Blog: Device as a Service Drives Digital Workplace Agility

When searching for the best workplace experiences to drive productivity, efficiency, and strong business outcomes, companies need digital workplaces that improve both the internal culture and the agility essential to succeed.

Better digital workplaces have the right mix of technology and support, which Device-as-a-Service delivers in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.

"We give the flexibility of a client to pick the right devices for the right groups of people," explained CompuCom Senior Product Manager Bruce Tiff.

What is Device-as-a-Service?

Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) combines hardware leasing and end-to-end lifecycle services into a single, per-device, monthly contract. It includes full asset management, managed services, and a range of technology refresh options.

"They don't have to go with multiple service providers or multiple OEM vendors," Tiff explained.

Under the DaaS model, enterprises scale the number of devices up or down to meet the demands of the business, and refresh technology over time and based on employee requirements. DaaS works alongside Bring Your Own Device policies for maximum flexibility and end-user satisfaction.

Why a Digital Workplace?

Executives trying to push digital transformation initiatives quickly come to realize that it's as much about culture and attitudes within an organization as it is about adopting new technologies and processes.

 "Digital transformation can be most difficult in traditional organizations with a long-running history of success and low employee turnover," wrote Tendayi Viki in a Forbes article – citing human factors like inertia, doubt, and cynicism as common barriers to change.

So how do you create an agile environment that fosters collaboration and new revenue streams? It starts with a digital workplace that changes attitudes through better end-user experiences, mobility, and productivity. 

Gartner defines the recipe for a true digital workplace as something that "enables new, more effective ways of working; raises employee engagement and agility; and exploits consumer-oriented styles and technologies. It's based on the assumption that engaged employees are more willing to change roles and responsibilities and embrace new technology, enabling organizations to capitalize on the creativity of their workforce and deliver better business outcomes."

How Device-as-a-Service Drives Digital Workplace Transformation

Managed workplace services deliver the "consumer-oriented styles and technologies" in Gartner's recipe, which in turn boosts engagement. In the past, limited IT resources and expertise necessitated internal teams to institute fairly rigid equipment offerings and policies, but Device-as-a-Service provides a smarter and more agile environment that meets the modern worker's consumer-like expectations for integrated, customized, and flexible device options and IT support – all while reducing overall costs and freeing up internal IT teams to focus on other strategic goals instead of being bogged down in day-to-day support tasks.

1. Flexibility

One way to keep employees engaged is to give them what they say they need to be most effective, and that often includes the devices they're most comfortable using. A DaaS provider can support an end user with everything from desktop solutions to laptops and mobile devices – in either Windows or Apple depending on their preferences – connecting employees, data, and applications present in the workplace in the best ways to ensure maximum productivity.

2. Customizable and Scalable

Different organizations will define what a truly digital workplace means to them in potentially very different ways – an office environment versus a retail space where end users are on their feet all day, for example. Some organizations require the physical presence of end users in a space, whereas others can utilize a remote workforce scattered all over the globe. Managed workplace services providers can tailor end-user solutions to the type of business, its size, and geographic locations.

Not only can clients pick and choose what they need from devices and mobility solutions with a DaaS program, but other services can be bolted on like service desk, endpoint management, and IT staffing. A large office would likely benefit from Managed Print Services, for example, whereas a fully remote organization would not.

MWS also allows organizations to quickly scale up or down based on business growth and the number of end users it needs to support without the capital expenditures associated with equipment acquisition.

"Another key benefit is you keep up with the latest technology because device refreshes are automatically built into the contract," said Tiff.

3. Support End Users Where They Want and How They Want

Managed workplace services providers also have the capacity to provide a wide diversity of support techniques that leverage artificial intelligence and mobility, and cater to the way end users want to get help.

For example, CompuCom's Self Healing Technology solution uses AI and automation to monitor end-user device performance to detect, diagnose, and resolve issues without end-user intervention – and often before they realize there's a problem – dramatically improving end-user experiences and cutting downtime.

For other support needs, an app can support end users with chat or self-help options, and there will be some who still prefer a phone call with a service desk technician.

Creating the right digital workplace environment is easy when all support options are available.

Device-as-a-Service and the Digital Workplace are a Natural Fit

Organizations are racing to grow their digital business. According to Gartner, 47 percent of CEOs say their boards press them to make progress on digital, but only 17 percent of organizations describe their digital initiatives in the scale or harvest stage. If culture is one of your roadblocks, the good path to a digital workplace that's smarter, more agile, innovative, and end-user-centric is Device-as-a-Service.