Assessing Computer Needs for Financial Firms

Aug 4, 2022

By James Chiang, Procurement Manager at Abacus Group

Whether you're starting up a new investment firm, or you're in the process of computer refresh planning for your firm's aging fleet of PCs, it's vital that you procure the best computers for your employee's needs.

Determine Computer Needs Based on Employee Roles

Start by looking at the different roles of employees within your firm. You may have traders who require a particular spec and computer power to use Bloomberg, whilst a back-office employee may not need such a powerful machine.

Ensure Your New PCs are Business-Grade

Business-grade computers are better quality than typical computers you can purchase at a Best Buy or Staples. They go through a more rigorous design and quality assurance process which results in products that perform better and last longer than consumer equipment.

Business products also have better documentation and software driver support, ensuring a more stable experience than consumer products.

They also have access to better manufacturer support resources, usually with expedited parts replacement, onsite manufacturer authorized technicians, accidental damage protection, and localized support teams. This all translates to faster resolution times if manufacturer support is required.

The Abacus Procurement Process

As a full-service IT provider to financial firms, we have an in-house dedicated procurement team that works with our clients to help both assess needs and purchase business-grade equipment on their behalf. Our dedicated procurement team manages the entire procurement process for clients, from placing orders, dealing with missing/lost packages, processing defective returns, and registering support contracts/warranties.

We start by providing complimentary consulting to help our clients find optimal equipment at the price point they need. Our procurement process also flows seamlessly into our PC setup process. New PCs are delivered to our dedicated PC build team which takes care of loading up all necessary security and other required software, before then ensuring the equipment is delivered to a firm’s employees where and when they need it.

Our team only recommends business-grade computers and accessories. The computers we procure for clients will have the networking features and security enhancements required for business use. And all accessories we order are designed and validated for business environments.

Abacus is a Dell Premier partner and Lenovo Gold partner, sourcing products only from authorized distributors and resellers so our clients can rest assured that products are genuine, sealed from the factory, and have full warranty coverage.

With supply chain issues still ongoing and delays with manufacturers, it’s best to get ahead of the curve and plan out equipment refresh projects three to six months in advance. Our team is always at the ready to assist clients to get ahead of anticipated delays and make sure the right computers are ordered for the right employees at the right time. We recommend our clients start by looking at the inventory hardware reporting within their abacusPortal and then contact our procurement team to setup a time to discuss needs.

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