It’s Time to Get Strategic with Hardware Service
Enterprise hardware is far more than just a collection of tools and software — it’s a financial and operational mechanism that keeps companies moving forward. When it’s performing optimally, it can make a significant contribution to a company’s productivity and bottom line. When it’s not performing optimally, companies can experience operational inefficiencies and financial setbacks that impact them immediately and long-term. Because of this delicate balance, a new approach to hardware service is needed.
Depending on how an organization has procured its enterprise hardware, service may be included as part of a purchase/lease contract or billed at an hourly rate. But which is better? Which is less expensive? Which provides the best service when it’s needed? Organizations should think long-term. As hardware ages and usage increases, more service calls, repairs, and other forms of maintenance will be necessary. Eventually, service can become more of a pain than a relief — both financially and operationally.
Devices have different life cycles, yet as companies look to maximize the benefits of their enterprise hardware, those life cycles are shortening rapidly. A device procured a few years ago can’t compete with a new device, and the support window for the older device is always shrinking. Why bother with increasingly frequent maintenance challenges and a shrinking support window when these hardware service downsides can be avoided?
The Benefit-Only Hardware Service Solution
Regardless of industry, companies are focused on making the most of their enterprise hardware — both now and long-term. To achieve this, a new hardware solution is needed that takes the historical downsides of most hardware programs and eliminates them entirely from the financial and operational picture. That solution is Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS). Here’s how HaaS helps companies overcome the challenges of their hardware.
Cost
Hardware repair costs increase year-over-year, yet the need for it remains and even increases as companies scale up their production and activities. With more need yet greater costs, how can companies continue their operations without suffering ever-increasing financial downsides? The solution cannot and should not simply be allocating more resources for hardware maintenance with each year’s budget.
With HaaS, companies get new hardware on a regular basis. This ensures that they’re using the best of the best, and when the time comes, their older hardware is seamlessly replaced. And HaaS is a monthly subscription. Rather than pay for the complete hardware fleet upfront (i.e. make a significant capital investment), companies can build their hardware solution how they want, then make more digestible monthly payments. This frees up capital for other strategic needs while allowing the company to gain the benefits of all-new hardware.
Service
But what about hardware service? Device life cycles can be long, but with every day of hard and frequent use, any device will begin to wear down gradually. Over time, the software used in devices will need to be upgraded, patched, and so on. And effective use of certain devices also requires peripherals and other accessories that make it easier for employees to carry or wear them and keep them operational.
Rather than rely on complex and inefficient mechanisms for hardware service, HaaS allows companies to not only bundle their hardware into a single, cost-effective package but also maintenance, software, and accessories. Whenever hardware service is needed, companies need only send the hardware in, and it will be addressed right away. This ensures your immediate investment is kept operational and financially advantageous (i.e. not as significant depreciation) while also guaranteeing that you’ll receive new hardware on a regular basis.
Strategy
It’s important to remember that there’s more to a hardware program than devices and service contracts. Enterprise hardware is a critical part of overall financial, operational, and even branding strategies. How hardware affects these strategies must be considered as companies evaluate the different hardware options available to them.
For example, on the financial side, depreciating hardware can have a long-term impact on companies’ books. Hardware depreciation is something that must be tracked and recorded, and when the time comes for a lease to renew, companies will have to make a difficult decision on whether to buy the hardware outright (thereby investing additional dollars) or letting it go, in which case they have to begin the process of buying all-new hardware.
Hardware even impacts the public perception of a brand. CIOs and CTOs as well as retail program managers will understand that outdated hardware doesn’t make for a positive customer experience — especially for stores that are technology-focused or meant to appear trendy. It’s important that hardware service and replacements are factored into the long-term strategy of companies with numerous retail locations. HaaS eliminates the worry about depreciation, negative public perception, and other difficulties because companies receive new hardware on a predictable cycle.
Get the Hardware Service and Support You Need
River Capital has been working with companies in numerous verticals for their hardware needs for more than 30 years. If your organization has concerns about hardware, hardware service, and the long-term impact of your program financially and operationally, take the first step toward a better, more reliable, and more advantageous solution. Fill out the form below to get in touch with our team today.