Refresh policy by role
| Role band | Device type | Refresh cycle | Rationale | Devices in band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | High-spec laptop | 3 years | Build performance; heavy workload | 28 |
| General staff | Standard laptop | 4 years | Balance of cost and reliability | 96 |
Hardware Refresh Plan
Hardware refresh gets deferred because the cost is visible and the consequence is not. Showing the support-ticket cost of ageing devices alongside the replacement cost turns deferral into a decision rather than a default.
What you get
- A refresh schedule derived from the asset register
- Ticket cost per device-age band, which is the argument for funding it
- A three-year budget forecast with smoothing
- A deferral register, so deferred refresh is visible rather than silent
How to use this template
- 1
Set refresh policy by role, not uniformly. Engineering workstations and reception kiosks do not need the same cycle. Define bands by role so the budget reflects actual need rather than an averaged assumption.
- 2
Measure the ticket cost of old devices. Pull ticket volume by device age. The difference between a two-year-old and a five-year-old fleet is usually substantial, and it is the number that justifies the budget line.
- 3
Smooth the replacement curve. If a large cohort was bought at once, it will all expire at once. Deliberately stagger replacements across years to avoid a capital spike that gets refused.
What's inside
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Frequently asked questions
How often should IT hardware be refreshed?
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Three years for high-demand roles such as engineering, four for general staff, and up to five for light-use devices and servers aligned to support contracts. Setting one cycle across the whole estate either overspends or underserves.
How do you justify a hardware refresh budget?
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By measuring support cost against device age. Ticket volume per device typically rises sharply beyond three or four years, and expressing that as an annual cost per device makes the comparison with replacement cost direct.
What happens if hardware refresh is deferred?
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Support cost rises, devices fall out of warranty and then out of OS support, and the deferred cohort eventually needs replacing all at once. Recording deferrals explicitly keeps that accumulating liability visible.