Adventures in corporate stupidity...

We use a program called Shavlik to push out Windows and Office updates. It needs to be renewed every year, and it's going to come due in about 3 weeks. Last week I got in touch with Shavlik in order to start the process. Now, we're a multi-billion dollar commercial real estate company, but we don't have any kind of corporate credit card to pay for these things with, so we asked for a purchase order. We get it, fill it out, hand it to corporate accounting so they can cut a check.

Corporate accounting decided that they don't cut checks from POs anymore, they have to have an invoice. Shavlik needs a filled out PO to send an invoice. So, what do you think happened next?

If you said, "Corporate accounting sent Shavlik the PO so they could get an invoice," you would be WRONG.

Corporate accounting sent an email to my boss late Friday saying Shavlik needed a PO until they could send an invoice. Corporate accounting calls me today asking if I'd seen the email. I said yes, but the director is on vacation, how can I help? They want a PO. I said we gave them a PO. They said they'll make a copy of the PO and drop it by me so I can send it to Shavlik for them and get an invoice that they'll pay.

*headdesk*