Many businesses have struggled financially over 
the past several years. Amidst a weak economy,
layoffs and budget cuts were a common occurrence.
Take a look at how one company handled this difficult issue.
Budget Reduction
In 2012, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
had to reduce the IT budget by 15%. As the financial experts delved
into the numbers, they realized that the mobile device program
was costing the company a lot of money.
Almost 20% of the employees in this department had a company-provided device, which was
costing $800,000 annually. The CIO, Kim Hancher, analyzed which devices were in use
and how employees were using them. From there, they rolled out a bundled data plan
with shared minutes and offered the option to “bring your own device.”
Necessary to Stay in Contact
Many employees in this department decided to give up their corporate devices,
choosing to use their own mobile phones instead. These employees receive reimbursement
for part of the bill, but the cost of this is drastically lower than paying for the device and
complete plan. Since the EEOC has 53 sites across the United States, mobile access is
crucial to maintaining contact. So this solution provides mobility
while maintaining a lower cost and sticking to the budget.
Financial Analysis
Other companies are facing budget constraints over the next few years and this is a
great way to lower the operating costs for employees. The first tip before rolling out this policy
is to look at the numbers. If your business doesn’t spend a lot on provided devices, this may
not save you much money. But if you are providing high level plans to your employees, it can be very helpful.
Make Sure to Meet Security Needs
Tip #2 is to consider the security needs for your business.
You can require employees to maintain password protection or upgrade
the encryption software. Make sure to analyze this before you start the
new program, so that you won’t have any security breaches during the rollout period.
Research the Costs
The third takeaway from the EEOC policy is to read the case studies and understand
what the company needs to provide. If you bring your own device and business needs are high,
then the company should offer higher stipend to alleviate the expense. Since the business won’t
have to pay for a full plan for each employee, even offering more reimbursement will
cost less, so it will lower the budget.
Maintain a Good Attitude
The fourth tip is to roll out the new policy in a positive light. Emphasize the option for
employees to use their own devices, which eliminates the need for them to carry multiple phones.
Also remind them that the company will provide a stipend to cover the cost of business calls
and other mobile needs. Discuss the success of the EEOC when rolling this out to your employees
and help them understand that this policy will help reduce the need to lay off employees or cut back in other areas.
This has been a very successful policy for the EEOC and many other government agencies
are looking to implement it within their own departments.
Author
Teddy Hunt is a freelance content writer with a focus on technology. 
When not behind a computer, Teddy spends the majority of his free time
outdoors and resides in Tampa, Florida.