The Secret Costs of
BYOD Plans
Bring your own device (BYOD) plans continue to soar in
global popularity. In fact, they have now become the norm – as opposed to the exception
– across countless sectors and industries. However, BYOD plans have truly
blurred the line between work and personal use of wireless and mobile devices.
At the same time, the true costs for implementing these plans are not always
visible. For companies looking to integrate BYOD plans into their current
infrastructure, they must keep the following in mind:
- BYOD is supposedly a cost-efficient way to let employees use their favorite devices for work.
- Numerous enterprises have embraced BYOD plans and device choices to attract and engage new talent.
- Plans can include the latest phones, tablets, and Kindle devices that help enhance productivity and performance.
- With widespread adoption of BYOD – companies must be fully aware of the risk and cost factors involved.
Spend Money to Save
Money?
Companies looking to institute BYOD plans must understand
the cost structures involved. This includes optimal savings based on:
- Reimbursing employees each month for bringing their own wireless services and data plans.
- The difference between employee BYOD and mobile device management (MDM) plans.
- Deciding if corporate-owned and manage devices are more cost-feasible than employee plans.
For most companies, the differences in cost tend to favor
employee BYOD. There are, however, certain costs and considerations that must
be taken into account during the reimbursement process. The following points
are designed to help new and existing businesses understand the intricacies and
details of BYOD expense allocation and reporting:
Expense Reports
Companies using expense reports for work-related mobile
device usage must take the following into account:
- How long do employees spend filling out these reports?
- Take that number and multiply by 12 for workers that submit monthly reports.
- Do not forget to add in time spent by management, accounts payable, and finance department processing.
·
It is also imperative
to decide which roles will be eligible for reimbursement. Businesses must
ensure that these BYOD plans follow stringent guidelines and rules when it
comes to usage. This means zero tolerance policies for personal business during
work hours. The time required monitoring, overseeing, and review these task and
policies should also be factored into expenses and budgeting.
The Reimbursement
Process
The reimbursement process for BYOD plans usually affects
several departments. This creates more work for accounts payable, along with
end users, finance, and even shareholders. These processes can quickly add up
in terms of employee time – and must be taken into consideration when deploying
BYOD access and eligibility. It is also vital to calculate any taxes based on
the reimbursement policies or formats enforced.
While the verdict is still out, BYOD does offer a wealth of
flexible benefits for employees. Still, it is easier for companies to own
mobile devices for employee work. This is due to services they can purchase in
bulk from a single carrier. With BYOD, companies have to facilitate multiple
carriers and plans that will surely differ between employees. With single
carriers, businesses have better bargaining leverage – as well as substantial
discounts that surpass individual plans. In the end, the choice is simply yours
to make.
BYOD
The secret costs of
BYOD plans.
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