How to improve employee experience through IT device choices

Employees’ IT devices such as laptops, phones, and other gadgets directly affect daily work, employee experience, and productivity. In addition to these factors, the IT team must also evaluate devices from the perspectives of control, security, and cost.

In many organizations, IT devices are mainly purchased through a standard vendor, but ordering processes and product catalogs vary somewhat. In some cases, employees can independently order new devices from the vendor’s online store, while in others all employees receive the same device without any choice.

In this article, we take a closer look at IT device procurement from the employee’s perspective and examine how device choices affect both IT operations and employee experience.

The same device for all employees

In this approach, the IT team defines one or two device models per category. This means that most employees use the same devices, and the device fleet remains highly standardized.

This model works well when employees perform very similar tasks. From the IT team’s perspective, it is also the least labor-intensive approach, since device ordering and deployment can largely be automated and issues are often quick to resolve. Standardization also simplifies asset lifecycle management. When the device fleet is uniform, replacement, maintenance, and recycling follow familiar processes.

However, if employee roles differ significantly, challenges quickly arise. In addition, this approach often has a slightly negative impact on employee experience, since some employees prefer having a choice and might have issues with the selected devices. It is also worth noting that over time some variation will inevitably appear as device models change.

Employees choose devices from a limited product catalog

More and more companies use a model where employees can choose their IT devices from a predefined catalog approved by IT. In this model, the IT team designs the catalog in advance and can take different needs into account.

The catalog includes a limited selection of laptops, monitors, and other gadgets that have been tested and proven compatible with the company’s management models, security practices, and work environment. Typically, such a catalog includes 2 to 5 options per product group. These options can include not only a basic laptop but also more powerful versions or different brands such as Apple devices.

The advantage of this model is the balance between control and freedom of choice. IT can keep the device environment under control, while employees still have the opportunity to choose tools that suit them best. However, without clear processes and the right tools, this model can over time significantly increase the workload of the IT team, as the lifecycle of a growing variety of devices must be managed in an increasingly complex environment.

Employees choose their devices freely

In this model, employees choose their devices almost freely from a supplier’s online store or a very broad catalog. There are usually still some constraints. For example, IT may define approved operating systems, manufacturers, or minimum requirements for performance, price, and security.

The benefit of this model is that it offers employees a high level of autonomy, which can work well in smaller organizations. Over time, however, this approach leads to a fragmented IT environment, making cost forecasting and lifecycle management complex even in a small company. From the IT team’s perspective, it also means an increasing support burden, since resolving issues may require more extensive investigation.

How to find a balance between IT lifecycle management and employee experience

A highly standardized device environment gives IT strong control and reduces extra troubleshooting, but it often feels restrictive to users. A fully flexible model, on the other hand, gives employees a lot of freedom but quickly increases IT workload.

For many organizations, the most effective solution lies between these two approaches. It is also important to consider how the company manages its IT devices. If the company uses a modern asset management system, even a diverse device fleet can be managed efficiently. With the right tools, increased complexity does not necessarily mean more administrative work related to lifecycle management.

IDR provides freedom of choice for employees and better manageability for IT

With IDR, it is possible to create a vendor-independent product catalog and offer employees more freedom of choice. The catalog can include IT devices from multiple vendors as well as both purchased and leased equipment. In addition, catalogs can be targeted to different roles or user groups, allowing employees in different positions to receive suitable device options without manual adjustments.

This allows the organization to optimize device selection from both an IT workload and cost perspective without compromising employee experience. Employees can be provided with an easy-to-use, online store-like interface where they can see their assigned budget and the product catalog available for their role. If an employee wants to choose a device that exceeds the budget, they can pay the difference themselves. IDR also makes it easy to manage the entire device lifecycle.

The system also enables automation of lifecycle-related processes such as ordering, tracking, and returns. Automation reduces manual work and ensures that device management remains efficient even as the device fleet grows or becomes more diverse.