Computer hardware is the most tangible piece of technology in your environment. Whether it’s your smart phone, your computer, or some network hardware it’s a physical piece of equipment in your business environment that. Much like a car, computer hardware has a limited lifespan and getting the most benefit and best performance from your purchase requires some planning.
As discussed in the Technology Planning 101 post, there are four steps you should consider in your planning process: acquisition, training, support, and decommissioning. When it comes to computer hardware, here are some points to consider in the planning process:
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- Acquisition – Initially, you need to determine if acquiring computer hardware is the best way to address your current business need. If you’re a growing business then you’ll need computers, monitors, and peripherals for your staff. In this case, the decision is more what hardware best fits your need. Consequently, if you’re encountering performance issues in your environment then analysis should be done to determine that hardware is the root cause and not software or poor network performance. In addition to this, you should buy the appropriate hardware to address your requirement long-term. You may not need the best performing (and likely most expensive) hardware that the vendor offers but it’s worth investing a little more to extend the lifespan of the equipment in your environment. As part of the acquisition plan, you should consider what the lifespan is for the hardware. This will vary for different hardware and what it’s planned use is in the future.
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- Training – Your training needs will vary depending on the hardware you acquire. A new laptop may require very little training if there is no change in operating system or software whereas a new multi-function copier may require training if it is from a different vendor, or you have staff who have no experience using this equipment. Having training materials for staff to access on demand is best and if staff have questions, then having an internal resource for staff to contact will allow your staff to get the best use of this hardware.
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- Support and Maintenance – All hardware will require support and maintenance over its lifetime. It’s best to be proactive with maintenance and ensure your hardware is kept up to date with firmware and driver updates so the hardware is current to vendor specifications. You should also have a plan for accessing support on your hardware whether this is from an internal resource, external support company, or directly from the hardware vendor. Each option will incur cost whether it’s direct cost from an employee or vendor expense or indirect cost of a staff person dealing with the hardware vendor for support.
- Decommission – As your hardware reaches the end of its lifespan, you need a plan to securely decommission it from your environment. Make sure you have a plan to securely erase all information from the hardware before removing it from your environment so confidential information isn’t leaving your environment. If the hardware is being sold or donated then you should ensure that the buyer signs an agreement to buy the equipment as is so you have no liability in the future if the hardware fails or causes an issue in the future. Lastly, if you are disposing of the equipment then you should look to work with a certified e-waste firm who are in legislative compliance for the disposal of equipment.
While all of this may seem like a lot to go through for hardware acquisition, it simply takes some initial upfront planning. After a few purchases you will have a process in place that functions like a checklist to minimize the additional effort and providing the upfront savings and long-term benefits of good planning. To get help with your technology planning, contact The SMB CIO today.