Managing employee devices shouldn’t feel like running a full-scale logistics operation. Yet, for many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), it does. From procuring hardware to ensuring devices are secure and operational on day one, the process often eats into valuable time and resources. Add storage concerns, lifecycle management, and offboarding complexities to the mix, and the challenges grow.

But what if there was a way to centralize and simplify it all?

The Challenges SMBs Face with Hardware Procurement and Warehousing

Managing the device lifecycle — from purchase and shipping to retrieval and storage — places significant demands on SMBs. For high-growth industries and businesses with elevated turnover, it’s even more difficult to manage at scale. Whether you have dedicated IT resources, or you share device management responsibilities across multiple teams, challenges can include:

• Operational Efficiency: Procuring devices, coordinating shipments, and managing storage requires time and expertise most SMBs don’t have.
• Employee Experience: Delays in device procurement can disrupt the onboarding process and negatively impact the employee experience for new hires.
• Security and Compliance: Inconsistent device procurement and retrieval processes can leave your business exposed to security risks and compliance issues.

How Electric’s Hardware Store Solves These Challenges

The Electric Hardware Store eliminates the guesswork and inefficiencies of traditional device management, providing SMBs with a comprehensive, streamlined solution. The Hardware Store isn’t just for procurement, it offers secure delivery, pre-configured devices, asset tagging, and full lifecycle support — making it especially beneficial for remote teams:

• Centralized Procurement: Order and securely ship devices for your team from Electric’s curated, brand-agnostic catalog, saving time and avoiding unnecessary back-and-forth with multiple vendors.
• Integrated Onboarding: Electric’s IT platform seamlessly integrates hardware procurement into onboarding workflows, ensuring new hires have fully operational and pre-configured devices from day one.
• Secure Offboarding: When employees leave, Electric initiates device retrieval and ensures that every device is securely wiped and repurposed, protecting your business from potential data risks.
• Flexible Storage Solutions: Electric’s warehousing service securely stores your hardware until you’re ready to use it, cutting down on clutter and costs.

The ROI of a Smarter Hardware Solution

By centralizing device procurement and management, SMBs can save time, reduce security risks, and ensure smooth employee transitions. With Electric, your IT operations work as seamlessly as your business deserves. Take device management tasks off your plate with a fast, scalable solution designed for agile SMBs and shifting employee headcounts.

Ready to simplify device management? Explore the Electric Hardware Store Today

Device Procurement and Warehousing FAQ

What is device procurement and warehousing?
Device procurement and warehousing is the end-to-end process of managing business hardware — from researching, ordering, shipping, and configuring devices, to wiping, retrieving, storing, and re-issuing hardware as new employees are onboarded and offboarded.

What challenges do SMBs face with device procurement?
Inefficient device procurement and warehousing can negatively impact productivity, security, compliance, and the employee experience. For SMBs with growing teams or high levels of turnover, manually managing the device lifecycle can place significant demands on internal resources — particularly in businesses without a dedicated IT team.

How can SMBs streamline device procurement and warehousing?
SMBs can streamline device procurement and warehousing with an all-in-one solution like the Electric Hardware Store. With centralized procurement, secure delivery, integrated onboarding and offboarding workflows, flexible storage, and full lifecycle support, SMBs can save time, reduce security risks, and ensure smooth employee transitions.