3 Step IT: Most Innovative Technology Leasing Solutions Europe 2016

Usually, innovation does not come easily nor naturally. 3 Step IT, however, built its business model on this premise. Founded in 1997, the Finnish company continues to evolve alongside rapidly changing technology.

3 Step IT offers worldwide management and leasing solutions to businesses and other organisations with high-volume IT needs. The company’s services are managed in three steps – leasing, management, and replacement – in order to provide a sustainable, cost-effective process based on circular economy to its customers. Serving 3,800 customers worldwide, with almost two million devices under its supervision, 3 Step IT refurbishes and resells 95% of the equipment it replaces, and recycles the remaining 5%.

Via its leasing model the company creates a more sustainable lifecycle for the hardware, and also ensures businesses only pay for the optimum working life of assets. This lowers the need for capital IT investments, and maintenance and operational overheads. Moreover, the model increases client productivity by ensuring their equipment is always up-to-date.

The company developed an impressive way of managing the IT equipment leased out: 3 Step IT creates an asset register by collecting all the necessary data on the leased equipment, making it easy for clients to track assets and generate on-demand reports for cost monitoring and budgeting purposes. This asset register has enabled clients to work efficiently with 80% less devices cluttering valuable office space.

The company’s comprehensive online tools were designed around the needs of existing customers based on prevalent business processes. The online asset management tool offers clients an option to order new devices based on pre-selected list of choices, establish a budget, manage inventory, and return/replace leased items. The tool also notifies customers when equipment is nearing the end of its optimised working-life; allowing clients to replace, return, or continue using the hardware.

The CFI.co judging panel commends 3 Step IT’s flexible business model which has allowed the company to suit the contemporary demand for sustainable business operations. For this, and the outstanding asset management tool, the judges award 3 Step IT Group Oy with the 2016 Most Innovative Technology Leasing Solutions Europe Award.