Forward-thinking companies know they can’t skimp on the computers that keep users productive day in and day out. Regular device rotations are common practice, along with support plans to ensure devices are covered for the occasional, inevitable problems.
This approach has never been more important, because today, companies face a new wrinkle: Those devices are in users’ homes, facing uncommon risks. Devices may be left lying about, or subject to damage from pets or rambunctious children. Surge protectors may be nonexistent, leaving devices subject to power anomalies. Spills are more likely than in an office environment, given pets, kids, and questionable workspaces.
Traditionally, there was a science to predicting device refresh cycles, making it a relatively straightforward exercise. A company could look at trends and predict with reasonable accuracy what the future would hold in terms of device repairs and replacements.
“The shift that everyone is experiencing with work from home brings unknowns,” says Jermaine Maldonado, PC Services Business Development Manager at HP. “Now is not a good time to gamble with budgeting for out-of-warranty repairs.”
Regular device refreshes provide another key benefit: They ensure users always take advantage of up-to-date technology to achieve maximum productivity.
Eaton covers its devices
Eaton Corp. is a case in point. The $21 billion company delivers power management solutions to customers in 175 countries, covering some of the world’s most critical infrastructure across verticals including health care, aviation, manufacturing, and more.
Eaton deploys more than 70,000 devices to its global staff, and aims to ensure employees are working on devices no more than three years old.
“We plan to refresh computer devices on a regular basis in order to take full advantage of technology and performance improvements,” says Wendy Hunter, IT manager for Eaton.
About 60% of the devices are notebooks used by mobile users. They are covered by HP Accidental Damage Protection, one of HP’s Care Packs service packages, which includes remote problem diagnosis and support. All Eaton devices also are covered by the HP Hardware Support Care Packs 3-3-3, which provide three-year limited warranties and services, including three years of parts, labor, and on-site repairs.
Finally, Eaton uses an HP Account Operations Manager to help manage ongoing regional operations, offloading incoming queries from Eaton’s IT group.
“It’s an added service component, and it helps tremendously,” says Nathan Lare, lead IT analyst for Eaton. “Action items are dealt with more efficiently in a distributed way by region, and rarely need to come to our attention. This type of facilitation helps reduce the strain on corporate IT.”
Pandemic pivot
When the pandemic hit, Eaton adapted promptly with work-at-home PCs for its traditional desktop users – all covered by the HP Hardware Support service. “Today, any notebook or desktop device, anywhere in the world, has the same level of care with HP Services,” Lare says. “That gives you peace of mind.”
At the same time, users benefit from the latest technology and less downtime, making them more productive and keeping satisfaction high. “We know users are happy to take advantage of new device performance and new software efficiencies. This helps them to do their jobs and be more productive,” Lare says.
For IT, the device replacement and support strategy mean operational efficiency. “With HP, we’re consistent in our approach, our product, our delivery, and our support,” Hunter says. “We’re more operationally efficient in decision-making.”
Consistency and efficiency. In these uncertain times, these are good qualities to have when it comes to devices employees rely on every day to do their jobs.
To learn more about Eaton’s use of HP devices and services, read this case study. For more information on HP Care Packs, check out the HP Care Pack solution brief.
Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc.
