Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) grants employees the right to substitute the company’s devices with theirs for any work-related activity. In other words, they can bring their laptops, phones, and other work-related devices.
This is the opposite of Here’s Your Own Device (HYOD), usually associated with the traditional work system. BYOD is becoming very popular among many organizations, as employees tend to have a sense of freedom and increased productivity when using their own devices.
Nevertheless, the BYOD work model has benefits and downsides for any organization. We will walk you through some of the biggest advantages and disadvantages of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy.
Pros of BYOD
Below are some of the benefits employees and organizations will enjoy from using the BYOD model of work:
- Elimination of Extra Training Sessions
In traditional workspaces, employees must go through major training sessions to learn how to use the company’s device. For instance, assuming an organization uses MacOS in their work device, an employee who has been using the Windows version of personal computers might need to go through training sessions. However, introducing BYOD eliminates the need for extra training sessions. This is a major advantage for the organization, as employees immediately hit the ground running when employed.
- Reduced Costs
If you have been in the traditional working environment, you will see a lot of company-owned devices such as Desktops, laptops, smartphones, and even cameras for some conference calls. These devices cost a company a lot of money to procure for all the employees needing them.
However, enabling a BYOD environment reduces companies’ spending on several devices. For instance, the company might give up providing laptops to employees as they bring their own to work. Also, items like smartphones won’t be purchased by companies since employees can bring theirs—all these help to reduce the cost of running a company.
BYOD might be good at saving costs, but it gets better at improving productivity.
- Enhanced Productivity
Enhanced productivity is a benefit that companies implementing BYOD can relate to, and there’s a reason for this. Since employees use their own devices, they are more comfortable using them to work than the company’s.
Even on a personal level, you will prefer to use your own device rather than someone else’s. This way, you are more likely to work very fast than using the company’s equipment. On the organization’s part, they can use solutions like Venn to ensure the BYOD policy is secure.
- Improved Working Conditions
When employees use their own devices to work, there’s an increased sense of ownership for their work. In other words, these employees have better morale and a working mindset when using their devices. This is not a fallacy, as data back the claim.
According to a report by Salesforce, organizations can gain up to 240 hours per year due to improved working conditions from BYOD. With improved working conditions, employees will work faster and more efficiently.
- Flexibility
An underrated aspect of BYOD in many organizations is its flexibility for workers. Previously, in the traditional working conditions, employees would have to go to the office whenever they needed to work. However, this changes with the introduction of bring your own device (BYOD).
There’s an increase in flexibility as employees can now use their devices anywhere in the world. So long as a remote work solution like Venn is in place, employees can remotely work without security risks.
Cons of BYOD
Here are some of the downsides of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy an employee or company should expect:
- Lack of Data Retrieval Support
When an employee uses the company’s devices to work in the office, all work data is stored on that device. This way, even when the employee might have left the company, the work data will still be available for reference. However, if an organization uses the BYOD method in their work ethics, employees store some work data on their devices. Since it is their device, they can delete the organization’s work documents after leaving the company. This makes an organization lose many work references. A data retrieval plan should be in place before any organization chooses the BYOD work model.
- Issues With Compatibility
While the BYOD model increases employee productivity, the work model has colossal compatibility issues. For instance, some files and documents can’t be opened on Android, assuming it was created on iOS. So an employee using Android will face compatibility issues whenever they need to work on such documents.
- Lack of Consistency
The BYOD model is good, but a major downside is the lack of consistency in telling workers to use their devices for work-related activities. Except if there are already criteria for the type of device to use, you will see some employees using Windows 7 while others are using Windows 11. Another instance is that an employee might use the 2010 version of required work software like Adobe Photoshop, while others might use the latest version.
- Concerns With Security
Many devices organizations provide to their employees for work are secure, with necessary security software running. However, when an organization takes the BYOD route, many employees store work documents on their devices. This is a security risk, as cybercriminals might attack an employee’s personal computers or devices. Virtual desktop providers like Venn can easily secure an employee’s PC or Mac. But then, there’s still more risk of an employee’s device getting stolen and accessed.
Wrapping Up
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a trend many organizations and companies adopt due to its advantages. For the benefits, BYOD makes work more flexible, improved productivity, no training sessions, reduced cost, and better working conditions.
However, the BYOD model is often associated with disadvantages, including security risks and compatibility issues.
