Employees value a responsible way of working
Just as sustainability is an important focus for companies in today's world, sustainability is often an important personal value for employees. After all, responsible IT lifecycle management is about managing resources to ensure that, for example, a power workstation used by an employee gets a new life in another use. For example, a power workstation that has been in business use for 3 years may be a very useful piece of equipment for the needs of an educational institution. The best option from an environmental point of view is to give the workstation a new life cycle instead of recycling it. A planned lifecycle and communicating lifecycle management to the work community is the best way to manage technology to ensure that technology is constantly working at its best efficiency and that the employee understands why equipment is being upgraded and how the circular economy model works. The employer's sustainability efforts, and the way they are reflected internally, will also improve the employee's perception of their employer, which in turn will affect employee loyalty.
Lifecycle planning facilitates equipment replacement
Not all workstations and instruction devices have the same life cycle. Depending on the model, a business workstation often has a lifespan of 2-4 years, after which it should be upgraded. It is important to plan the replacement of workstations according to their lifecycle, avoiding situations where replacement has to take place in the middle of an important project, for example. Careful planning of the life cycle of the equipment also allows the end-user to plan for replacement well in advance and avoid the challenges associated with replacement.
A correctly dimensioned lifecycle ensures the functionality of the equipment
Too short or too long lifecycles can have a direct impact on employee performance and thus on their satisfaction, as the equipment no longer works efficiently or is replaced too early in its lifecycle. Sooner or later, the technical performance of the equipment and the need for maintenance will be affected. The life of a technology may sometimes be extended, for example for economic reasons, or the reason for an extended life may be a lack of knowledge and transparency about the lifecycle of the equipment. From a financial and lifecycle management perspective, the use of different product categories and rental periods allows different lifecycles for different types of equipment, thus avoiding the administrative burden of equipment replacement. A transparent centralised system for lifecycle management ensures that equipment is renewed in a rational and informed way.
Choice of equipment in relation to needs
Technology may also sometimes be under-utilised in relation to need, to the detriment of the employee. In particular, the technology provider plays an important role when planning technology needs by user group or at user level. Challenges can be related to issues such as the technology chosen not being appropriate to the need, not being available in sufficient quantities or being outdated.
At CHG-MERIDIAN, we specialise in managing technology on people's terms. We work in IT, health technology and industrial technology. Our services help you make lifecycle management clear and transparent. Find out more on our website and contact us.
