Blog: Why You Need Device as a Service

The modern workplace needs many different devices to keep operations moving and employees satisfied. Successful organizations demand the latest in laptops, tablets, and smartphones to accelerate productivity and foster effective collaboration. However, managing this ever-growing lineup of devices presents many challenges for technology departments strapped for resources.

A recent IDC survey found that providing proper support for hardware and software is one of the technology department’s top three challenges, and that device management alone takes up around 14 percent of an IT team’s time. Many of the phases of lifecycle management – like procurement, staging, updating, inventory control, and disposal – are highly administrative and prevent IT staff from focusing on more strategic initiatives that align with company goals.

Luckily, the Device as a Service (DaaS) model promises some relief. According to CIO.com, DaaS can empower organizations and “unburden technology departments with lower, more predictable costs, access to the latest technology, and increased security.”

What is Device as a Service?

DaaS combines hardware leasing and end-to-end lifecycle services into a single, per-device, monthly contract. It typically includes full asset management, managed support services, and a range of technology refresh options, and some providers, like CompuCom, offer the flexibility to mix and match solutions as you need them. By taking advantage of the DaaS design, enterprises can easily scale devices up or down to meet operational demands, strengthen security with regular updates and refresh initiatives, and infuse the workplace with technology that fits business needs and employee desires.

Traditional vs. Transformational

Traditional leasing has many limitations, starting with its complexity. A standard leasing transaction typically involves engaging a hardware provider, a technology services company, and a leasing agent. And the process doesn’t end once the devices are in the hands of your employees.

Your IT department still has to:

• Track and control assets from multiple vendors
• Generate reports from disparate systems
• Ensure timely returns to avoid compliance violations, penalties, or buy-out fees

To make matters more complicated, amidst the chaos of management, employee turnover, routine operations, and other responsibilities, assets are sometimes left somewhere onsite collecting dust, or even lost in the hardware shuffle – resulting in additional costs, lost revenue, or possible security risks.

With CompuCom’s DaaS model, one single provider manages all of these interactions and maintains accountability, bundling everything into one plan with one point of contact. “We provide multi-vendor procurement and a single source for end-to-end lifecycle services to remove complexity and increase efficiency,” explained CompuCom Vice President of Professional Services and Sales Enablement Steve Pike. A range of asset maintenance, configuration, ongoing support, and refresh options – along with managed partnerships with leading technology vendors – means complete lifecycle coverage. You provide the workforce, and DaaS does the rest.

Strengthen Security

DaaS solutions employ automation and analytics – along with effective provider-to-client collaboration – to shift the struggles of asset management and device-related security risks from in-house IT departments to the DaaS provider. A startling 2.3 million sensitive records were exposed in early 2019 alone, due to negligence, improper disposal, or lost devices. Detailed reporting provides real-time information on the location, profile, and condition of every device. As a result, your technology department knows what needs to be upgraded and when, eliminating performance and productivity issues associated with older devices, as well as the liabilities of lost or misplaced hardware.

Optimize Costs

While DaaS is inarguably a winning solution for IT staff, finance departments may see compelling benefits, as well. Around 50 percent of IT leaders believe they spend too much time procuring and managing devices, and 64 percent of companies are trying to ramp up budgets to upgrade outdated IT infrastructures. But when bundled together, enterprises stand to save significant revenue on both hardware and the services needed to maintain them.

Other examples of reduced costs include:

• Shifting device spend from CapEx to the more manageable OpEx
• Freeing up cash that would have otherwise been allocated for upfront or out-of-pocket expenses of the traditional, one-time purchase model
• Eliminating time-consuming negotiations and bulk hardware purchases, allowing companies to update and replace hardware as desired
• A single, monthly contract that reduces confusion and provides greater cost predictability

Finally, the per-device nature of DaaS, combined with detailed reporting, allows the costs to be allocated to a specific business unit or project and for businesses to flex their device count up or down based on seasonal or project resource requirements while accruing the associated cost savings.

Accelerate Productivity

Technology is a key competitive differentiator between businesses that push beyond the pack and those that fall behind. Working with a provider like CompuCom for Device as a Service removes common complexities and burdens of managing your endpoints through end-to-end lifecycle procurement and support of all your desired devices. Put the focus back on work and leave the asset management to us.