Looking back, 2020 brought an unprecedented shift as IT teams in state and local governments quickly adapted to a work-from-anywhere approach. Provisioning devices, deployment, support, security, and refreshes — it all changed seemingly overnight as employees and IT staff were now both operating remotely. 61% of municipalities were allowing employees to work from home at one point.1 In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, government agencies leaned more heavily on telework than the economy as a whole during the COVID-19 pandemic.2
And, for the most part, it seems to be working. 70% of employees say the flexibility to work from home makes them more satisfied with their job, and 83% of ITDMs expect that at least 50% of work will be done outside a traditional office going forward.3
So, what can state and local agencies do to help maintain productivity and a positive employee experience (EX) in this hybrid work world? Focus on end-user technology.
The PC is the core of work-from-anywhere success
End-user technology has always been a critical part employee satisfaction. Having the right tools in place makes a big difference when it comes to getting the work done. 77% of employees note that PCs are a critical factor in their engagement and daily work.4
Now that we’re working remotely, 85% of workers feel more reliant on their work PCs (laptop and/or desktop) than they did working from the office.5 And yet, 50% of employees surveyed said their PC devices were out of date or insufficient (e.g., not fast enough, reliable enough, or powerful enough) to support their work activities.4
Modern devices for modern times
Focusing on end-user technology can deliver significant benefits for state and local agencies. According to Forrester, nearly 60% of ITDMs surveyed have seen more than 10% improvement in their EX scores by focusing on improving employees’ satisfaction with technology.4
And those ITDMs have seen a 5x ROI from their efforts.4
One way state and local agencies can bring in new, modern devices for their hybrid workforces without a significant upfront capital investment is through Device as a Service (DaaS) solutions.
In addition to helping ensure employees have the right endpoint technology for their needs, DaaS programs can help free up internal IT resources by managing the time-consuming aspects of device management — provisioning, deployment, day-to-day support, and security management. DaaS can even handle device refreshes with secure, documented data destruction and environmentally responsible hardware disposition.
Workers are more productive, and IT teams can get back to focusing on mission-critical projects like digital transformation or infrastructure support.
Explore your options
As a trusted partner for more than 900 US state and local agencies today, Lenovo is uniquely positioned to help your agency succeed in the world of hybrid working. We hold multiple certifications from the US government, highlighting our ongoing relationship as a trusted partner at the federal, state, and local level.
- Current GSA contract/permission to sell PC workstations to US federal agencies
- TAA-compliant manufacturing
- Tier III Certification — US Customs and Border Protection’s highest-rated C-TPAT certification level
You can learn more about Lenovo’s complete portfolio of award-winning devices and comprehensive security solutions on our Government page.
Sources
1 Ryan Park, “The pandemic and the future of remote work for local government” case study, American City & County, April 2020
2 Ben Miller, “Data: Telework Rates Still High for Government, but Falling,” GovTech, September 2020
3 Lenovo, “The Future of Work and Digital Transformation,” February 2021
4 Lenovo and Intel, “Invest in Employee Experience, Drive Your Bottom-Line Growth,” October 2020
5 “Technology and the Evolving World of Work” report, Lenovo survey, May 2020
