Remote work is now a permanent after-effect of COVID. The Chief Remote Officer (CRO) exists to manage the remote workforce in many senses, from their well-being, productivity, policies, team building, and their IT.
The CRO often takes on or collaborates with the CTO or COO on IT asset management and IT logistics tasks, equipping new hires with the proper IT hardware and managing secure device collection when employees leave the company.
This article examines a CRO’s duties, IT asset management (ITAM) strategies, and successful IT logistics approaches.
The Chief Remote Officer (CRO)
Businesses must modify their operational strategies, and fast. The remote workforce is here to stay, with 26% of remote-capable full-time jobs currently operating as exclusively remote, as last reported in 2023 by Gallup, and a further 55% operating hybrid. Numbers may well increase as companies try to secure the best talent, as 95% of workers want some form of remote work.
As firms worldwide hire more remote workers, more are opting for a CRO to integrate new hires smoothly into the organization.
Responsibilities of a CRO
Remote operations require the CRO to connect the HR and IT divisions to establish a smooth work environment in which everyone and every device works in harmony.
Key duties include:
- Developing Remote Work Policies: Creating comprehensive guidelines that align with company objectives and employee needs.
- Employee Engagement and Productivity: Implementing programs to keep remote employees motivated and connected, such as virtual team-building activities and recognition programs.
- Technology and Cybersecurity Oversight: Ensuring employees have access to appropriate digital tools and that robust cybersecurity protocols are in place to protect company data.
- Legal and Compliance Management: Ensuring remote work arrangements comply with regional labor laws, tax regulations, and industry standards.
- Remote Onboarding/Offboarding: The CRO must ensure that new hires receive proper IT equipment immediately and that departing staff securely return all devices without any issues.
- Global IT Equipment Distribution: Performing IT asset management across various countries forms part of their responsibilities.
- Security and Compliance: CROs must ensure the organization follows regulations and properly wipes data from devices at the end of the IT asset lifecycle.
A CRO must efficiently manage IT assets to make their organization as efficient as possible and reduce unnecessary expenses to 0.
How a CRO Should Manage IT Asset Management
Remote work operations are the core foundation of IT asset management. When businesses operate without defined ITAM strategies, they spend more money than necessary on duplicate equipment, lose track of their devices, and risk their security.
Implementing IT Asset Management in the Organization
The CRO facilitates the smooth integration of this system into the company’s processes.
- ITAM software allows businesses to track and manage their IT hardware. These software programs track devices’ locations, usage, and maintenance.
- The procurement process should ensure that IT purchases deliver maximum value to the business to meet its requirements perfectly.
- IT asset management requires implementing security policies, such as controlling access, software updates, and data protection measures.
Implementing proper remote employee onboarding and an efficient process for a remotely offboarded employee can be a challenge within ITAM, but it’s much more manageable with a CRO.
How a CRO Ensures Remote Employees Start Right
Companies must supply appropriate IT hardware to their remote employees at the start of employment. The CRO needs to establish a system which provides employees with the following elements:
- Equipment: This includes a pre-set laptop, appropriate power outlets, and any other equipment employees need to succeed in their roles at home.
- Efficient Delivery Process: Should offer protected international shipments that follow customs requirements to minimize delays or trouble across borders. The last thing you want is a $1000 laptop stuck on the other side of the world.
- IT Support Services: The CRO should provide employees with these services to resolve technical issues and install necessary software.
ITAM software enables CROs to automate hardware purchase processes while real-time tracking of shipments becomes possible.
Securely Receiving IT Assets From Employees
Removing a remote employee from the company requires equal attention to adding new hires. Not retrieving devices creates both security vulnerabilities and monetary losses for the organization. The key process of offboarding requires the following elements defined by the CRO.
- The process of scheduling secure IT equipment pickups while maintaining complete tracking of devices belongs to this category.
- Tech Republic says 20% of organizations’ data breaches are due to former employees. Company data security depends on data wiping services, which ensure that when an employee leaves, the company destroys all sensitive information to prevent data breaches.
- Recycling technology while maintaining sustainability forms part of the organization’s management strategy.
The secure handling of employee IT assets at offboarding dates back to broader IT logistics operations. A well-designed plan must combine different steps, from asset handover to asset deployment, to maintain scheduled efficiency while reducing potential risks.
Strategies for Managing IT Logistics
IT logistics management for remote workers requires handling the combined processes of international product delivery, customs requirements, storage solutions, and regulatory standards. A CRO needs to execute IT equipment delivery to workers with maximum speed and without added expenses.
Key Strategies for a CRO
IT logistics becomes streamlined through the following actions by a CRO:
- Flexera notes that 36% of companies find it challenging to optimize software use. However, a CRO can smoothly integrate ITAM software into the organization using a multi-vendor procurement system to ensure access to IT equipment from various suppliers at the best prices.
- Establishing centralized warehousing locations will help speed up delivery times for IT equipment.
- Using a system to automate the management of compliance requirements to ensure valid tax and customs adherence on international shipments.
- Security measures are upgraded through tamper-proof packaging and secure delivery tracking systems.
Combining these methods allows CROs to do their magic by creating efficient operations, minimizing expenses, and delivering uninterrupted IT services to distant teams united by Zoom meetings.
Conclusion
The evolution of remote work requires the Chief Remote Officer to assume an essential C-suite position. A CRO who effectively handles IT asset logistics and provides employees with proper tools while minimizing security risks to ensure organizational efficiency.
Properly designed IT asset management and logistics strategies create the foundation for making organizations work efficiently with their remote workforce.
Whether you’re operating with or without a CRO, Dots can help with the load. We offer a one-stop-shop for all IT asset management and IT logistics issues.
Book a demo today to see how easily you can manage a global workforce, even without a CRO.
