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Printers, IP Addresses, and 11 Floors of Chaos: A Case Study in Structure

·2 mins
Case Studies Sharepoint Knowledge-Management Structure Case-Study
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In 2009, while working in IT at GHD Engineering in Brisbane, I built SharePoint Lists to organise the IT Department’s asset inventory. Printers were the perfect example of why structure matters.

GHD occupied three buildings throughout Brisbane’s CBD across multiple levels — 11 floors total — each containing multiple printers. The printer naming system conveyed location information, but IT staff still repeatedly asked the same questions:

  • What’s the IP address?
  • Which toner cartridge does it take?
  • Who’s the vendor for reordering?

I recognised this as a simple structure problem with a simple structure solution.

What I Built #

A SharePoint List with these columns:

Printer Name · IP Address · Location · Colour/BW · Cartridge Model No’s · Order Cartridges (linked to vendor) · Serial · Admin PW · Warranty Expiry · Printer Repair Number

The IP column linked directly to the printer’s admin console. The Order Cartridges column linked to the vendor’s website. Everything anyone needed was in one place.

The Result #

Compiling it took minimal effort. The payoff was significant — repetitive questions stopped, and all staff knew exactly where to find the information.

The Question Worth Asking #

What information needs structure in your business?

Software, hardware, standard operating procedures, vendor contacts — anything that generates repeated questions is a candidate. If people keep asking the same thing, the answer belongs in a structured list, not in someone’s head.