Sourcing Your Hardware

Imagine walking into an auto shop with a big grin, plopping a box of random car parts on the counter. “Hey, I bought all this online! Can you just slap it together for me?” you ask the mechanic.

He peers into the box: one muffler, two headlights that don’t match, a carburetor from a 1973 Chevy, and a steering wheel cover that looks like a weasel. He sighs. “Where did you even find this stuff?”

You shrug. “The internet said it was cheaper!”

Now replace the car with your office network. People order their own servers, Wi-Fi routers, and bargain-bin laptops, then call their IT provider when it doesn’t work. It’s like expecting a mechanic to fix a car made of spare parts from a yard sale. Sure, the mechanic—or the IT provider—can make it run, but it’s going to cost more, take longer, and probably still squeak when you turn left.

Moral of the story? Let the pros source the parts. Otherwise, your “new system” may drive like a raccoon steering a 2010 Volkswagen.