In today’s highly competitive business world marked by distributed workforces, growing complexity and shrinking budgets, entities of every size are under pressure to do more with less.

This is particularly true of large concerns with many staff such as contact centre environments, banking giants or other human resource-heavy companies. The bottom line? Every business is under constant pressure to deliver better products and services while maintaining a healthy balance sheet.

Optimising the IT budget

One way that businesses can achieve this is by optimising their IT budget, a critical component of their overall budget. They can achieve this by focusing on cost reduction strategies such as negotiating better deals with vendors, consolidating software licences and in particular, reducing hardware maintenance costs.

Companies can also look to business process outsourcing (BPO), a business strategy that involves hiring a third-party company to handle some or all of a business’s non-core operations. And while BPO is most commonly associated with outsourcing services such as customer support, data entry and accounting, it can also involve outsourcing the business’s hardware.

No large capital outlays

Hardware outsourcing is a type of BPO where a company leases physical ICT hardware and outsources other related tasks from an external provider. This can include tasks such as the procurement, maintenance and management of IT equipment such as laptops, desktop PCs, printers and even projectors.

One of the most compelling benefits of hardware outsourcing is cost saving. By outsourcing hardware requirements, companies avoid the high upfront costs of purchasing and maintaining their own machines. Instead, they can pay a third-party provider for access to the hardware and expertise they need, often at a fraction of the cost of a large capital outlay for new equipment upfront.

Hardware outsourcing also provides companies with access to the latest and greatest hardware technologies. A third-party provider often has more resources and expertise in this area, allowing businesses to invest in the latest hardware solutions and helping them stay ahead of the curve.

Business mobility

Another area where businesses benefit is through mobility. For example, before the Covid-19 pandemic, most call centres had fixed computers on site and when they were forced to work from home, getting PCs home with them became a major challenge.

A solution that provides laptops with the necessary mobility, at a fraction of the cost associated with buying new assets, is a major plus. It gives the call centre agents the ability to move from office to home with ease, and the costs are significantly lower when compared to traditional procurement methods.

Operational advantages

Leasing IT equipment also provides a number of operational advantages for firms. For instance, leased equipment can be quickly and easily replaced if it becomes damaged or needs to be upgraded, which minimises downtime and ensures that operations continue to run smoothly. It also guarantees access to the latest and most advanced solutions, which is particularly beneficial for industries where technology is rapidly evolving.

The overall risk of equipment ownership is minimised. When companies own their equipment outright, they are responsible for maintenance, repair and replacement costs. This is particularly challenging for organisations that operate in multiple locations or that have many staff. By leasing equipment, companies can transfer some of these risks to the leasing company, which reduces overall risk exposure.

Another benefit of hardware outsourcing is improved scalability. As a company grows, its IT infrastructure needs will also grow. By outsourcing their hardware needs, businesses can quickly and easily scale their IT infrastructure up or down as needed, without having to worry about investing in a new piece of equipment or training new staff.

Asset finance

A good BPO partner will often give the company the option of leasing to own, by offering asset finance to lessen the financial burden of owning new hardware. Financing IT equipment provides several financial advantages over purchasing. It can be significantly more cost-effective, as it allows organisations to spread the cost of equipment over a longer period, rather than having to make a large upfront investment.

It frees up capital that can be used for other areas of the business, such as marketing and expansion and can help to improve cash flow.

Leasing enables businesses more flexibility in terms of upgrading or replacing hardware as needed. Rather than being stuck with outdated equipment, they can upgrade to newer, more efficient technology as soon as it becomes available.

Environmental sustainability

Another way in which businesses, particularly those with large workforces, can save is by using refurbished IT hardware, as this is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to purchasing brand-new equipment.

When businesses or individuals upgrade their technology, their old devices often still have plenty of life left in them. Instead of disposing of these devices, refurbishing them allows them to be repurposed and reused.

One of the main benefits of using refurbished machines is cost savings. They can often be purchased at far less than the cost of new equipment, allowing businesses to save money and not dip too deeply into their technology budgets.

Refurbished IT hardware is also an environmentally friendly alternative to electronic waste. By reusing and refurbishing old devices, fewer electronics end up in landfills, reducing the amount of electronic waste and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Refurbished IT hardware also undergoes rigorous testing and refurbishing to ensure that it meets the same standards as new equipment, meaning that refurbished devices are just as reliable and functional as new devices, only with a lower price tag.

Overall, outsourcing, leasing, or using refurbished IT hardware makes sense for savvy businesses that want to save money on technology expenses, reduce maintenance costs, build sustainability, but still have access to leading technologies.

All BPESA members qualify for a special discount in rates, based on the solution they choose.

About Qrent
Qrent is one of South Africa’s largest providers of refurbished IT hardware. We understand the impact of technology on your business, and because of this we offer you high quality equipment to meet your needs. Visit us online at www.qrent.co.za or connect with Sanjay on LinkedIn.