Managing Device Fleets in the Hybrid Work Era

Seventy percent of global 2000 organizations will deploy remote or hybrid-first work models by 2023, according to IDC. That’s remarkably fast, given that those findings were only reported in November 2021. As organizations adapt to support a highly distributed, work-from-anywhere (WFA) labor force, IT departments face a major dilemma: How can they deliver a great work experience, address device lifecycle management needs, and protect business interests when employees and their technology are everywhere?

Let’s face it, even providing a laptop to a new employee becomes more difficult if the person exclusively works remotely. And that’s just one example of the many challenges IT organizations can face when trying to support its hybrid workplace effectively.

Familiar IT questions enter uncharted territory

As companies fully adopt a hybrid work model, they need to consider a myriad of scenarios, including:

◉ How does the company ensure the right new hire kit is sent for day one productivity?

◉ When an employee leaves, how does the organization get their devices returned?

◉ How does the organization refresh devices that still have usable life and get that asset delivered quickly to another employee?

◉ If an individual’s device needs repair, what is the process for getting that employee back to work? How long will that take?

◉ How does the company refresh the devices of a team, department or business line?

◉ Is there a plan and process for responsibly and securely disposing of devices at the end of life?

Of course, managing the device fleet is nothing new to IT departments. However, when these questions are multiplied by hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of dispersed employees and their IT assets, it can become dramatically more challenging. When an organization stores all those PCs and mobile devices across multiple storage locations, the issues are even further exacerbated. The success or failure of managing these requirements can easily ripple throughout the business.

A Fork in the Road

We’ve identified three challenges IT departments face in addressing their responsibilities for managing their companies’ devices:

◉ Keeping employees productive, engaged and happy beginning on day one. In a labor market where the Harvard Business Review reports 30% of new employees leave their jobs within the first 90 days of getting hired, getting the employee experience right is imperative.

◉ Extracting maximum value from an organization’s investment in its devices at every point in each asset’s lifecycle.

◉ Finding time to keep their company’s digital infrastructure running, extracting value from data assets, creating great customer experiences, developing new digital products. A Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Dell Technologies reports that 52% of IT decision-makers say day-to-day demands often prevent their IT staff from focusing on innovative or strategic projects.

To date, companies have only had sub-optimal options for device lifecycle management. They may take a business-as-usual approach, using whatever processes they have in place while trying to adapt them to a hybrid working world. Or, they may choose to supplement their internal processes by contracting with and managing multiple service providers, each handling different pieces of the device lifecycle puzzle.

A New Way Forward

The most desirable approach—a complete managed solution from a single provider—simply has not existed. A comprehensive service with the scale and scope capable of addressing device lifecycle management has been beyond the capacity of hardware suppliers with highly specialized purviews. That is, until now. Dell Technologies is the first OEM provider to offer a complete device lifecycle management service – Dell Lifecycle Hub.

“Getting the employee technology experience right is one of the more significant latent challenges posed by the rapid shift to hybrid work models,” said Patrick Moorhead, CEO and Chief Analyst, Moor Insights & Strategy. “It is a requirement best addressed by holistic device lifecycle management services like Dell Lifecycle Hub, which offers an end-to-end solution.”

Dell has integrated its expansive, long-established capabilities for supply chain management, deployment, repair, and IT inventory management. This managed service delivers a ready-to-work experience formulated to meet the new challenges created by hybrid work initiatives.

◉ New hires quickly receive the computers, peripherals and related accessories they need for day one productivity.

◉ In the event of device failure or damage, the Lifecycle Hub whole unit exchange process sends systems promptly, enabling employees to resume work with minimal disruption.

◉ When an employee’s role changes or a device refresh is needed, a new configured device is shipped out within 48 hours.

◉ To facilitate the return of their previous equipment, current employees receiving a new device or former employees who have left the company are provided with a prepaid shipping label.

◉ Returned units are either refurbished for redeployment or responsibly retired using Dell Asset Recovery Services.

Securely managing owned or leased, multi-vendor, end-user equipment, Dell Lifecycle Hub shepherds all devices from the time they enter a company’s inventory through responsible end-of-life disposition.

Visit our Dell Lifecycle Hub site to learn more or contact your local Dell Technologies representative today.

If you are attending Dell Technologies World, be sure to attend the in-person session where we will be speaking with a Dell customer about their Lifecycle Hub experiences.

Source: dell.com