IT Department Restrictions
IT Department Restrictions
(OP)
How much do IT interfere and limit your computing power.
Typical restrictions we have at a new company I have recently joined
Unable to download any program, driver, camera pictures, etc.
Cannot run anything from CD, DVD (whats that)
Cannot change any basic setting (e.g. power options so my computer switches off every 5 minutes).
All these mods have to be done through IT; as I guess it protects their usefullness.
We are fortunate to still have email & internet access, though highly restricted.
Who allowed some evil little I.T. dictator to take over the world at some point?
Damn, Bill Gates will now crash my Windows Unco-Operating system.
Typical restrictions we have at a new company I have recently joined
Unable to download any program, driver, camera pictures, etc.
Cannot run anything from CD, DVD (whats that)
Cannot change any basic setting (e.g. power options so my computer switches off every 5 minutes).
All these mods have to be done through IT; as I guess it protects their usefullness.
We are fortunate to still have email & internet access, though highly restricted.
Who allowed some evil little I.T. dictator to take over the world at some point?
Damn, Bill Gates will now crash my Windows Unco-Operating system.
FOETS
Social Drinker with a Golfing Problem





RE: IT Department Restrictions
There has to be control from IT.
Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)
RE: IT Department Restrictions
If we have any computer problems, we are supposed to fill out a work order and send it to corporate. This is a multi-national company, and as I've posted above, we are the only site with this CAD package (and this type of product development). We're supposed to have them fix something that they know nothing about. Fortunately, we have one IT guy on site, so of course, we have to work behind "their" backs to actually get anything done.
Sorry about the rant. Some control is good, but sometimes IT depts can go a bit overboard and try to control too much.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: IT Department Restrictions
RE: IT Department Restrictions
IT having too much control would bother me but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. No access to CD/DVD drives and downloading digital photos off your camera is going too far. There might have been a guy who watched too many DVDs on company time.
IT folks, in my opinion, should have power to limit programs installed on the workstations and all the drivers.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Of course that doesn't explain why we are running W2K, XP Pro, OSX... I also think it's funny that folks here have CD/DVD players, but IT has omitted the sound cards.
I have found that you can argue almost anything with IT (and win your case) if you have solid documentation and ROI numbers.
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Zuccus
RE: IT Department Restrictions
This will at least get someone on the phone asking you why you need so much IT time. You can make them aware of the cause and effect.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
RE: IT Department Restrictions
From what you describe, I would say that is far too restrictive. The only way to stop or slow the problem is to get someone in your company that is on par or above the IT manager to buy into the fact that what is happening is counter productive. The IT dept. will want to build their own little empire and you won't be able to stop it without manger support.
Put together actual numbers they can use like hours spent per month staring at the ceiling due to computer issues.
good luck
RE: IT Department Restrictions
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Taking all the CDROM drives out from the new computers probably costs the company a lot more money than the cost of the drive itself.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Once upon a time, I was the system administrator for a network of Sun SPARCstations running AutoCAD. This was in addition to my mechanical design resposibilities. I love UNIX, and I still run Linux on my home computers. It is time for #$&%* SolidWorks to bring out their Linux version. :)
On any computer, you want to be using the system administrator's favourite software. This software will be well understood and supported. Obviously, I had UNIX AutoCAD worked out thoroughly. Less obviously, I got very good with UNIX PordWerfect. Even less obviously, people running UNIX Lotus-123 were on their own. It was buggy, and I did not use it much, and I did not learn how to work it and fix it. Neither did the other administrators.
I think there is a good case for someone in the drafting and engineering department being trained as a system administrator. Mechanical CAD is just about the most abusive thing you can do to your computer. You need an administration resource that responds quickly and successfully to engineering's requests.
One of my administration strategies was to write up instructions for installing and repairing each computer that I was responsible for. When things got busy and I did not have time to help, I could tell people to RTFM. Other administrators could repeat any of my installs if they had to. This would make it easy for an engineering department administrator to implement and follow company administration policies.
Having said all that, it is not your computer. Your company is responsible for any naughty stuff you do on the machine. There are lots of idiots out there who install porn, video games and other things they downloaded off the internet, legal or otherwise, ignoring SolidWorks' advice to keep your machine pristine if you want stability, and affecting the stability and security of the company network.
The administrator could be a control freak. Perhaps there is a history of stupid conduct.
JHG
RE: IT Department Restrictions
The reasons for complete lock down are as you say probably the result of flagrant misuse by a few clowns in the past; plus the threat of some viruses and nasties getting into their systems.
Its workable but frustrating having to ask all too often as we are remote from their office
IT's only saving grace is they aren't quite as bad as HR; HR set the bar extremely low.
FOETS
Social Drinker with a Golfing Problem
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Overall the electrical & control engineers here have a pretty good relationship with IT because we manage the installation of their infrastructure (fibre / cable / UPS) and in return we get reasonably fast response to our problems and a fair degree of flexibility in the application of 'the rules'. We also speak a lot of the same language because Engineering runs a Unix-based private network for the distributed control systems and we tend to assist each other with problems and hardware loans. Being next door to their office has benefits too. MadMango's post has a lot of merit.
----------------------------------
Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Be careful. There are many wonderful toys that your local IT guy will have to see what you are doing/saying (about them) in cyberspace. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING.
PS I have been watching 'Conspiracy Theories' this weekend, so I have a heightened sense of paranoia
Kevin Hammond
Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Before the tech crash, I attributed this to the fact that anyone working in my government sector instead of the lucrative tech field either just needed a break or was too incompetent to go get a job that paid 3x as much. The "just needed a break" crew was too laid-back to be moving up in management, so the higher ranks of IT were in the incompetent category. The higher ranks are mostly still there, so I guess I don't really have to revise my assessment post-tech crash.
In addition, there's a lot of insecurity there. They're not engineers, and they're not out working on the roads, so they need to do something to show that they're important and not "just" administrative. So they convince the computer-illiterate aging white males in charge that what they do is really vital, and they get lots of power.
That said, oddly enough, our restrictions are mostly policy rather than actual ability. I was rather shocked to discover we had admin privileges on our workstations (at least we used to; I follow the rules, so I haven't tested this recently). They pretty much count on us being too illiterate to do any real harm, though of course it's the most illiterate who are most likely to download something stupid.
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376
RE: IT Department Restrictions
He didn't load anything on to my computer when I started - I've done it all myself. Last week he tried to take my mouse away (the Dell roller ball mouse that came with the system) and replace it with a $50 wireless ball-less mouse.
I told him to back off, I'm happy with my mouse... he'll have to justify that title on someone else's system.
So is it worse to have a know-it-all college kid as your it person, or a room full of graduated lackeys?
I've found if I have problems with anything, I just email my brother where he works and I have an answer and a fix in just a few minutes. If I had to wait for our Director to fix it, it could take days!
RE: IT Department Restrictions
If you cop any flak, then you can use these as evidence of how IT is holding you up.
The IT guys are generally lazy and will eventually take the easy way out and give you the access rights.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
The MD was not amused to see so many hearts games being played when he did his walk round. He also banned all screensavers save a corporate logo version.
It wasn't It who initiated these things though they were quite capable of independent thought and the evidence of it was in other areas.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: IT Department Restrictions
A major problem I see with computers and databases and such is that there is an obvious, manageable threat of you doing something you were not supposed to do. The threat of you not bothering to do something important, or forgetting to do it is less obvious, and it is not IT's responsibility. This is sort of equivalent to you walking into your kitchen, backing your teenagers into a corner and screaming at them that you will rip their f#*%^&$#ing heads off if you catch them washing dishes without your permission.
Building to-do lists and providing access to resources is a much less obvious thing to do, especially if the administrator rule-driven, rather than objective-driven.
JHG
RE: IT Department Restrictions
So, for us engineers not being able to download applications, run DVD/CDs was the same as not being able to do our jobs.
It didn't last very long and now we are "Power Users" who have full access to everything. Sales, secretaries, VPs, Operations are still stuck.
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This is normally the space where people post something insightful.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
I suppose, like our phones, we have a reasonable use policy. The PC is primarily a tool for work. You might be monitored occasionally but you are expected and entrusted to use it as a work tool. Some personalization is OK but the department reserves the right to set a limit (likely individually) as to what is considered excessive.
Regards,
RE: IT Department Restrictions
How was it brought to the attention of IT that these things were slowing you down?
RE: IT Department Restrictions
The boss of the little IT dictator.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: IT Department Restrictions
Looks like they can intercept posts.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
IT may watch and monitor to make sure everyone is using the company computers according to policy. But who watches IT?
RE: IT Department Restrictions
We hid their mouses to show how hard it was to do their job without the right tools.
We are fortunate in that almost each department has an IT liason who has worked with us for a long time. Also, our manager is also our mechanical engineer, so it didn't take much convincing.
The biggest factor was not being able to get manuals and product information of the internet. I can't tell you how few vendors I've seen since Gore invented the internet. Waiting on the vendor for information can be translated to your time wasted. Plus, in todays economy, there seem to be fewer sales reps per vendor as well. Makes it even more difficult to get ahold of someone. Also, our department has gone to electronic documentation on all of our projects. It really helps. I do alot of research on the net as well. There are some great articles in magazines that I've read, but I don't keep the magazines, because i can find the articles on their website.
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This is normally the space where people post something insightful.
RE: IT Department Restrictions
RE: IT Department Restrictions
I don't know why? I get a lot of information here!! Please answer me. IT guys. I need to come at home now!!!!!
RE: IT Department Restrictions
This is a very worrying post and I quote...
"Ou IT department block me to go into this eng-tips.com.
I don't know why? I get a lot of information here!! Please answer me. IT guys. I need to come at home now!!!!!"
1. IT guys need to know that we (engineers) use this site for engineering purposes.
2. What exactly are you doing at home??????? And why do you need to do that sort of thing wit heng-tips site on screen, there are others that are much better for that sort of activity
Kevin Hammond
Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
RE: IT Department Restrictions
debodine
RE: IT Department Restrictions