According to research by Gartner, four in five CEOs are stepping up their spending on digital technologies in order to counter the ongoing pressures of inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and the shortage of skilled workers. Companies also have to be highly flexible in the face of a volatile economy and changing patterns of consumer behavior. The IT department should be leading the way, as it has a huge influence on the speed and success of projects, but it often still lags behind when it comes to agile practices. Research by Etventure lists a lack of personnel, time, and expertise, and insufficient employee buy-in as some of the main obstacles in this respect. So how do you promote agile, digital transformation in IT?
Gartner - CIO Agenda 2023
95 %
of companies struggle to formulate a vision for digital change due to the competing interests of stakeholders.
Roland Berger 2022
60 %
of respondents describe their current IT landscape as complex, while almost three-quarters even consider it no longer manageable.
Riverbed/Crisp Research 2020
39 %
of respondents expect a digitalization strategy to boost employee satisfaction and support the development of new products.
It’s all about the money – flexible financing creates room for maneuver
At the start of every project, there is the question of budget and the right type of finance. There are a number of ways to incorporate flexibility and meet specific requirements. Rental models can be implemented at short notice, but often come with fixed conditions such as prescribed manufacturers and services. Leasing models have the advantage of being customizable and easily integrated into your processes. You are free to choose your devices, service providers, payment streams (incrementally increasing or decreasing, etc.), and usage period, while options such as an early-return service can bring maximum agility to your IT landscape. It is important to determine in advance which services and systems will be needed over the IT equipment’s entire usage period to ensure that the right decisions are made based on a comprehensive TCO analysis.
The future of IT procurement is digital and agile
Digital processes can go a long way to making IT procurement less of a strain on scarce IT resources. A digital asset management tool such as tesma can automate the entire order process, bringing an end to endless paperwork and lengthy approval processes. An integrated self-service module gets users involved in the order process, thus boosting employee buy-in and motivation across the organization. The delivery of IT equipment directly to remote workers’ homes provides an additional boost to employee satisfaction. And pre-configuring devices using Intune or Autopilot saves time while further improving user satisfaction and productivity. Empower your end users and reduce the burden on your departments.
“The digital workplace supports value-adding information sharing and is thus driving agile transformation.”
Oliver Laitenberger, Horn & Company
Straightforward from start to finish
Options such as a 24-hour replacement service in the event of loss or damage provide an optimum user experience and ensure maximum productivity during the use of IT equipment. With an asset management system such as tesma, loss or damage can be reported online without tying up internal IT resources, and the delivery of the replacement device can be triggered automatically within the agreed service level. This information, as well as the IT equipment’s other commercial and technical data, is clearly laid out and available for the IT department to view at any time.
Flexible contract structures ensure that the IT landscape is as agile as possible when it comes to staff turnover, so that digital workplaces can be added or removed as required. At the end of the term, the IT devices are exchanged for new ones, thus always keeping your IT landscape up to date. Data is erased using the certified eraSURE® process before old devices are remarketed in line with the principles of a sustainable circular economy. The proceeds from remarketing can be used to ease the strain on tight IT budgets.
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Establishing a digital and agile workplace at a single site is one thing, organizing this centrally in a multinational company is another. In addition to geopolitical market barriers, commercial aspects such as different currencies and tax rates can make IT procurement more difficult. The good news is that scalable processes can help buyers with an international remit to quickly get to grips with this rising complexity and reap the benefits along the way. Data transparency across national borders and automated digital processes are essential ingredients in this scenario.
