Coronavirus = Business Continuity Plan
Do you have the appropriate technology for your staff to work from home during a disease outbreak?
Operational service delivery has changed rapidly due to the Coronavirus. For those organizations who have not had success with a work from home model must rise to the challenge and learn from their failures and learn from others who have a successful model. During the budget planning process for 2020, I doubt organizations planned for a significant capital budget for a surplus of laptops, desktop computers, etc. for their entire staff. I talked to several organizations who are scrambling to enable their teams with the appropriate computer equipment as well as ensuring network connectivity can handle the remote traffic.
Instead of the knee jerk reaction in having the procurement team solicit the cheapest quote for at least 300 new laptops and having to capitalize this potential purchase, look at purchasing certified refurbished equipment that can be expensed. Don’t forget, docking stations with monitors, and/or desktops make excellent workstations. If I am a workforce analyst and need multiple displays to see how my domestic and global workforce are servicing our clients, utilize refurbished monitors. I will give you a primer (myths and reality) on why refurbished equipment makes sense as part of a business continuity plan, a disaster recovery plan and overall annual operating plan.
- Refurbished equipment is JUNK – MYTH
- Purchasing certified, refurbished hardware gives companies the opportunity to purchase their favorite, well-respected brands, while maintaining sustainability and price
- Components in refurbished hardware have been completely restored, refreshed, or replaced…making them as reliable as many new machines.
- Refurbished computers are powerful enough to stand-up contact centers – REALITY
- These computers are ex-corporate machines that will generally have better processors, memory, etc. than a normal entry-level consumer device.
- Refurbished computers have great warranties because they are not junk.
- Refurbished hardware protects our environment – REALITY
- Working with your refurbished partner, develop a cost-effective cycle to retire and update refurbished equipment.
- The global market for consumer refurbished goods is estimated to be around $10B. People are shifting to this trend because it is both efficient and ecologically right.
Having the most cost-effective business-class laptops for your staff with the necessary corporate imaging, security and login credentials is part of enabling your teams but keep in mind the process of interacting with your teams will need to be different and flexible. Staff morale and customer demands will need to be revisited. This pandemic is a significant change to how we interact during social isolation.
Keep in mind, we are continuing to adjust to the new “NORMAL’, and we as leaders need to embrace digital communications as the new normal. Utilizing and maximizing all aspects of our technology including ensuring that we have the bandwidth and security will need to be at top of mind as we engage with our now remote workers. We will have to evolve being digital leaders sooner versus later. Having a transparent digital conversation with your trusted refurbished partner will be vital.
Continue to be resilient and focused. We will get through this together.
May the force be with us.
Co-authors: Michael Sutter, President, BBC Technology Solutions; Roger Lee aka Professor CXi, Vice President, Customer Success, Gridspace
