A.T. Kearney: BYOD delivers cost savings to IT department

Companies can realize major cost savings by making more use of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Yet to fully exploit the potential, firms will have to change the conventional culture in IT departments. That is concluded in an investigation by A.T. Kearney, a global management consultancy firm.

BYOD is a consumer-led trend which encourages staff to use their own computers and smartphones at work. The key challenge lies in securely integrating private equipment into the corporate IT infrastructure.

Cost savings of 22%

Analysis from A.T. Kearney shows that the BYOD approach delivers potential savings of up to 22%, taking into account software depreciation and maintenance costs. "Companies willing to accept personal devices in the workplace are reporting substantially lower costs, as well as improved employee productivity and satisfaction" says Stephen Ardill, Partner at A.T.Kearney.

Higher attraction of IT talent

Another interesting conclusion is that early adopters of BYOD have a larger appeal for new IT talent. Companies using the BYOD concept benefit by attracting young and IT-savvy talent. Adjoining advantageous is that this leads to a subsequent reduction of IT training costs. For new employees, this means assimilating more easily into a new work environment and using familiar tools and devices. For existing employees, it means benefiting from corporate discounts on the latest gadgets that can also be used outside of the workplace.

Cultural change

A key pre-requisite for the successful roll-out of BYOD is that IT departments have an IT architecture that can facilitate the use of private devices. In addition, employees of the IT departments should undergo a shift in their cultural mindset, away from the notion of 'IT standardization' and more towards 'IT customization'. Lastly, the consultants indicate that BYOD policy must be well aligned with purchases.