We call those cost centers, which is another useful term to know for when you’re derisively called one. Also COGS/OCOGS and such, which is basically accountingspeak for “annoying overhead we wish we didn’t have to spend but nonetheless must,” and which occasionally shows up in department names to serve as a handy reminder of your corporate value.
Without knowing how accounting works you’d sit there wondering “what the hell is that acronym in my department name in Outlook, anyway?” whereas once enlightened you understand how your team is evaluated at a higher level. It’s not just accounting, honestly, knowing how business works is advantageous for anyone.
“What do you do here?” “Oh, I’m just a cost center.” is a pretty fun tack to take with leadership, often true, and likely to confuse the hell out of them in its simultaneous honesty and correctness.
To drive this home, if anyone were to tell me they’re keeping ~400kRPS afloat singlehandedly, that’s “I’ll write you a req, what do you want to do?” territory.
Without knowing how accounting works you’d sit there wondering “what the hell is that acronym in my department name in Outlook, anyway?” whereas once enlightened you understand how your team is evaluated at a higher level. It’s not just accounting, honestly, knowing how business works is advantageous for anyone.
“What do you do here?” “Oh, I’m just a cost center.” is a pretty fun tack to take with leadership, often true, and likely to confuse the hell out of them in its simultaneous honesty and correctness.