IT Logistics Explained: How it Helps Streamline the Asset Lifecycle

Providing employees with IT assets like computers, laptops, mobile devices, and peripherals is a precursor to enabling them to do their jobs. But the processes behind getting technology from point A to point B and managing assets can be quite challenging. 

That’s where IT logistics comes in. 

What is IT Logistics?

This refers to the infrastructure that guides the IT asset lifecycle from start to finish, including IT procurement, deployment, management, storage, and retrieval. 

While it looks different from company to company, here are some common tasks involved with logistics operations.

• Planning
• Collaboration
• Choosing a shipper
• Purchasing technology 
• Inventory management
• Warehouse management
• Vendor management
• Transportation (freight carriers, cargo, trucks, vehicles, etc.)
• Finding shipping liability insurance
• Supply chain management
• Overseeing shipments
• Storage
• Software licensing
• Asset maintenance
• Data security
• Technology retrieval
• Ongoing innovation

And when shipping IT assets to international employees, IT logistics involves navigating global trade regulations, customs clearance, duties, freight tariffs, and potential supply chain disruptions. 

Those who take logistics seriously have the opportunity to direct a company's assets where they need to go quickly and efficiently. 

In turn, this helps ensure they obtain the technology needed to meet job demand while maximizing operational efficiency, increasing the lifespan of material assets, and saving money. 

IT Procurement

Buying and obtaining equipment from IT providers is one of the first phases of logistics execution. This is where you seek to find a reputable supplier, negotiate a contract, purchase IT assets, and add them to your inventory. 

In some cases, companies handle procuring assets on their own. However, others choose to partner with logistics providers like CEVA Logistics, Echo Global Logistics, and allwhere, which provide IT procurement services to simplify the process and save time. 

One way allwhere stands out from the competition is that we have a large network of vendors that we partner with to meet each of our customers’ unique asset needs. Even if one vendor is out of stock, we can simply use an alternative source, which allows us to operate with reliability and flexibility to ensure faster fulfillment.

With allwhere, for instance, we procure IT assets globally, where we work with today’s top vendors to procure equipment like computers, monitors, accessories, and mobile devices. 

We let you create fully customized kits based on the specific needs of your team, their roles, and geography. 

Rather than having customers deal with logistics on their own, we handle everything from selecting reliable vendors and freight carriers to contract negotiation and supply chain optimization.  

We handle communication with both the employee and the vendor. We also offer advanced technology that allows you to track the entire process from a centralized dashboard. 

That way, you always know the status of each asset, and you can ensure that each device reaches the right person at the right place at the right time. 

IT Asset Management

This phase of logistics operations deals with tracking and storing IT equipment. 

For example, allwhere IT asset management lets you sync new devices with your existing IT database and see which employee has what, what a device’s current location is, when it’s in transit, and when it’s in storage. 

Whenever a change is made (say, you send a new laptop to an employee), your IT database is automatically updated in real-time.

Through an intuitive dashboard, you can instantly view and filter your equipment database to see what’s in storage and what’s been deployed. 

You can also keep close tabs on items such as the maintenance schedule, the software a device is currently using, when the next upgrade is needed, warranty information, and repair options. 

This gives you complete visibility at all times, and there’s never any guessing as to what you have, where a particular asset is, and what condition it’s in.

Note that businesses of all sizes can leverage allwhere’s streamlined asset management to make operations more efficient. Whether you’re a small startup, a large-scale enterprise, or something in between, this technology gives you full control of your asset management. 

Employee Asset Retrieval

For in-house teams, getting IT equipment back is pretty straightforward. But for remote teams with global operations, the process is much more complex, especially when there’s employment in multiple countries. 

A logistics industry leader like allwhere can help as well and offers a streamlined return system for maximum efficiency. Here’s how it works. 

We send a retrieval kit with everything an employee needs. This includes a sturdy box with padding, packing materials, a prepaid return label, and easy-to-follow instructions. 

The employee simply packs up their equipment and accessories and ships them back to you using their prepaid label. 

Throughout transit, we provide you with real-time tracking and updates every step of the way via the allwhere dashboard. We also handle employee communication and keep you notified if any hiccups occur along the way. 

We have robust retrieval services and can efficiently and securely collect a wide range of assets, including laptops, monitors, peripherals, mobile devices, and specialty equipment. This ensures that your organization can retrieve any type of asset quickly and at scale. 

With allwhere, you can retrieve one to many assets to accommodate the exact size and needs of your business with no hassle. 

In terms of the timeline, most US-based retrievals can be completed within one week. But if you need it faster or are doing an international retrieval, we’ll be happy to provide you with a custom quote. 

Learn more about outsourcing IT procurement and get started today. 

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