How Deel IT Saves Time & Money at Every Stage of the Device Lifecycle

Recent research indicates that 66% of companies now offer flexible working arrangements, including hybrid and fully remote work. Equipping global teams with the devices they need has become a major challenge for businesses, costing both time and money, particularly during onboarding and offboarding.

Alongside the growing popularity of remote work, the costs associated with IT spending are continuing to rise, with industries like software and tech investing 19% and 16% (respectively) of their revenue on device management.

Deel IT offers an all-in-one remote IT solution that covers everything from procurement and onboarding to maintenance and recovery of assets. All aspects of asset management are handled through one centralized platform, saving you time, hassle, and money.

What is device lifecycle management?

Device lifecycle management is the process of keeping employees’ tech working smoothly from the moment a device is ordered to the day it’s retired. For businesses, this means supplying, deploying, tracking, maintaining, and eventually recovering or disposing of devices, including laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

Proper device lifecycle management is crucial for remote teams. It ensures employees have the tools needed to do their jobs, no matter where they’re based.

Challenges of device lifecycle management for remote teams

Managing IT solutions for remote workers can be a complex task. Let’s take a look at some of the most common challenges companies face when managing the device lifecycle for distributed workforces.

IT equipment and management cost

IT equipment is often one of the highest cost line items on a company’s balance sheet, behind office space and salaries. What makes it particularly challenging is its unpredictability. While office spaces and salaries are relatively consistent and predictable, IT costs often fluctuate depending on procurement, upgrades, replacements, and logistics, particularly for globally distributed teams.

In a typical business, the ratio of IT professionals to employees is often about one IT staff member for every 100 employees. As a result, IT teams can be stretched thin while trying to meet device management demands.

This challenge is particularly costly when you consider the value of employee time. For example, a typical member of staff at one of our customers costs $400 to $2,000 (USD) per day—and this number can be ten times higher for creative roles like software engineers. These employees need working devices, so slow reactions to IT issues can have a significant financial impact as a result of employee downtime.

This is where Deel IT can help. By automating key processes like device procurement, setup, tracking, and recovery, we enable IT teams to increase the ratio of IT significantly, freeing up time for strategic initiatives instead of sinking time into general maintenance and business as usual (BAU). This drives growth by ensuring that resources are used more efficiently and effectively.

Onboarding delays

A smooth onboarding process is essential to setting up new hires for success from day one. This is particularly important for remote teams who rely entirely on their technology. However, onboarding delays are a common pain point for remote teams, often due to tech issues.

Employees not having access to the software and equipment they need causes a significant drop in productivity. The result? Lost time, missed opportunities, and an onboarding experience that’s far from ideal.

Not only does this incur costs through loss of productivity and extension of the training period, but it could also lead to premature resignation due to a poor onboarding experience.

The financial implications of losing an employee are huge. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found the cost per new hire to be $4,700 (USD) on average, involving recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and training a new employee.

See also: Elevate Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Efficiency with Deel

Complex logistics

Organizing equipment and software for global teams requires a great deal of planning that traditional offices don’t encounter. It means navigating a maze of suppliers, shipping providers, and international customs.

Each shipment has to be individually tracked, and delays in shipping or customs can leave employees without the tools needed to carry out their jobs.

Logistics costs include:

• International shipping fees
• International customs duties
• Software licensing
• Packaging solutions
• Retrieval of equipment
• Increased administrative expenses
• Time spent by HR and IT departments coordinating equipment procurement
• Time wasted while employees don’t have access to IT equipment
• Lost or missing equipment

For example, shipping a medium-sized box from New York to Buenos Aires with FedEx could cost between $550 and $650 (USD). Considering all the additional costs on top of this, it’s clear to see how the logistics costs add up.

Local compliance

Local compliance is another key hurdle global companies frequently encounter. Different countries have their own regulations around health and safety, importation, tax, data security, equipment disposal, and more.

For example, EU health and safety regulations outline employers’ responsibility for providing equipment that minimizes the risk of physical strain, eye fatigue, and other health concerns. This includes high-resolution screens, quality hardware that doesn’t overheat, and monitors that tilt, swivel, and are height-adjustable.

Failure to comply with these regulations can result in serious fines or penalties. Managing local compliance across global teams means staying on top of regulations across multiple countries. This is not only time-consuming but also extremely costly if anything slips through the net.

Read more: Compliance Issues When Providing Equipment for Remote Workers

Relying on manual processes

Many companies rely on manual processes for procuring, managing, and recovering devices. As companies grow and the demand for equipment supply, management, and maintenance increases, the chance of errors and unanticipated costs increases, too.

As a result, companies may lose track of devices, risk security threats, and experience slow turnaround times.

Security threats, as a result of malware or lost devices, can incur serious direct costs for businesses, alongside money lost through reputational damage. According to the 2024 IBM Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a data breach is $4.88 million. These costs are largely incurred through legal costs, reparations, and regulatory fines.

Keeping track of devices

A 2023 study by Forrester revealed that lost and stolen devices—including smartphones, laptops, and tablets—accounted for 17% of all data breaches. These findings emphasize the importance of efficient tracking and management, including ensuring devices are properly secured.

Tracking devices across multiple locations is no easy task, especially when employees are based in different cities, countries, or even continents. Without a centralized IT asset tracking system, teams may struggle to locate, monitor, and manage devices, particularly when it comes to offboarding. This can quickly become expensive for businesses as they risk losing valuable equipment. which then needs to be replaced, not to mention the potential security risks.

This inefficiency stretches budgets thin—driving up costs and reducing operational efficiency. The cost of a lost laptop extends beyond simply the replacement costs. Businesses will also need to factor in detection, forensics, data breaches, lost intellectual property costs, lost productivity, and legal, consulting, and regulatory expenses. This can end up costing anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars.

For many companies, this drag on profitability limits their ability to scale effectively. The money lost could otherwise have been spent on new hires, technology, software, marketing, and so much more.

A key strength of Deel IT is that it’s device agnostic. This means that your existing laptops, mobile devices, and applications can all be managed using Deel IT, even if they weren't sourced through Deel.

The Solution: Deel IT at every stage of the device lifecycle

Deel IT is an all-in-one solution for companies looking to simplify how they handle devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets. We cover every stage of the device lifecycle to save you money along the way. These stages include:

Planning and procurement

Sourcing, setting up, and deploying devices is a big task, especially when you factor in finding couriers, filling out customs forms, and packaging the items. Not only does this take valuable time, but it can also be difficult to find the most cost-effective method. Problems businesses frequently encounter include a lack of transparent pricing, language barriers with sales personnel, and an overwhelming number of options to choose from.

Luckily, Deel IT will take care of all of this on your behalf. We’re the only provider that covers everything from local compliance to global shipping. Plus, we’re committed to providing transparent pricing that grows with your business, so you won’t incur any hidden costs further down the road. Pay for what you need, when you need it.

You’ll have the option to buy or lease devices, choosing from an inventory of 40 laptop options that are always in stock. This flexibility enables companies to choose the devices and payment plans that best suit their needs and budget. We ship devices to over 130 countries in less than ten days with a 99.5% success rate.

See the Voiceflow case study: Deel IT sped up their onboarding time and delivered a positive employee experience, proving it’s possible to save time, money, and countless headaches with Deel on your side.

Onboarding and device configuration

With Deel IT, devices are pre-configured for each user. You won’t need to spend a large amount of time setting up their IT, and neither will your employees.

This leads to a smoother onboarding where new hires can hit the ground running, which translates to cost savings for the company.

Pre-configuration includes setting up user accounts, installing any apps and software, and implementing mobile device management (MDM) to safeguard devices from malware and security threats.

Maintenance and support

With IT support teams operating across every timezone, Deel IT offers 24/7 global support, even outside of product warranty. We will help diagnose and resolve issues, handle repairs, and quickly provide loaner or replacement devices. Our priority is ensuring that your teams can stay online and productive.

This service benefits the budget by reducing on-site maintenance costs, such as IT support, which can cost businesses between $125 and $250 per hour (or more for specialists in certain areas).

Another key benefit of our maintenance and support services is that they minimize productivity losses for employees, which can equate to thousands or millions of dollars every single year, depending on the size of the company.

Upgrades and reconfigurations

As business needs change, devices often need to be updated or reconfigured. Deel IT makes it quick and easy to adjust hardware or software, taking care of all the heavy lifting on your behalf.

As a result, IT department workload is reduced, and devices remain up-to-date without incurring unnecessary delays or costs.

Aging hardware and software can incur additional costs for businesses for many reasons, including:

• Higher maintenance costs for old equipment and software
• More frequent maintenance required
• Slow load times, glitches, and crashes
• Downtime from broken or error-prone technology
• Security vulnerabilities

Asset tracking and compliance management

Proper asset tracking is essential to prevent security breaches and unexpected costs. Deel IT provides precise asset tracking, keeping accurate data on who has what device, where it is located, and its condition at any given time. This significantly reduces the risk of devices getting lost or stolen.

Tools for device management—like asset tracking, procurement, and onboarding/offboarding tools—are available for free to all Deel customers. These tools help companies manage costs while accessing high-quality features that elsewhere may typically be unavailable or reserved for premium subscriptions.

Effective device lifecycle management also ensures businesses stay compliant with data protection regulations, such as GDPR and HIPAA. Compliance with cross-border data privacy regulations is essential to avoid penalties and maintain trust with your employees and customers.

Deel’s device lifecycle management ensures data protection by implementing security measures at every stage. This includes secure data erasure during decommissioning, regular software updates to address vulnerabilities, and strict access controls to prevent unauthorized access.

Offboarding and device recovery

When employees leave a company or their devices reach the end of their lifespan, Deel IT will manage the offboarding and device recovery process. With a 96% global recovery rate, businesses can rest assured that their devices will be returned and securely wiped for reuse.

Our approach to offboarding saves money by maximizing the lifespan of devices and minimizing the costs of leasing new equipment. In addition, money is saved by avoiding costly bulk-purchasing and storing laptops, which incurs significant hidden costs through depreciation.

Another key benefit of our offboarding and device recovery process is sustainability. At Deel, we are committed to reducing electronic waste to the best of our ability. Devices will be fixed, reused, or taken apart for spares and repairs wherever possible.

Benefits of device lifecycle management by Deel IT

Effective device lifecycle management can transform the way global companies operate. Here’s how Deel IT makes it simple, cost-effective, and scalable.

Global scalability

​​Deel IT provides one comprehensive solution for managing all devices and apps across all countries. This simplifies IT logistics and avoids compliance issues, saving businesses time and money.

Our in-stock inventory and quick shipping times make it easy to scale up as your company grows. This eliminates the need for businesses to over-order or hang on to additional inventory just to prepare for future hires, saving on both storage costs and potential wasted resources from unused devices.

It doesn’t matter where your employees are based, we’ll ensure they’re fully equipped and have access to round-the-clock tech support.

Ensure a better employee experience

At Deel, we understand that your employees are one of your most important assets. That’s why we do everything we can to ensure a better experience for them. We make sure all new hires have their equipment ready on day one, allowing them to start productively and feel welcomed into the team.

Devices are pre-configured and set up with up-to-date operating systems. Employees will never be held back by outdated equipment or setup delays. The goal is to ensure a smoother start and overall positive experience that boosts morale from the very beginning.

The same goes for existing employees. IT support is available at any given time, and, where applicable, repairs and replacements are dealt with as quickly as possible.

Save time and money

By automating device lifecycle management processes, Deel IT saves you from repetitive, time-consuming tasks, freeing up time to focus on high-priority tasks that drive business growth.

From onboarding to device tracking, our platform reduces the need for hands-on intervention, helping companies save both time and money while ensuring devices are managed safely and reliably.

Equip your global team with Deel

Sending equipment to 130+ countries is really that simple! Returns work just as seamlessly: When a contract comes to an end, you can request the return and supporting documentation directly from your Deel account.

Deel IT makes global equipment procurement, management, offboarding, and compliance simple. It supports your team’s productivity by allowing you to compliantly track, send, and equip your globally dispersed independent contractors and employees with the tools they need to do their best work.

Schedule a demo to find out more.