TABLE OF CONTENTS
Edited & Reviewed
Managing hardware across countries and time zones is starting to look like air traffic control. You’ve got multiple moving pieces, complex regulations, precise timing, and virtually no margin for error.
Without the right tools, your team becomes overwhelmed by shipment tracking, customs paperwork, asset recovery, and the endless cycle of logistical back-and-forth.
Thankfully, specialized logistics software is designed to end these issues.
Read on as we take you through our top picks.
TL;DR:
- In this article, we’ll discuss our top choices for remote IT logistics tools and explain why they made our list.
- Backing up a bit, remote IT logistics is every physical task your IT team must do when an employee is somewhere far from the office.
- The process includes purchasing the device, configuring it, clearing customs, getting it to a front door on day one, servicing it mid-lifecycle, and finally retrieving it.
- We settled on Workwize, GroWrk, Relay Cloud, Cargowise, and Swap Commerce tools.
What is Remote IT Logistics?
Remote IT logistics is everything that needs to happen outside the four walls of your office, so a remote employee can use their device on day one and return it when they leave.
It covers the full device lifecycle, including procurement, imaging, customs paperwork, shipping, live asset tracking, break or fix swaps, secure retrieval, wipe, redeployment, or recycling, often across dozens of countries and time zones.
It’s the counterpart to device management software, which brings together freight, warehousing, compliance paperwork, and chain-of-custody reporting so you can run a global fleet with the same confidence you’d have in a single onsite storeroom.
Why Does IT Remote Logistics Matter?
The need for remote IT management mushroomed with the rise of remote work.
- 36 million Americans, about 22% of the U.S. labor force, will be working remotely by this year. That’s tens of millions of endpoints you’ll have to ship, track, service, and eventually reclaim.
- Scale is only half the story; risk is the other. Lost or stolen corporate devices already cost organizations around $8.6 billion a year, and one in five “work-from-anywhere” employees has lost a PC, waiting an average of 25 hours before telling IT.
Without a logistics backbone, every new hire or hardware swap is prone to a data-loss incident.
Even industry analysts have noticed this. IDC’s Phil Hochmuth observes, “The ability to remotely view, manage, and configure end-user PCs is an essential practice for most IT organizations.”
Gartner’s Tom Cipolla adds that the “accelerated adoption of remote and hybrid work has increased pressure on end-user computing groups to rapidly implement new technology, improve patching levels, and increase compliance.”
With a fit-for-purpose platform in place, you can ship day-one-ready devices to any postcode, prove compliance, cut budget leaks from lost devices, and protect company data long after an employee leaves.
Now, let’s look at our picks.
Top Remote IT Logistics Platforms
Before we dissect the platforms, here’s all of them at a glance:
|
Tool |
Pricing model |
Best for |
Stand-out feature |
|
Workwize |
Custom-pricing tailored to suit the number of regions and devices you want to cover |
Complete IT hardware lifecycle management for globally distributed teams |
Intuitive platform to manage assets across the lifecycle, global equipment delivery in 5-7 business days, powerful integrations |
|
GroWrk |
A La Carte, Flex and All-in |
Shipping, recovering, and tracking employee devices for globally distributed teams |
Network of local warehouses in 150 countries that enables zero-touch deployment or retrieval anywhere |
|
Swap |
Custom contract-based pricing |
E-commerce brands that need returns, cross-border shipping, duties and tax compliance in one place |
Clear by Swap automatically recalculates duties and VAT on every replacement or return |
|
WiseTech CargoWise |
Custom pricing |
Freight forwarders or IT teams moving high-value hardware through complex, multi-modal supply chains |
Single platform that centralises air, ocean, road, parcel, and customs workflows |
|
Relay Cloud |
Custom pricing |
Remote-first companies that want branded tracking and returns portal for employee hardware (or merchandise) |
Real-time, carrier-agnostic tracking portal that your team can implement in minutes |
1. Workwize
Workwize is an IT hardware lifecycle management platform that simplifies how companies handle devices across a global, distributed workforce. From procurement to delivery, every step is automated—think pre-configured laptops shipped directly to employees, synced with your HRIS and MDM tools, and tracked in one intuitive dashboard. It’s everything IT needs to stay in control without the manual scramble.
But Workwize isn’t just about logistics. It handles offboarding, repairs, and restocking automatically, and provides enterprise teams with deeper control through SCIM, API integrations, and ESG-aligned practices.
What can you do with Workwize?
- Procurement: Purchase or lease IT and office equipment through a global supplier network, with a self-serve portal that enforces department-specific budgets so employees can get what they need without bottlenecks.
- Deployment: Deliver MDM-configured laptops and devices directly from regional warehouses to wherever your team works—at home or in the office.
- Management: Monitor, maintain, and manage every asset in one centralized dashboard. It’s all automated and easy to track, from repairs and renewals to replacements.
- Retrieval: Offboarding is effortless with automated return workflows. With just a few clicks, trigger a courier pickup or send a return kit—no chasing involved.
- Disposal: Decommission devices securely and sustainably through certified data wiping, recycling, or resale options that support your ESG goals.
Ratings and reviews
- Capterra: 4.4/5
Our take
Workwize is an ideal choice if you need hardware lifecycle management for your employees worldwide. It’s best suited for hybrid and remote teams that need a continuous supply of devices like laptops, printers etc, to and from their global workforce.
2. GroWrk
GroWrk is an end-to-end IT-asset-as-a-service platform built for distributed workforces. From a single, browser-based dashboard, IT teams can purchase laptops and peripherals in over 150 countries and schedule retrieval or redeployment when an employee moves on.
GroWrk also operates a global network of warehouses and certified service partners, so devices are configured and customs-cleared without any hassle.
Because every shipping label, MDM enrollment, and chain-of-custody step is logged automatically, GroWrk doubles as a lightweight ITAM system. Inventory management displays the location, status, value, and warranty date of each device; budget reports are rolled up by region for finance, while security teams receive complete off-boarding proof.
What can you do with GroWrk?
- Automate procurement-to-doorstep: Order, image, and ship devices worldwide from a self-serve dashboard.
- Track assets globally: Live inventory with location, user, and lifecycle data for every device.
- Integrate with your stack: Plug-and-play connectors for Okta, Jamf, Intune, BambooHR, and Slack keep data in sync.
- Accelerate off-boarding: Offer one-click retrieval kits, certified data wipes, and redeploy/storage options to cut lost-device risk.
Ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (10+ reviews)
- Capterra: N/A
Our take
If your priority is shipping hardware to (and back from) employees on several continents, GroWrk’s logistics rails and pay-as-you-go pricing are hard to beat. Its lightweight ITAM will satisfy most SMBs, but enterprises requiring deep software license compliance must rely on a dedicated ITAM.
3. Swap Commerce
Swap targets a different pain-point: the reverse logistics (returns, repairs, exchanges) that swamp ecommerce and D2C ops teams.
The SaaS platform integrates with Shopify, 3PLs, WMSs, and carrier APIs, providing brands with a self-service returns portal for customers and a single control tower for warehouse staff. Automated RMAs, real-time tracking, and tariff-aware cross-border workflows are also there.
Under the hood, Swap’s AI handles parcel scans, delivery events, and product metadata to identify repeat returners, flag high-risk SKUs, and recommend the most cost-effective disposition by location. Brands running global stores lean on “Clear by Swap,” which recalculates duties and taxes on the fly.
What can you do with Swap Commerce?
- Simplify returns and exchanges: Branded customer portal auto-generates labels and RMAs in seconds.
- Unify shipping data: Single dashboard for outbound, inbound, and cross-border legs, synced to 3PL/WMS.
- Surface AI insights: Identify return-heavy products, fraud signals, and optimal disposition paths.
- Automate duty and tax compliance: Clear by Swap recalculates tariffs for hassle-free international replacements.
Ratings and reviews
Our take
Swap isn’t an IT-asset platform per se, but if your company also ships merch or replacement devices to customers or field staff, its “returns-as-a-service” model can cut ticket volume and refund latency. For pure internal IT logistics, you’d still pair it with a device-focused tool like GroWrk.
4. WiseTech Global (CargoWise)
CargoWise is WiseTech Global’s cloud “operating system” for freight forwarders, customs brokers, and 3PLs. Instead of separate tools for air, ocean, parcel, and warehousing, Cargowise enables teams to manage every leg of a shipment in a single interface, across more than 160 countries and multiple languages and currencies.
Because compliance and cross-border paperwork are bundled in, covering forwarding, customs, warehousing, and transport modules, CargoWise can auto-rate, screen sanctions lists, and pre-clear customs while your team sleeps.
Real-time milestones flow back to customers and finance, which gives your IT team chain-of-custody evidence when procured devices (or any other sensitive cargo) cross borders.
What can you do with Cargowise?
- Centralize multimodal moves: Run air, ocean, road, and parcel shipments from one transaction screen.
- Automate customs and trade compliance: Pre-populate declarations and screen embargoes automatically.
- Surface live supply-chain visibility: Share ETA, exceptions, and cost data with internal and external stakeholders.
- Plug into a vast partner network: Certified integrations for carriers, ports, and 280+ logistics partners.
Ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 2.9/5 (30+ reviews)
Our take
CargoWise is overkill for small and mid-tier businesses, but for distributed IT teams shipping high-value hardware worldwide, its end-to-end control and built-in compliance cut risk dramatically. Expect a steeper implementation curve and budget than lighter SaaS tools.
Read More: New Feature: Being Stocked at the Warehouse and Order Updates
5. Relay Cloud
Relay Cloud focuses on the post-purchase side of logistics: live shipment tracking, branded customer (or employee) portals, and rules-driven returns.
From one dashboard, you can generate a tracker that pulls events from every major carrier, so remote staff see exactly when a laptop or accessory will land.
When devices need to be returned, Relay automates the return process. Custom workflows decide by SKU, value, or region whether to generate a prepaid label, charge a fee, or route the item to a regional hub. Integration hooks for order-management and e-commerce platforms mean hardware swaps or warranty returns slot into existing processes.
What can you do with Relay Cloud?
- Deliver real-time tracking: Create a branded portal that displays carrier scans automatically.
- Simplify return workflows: Trigger labels, fees or RMA steps with rules you set once.
- Integrate with any stack: Connect OMS or HRIS without custom code and pull data bi-directionally.
- Measure what matters: Built-in analytics expose transit times, return reasons and cost per leg.
Ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
Our take
Relay provides polished tracking and returns management for internal IT logistics. It’s lighter than CargoWise, but ideal for a remote-first organization that ships a lot of devices and wants the same portal to handle retrievals.
FAQs
1. What is the best remote IT logistics platform?
We might be biased here, but Workwize is the best remote IT logistics platform for mid-size to enterprise-grade businesses with a global remote team. Workwize enables you to manage the entire lifecycle of all your devices, from procurement to disposal, for employees worldwide.
Brands like HighLevel have been saving $1.4 million annually with Workwize.
2. How is remote IT logistics different from traditional device management?
Traditional device-management tools oversee a device once it’s in an employee’s hands, imaging the OS, installing patches, enforcing security policies, and keeping both hardware and software inventories up to date.
Remote IT logistics starts earlier and finishes later: it covers the physical supply chain that gets hardware to the user in the first place (procurement, imaging, customs, courier hand-off) and then retrieves, wipes, and redeploys or recycles it at end-of-life.
3. Do these platforms replace my existing MDM or help-desk system?
No Tools like GroWrk or Relay handle the hardware’s journey, then sync status data to your MDM (Jamf, Intune, etc.) and ticketing stack (Jira, Zendesk) so workflows stay in one place. They cannot replace your help desk system.
4. What’s the minimum team size that benefits from remote IT logistics software?
The tipping point is not dependent on headcount, but on geography. Once you’re shipping devices to multiple countries, or spending a lot of time with couriers and customs docs, outsourcing the logistics usually pays for itself in saved time and reduced device loss.
