ESN & consulting firm: IT asset management and cyber protection for consultants

Dozens of consultants on assignment. As many customers and IT policies to comply with. And a digital reputation to defend. This is the reality of today's Digital Service Companies (DSCs ) and consulting firms.

A headache? That's putting it mildly!

Consultants are mobile, projects are varied, and the security of customer data is crucial. How can we ensure that each consultant has the right equipment, at the right time, in complete security?

And that's not all. In some cases, consultants use their own or their company's equipment. In other cases, customers provide the equipment.

This dual reality makes the task even more complex: you have to juggle flexibility, safety and efficiency.

In this article, find out how to meet these challenges using best practices and adapted tools such as rzilient and BoondManager, your allies for optimal assignment management.

The challenges of equipment management for ESNs and consulting firms

Complex management due to mobility

Consultants never stay in one place for long. They may work at customer sites, or telecommute, or move from one project to another. This constant mobility makes it difficult to keep track of equipment:

• Where are laptops and smartphones located?
• How do you identify which equipment is active and which is available?
• How to carry out remote device maintenance?

Without rigorous management, the risk of loss, failure or duplication increases.

Varied and evolving needs

Each assignment is unique, with different hardware and software requirements. A consultant may need :

• A powerful computer to run resource-hungry software.
• Collaborative tools to coordinate remote teams.
• Sector- or project-specific application stacks.

But that's not all. As jobs come and go in quick succession, it's crucial to be able to adapt equipment and reallocate resources quickly. This lack of flexibility can lead to lower productivity and even customer dissatisfaction.

Safety as a top priority

Consultants handle sensitive information on a daily basis, from customer data to internal documents. The risk?

• Loss or theft of equipment containing confidential data.
• A cyber attack targeting a poorly protected device.
• A security flaw caused by obsolete software.

According to a Verizon study, 43% of data breaches involve poorly secured mobile devices. In a context where customer confidentiality and trust are essential, ignoring these issues is simply unthinkable.

Best practices for efficient equipment management

Manage the IT assets belonging to your ESN or consulting company

Supply the right hardware and application stacks

The onboarding of a new employee or the integration of freelancers for specific projects is a crucial stage in the process of taking up a new position and rapidly building skills. Ensuring that your consultants have the right equipment as soon as they arrive is important. To do this, you can set up automations that will save your IT and HR teams time and improve the employee experience:

• Buy or lease equipment adapted to the consultant, or allocate one from stock.
• Create access to essential applications and software used internally: communication tools, CRM, HR software, etc.
• Deploy cybersecurity policies cybersecurity policies to protect equipment : VPN, antivirus...

By adopting the complementary tools of rzilient and BoondManager, you simplify the monitoring of these resources. As a result, consultants are immediately operational, and productivity losses are avoided.

To find out more about the native integration between the two solutions, visit the dedicated -> page.

Day-to-day management of equipment and software

With rzilient, day-to-day management of your IT assets is no longer a chore. You can :

• Track devices in real time: location, status and associated user.
• Plan maintenance to prevent breakdowns.
• Automate software updates to guarantee security and performance.

Optimizing equipment life cycles

Every appliance has a life cycle. Extend it with these simple actions:

• Rotate equipment: assign it to different consultants to balance its use.
• Reconfiguration after each mission: software cleaning prepares the device for the next use.

Optimized management reduces costs and improves productivity.

Supporting consultants using customer equipment

Some consultants use equipment supplied directly by their customers. How do you deal with this?

• Give them access to ESN's internal tools (email, intranet, collaborative platforms).
• Train them in customers' IT security policies.
• Encourage rigorous cybersecurity practices, even on external devices.

Securing your consultants' devices

Implement a strict security policy

Protecting your data starts with clear rules:

• Strong passwords: change them regularly and use password managers.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): add an extra layer of security.

Managing ESN devices with MDM

MDM (Mobile Device Management) is essential for supervising and securing your equipment:

• Real-time tracking: locate devices, even remotely.
• Lock or erase data in the event of loss or theft.

Managing customer equipment: a shared responsibility

When a consultant uses a customer device, responsibility for safety is shared. What's your role?

• Recommendations: encryption, antivirus, firewall.
• Respect access limits imposed by the customer.

Securing connections and data

Whether your consultants are at your premises or at a customer's, connection security is essential:

• Use a VPN to secure remote access.
• Encrypt sensitive data, especially on mobile devices.

Conclusion

Managing an IT estate in an ESN or consulting firm can seem complex. But with best practices and tools like rzilient and BoondManager, you can turn this challenge into an opportunity.

Book a free demo of our solution now ->.

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