With the rise of SaaS and PaaS models, it is easy to think of technology as weightless and free of supply chain issues, but our lives and work environments are still underpinned by devices.

Currently, hundreds of New Zealand companies are considering the business case for migrating to Windows 11, with the October 2025 end of support date for Windows 10 now just over six months away.

Alongside decisions about the migration to Windows 11, many organisations are weighing up whether now is also the right time to upgrade their fleet to AI-enabled devices and take advantage of the inbuilt tools that promise greater efficiency and productivity.

For organisations with an ageing fleet of laptops, the decision might be made for them – Windows 11 is blocked as an upgrade on older PCs.

James David, associate director for Datacom’s Product Solutions Group, says his main advice to organisations weighing up decisions about Windows 11 and refreshing their fleet is to act now.

“When you think that hundreds of organisations – SMBs and some of the country’s largest corporates – are looking to make this shift to Windows 11 in coming months, you realise this shift will create demand for thousands of devices. Organisations that need to upgrade their fleet to migrate to Windows 11 do not want to find themselves at the end of the queue for new devices.”

David says organisations that are about to invest in a new fleet, also need to think about making sustainable choices that will serve their business now and in the future.

“Often that comes down to asking your technology partners or suppliers about their supply chain and their approach to IT asset management,” says David.

“At Datacom, we believe the foundation for better IT asset management is having better visibility across the entire IT asset lifecycle. We work towards the principles of a circular economy which means we are working to reduce waste and to ensure you are making better use of the IT assets that you have.”

David says Datacom, which has been named as an HP Amplify Impact 5-Star Partner on the basis of the PSG team’s approach to asset management, takes ownership of the customer's IT asset lifecycle and works with them to “make better use of what they’ve got” and get the best performance possible across the lifetime of the device or software product.

“Having a clear picture of your asset lifecycle can make all the difference. Our PSG team worked with a government department and using our IT asset management services allowed the department to save over $6.3 million on software costs over six years. This was achieved by reviewing unused software, optimising the software environment, and implementing new leasing standards,” says David.

“We have visibility tools that enable our customers to track their IT assets, and that visibility is a critical step in getting more out of what you’ve got. Success is when the right people have the right assets, so if one of your team members is working with a huge amount of data or massive files, they’ve got a high-spec machine, but a contact centre agent dealing with simple tasks can have a more basic machine.

“Working alongside our customers, we’re using data to guide smart decisions about their IT assets. Sometimes that is as simple as being proactive about ‘reharvesting’ or reallocating devices. So when someone leaves your business and returns their high spec device, for example, you allocate their device to someone that will benefit from a high-spec device and you create a net-gain from a device that could have been left sitting on a shelf.”

Datacom's holistic approach ensures that IT assets are refurbished, reallocated, or responsibly recycled, reducing e-waste and promoting environmental responsibility.

“Good lifecycle management means you are not holding on to outdated tech but you’re also not over-provisioning or acquiring tech before you need it,” says David.

By optimising the deployment process and reducing over-provisioning, Datacom ensures that customers are not paying for assets they are not using. Effective supply chain management also contributes to sustainability.

“It is tempting to think of the tech tools we use in our working lives as largely weightless, but technology and the devices we rely on do not have an invisible footprint.”

David says AI is helping revolutionise supply chain management with predictive analytics, increased automation, and real-time data being used to improve decision-making and identify the most efficient choices.

“AI-driven demand forecasting is helping businesses maintain optimal inventory levels of their IT assets by analysing past data and combining this with data on market trends. Additionally, AI is allowing for optimisation of delivery routes, reduced fuel consumption, and improved fleet management across every stage of the process. AI-powered warehouse management systems are also enhancing inventory control, reducing errors, and improving order fulfilment.”

David says the payoff for these supply chain improvements, alongside better management of IT assets, is increased device utilisation and improved users experience, cost savings and greater sustainability.

Learn more about: Why it’s time to refresh your fleet