Let me begin by saying that I think HP printers are some of the best out there. They deliver consistent print quality and in general have a great price for what you receive. We buy HP printers ... lots of them ... for exactly this reason.
Our organization is unique in many ways. One is that each department is its own microcosm. They come together amiably to collaborate on occasion, but generally they function well independently. They do their own purchasing, source their own services, and operate as independent fiefdoms within the larger organization.
When I was hired four years ago, I was the first IT hire ever. Until that point, IT had been a single line item in the Business Office budget and the attitude toward IT resembled the Wild West. Everybody did their own thing and protected it with violence (not literal violence, but often...