Computer Replacement Strategies

When looking at a computer replacement strategy for your organisation there are a number of things which need to be considered in order to make sure you do so in a cost effective manner that minimises staff downtime.

The timing and frequency of the refresh is the first thing to consider. You don’t want to refresh too often as you can waste money replacing hardware that is still ok but if you wait too long productivity drops due to slow computers and support costs increase. A good rule of thumb is to replace computers every four years and look at replacing a quarter of the fleet every year at a time that minimises disruption to staff. Most computers are still able to run common business applications after four years and you are only purchasing a quarter of the computers each year.

The specification and quality of the computers is the next step to consider. You should look at getting higher end computers if possible as this provides for a larger increase in productivity and performance in the short term but also means longevity in that performance over the life of the computer. Remember, you will have them for four years.

We quite often get asked the difference between the cheaper consumer grade computers and the more expensive commercial computers. Commercial grade computers come with longer warranty periods (3-5 years), compared to consumer grade computers that tend to come with just 1 year of support. The level of support with a commercial product includes next business day onsite support which means a technician from the manufacturer will be at your door the next business day to fix it. A consumer grade computer will only be replaced/fixed by returning it to the place of purchase to then be sent away for numerous weeks, this effects productivity and possibly a loss of data as well.

If higher end computers are not an option due to budget constraints, the best thing to focus on for the long run is increasing the CPU specification or adding more ram.

To sum up, the two main tips for developing a refresh strategy are:

• Establish a regular refresh cycle for devices based on their useful life span to help reduce overall IT costs and minimize productivity losses.
• Consider investing in higher-end solutions during the refresh stage to gain longevity of performance with the latest software and applications.

Call us today and we can work with you on a replacement strategy to suit your business.

By Michael Wallace, August 2017