How IT device lifecycle management impacts different teams

IT device lifecycle management is often seen as an internal IT matter, even though its effects extend widely across different teams and individuals. If shared processes and tools are missing, work becomes fragmented and the consequences quickly appear both on the IT team’s desk and for end users.

In this blog text, we take a broader look at what IT device lifecycle management looks like outside the IT team and what kind of requirements it places on organizational processes.

The IT device lifecycle as part of HR processes

In many organizations, the HR team is responsible for ensuring that a new employee’s onboarding runs smoothly. The same responsibility is emphasized when employment ends. From the perspective of IT device management, this means that device orders and returns partly fall under HR’s responsibility.

If collaboration between HR and the IT team does not work seamlessly, the result is often extra coordination and potential security risks. In the worst case, a new employee may have to wait for their devices, and a departing employee’s devices may not be returned on time.

Although the technical management of IT devices is not HR’s responsibility, it is important for HR to know the current stage of the device process, when related actions take place, and what is expected of them. Likewise, IT needs visibility into the employee’s status to initiate the process.

The IT device lifecycle in managerial work

Managers often have a somewhat invisible role in IT device lifecycle management. They are responsible for ensuring that team members have the tools they need to do their work and may even be responsible for ordering them.

In practice, the manager acts as a link between the employee, IT, and HR. During onboarding, device replacements, or exceptional situations, questions often first go to the manager. This often leads to situations where the manager must personally find out where a new device order stands, what additional equipment can be ordered, or when a device replacement is due.

When device information is scattered or not easily accessible, even simple questions lead to unnecessary back and forth communication. From a manager’s perspective, it is therefore important that information related to their team’s devices is easy to access and that the process for ordering new devices is as straightforward as possible.

The IT device lifecycle for end users

Few employees actively think about the underlying processes, but they also play an important role in IT device lifecycle management.

For new employees, device ordering is often handled by others, but in replacement situations responsibility also falls on the employee. For the process to run smoothly, the employee needs to know where to order a new device, what options are available, when the order should be placed, and when the old device must be returned at the latest.

The physical return of old devices is often a common challenge, and reminding end users and making returns easy are key factors.

The IT device lifecycle for the finance department

For the finance department, IT device lifecycle management is largely about cost control. Devices represent a significant investment, and without a clear overall view, purchases, replacements, and retirements are difficult to track and budget.

Finance needs to know how many devices are in use, where they are located, who is using them, and what stage of the lifecycle they are in. With this information, budgeting and investments can be planned realistically, depreciation can be scheduled correctly, and costs can be allocated to the right units.

If financing is used for IT device procurement, transferring a device between users or cost centers during its lifecycle can create challenges for finance unless the data is integrated between the IT asset management system and the financing provider.

A well-managed lifecycle benefits the entire organization

Manual updates, individual exceptions, and continuous communication with managers, HR, finance, and users take more time than expected. For this reason, strong collaboration, modern tools, and process automation are the best ways for IT teams to manage device lifecycles.

When device data is centralized and different teams are given access to it, all stakeholders share the same view of the situation. For example, a modern ITAM software shows who is using a device, what stage of its lifecycle it is in, and what actions are coming next. This alone reduces inquiries, misunderstandings, and duplicate work.

In addition, when all device data is available in one place and processes are clearly defined, automation can be implemented reliably. Automation further reduces manual work, ensures timely actions, and makes everyday work easier for all parties involved.

Do not let IT device lifecycle management create more work than necessary. IDR brings the entire device lifecycle into a single software solution. It also integrates partners and automates manual processes. Learn more about the software and book a demo.