Best Hardware Planning Practices to Implement in Your Company
When the time comes for your company to update and roll out new technology, the last thing you want to do is be unprepared. Following the best hardware planning practices will allow you to have a smooth and easy transition ensuring you stay ahead of the curve and continue to provide excellent customer service.
Assessing what needs to be done and when it can be done allow your company to operate without much interruption or downtime. In order to do this, we put together some top tips we believe will help you while planning for a new rollout.
6 Tips for Planning a Hardware Rollout
1. When to Make the Technology Rollout?
Determining the right time to implement new technology may prove to be difficult. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late and risk running into faulty or damaged equipment. You also may be hesitant to act too early if there is a chance your equipment just needs to be repaired and not totally replaced or upgraded.
Once your budget is in place and it has been determined that the time for an upgrade is now, a larger company may benefit from bringing in a partner to help deploy the latest technology. This will take the burden off of your IT team and free up their time to assist with other areas within the organization.
2. Have You Conducted an IT Audit?
Your IT team should conduct an audit to determine the needs of an organization. Nowadays, there are plenty of options that allow you to participate in partner programs so that your equipment can be bought back and always holds value.
A thorough audit will allow you to make informed decisions as you’re looking for a vendor to see if they meet your needs and expectations for support. While audits should be done on a regular basis, doing one prior to a rollout will assist in a smooth rollout process.
3. Know Your Budget
While the idea of upgrading your technology is exciting, you need to have an idea as to how many people will be using the devices, and what the total cost of deployment and implementation will be.
If you are already in a partner program, you could save more money by exchanging old devices for new ones. If you are not yet with a partner, getting a realistic estimate and looking at the advantages of owning vs leasing equipment for your sized company will be necessary, as in most cases, upgrading devices is not a yearly occurrence.
4. Plan the Rollout
Integrating and replacing hardware will cause a disruption of workflow, so it is best that you are prepared ahead of time. The first thing you should do is ask for input from other team members about when a good day or time is when it comes to their production schedule.
You will never want to announce a rollout last second. Allow your employees time to express their questions or concerns prior. Since they are the ones who will be using the equipment regularly, their input needs to be heard.
5. Prepare for Training and Implementation
It is best practice to have your training for employees thought out prior to the rollout. If you wait until the day of and go in without a plan, you may forget critical information, leading to a further delay and more downtime in order to complete the required training.
If possible, have some of the devices on-hand to introduce to employees prior to the total rollout. This will at least allow them to become somewhat familiar with the devices, an opportunity to think of their own questions.
6. How to Handle Problems
Despite having the perfect implementation plan, problems are likely to arise. Knowing how your current operating system handles problems will be useful, but you will also need to be prepared to adapt to the new technology. Proper preparation allows you to tackle any questions employees may ask so that you can continue to have a quick and successful deployment.
TRG Is Here to Assist You
If you would like to hear more about hardware planning, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
•••
About TRG
TRG is a global managed solutions provider focused on mobility, point of sale and payments. With facilities across the United States, Canada and Europe, we provide the most comprehensive suite of lifecycle management services – from warehouse to boardroom and deployment to retirement. Our mission is to Make Technology Simple, helping customers accelerate projects, drive application success, improve employee/customer experience and maximize ROI. We’re relentless in our drive to find innovative, effective ways to enhance customer operations and challenge conventional thinking along the way. Learn more about why The Difference Is Us at www.trgsolutions.com.