Hidden costsThe hidden costs of managing mobility

The hidden costs of managing mobility

It seems a straight-forward proposition: you want your business to

reap the benefits of having a mobile workforce able to work from

anywhere at any time, so you buy a fleet of smart devices, hand them

over to the IT department to roll out and manage, then sit back and

watch productivity soar.

But a year later you’re wondering if it was worth the effort. The staff

are complaining about the lack of IT support when they are on the

road, other aspects of the business are being held back because the IT

department is spending too much time putting out spot fires associated

with the devices, and the expected efficiency gains haven’t eventuated.

It’s then you realise there’s lot more time, effort and cost associated with

a mobility strategy than you imagined.

If you are considering rolling out a mobility solution it is vital to take

into account the hidden costs. These costs rarely appear on the

balance sheet, but if left unchecked they can have a big impact on an

organisation’s growth, productivity and competitive advantage, as well

as its ability to effectively manage and mitigate risks.

Not so simple

Our research indicates nearly 80 percent of enterprises dramatically

underestimate the expense of mobile device management. (Insert link

to research)

Managing the sourcing and provisioning of devices, the replacement of

faulty devices and the storage of devices puts strain on your already tight

IT budget and team capacity.

Also, mobile management is typically taken on by an individual whose

core responsibility does not include this specific activity. So, when any

request comes in, they have to shift their attention from other priorities

to address the need.

Our data shows that on average an IT team member spends around 15

percent of their time outside their core responsibility managing mobile

devices, which costs organisations around $14,857 in non-productive

salary time (calculation based on average IT worker wage rate of $50.66

per hour).

The ongoing support costs of managing day-to-day service requests

is often amplified, as non-specialists within an IT team will take two to

three times longer per device than a specialist. In fact, we estimate that

companies with 500 employees pay around $200 more per device per

year than originally estimated.

This doesn’t even capture the loss of productivity from an end-user

perspective and the increased risk of data breaches and other security

risks due to poorly executed deployments or lack of specialist resources.

2

Soft costs

It is a mistake to think that the big-ticket costs of a mobility strategy are

to be found in the price of the devices and the set-up (app development,

software, licensing, configuration, security etc). Some industry analysts

say this only accounts for about 35 percent of the costs of ownership.

“The real sting comes from “soft costs” such as providing support,

lost productivity, management of the devices, training, and disposal

of obsolete equipment – things that may not have been taken into

account,” says Peter Hobbins, Vita Enterprise Solutions’ Practice Lead

for Mobility.

“CIOs must consider whether their IT department has sufficient

resources in terms of personnel, time and budget to manage a fleet of

devices from a central point. “

Areas needing attention can include: swift device replacement and

repair; software management; configuration management; performance

and diagnostics; back-up and restore devices; security management.

Being able to track each device makes it is possible to monitor and

manage the costs associated with your entire mobile technology

investment – and to reduce lost productivity, due to downtime, to

a minimum.

Failure to adequately provision for those tasks can severely dent the

bottom line. Even if an enterprise believes it has the resources to handle

these requirements, what happens if their in-house experts get sick

or worse, leave?

Seek advice

Mobility integration is radically changing the ways people work and

reshaping the workplace itself. Equipped with powerful new mobility

tools, employees today can work productively from virtually anywhere.

But integrating a mobility strategy is not always simple. It can be done

in-house, but another option is to outsource the management of your

mobility solution to a reputable, experienced provider who can help you

get the very best out of the technology.

By choosing a partner with the right experience, together with the right

mobile device management platform, you can minimise hidden costs and

ensure maximum return on investment.

Who is Vita Enterprise Solutions?

As part of Vita Group, Australia’s most exciting technology,

communications and electronics provider, Vita Enterprise Solutions

draws on the insight, expertise and know-how generated from 20 years

of servicing the Australian market.

Over this time we’ve built an enviable record of technology and service

delivery. Our strong reputation comes from developing in-house

expertise and aligning with key technology and telecommunications

partners including Telstra and Apple.

We’ll match agile technology outcomes to your business requirements,

simplifying the process for you. From providing the right mobility

solution, increasing collaboration, transitioning to the Cloud or NBN, to

providing hardware and accessory solutions, Vita Enterprise Solutions

will partner with your business to deliver a personalised and fully

integrated end to end solution.