By Jennifer Warren
July 25, 2023
When’s the last time you touched a phone with a cord? Or a fax machine? Or a cassette tape? We have seen a remarkable change between the heyday of those now-ancient machines and the emergence of today’s device culture. Plenty of companies out there are happy with their company-provided device (CPD) program, or looking to adopt one. But the CPD program isn’t for every company. Why might you want to switch from CPD to BYOD? Let’s take a look.
First things first, a BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, program reimburses employees for the business use of their personal devices. This program is unlike a CPD, or Company-provided device, program where employees receive a work-specific device. Both of these options have their strengths and weaknesses. So what are the BYOD business benefits?
There are a number of advantages a BYOD program can bring to its company. It’s a cost control opportunity, easy to manage and employee compatible. We’ll start with one of its biggest draws: optimizing spend.
A BYOD program doesn’t require an employer to purchase new devices for each employee, or carrier plans that encompass those devices. Employees continue to use the devices they own in a work capacity, and the company reimburses them. Some companies provide employees with a stipend that covers all or part of their phone bill. Other companies provide a reimbursement specific to the individual, their phone, and the costs of device ownership in their location. For companies just getting off the ground or looking to introduce a mobility program to another department, the lower price tag is a big plus.
BYOD programs also benefit businesses looking to minimize additional administration. While many companies will provide employees with security updates to ensure data safety, the rest of the program will require little management beyond reimbursements. No negotiating with carriers over bills or device replacement management. Employees troubleshooting their devices will use the same resources they use when device issues arise in their personal life.
Employee productivity is directly tied to knowledge and experience. Adopting new tactics and technology always requires a transition period. Decision makers talk about change management when considering bringing something new to the company. And new can be good. Flexibility in a company is a source of strength. But it often takes time and may encounter opposition.
Employees that receive company-provided devices generally don’t have a choice in their new device. They may not know the system and may struggle to learn it. When they’re using their own device, this isn’t an issue. Consider how many days, weeks, months it takes for employees to adapt to a change in the company. However long that may be, with a BYOD program, you don’t have to worry about it.
We’ve covered three big reasons a company might adopt a bring your own device (BYOD) program over a company-provided device (CPD) program. In short, those are low overhead, reduced management and employee compatibility. For some companies, those selling points might be enough. Others may need more information. Well, here are a few more things to consider.
It’s safe to say you’ll perform better using a tool you’re familiar with. Smartphones are no different. But can you measure that? According to Frost & Sullivan research, you can. They found smart phone usage boosted productivity 34%. Imagine how that would look with a BYOD program enabling employees to use their personal smart phones for business purposes (granted they follow proper security protocols).
Companies have grown from the buildings people spend their 9 to 5 in before racing home to tv dinners with their nuclear family. One indicator of corporate culture change is the adoption of bring your own device (BYOD) programs, pushing corporate liable out the door. In fact, more than 8 billion personal mobile devices will be used for work purposes by 2022, up from just 312 million in 2016. This also indicates IT is no longer the sole decision maker when it comes to choosing platforms. What does that mean for companies making the change?
Well, lower costs and lower infrastructure and support needs certainly don’t hurt. But it allows them to evolve with their corporate culture branding. No company wants to come across as behind the times or miles from the cutting edge. People across the workforce are seeking jobs with energy and life, not a corporate prison that crams them into an uncomfortable position with awkward tools.
Businesses with a BYOD mindset brand themselves as both empowering their workforce and providing a flexible work environment. This enhances the employee experience and broadens the available talent pool. The more open the company culture, the more likely it is to pull in fresh, innovative talent that might be turned off by stale corporate culture.
As mentioned previously, people seeking jobs are likely to seek work with companies that are more flexible. But BYOD culture empowers them – starting with familiarity. Employees are more familiar with their own devices. That means minimized training requirements, reduced technical support and greater productivity.
An important piece of that familiarity is knowing carrier network coverage. It’s still frustrating dealing with a lack of coverage, but people know their phone’s limits. Switching between personal and work phones with possibly different carriers almost guarantees double the frustration. Should the company switch corporate networks, employee frustration only increases. That’s not something an employee must endure when bringing their personal device.
BYOD also benefits all types of phone users. Apple and Android companies release devices each year. Itching for that the latest device? Early-adopter employees can use the newest device without repercussion. Sticking with that trusty smartphone, cracked screen and all? Employees are free to stay with what works for them.
And if it isn’t about the familiarity or the flexibility, then it’s about the simplicity. 61% of Gen Y and 50% of workers 30 years old or more believe the tech tools in their personal lives are more effective and productive than those used in their work life. Employees prefer simplified communication and workplace tools. By allowing a single device, and streamlined communications platforms, employees are able to manage their workflow better.
That simplicity extends to the onboarding and off-boarding process. No need to set up a new phone for each employee, one that will later need to be wiped and recovered when they move on to other things. Avoiding the time-consuming and often aggravating process means an easier transition. An easy transition gets them access to company systems and pops them out of it more efficiently than many other programs.
There are many ways a company can implement a bring your own device program. One common approach is paying a stipend to highly mobile workers and those who split their time between remote work and office work, while allowing other employees to use their own devices for business purposes, without any stipend. Another approach is having employees expense their entire phone bill.
Neither of these approaches get it right. Especially the program that allows employees to do business on their personal phones without any stipend or reimbursement. This could be a labor law violation and exposes employers to lawsuits.
On the other side, because reimbursements can be difficult to split between personal and business use, some employers choose to pay the entire phone bill. That means paying far more than necessary, an amount that adds up month to month, employee to employee.
There’s a significant trend toward BYOD culture in companies across industries in the United States. BYOD might not be the right fit for every company. But if it is, both employer and employee can enjoy considerable benefits. That’s why Motus offers a Bring Your Own solution.
With a Bring Your Own (BYO) program, your company can fairly and accurately reimburse employees for the business use of their personal devices. Unlike typical BYOD programs, with Motus BYO, companies can also reimburse employees for tablet, home internet and home office use. Interested in learning more about the benefits of a BYO program?
With Motus, accurately capturing business mileage has never been faster or easier.
Contact us today or take a virtual tour of the Motus Platform.
One Pager 
Report