do it all. I was moving furniture the other week.

dennisobrien8210 · 2012-02-16T13:28:20.000Z

I learned this saying 20 years ago, that has helped me through many frustrating, stupid requests: “It all pays the same!”

theschnak · 2012-02-16T13:38:21.000Z

Dennis3774 wrote:

I learned this saying 20 years ago, that has helped me through many frustrating, stupid requests: “It all pays the same!”

not when it means unpaid overtime.

justinmowry2048 · 2012-02-16T13:39:47.000Z

Dennis3774 wrote:

I learned this saying 20 years ago, that has helped me through many frustrating, stupid requests: “It all pays the same!”

Good point. As long as I’m not too busy, I feel the same way. But when I get pulled away from something actually important for something that I shouldn’t have to do, then take crap from the same person for not getting the actual important task done, it can be frustrating. “Why isn’t this done yet?” “Well… Because you interrupted me to help you upload your video of your dog to youtube…”

tomdavidson · 2012-02-17T10:10:39.000Z

Aside from the typical “if it runs on electricity”…

I get a lot of odd requests, because the people I work with know that I used to be an auto mechanic in my younger years, and I was a home builder for a number of years as well.

I have been asked to update the Microsoft Sync features on the CEO and COO’s personal vehicles so that it will work correctly with their personal phones.

I have been asked to fix the fart fan in the bathroom.

I have been asked to repair the office water heater.

I have been asked to troubleshoot one of our vendor’s networks because they were having issues they couldn’t figure out.

Usually right after Christmas, I’m slammed with questions on how to do things with various gadgets, some of which just hit the market and I don’t have and have never laid eyes on. I guess I’m expected to either be a member of the product design team of every major manufacturer in the world, or I’m supposed to be clairvoyant.

How do I set up my Kinect?

How do I hook up my Tivo to my home theater?

How do I get my new printer/scanner to work from all he computers in my house? I have a Mac, a Windows 98, and an Android tablet. The printer has a USB cable…

I have this new MP3 player and I can’t figure out how to get it to random mode.

Can you help me pair my new phone to the bluetooth in my car?