The key to choosing the right business devices for your team is first understanding what your team’s needs are as a whole and balancing that with each member’s individual requirements. Getting your specific answers may require some soul searching on your part but this guide will give you some general areas to be cognizant of.
Your Budget for Business Devices
Having a budget for your business devices can be both a blessing and a curse. When considering how much to spend it’s best to be realistic to your needs. While we would like to get the best features, a good budget will help you narrow down your choices and reduce overspending that may actually be more of a hinderance than a benefit.
Performance
Consider what each team member is working on and what software they will use on a regular basis. Understanding the minimum and recommended requirements for these applications can help you decide what specification to prioritize. Certain workloads may require sustained performance over a long period time which a more powerful CPU will certainly be handy for. Do you have a role that requires 3D rendering software? Then you may want to spend more on a graphics card or a setup that has good integrated graphics.
Storage
The problem of storage today is a little more tricky than it use to be. With the benefit of faster SSD’s (solid state drives) that have smaller storage options and the availability of cloud storage, less might actually be more. Consider the types of files you’ll be accessing on a daily basis and also how fast your team’s internet connection is to determine which option is the most economical for your office. If you have a team member that’s on the road with spotty internet access then they may need to store all their files locally.
Work Environment
Where your team will be working is crucial to the form factor of their devices. Are you in an office setting or is your team traveling between worksites? Portability comes at a cost so consider whether your team needs laptops for mobility or will having more powerful desktop setups yield more productivity. If your team works remotely, it’s also prudent to keep in mind the kinds of environment they’ll be in if they’re just at home. Perhaps a more durable device is needed if you have people working in rugged settings.
Business Device Security
It’s always important to secure your company assets and that includes all of your files and business devices. While most devices will have some basic security features you should consider what a security breach would cost your company and act accordingly. Biometric authentication and added encryption features will help you secure your data should devices be lost of stolen.
Connected Business Devices
It’s important not to simply think of a computer as a device in isolation but also imagine what equipment your team will need to interface with. This may come down to each employee’s own personal preference for peripherals or it can be a crucial requirement rendering certain tasks impossible. Whether you have equipment that requires specific ports or just want to make sure your team isn’t lugging around half a dozen dongles and adapters make sure your devices have the right connectivity options for everyone.
Operating System
Similar to connectivity it’s crucial to understand what digital environment your equipment or applications work best in. While you may like the aesthetics of Apple products, they may not be compatible with your team’s workflow. So, understand what operating system you need whether, it’s MacOS, Windows, or Linux, and consider each team member’s individual needs/preferences as well as how they can collab with each other.
Business Devices – Brands/Models that you can start with:
- Lenovo Thinkpads/Thinkstations
- Apple Macbooks/iMacs
- HP Elite Books/Z2 Towers
- Dell Precision/Precision Towers
Whether you’re an IT specialist or just an owner operator deciding on your office equipment for the first time it’s always difficult to juggle the needs of your entire team. If you’re not sure what you need you can always talk to a computer rental expert and test drive your setup before you commit to a decision that may affect the performance of your business.
