Introducing a Remote Device Lifecycle for Better Employee Experiences

Without the right hardware to support them, you will struggle to retain productive and loyal staff. Technical issues are frustrating for all staff, especially those who work remotely, who may feel undervalued if they’re left waiting for the equipment, hardware and software they need to do their jobs. 

Thankfully, your remote IT can be streamlined by establishing a remote device lifecycle. This can reduce your upfront hardware costs and boost your ROI, as well as keeping your staff satisfied.  

An effective remote device lifecycle can be guaranteed through several important steps. 

Move hardware front and centre  

 In the age of remote work, it’s vital that your employees have the right devices to support their workload. Outdated and sluggish hardware can disrupt their workflows, stifling their productivity and leaving them discontented. When you purchase new assets you’re not just investing in IT, you’re investing in your workforce. Whilst most staff won’t need a powerful, cutting-edge PC, you should pay attention to their specific requirements and ensure they have the right devices to support this.  

Effective onboarding & offboarding 

Your new employees should be ready to go from day one. The easiest way to guarantee this is using a self-service portal- on which new starters can select the devices and peripherals they need ahead of time, and have these delivered prior to their first day. These devices will also arrive fully imaged with relevant software and permissions, so they can get working from their first start up.  

Although you may not consider it when aiming to optimise your remote device lifecycle, an effective offboarding process is vital to your business. This will help you save money and pave the way for a smooth handover, increasing the efficiency of future onboarding. When an employee leaves, collecting, refurbishing and reusing their assets will cut your overall IT costs and reduce your carbon emissions. Devices should also be securely wiped upon collection to keep your business’ data secure.  

Reduce downtime  

You should schedule planned maintenance for all your business devices. This can help identify, solve and prevent any hardware issues before they affect your employees. Minimising this disruption will keep staff satisfied and productive.  

You should also be prepared for potential accidents, like spilled beverages or smashed devices! An established, smooth method of communication-- like a company portal-- allows employees to report incidents and request replacements ASAP.  

Keeping devices secure 

Security breaches can happen to any business at any time. Thankfully, you can adopt certain measures to mitigate the risk. For example, asset tagging your hardware allows you to keep track of where your devices are at any given time, which is especially useful when yours may be spread all over the country. In the event of a security risk, you will be able to respond much more efficiently if you have high asset visibility.  

Even with protective measures in place, security breaches can still occur for many reasons. That’s why it’s important to have incident response protocols in place, to deal with attacks as efficiently as possible. An experienced IT partner can work with you to develop a plan which fits around your existing business models. 

All in all, creating an efficient remote device lifecycle is the key to ensuring an engaged and satisfied workforce.  If you aren’t sure how to implement any of the steps above, find out how D2D could help you via the link below: