Uncovering the Hidden Costs of Mobility

Mobile devices have become a business essential, especially in the post-pandemic era with greater numbers of home-based and remote workers.

The reliance of businesses and their employees on mobile devices – not just phones, but tablets and other devices too – means that ensuring they are secure, operating correctly, and being used in the right way, should be a priority for any business.

But all too often, the tasks associated with mobile device management are handled by an individual or even a number of people for whom it isn’t a key function – taking up valuable time and keeping them away from their core daily tasks.

It would be easy to take the view that simply because mobile device management is managed in-house, there is no financial cost to it, as those performing these tasks are already employed by the business and are being paid anyway.

But this takes no account of the real quantity of time that can be spent on getting mobile devices to where they are needed in a ready-to-use state and potentially dealing with issues that may arise – many of which may be urgent.

In companies without dedicated individuals or teams to look after their mobile devices, the job can fall on luckless individuals or team, with IT, finance and administration departments being common repositories for this work. But they may not have the knowledge and expertise to deal with detailed technical requirements, meaning a lot of time wasted on seeking a solution while other tasks pile up in their in-trays, causing issues elsewhere in the business. And this cost, while hard to quantify, is likely to be considerable.

A further cost – again challenging to quantify but considerable, arises when essential devices fail, or a technical issue occurs and an employee is unable to do their job until it is repaired or replaced. This can lead to significant wasted time, as well as frustration on the part of both the individual concerned and anyone needing to interact with them.

It is worth remembering that mobile device management involves a lot more than occasionally sending out a new phone to a new starter.

For example arranging new contracts for phones entails – or should entail –much more than simply renegotiating an existing contract. Every company needs to understand what devices it has, how many it is likely to need, and likely usage patterns for each individual – then research prices for the hardware and contracts and try to work out what is actually best for their needs, all in a sector where billing is notoriously complex and hidden costs are legend.

This is complicated by the fact that not all contracts may be sufficiently flexible to meet changing needs, with alterations to tariffs at a later date likely to incur a surcharge from the provider. Those who go over their data allocation will create further cost for a business while many gigabytes of data may sit unused elsewhere.

And once new devices are received, it is not simply a case of sending them out to their new users – though this in itself can be a considerable task when these users are based in multiple locations. Old devices must be gathered in and have their data deleted while new ones need to be configured and have appropriate security measures installed. And once this is done, someone needs to be a point of contact available to deal with any teething issues.

Meanwhile, any growth in headcount or staff turnover will add further to the workload as new devices are provided for fresh starters while older devices are collected from leavers as part of the offboarding process. The device and usage needs of new staff – especially those in newly created roles – may be different from those already with the company, again requiring negotiations with providers on tariffs and potentially costly contract alterations.

Furthermore, in-house teams who are not dedicated to mobile device management may not have the time to keep up with the latest trends in mobility and mobile management software. Someone who set up a mobile device or group of devices a few years ago may not be aware of what developments have taken place in the meantime, meaning they may seek to set up new devices in the same way and that the full potential of these devices may not be harnessed.

In many companies, mobile management may not yet require a full-time member of staff. But that does not mean the best solution is to allocate the task to teams or individuals who may be ill-equipped in terms of skills and knowledge to perform this task in the best and most cost-effective manner, while being distracted from their key role.

‎A better solution lies in outsourcing the entire process to Subsidium – where our expertise, responsiveness and buying power means that not only can you be assured of the best deals financially, but there will be flexibility to alter them.

Meanwhile new devices will be sourced and rapidly delivered wherever they are needed – ready to use – and helpdesk support is on hand whenever needed to ensure employees stay operational and motivated.

Finally, we’ll never rest on our laurels – we’ll make recommendations and enhancements throughout the lifetime of our relationship with you to ensure you and your devices are always being managed in the best way possible.