From Stacks of Laptops to 90% Less Stress

Industry: Technology, Marketing and Advertising

"Retriever isn’t just a vendor. They are a seamless extension of our own IT team and true partners. They have our backs, and support like that is absolute peace of mind."

— Mike Shaw, Technology, MERGE

What Challenges Does a 1,000-Person Remote Company Face With Laptop Lifecycle Management?

Before partnering with Retriever, MERGE faced a mounting logistical burden surrounding device lifecycle management. Mike Shaw and the IT team found themselves bogged down by the manual minutiae of computer returns: sourcing and storing physical boxes, generating individual shipping labels, and painstakingly tracking every shipment.

With a high-growth, distributed workforce, the physical workspace began to reflect these inefficiencies. Stacks of unproccesed hardware lingered in offices, waiting to be evaluated for either redeployment or retirement. Maintaining a clean inventory across various locations and support teams became a significant hurdle, as the team struggled to gain clear visibility into where their assets were at any given time.

How Did MERGE Automate IT Hardware Returns and Redeployments Across Remote Teams?

MERGE transitioned from a manual, fragmented process to an integrated asset management strategy with Retriever. What began as a solution for basic laptop retrievals quickly evolved into a comprehensive partnership including full warehousing and redeployment services.

Retriever provided MERGE with a centralized platform to manage device retrievals, new hire deployments, and seamless device replacements. The IT team now has a single source of truth to track offboarding returns, trigger fresh deployments for new hires, and swap out broken hardware with real-time notifications on shipment statuses. Because Retriever functions as an extension of the internal IT staff, they bridge the gap between multiple office locations and remote employees, ensuring that every piece of hardware is tracked, processed, and accounted for without requiring manual intervention from the MERGE team.

What Results Did MERGE See After Outsourcing Laptop Lifecycle Management?

The most significant impact of the partnership has been the shift from reactive chaos to proactive asset management. By outsourcing the logistics of warehousing and retrievals, MERGE has regained control over their inventory, allowing them to understand exactly what hardware is available for new deployments at a moment's notice.

While the logistical improvements are clear, the human impact is even more profound. Mike Shaw notes that since implementing Retriever, he is 90% less stressed regarding device returns and redeployments. Retriever’s ability to adapt their platform based on MERGE’s specific feedback has transformed a standard vendor-client dynamic into a collaborative partnership. This high level of reliability and adaptability ensures that the agency’s internal resources can remain focused on high-value technology projects rather than shipping boxes.

MERGE is a leading marketing and technology agency that operates at the intersection of health and wellness, utilizing storytelling and technology to help brands connect meaningfully with their audiences. With a workforce of 500–1,000 employees spread across multiple North American offices and a substantial remote population, the agency manages complex logistical needs at scale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Laptop Lifecycle Management for Remote Teams

What is laptop lifecycle management, and why does it matter for distributed teams?

Laptop lifecycle management is the process of managing company laptops from deployment through retrieval, storage, reuse, and eventual retirement. For distributed teams, these processes are more complex because devices move between employees, homes, offices, warehouses, and other locations. A centralized IT asset management process helps teams maintain visibility into where equipment is, what condition it is in, and what should happen to it next.

How does Retriever handle laptop retrieval from remote employees?

Retriever manages the laptop return process directly with the employee. Retriever sends a padded return kit with protective packaging, a prepaid shipping label, tape, and return instructions, then manages employee communication, automated reminders, tracking, questions, and shipping issues. IT teams can monitor return status through the Retriever Portal without coordinating each shipment themselves.

What happens to a laptop after an employee is offboarded?

After a laptop is recovered, it can be returned to the organization or moved into the next stage of its lifecycle. Retriever can securely warehouse the device, assess its condition, coordinate cleaning or repairs, prepare it for redeployment, or route it to secure end-of-life services when appropriate. This allows the hardware offboarding process to continue beyond simply recovering the laptop.

How long does it take to deploy a laptop to a new hire using Retriever?

Retriever can prepare stored devices for deployment and ship them directly to new hires, with expedited delivery options available for time-sensitive requests. Deployment orders can also be initiated through the Retriever Portal or automated through the Retriever API. Actual delivery time depends on the destination, requested shipping service, and device preparation requirements.

Can Retriever integrate with existing IT systems and workflows?

Yes. Retriever supports integrations and workflows with widely used IT and HR systems, including ServiceNow, Workday, Okta, Jira, Freshservice, and Teqtivity. Retriever also provides a full API and Zapier integration, allowing IT teams to automate device retrieval, deployment, and other lifecycle workflows while continuing to use their existing systems.

What is the difference between laptop retrieval and full device lifecycle management?

Laptop retrieval focuses on recovering company equipment from an employee. Full device lifecycle management continues beyond the return and can include inventory tracking, secure warehousing, condition assessment, repairs, provisioning, deployment and redeployment, data destruction, IT asset disposition, and value recovery. This gives IT teams a process for managing what happens to a device throughout its useful life rather than treating each return as an isolated shipment.

How does Retriever help IT teams manage hardware inventory across multiple office locations?

Retriever gives IT teams centralized visibility into device activity through the Retriever Portal while managing the physical logistics associated with retrieval, storage, and deployment. In the MERGE case study, Retriever helped bridge multiple office locations and remote employees while providing a single source of truth for offboarding returns, new-hire deployments, device replacements, and shipment status. MERGE reported gaining better control over its inventory and visibility into hardware available for deployment.