Business slowed for many organizations during the pandemic, but not for LeanTaaS. The company provides artificial intelligence-driven scheduling software for hospital operating rooms, inpatient beds and infusion centers, so activity was brisk.

However, the pandemic did force the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company to quickly transition most of its 200 employees to remote work. While that change went smoothly, the fast-growing firm also needed to manage robust onboarding for new employees, which likewise continued apace.

LeanTaaS’s tech department used to send laptops and login credentials to offices so they’d be ready for new employees, says Dan Ritzman, the company’s senior IT systems administrator. Once employees began working from home, however, IT shipped fully configured 16-inch MacBook Pro computers directly to new hires’ homes in advance of their start dates.

To maintain security, employees don’t receive login credentials until they’re officially on the job. “Our rule is that you don’t have any access to company devices or networks until the first hour of your first day,” says Ritzman.

LeanTaaS (the “TaaS” stands for Transformation as a Service) uses Jamf for device management, including an application center stocked with customized apps and a curated set of Apple apps.

The MacBooks are only part of the equation, of course. Staffers choose their own keyboards, mice, power supplies and other peripherals, and LeanTaas engaged CDW to...