HR & People
Day 1: laptop, or no laptop?
of organisations call device delivery delays the biggest productivity killer at onboarding.
Source: HappySignals, Employee Experience Statistics (2025)
Lifecycle management gets new hires productive from day 1, with an experience that starts before the first day.
Without LCM
Day -3
New hire signed
Day 1
No laptop
Day 4
Still waiting
Day 7
Laptop arrives
With LCM
Day -3
Welcome box sent
Day 1
Productive from day 1
Day 4
Up to speed
Day 7
Full output
Sound familiar?
Day 1 without a laptop
43% of new hires wait more than a week for a workplaceOrganisations with good onboarding see 82% better retention. Yet only 12% of employees feel their organisation does onboarding well. The first impression is an IT impression.
71% report unreturned devices
Each unreturned device costs €1,800 on average in hardware aloneA Capterra survey of 287 HR professionals found 71% say at least one leaver failed to return equipment. Hybrid employees are 17% more likely to be the cause. And in 45% of cases access could not be fully revoked.
Source: Capterra (Gartner), Employee Offboarding Survey (2023)
87% want to choose their own device
75% of employees stay longer at an organisation that offers device choiceA Jamf survey of 2,000 employees across the US, UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands confirms it: device choice is not a luxury, it is employer branding. Only 40% of organisations offer it.
Source: Jamf / Vanson Bourne, Global Device Choice Study (incl. NL)
Gen Z expects more
91% of Gen Z say modern technology makes an employer more attractiveTheir average tenure is 1.1 years. If the experience is off, they leave. Workplace devices are employer branding.
How lifecycle management solves this
Welcome box before day 1
New hires don't just receive their laptop at home; they receive a full welcome box: device, accessories, a personal gift, and a flyer linking to a welcome video or online space. The onboarding experience starts before the first day.
Automated offboarding
At exit, a return process starts automatically, linked to your HR system. Return box with prepaid label or courier, tracked down to serial-number level. Automatic reminders if the device doesn't come back. No loose ends, no forgotten devices.
Self-service within policy
Employees order what they need through a portal, within the rules your organisation has set per role group. Fair, transparent, and IT doesn't need to step in every time.
Device choice as employer branding
The portal gives employees choice within the organisation's policy. Which laptop fits the role? Which accessories belong with it? The employee chooses, the policy sets the boundaries. That creates ownership and strengthens the employee experience.
Onboarding touches more than HR
A good start depends on IT processes and budgets that hold up. Lifecycle management connects those departments.
Conversation
We discuss your situation, current challenges, and what lifecycle management can deliver.
Setup
The platform is configured for your organisation. Device policy, integrations, and processes.
Operational
From day 1, orders, returns, repairs and replacements are processed automatically.
See also: CFO |HR| IT | CIO | Sustainability
Want to see what this looks like for your organisation?
We're happy to think along.
Do you already have an IT vendor? Ask them about lifecycle management. We support your vendor with the platform and the expertise to set this up for you.
Mark Leemans
Co-founder, Afterservice