The device
Company equipment
One decision about administrator rights determines whether half the policy means anything.
What the Organisation Actually Supplies
The list is longer than the laptop and shorter than people assume, and almost nobody has written it down.
The Standard, and Why It Drifts
Every organisation has a standard machine. Within three years it has four, and nobody decided to have four.
Administrator Rights
The single decision that determines whether half the policy means anything, usually taken by default and rarely revisited.
Software Nobody Approved
Tools arrive because the approved ones do not do the job. The install is a symptom and treating it as misconduct guarantees more of it.
Refresh Cycles and the Old Machine
Replacement is driven by budget rather than by age, which means the oldest equipment belongs to whoever complains least.
Loss, Damage and Who Pays
Company equipment, so the company pays. The clause that says otherwise is usually unenforceable and always counterproductive.
Return, and What Is Never Returned
The laptop comes back. Four other things usually do not, and nobody has a list of them.