Federal Agencies Refresh Devices to Support Changing Work Environments

Regular Device Refreshes Meet Emerging Agency Needs

At USPS, “we refresh all of these devices on a regular schedule to ensure they’re meeting the needs of the team members and that our organization operates optimally,” Batchelor says.

Recently, USPS rolled out more than 14,000 Dell Latitude 7320 detachable tablets, docks and accessories to support its increasingly remote workforce.

“We really want to drive toward mobility, so we have transitioned away from desktops. Some of our processing plants span multiple city blocks, and people are in constant communication and collaboration,” Batchelor says. “We want to make sure people have the information right at hand, and that they don’t have to find a stationary device to be able to look something up.”

Employees can use the new Dell devices as standard laptops or transform them into tablets by removing the keyboards. “For this role-based group, which is about 26,000 people, these devices have hardened cases, a carry strap and a handhold on the back so you can use it like a clipboard,” Batchelor says. “It’s very versatile, particularly for employees in our retail and mail processing operations. They can take their technology with them on the go.”

Refreshing Devices for the Battlefield, Security and Efficiency

For the U.S. Army, regular device refreshes have battlefield implications.

Having the most current device in hand “helps warfighters maximize their full potential,” says Alan Mahan, director of Network Enterprise Technology Command, an Army organization that provides command, control, communications, cyber operations and network support worldwide.

In addition to purchasing Getac laptops and Panasonic Toughbooks, the Army recently refreshed its standard user laptop, the HP ProBook. “We’ve updated to the HP EliteBook 650 G10, which significantly increases our CPU speeds by as much as 78%. We also had some speed and capacity improvements in RAM and local storage,” Mahan says.

The Army is also updating its large, shared multifunction printers. “We’re swapping out our Xerox AltaLink C8035 printers to the Xerox VersaLink C7125,” he says. “This refresh will give us a secure print enhancement: Users are required to insert a common access card, which prevents people from walking away with sensitive material because you have to be there at the printer.”

Regular endpoint refreshes “help us maintain security patches and updates against hackers, malware and other attacks,” Mahan says. “Refreshed endpoints also provide faster hardware and improved audio and visual graphics that support collaborative technologies such as online conferencing, so users can be more efficient with their time.”

User satisfaction factors in as well. “Current technology helps keep the workforce engaged and more effective in accomplishing their tasks, their functions, their missions,” he says.

Upgrading Laptops for Mobility and Size

The Health Resources and Services Administration delivers care to about 30 million people, including more than 500,000 with HIV. Up-to-date endpoints make that happen smoothly.

“We typically upgrade a portion of our laptops each year so we don’t need a full-blown upgrade of all of our systems,” CIO Adriane Burton says. “They’re upgraded for every employee, including administrative staff, medical staff, grant management specialists and contractors who work for us.”

The most recent effort rolled out new Dell Latitude devices, delivering additional features and technology. “For example, we want to make sure that our laptops are the right size so that they’re mobile,” Burton says.

With the rise of telework, “some folks really appreciated having larger screens, so we got laptops with slightly bigger screens. Then they could be flexible, whether employees are in the office or at home,” she says.

Minimizing the Potentially Disruptive Nature of Device Refreshes

An endpoint refresh is potentially disruptive. When swapping out the devices people use in their daily work, the effort must be executed smoothly and efficiently. Federal leaders offer a number of pointers.

First, it’s important to understand the user requirements.

“We work with different members of our organization to determine what those user communities are, and then we work with a subset of the user group, whether it’s a retail office or mail processing, to help determine the specs,” says USPS’s Batchelor.

Once agencies know what they need, they must take the time to explore the options. “When we shifted to convertible laptops, that was something new. So, we piloted different models and found that some were really heavy or the screens were too small. We tested a number of models to see which best aligned with user requirements,” Batchelor says.

In the Army, thoughtful planning helps drive successful refresh efforts. “We create a rollout plan that includes proper coordination and communication to the property owner, the IT support personnel and the end users,” Mahan says.

DISCOVER: Agencies need more regular IT infrastructure refreshes.

“This gives all of the involved parties time to prepare their data for transfer and to receive any required information or training on the new endpoints that they might be unfamiliar with,” he says.

HRSA has found it helpful to allow some local control. Rather than centrally provisioning and deploying all new devices, “we’ve delegated that to the various bureaus and offices within our organization as opposed to us having one model for everyone,” Burton says.

“We have a standard device list that they can choose from, but there’s flexibility so they can get what they need when they need it,” she says.

At USPS, a thoughtful refresh effort has helped to drive success in a fast-moving mission landscape.

“We really want to make it quick and easy for people to look up data, do reporting, jump on a call, sign a form or snap a picture,” Batchelor says. “These devices help our employees to be more efficient, which in turn helps them to deliver the highest level of customer service.”

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