Is the time right to OPEX your IT investment?

It was Bob Dylan that wrote the famous song back in the sixties, “The Times They Are a-Changing” but the lyrics were probably never more appropriate than today. We have seen seismic changes over recent years that could never have been predicted – leading at first to a loosening of fiscal policy and more recently, with inflation surging, a tightening of cash flow. With supply chains more volatile and under pressure than ever before and the economic outlook uncertain, is now a good time for businesses to look to conserve cash and de-risk their IT investments by looking to OPEX instead of CAPEX expenditure?

Traditionally investing in business IT has been a one-off capital expenditure followed by a period of 3–5-year usage, where the asset value is written off in the company accounts, before the whole cycle begins again. But more recently there has been a shift in thinking towards spending on technology as an operational, rather than capital cost. Now more than ever, this approach could offer several business benefits.

1. Conserving cash

Adopting an IT-As-A-Service approach allows organisations to spread the cost of their technology across predictable monthly fees – conserving cash in the business without the requirement to make a large investment up front.

2. Increased flexibility

With the technology being supplied and paid for on a monthly basis, it provides a whole lot more flexibility. The organisation can scale up or down as required. So, no more costly tech sitting in a warehouse waiting to be deployed!

3. Uninterrupted efficiency

Technology can be refreshed and updated as the business demands and maintenance costs can be built into the contract - reducing unexpected maintenance and downtime costs. Not to mention increased day-to-day operational savings.

4. Opportunities to invest elsewhere

By not heavily investing with Capital Expenditure upfront, the IT department frees up time and potentially budget to invest elsewhere, such an innovative product development to generate additional revenue or new solutions to make significant savings.

5. Changes the perception of IT

By changing from a CAPEX to an OPEX Pay As You Go model, it also changes the way the IT department is perceived within the business. Suddenly you are no longer a major cost centre with expensive cyclical infrastructure bills. By transferring the burden of the IT infrastructure to a third party and establishing predictable operational expenditure, you can be innovators in the business rather than a drain.

Panasonic was one of the first companies to offer its rugged laptop, tablet and handheld devices using an OPEX TOUGHBOOK-as-a-Service model back in 2018 and the solution is more popular today than ever. It’s an end-to-end subscription that allows companies to pay for their TOUGHBOOK devices monthly, over a 3-, 4-, 5- or 6-year contract.

TOUGHBOOK-as-a-Service subscribers pay the same as a cash purchase, even though payments are spread over a longer term - eliminating the need for large upfront costs and allowing organisations to benefit from an OPEX-based solution rather than CAPEX.

TOUGHBOOK-as-a-Service solutions include access to the devices, delivery, 3-year warranty, helpdesk support, and end-of-life services such as collection, recycling and data wiping. As well as the rugged hardware, customers can choose to add options such as docking stations and accessories, specialist software applications and warranties into the monthly payment.

So, if you’re considering your next big IT investment, it might be worth investigating the benefits of an OPEX over CAPEX investment for your business. As Dylan said, “The Times They Are a-Changing”.

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