What are the issues and what solutions?
While the repair of tablets and smartphones is widely democratised in the B2C market, it is still not very common in the B2B market. While these devices can be deployed by the hundreds or even thousands in certain companies, their proper management (maintenance, repair) makes it possible to limit the replacement of these with new ones, to extend their useful life and to reduce the rate of breakdowns and breakages, thus enabling the company to act on its IT budget and to be part of a sustainable digital approach.
Mobile fleet maintenance and sustainable digital
Although replacing smartphones can sometimes represent a drop in the bucket in a large company’s IT budget, it is nonetheless a major lever in companies’ CSR approach. Favoring maintenance over systematic replacement of devices has several advantages from an economic and ecological point of view:
Extend the roadmap from an average of 18 months to 4 years
We often tend to replace mobile phones or tablets that can still be used for several years. Replacing a battery or changing a broken glass allows the user to keep their smartphone or tablet longer and thus extend its life;
Homogenise the mobile fleet
By avoiding the hasty replacement of broken or broken-down devices, you promote the homogenisation of the mobile fleet within your company as well as its management (maintenance, purchase of accessories, etc.);
Raising awareness among your employees
It is crucial to make your employees aware of the environmental impact of a mobile phone and of the consequences of changing it too often;
Limiting breakage
From experience, we know that employees take less care of a smartphone that they know can be easily replaced by a newer model. By prioritising maintenance over replacement of the phone or tablet, you send a strong message and encourage your employees to keep their mobile for longer.
"The repair of professional smartphones drastically reduces voluntary breakager"
Fleet maintenance in companies, what solutions?
In the IT repair market, different players can provide maintenance solutions depending on the composition and size of your fleet:
Subcontracted maintainers
These are maintainers who work with companies whose end customers are private individuals: we can cite the example of certain telephone operators, who outsource the maintenance service
Local repair shops
More suitable for companies with smaller fleets, local repair shops can handle tablets or business phones. However, this is still a “trouble-shooting” solution and is not an economical solution for a certain volume of devices. There is also the question of data security.
Fleet management and outsourced maintenance providers
To meet the needs of large-scale management of their mobile fleet, professionals can now find service providers on the market who offer fixed prices and standardised costs. Technical expertise is provided, particularly in determining whether repair is really preferable to renewal. Working with a B2B maintenance professional also ensures compliance with RGPD requirements and better traceability.
Professional mobile maintenance therefore raises both ecological and economic issues. The service provider you choose must be able to respond to the particularities of your fleet of smartphones and/or tablets. Proximity, deadlines, follow-up of repairs, traceability… are all criteria to take into account before making your choice!
