Boss bought cheap 'printer' from a catalog and was left without a leg to stand on
Attempt to prove procurement prowess ended up gathering dust
An Italian reader named Marco penned a tale for The Register's "Who, Me?" column about a costly tech blunder. In the "Roaring Nineties," he noted, big computer companies distributed catalogs filled with gadgets, including printers, to customers. Marco's employer was a "sciagurato," or wretch, who spent each day flipping through the catalog, eager for new deals.
One day, he spotted a laser printer priced at one-seventh the usual cost and ordered two of them, convinced the bargain would advance his career. However, the delivery brought unwanted news. The printer arrived in two enormous boxes, but not big enough to contain the printer itself – only two expensive printer stands. The company now possessed two stands and no printer.
The boss's brilliant procurement plan had backfired, and Marco and his employer hid the useless stands in their "obsolete hardware store," destined for incineration.
Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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