Management of a large computer services company gives the new field services manager his marching orders: Cut costs, cut costs, and on top of that, cut costs.

So when the field technician gets to a customer site to fix an old, large line printer, he knows there's going to be a problem.

"The printer was covered under our maintenance contract," the tech says. "A co-worker and I determined the problem was with a very expensive part."

He sends the diagnosis back to his new manager with a request for the expensive new part.

"That part is too expensive," says manager. "Go back and find something else wrong with the printer."