5 Best Practices for Buying Technology for Employees

5 Best Practices for Buying Technology for Employees

Buying technology for personal use can be exciting once you get past the price tag. Yet there are many factors to consider when investing in technology for employee use.

There are many digital tools available to improve the day-to-day way people do their jobs. Providing the right tech can increase productivity, streamline processes, and improve employee engagement. Yet deciding which solutions are smartest for your team takes a little work.

Investing in a technology that does not suit the needs of your staff can hurt your business:

< Having to use the wrong technology takes their time away from mission-critical tasks..

< Employees resent the change when the tech further complicates their day.

< Staff feel unheard of and disrespected when asked to use digital tools that do not help.

< Disgruntled employees disengage, which hurts customer experience.

Employees want to get their work done and they want to do it well. If what you have given them to work with is too clunky, they may look for an easier way to complete their tasks. They may look for apps that work better for them, which opens you up to the risks associated with “Shadow IT”

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Best Practices for Buying Employee Technology

Provide the best technological tools to support a more productive, energized, and motivated workforce. Put the actual employee and experience first. Be wary of getting into any solution that is more complicated than it needs to be. Strive to be simple and effective.

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Know How Work Gets Done

Many decision makers think they know how work gets done, but they may not have been in the trenches in years. Looking at the metrics to analyze process efficiency is not enough. Business leaders need to understand the employee’s daily journey. They need a convenient answer to the question. “How is this technology going to make my work experience better?”

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Understand the IT Environment

As technology is evolving, the work environment is adapting too. Before buying employee technology, figure out where people are working most. Are they in the office or remote? Do they sit all day at a desk or need to be on the move? Are they customer-facing? Or do they need more collaborative tools with internal teams?

Do not make any IT purchases without considering whether the technology can handle its intended use. If someone is going to need access to the technology on a shopfloor, the working environment needs to be considered. Is it hot? Is it dirty or clean? Another example is an employee who travels all the time to work. They are likely to prefer a rugged but lightweight laptop.

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Aim for Uniformity

Bringing a shiny new Apple computer into a PC environment can be problematic. Loyalty to one manufacturer or software can help people embrace new tools quicker. Additionally, it makes buying parts and warranty much easier. You are also able to take advantage of product integration and interoperability.

Develop Consistent Relationships

If you are buying a lot of technology at one time you may be eligible for volume pricing. Plus, if you are returning to a supplier you have worked with before, you could ask about a loyalty bonus.

Working with a managed service provider to find the right tech solutions is also useful. Their supplier relationships can lead to volume discounts, better-than-retail pricing, and improved warranties.

Seek Employee Input

Modern technology introduces change into the work environments. Many people do not love change. Especially if they feel a new system or software is being pushed upon them. It will help to ask staff what tools or technology they want. Often, they already know!

Technology is an essential part of how people experience work. It is easy to get seduced by a bright, shiny new device or promising feature. Make decisions based on whether the technology can do what you need it to do. Whether it is going to make the employees’ work environment better or worse.

Need help making decisions about the right technology for your teams? We can help. Contact our experts today at (877) 686-6642.

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