Globally expanding your business requires significant investment. A major share of it goes into infrastructure and increasing employee productivity.
Setting the stage for better productivity starts right from the onboarding. A study by Gallup cited that a good onboarding process can increase retention by up to 82%. As the hiring process is costly, it is best to have high employee retention and avoid putting strain on financial resources quite often.
Once the new employees feel welcomed and prepared for the job, they can start contributing to the firm’s mission. A significant aspect of successful onboarding is providing reliable work-related assets for your international teams.
What better way to start than by issuing company laptops? It enables seamless collaboration and communication between your remote teams for productivity. This leads to more accessible and more effective integration of remote employees into your company.
This article discusses the benefits, challenges, and solutions to shipping laptops internationally to your employees.
Company Laptops are Beneficial for Distributed Workforce
Laptop usage has taken center stage in the last two decades. The total shipments worldwide accounted for 201 million units in 2012, with a projected uptick of 272.4 million units by 2025. They are edging out desktop computers as 148 million units were shipped in 2012, while a down-turn of 69.6 million units is expected by 2025. That’s a 52.9% decrease in total shipments of desktop computers instead of laptops, with a total increase of 35.5%. There has been a steep increase in demand in recent years.
Here are the key advantages of providing laptops for your teams across the globe.
Data security
The security threats to your employees’ data get reduced if they use secured company laptops. Employees accessing company data via personal devices pose security vulnerabilities for the organization.
Employee productivity
Issuing each team member a laptop gives them everything they need to achieve the predetermined goals and objectives. Employee access to technology resources boosts productivity, and standardizing the computers and operating systems used throughout the company boosts efficiency.
Device performance
One of the most common barriers to working from home that employees raise is the poor performance of their devices or machines. There is a high chance for employees to miss deadlines or lack productivity due to outdated machines or expired softwares.
Issuing laptops for employees establishes a standard for employee resources and ensures performance does not suffer due to remote working.
Business agility
Every organization today wishes to adopt a more adaptable and agile approach. Issuing laptops for your employees can provide consistency, agility, and quality of resources.
These are just a few good arguments for providing laptops to your remote employees. But with benefits come challenges.
Challenges of Shipping Laptops Internationally
Work equipment such as laptops is an essential productivity tool for business. A great laptop is a critical differentiator for companies competing for talent. Yet, offering these IT assets has its challenges.
Shipping any package across borders is arduous and even higher for shipping laptops or other devices. As an employer wishing to provide laptops to employees, one should know the associated challenges.
There are rules governing the international shipping of electronics. Along with that, there are guidelines for sending lithium batteries. This is crucial if you are shipping from the US to Europe. Lithium batteries are susceptible to overheating and are considered hazardous materials for that. They may even endanger those involved in the delivery process; hence, strict guidelines must be followed for handling.
When shipping laptops internationally, it’s also essential to insure the package. Electronic devices are high-value items, and sending them overseas puts them at risk. Package insurance can help to mitigate that risk.
Once you’ve shipped the laptop, you’ll have to take note of the following:
- Transportation Method Safety (Air or Sea Freight)
- Inventory Mismanagement (Mistracked / Misclassified Goods)
- Risk Of Damaged Goods
- Customs Processing Delay
- Courier Processing Delay
- Importation Delay
- Acts of God (pandemics, storms, etc.)
- Force Majeure (wars, conflict, etc.)
Now the next important question is how much will it cost to ship a laptop internationally.
How much does it cost to ship a laptop internationally
The typical cost of purchasing, configuring, managing, and shipping laptops for remote work is between $1,000 and $3000 per laptop. The cost of shipping laptops internationally relies on several variables. Your package’s weight, size, shipment option (express or economy), and destination country, all play a role in determining cost. Also, customs fees are often higher when importing expensive goods. It depends on the individual country’s import policies for international shipping. You may need to ask legal experts for the compliances in importation as there may be other fees involved. In short, the highest costs you must consider when shipping internationally are:
- International Shipping Fees
- Customs Processing Fees
- Cargo Insurance Fees
- Local Tax Policies
- Extra Fees
Handling all these logistics nuances and running your business is a difficult task.
However, there is another way to cut your expenses in shipping laptops internationally.
Working with Country-Specific Vendors
Connecting with local vendors in your expanding countries can reduce shipping costs and everything tied to it. Although some electronic devices may cost more in certain countries, the overall expenses are lower due to shipping fees.
Local vendors can be the best option when you need to buy more than a handful of laptops. They typically offer bulk order discounts depending on the quantity of the selected items. You can strike a deal with them, including direct shipping, packaging, and shipping insurance in their services.
But there are downsides to working with country-specific vendors. The challenge is connecting with reliable local vendors. You can search online for vendors willing to service your needs. The drawback is that it’s harder to trust them unless you do diligent research and background checks.
An alternate way to find vendors is through referrals or word of mouth by other companies. This means you need a solid network you can draw on to find the vendors you need. You can place your bets on the vendor’s reputation through the reviews of other companies and past clients they had. But this will take much work, additional expenses, and time if you don’t have the proper contacts.
Let Multiplier Ship Laptops Internationally
Multiplier, a SaaS-based Employer of Record, helps you ship the desired specification laptops to your global remote employees. With Multiplier, you can choose to provide the following:
- Laptops
- Monitors
- Keyboards
- Mouse
- Headphones
With entities in over 150 countries, we ensure your employees get laptops quickly and easily. We will handle it end-to-end, from ordering to delivering the laptop shipping box to their door. Our promise to you is to deliver within
- Seven business days in Asia, Europe, and North America
- 14 business days in Africa and Oceania
- 14 to 28 business days in Latin America
Offer your global employees a world-class experience with top-performing laptops to your workforce with Multiplier. Talk to us today
