Our survey of IT managers shows that standard input devices do more than just check a basic equipment box—they influence employee experience, productivity, and IT efficiency. Most organizations reliably provide a standard mouse and keyboard, which means the basics are covered. However, when you look beyond that, the picture changes: - Adoption of trackballs, ergonomic devices, and precision input devices drops off sharply. - Many of these options are either only available on request, treated as non-standard, or not offered at all. For IT, this has a few implications: - You may be aligned with the market if you only offer a basic mouse and keyboard, but you are not differentiated. - Employees with more specialized or intensive workflows (knowledge workers, power users, creators) may not be getting devices that match how they actually work. - Limited standard options often lead to more exception requests, more manual approvals, and more IT tickets. In short, your standard input device list is part of your broader digital employee experience. Treating it strategically can help you support productivity, reduce friction, and simplify IT operations rather than just managing another line item in the budget.

The survey highlights a clear gap between making ergonomic devices available and making them standard. What we heard from IT managers: - Ergonomic input devices (like split keyboards or vertical mice) are often available, but not part of the default kit. - In many organizations, these devices are: - Offered only after an employee request - Treated as a special accommodation - Approved case by case - Requests for non-standard devices (ergonomic, role-specific, or higher-precision tools) are common and usually handled manually. Typical request paths include: - Submitting an IT ticket or request form - Asking a manager for approval - Writing a short business justification for an exception Few organizations have a streamlined or self-service process for these requests. That creates friction for employees and extra workload for IT. What this means for your strategy: - Normalizing ergonomic devices—rather than treating them as exceptions—can reduce back-and-forth approvals and support employee well-being. - Expanding and clearly defining your standard catalog (for example, including at least one ergonomic option and one role-specific option) can cut down on exception handling. - A clearer, more inclusive standard list helps IT scale device programs while still meeting diverse user needs.

Survey responses show that both refresh cycles and budget models for input devices vary widely across organizations. On refresh cycles, IT managers reported that devices are replaced: - Every 1–2 years in some organizations - Only when they fail in others - On an ad-hoc basis or depending on role/department in many cases This inconsistency can lead to: - Uneven user experiences (some employees using worn or outdated devices) - More support tickets related to failing hardware - Hidden productivity costs when employees work around device issues On budgets, we saw similar variation: - Some organizations use fixed per-device budgets. - Others adjust budgets by role or department. - A notable portion of respondents were unsure what budget model their organization uses. Where budget clarity is low, device offerings tend to be inconsistent and approval bottlenecks are more common. For IT leaders, the opportunity is to: - Establish a clear lifecycle policy for input devices (for example, a standard refresh interval by device type or role). - Define a transparent budget framework—role-based models are a common approach—that aligns device quality with job requirements. - Use these policies to plan spend, manage inventory, and set expectations with employees. By reimagining input devices as managed assets with defined lifecycles and budgets, IT can simplify procurement, reduce surprises, and support a more consistent employee experience.