Government Efficiency Requires a Lifecycle Management Shift
If agencies continue to handle lifecycle management as they did in the past, they’ll inevitably run afoul of government efficiency measures. Many of their employees haven’t been in the office since before the COVID-19 pandemic and now face insufficient office space and outdated equipment.
Agencies are strategizing how to retrofit or procure upgraded edge devices, or they are in the process of making those purchases. Why not leverage the expertise of a trusted industry partner that knows how to manage, inventory and field those devices, from cradle to grave?
CDW Government not only handles day-to-day operations but also manages the device supply chain and maintains security until the devices’ ultimate disposal.
Endpoint management through a service provider is a sound strategy for redeploying resources in response to the staff reductions that have impacted many agencies. Allowing a trusted partner to handle device lifecycle management makes agency budgets more predictable, whether agency IT teams previously handled management themselves or outsourced it to a large system integrator.
DISCOVER: Data management is key to efficient DOD decision-making.
Choosing Lifecycle Management Capabilities Based on Need and Trust
Agencies can set themselves up for lifecycle management success with an industry partner such as CDW Government, which offers a full menu of options, from procurement and deployment to recycling and redistribution. The agency can choose where they need capabilities immediately as well as down the road.
Agencies can start by procuring edge devices and configuring them either within a distribution facility or in the partner’s configuration center. Then, as trust builds, agencies can cede control from start to finish; it’s all based on the agency’s comfort level.
The nice thing about doing as much as possible in a controlled facility, such as a configuration center — as opposed to an agency conference room or the back of a warehouse — is that it’s easier for the agency to scale operations based on need.
A good way to build trust in an industry partner is to consider commercial expertise and past performance during the procurement process. Basing your decision on a potential partner based solely on its experience within a particular branch of government or with a certain agency just means that trust will take longer to accrue.
This article is part of FedTech’s CapITal blog series.
