Our prior mobile device logistics articles discussed the importance of staging and kitting and how asset tagging helps enterprises with key mobile device logistical activities.
In this article, we will review important ways that device deployment support is also a significant aspect of mobile device logistics and serve to strengthen your managed mobility services program overall.
It’s important to note that larger enterprises that exceed 500 devices amongst their employee user base will benefit from a comprehensive suite of services under managed mobility services.
This would also include other mobile device logistical support areas which are focused on the general maintenance and movement of mobile devices that device deployment falls under. (Achieving a desired return on investment is less probable and scaling needs are not as important for enterprises with fewer than 500 devices.)
Mobile device deployment is concerned with expediting and streamlining the mobile device deployment and management effort throughout the entire managed mobility lifecycle.
Before jumping into more details about how a TEM/MMS provider can help your organization with mobile device deployment, let’s take an overview of this support area.
Mobile Device Deployment Overview
Mobile device deployment is focused on streamlining the distribution of mobile devices to employees or any other affiliated users within your organization.
This process is centrally concerned with ensuring that mobile devices which have already been through prior mobile device logistics stages such as staging/kitting and asset tagging are properly delivered to users in an expedited fashion and ready for service.
Each company will find itself in a different situation and therefore mobile device deployment activities will vary slightly but common support areas can include ensuring proper interfacing with the TEM/MMS or mobile device management (MDM) technology platform, and implementation of any relevant security measures.
Mobile device assignments, plan activations, and other initial support services such as training may also fall under this area of managed mobility logistical support for device deployment.
There may appear to be an overlap in some of the service support areas between device deployment and staging /kitting in terms of how different TEM/MMS or MDM providers categorize device setup and deployment activities.
The above said, it’s most important to understand that device deployment needs that have not been addressed during initial staging/kitting support will get addressed or expanded upon within the deployment stage.
The primary goal is to efficiently deliver mobile devices to users that are set up properly and ready for service without turn-up difficulties or security vulnerabilities.
4 Ways that Mobile Device Deployment Helps Enterprises
1. Sound procurement, inventory management, and asset tracking practices set up your team for full mobile lifecycle management success
A competent TEM/MMS provider can assist your team with key procurement support to obtain desired devices at competitive costs.
Moreover, the team will properly document and house all pertinent data and information related to devices within a technology platform that is built for full mobility lifecycle management.
The platform will be able to analytically parse and report on relevant mobility data in ways that empower your expense management team to make effective decisions in real-time. For example, tracking devices within inventory relative to users and their associated costs is important.
Other pertinent data related to the device will be easily accessible. Information related to mobile device locations and usage data is important. Additionally, any related statuses for needed applications, security measures, maintenance activities, and replacement or retirement planning can also be monitored to strengthen mobile lifecycle management capabilities and decision-making.
Strong execution in this regard helps your organization mitigate risks related to fraud and security while optimizing for mobile utilization that is consistent with best practices for mobile device management in total.
2. Device configuration, provisioning, and activation best practices empower your team for successful mobile lifecycle management
You do not want your employees to be wrestling with their phones in any way. You want skilled and experienced mobility experts performing any/all needed device setup activities for them. This is in the best interests of both the company and its employees.
It ensures that devices are set up properly and in accordance with desired policies, procedures, and best practices. It also facilitates ease of use for employees; most of your employees will not be technically proficient in this regard, so requiring them to perform any device set-up tasks outside of their main job role could invite unwanted user and/or security exposure problems.
A strong TEM/MMS team will assist with all needed mobile device setup related to applications & software, user assignment, and activation activities related to network access and connectivity so employees can easily receive and use their devices.
3. Mobile device deployment best practices facilitate effective logistical support for your team
After devices are acquired, set up properly, and all relevant mobility data is stored within a robust TEM/MMS platform, the next move is to get all devices to users as effectively and efficiently as possible.
A common military quote by Marine four-star general Robert Hilliard Barrow says, “Amateurs talk about strategy and tactics. Professionals talk about logistics and sustainability in warfare.”
Obviously, mobile device logistical deployment cannot really be likened to warfare, but this helps to drive home the critical importance of strong mobile device logistical support in deploying devices to users.
Devices need to be distributed to users in a thoughtful and highly planned way, considering various transportation decisions, scheduling considerations, and all relevant location information for the company and its employees. The process needs to be executed well and be highly trackable to ensure proper delivery to your employees.
A strong TEM/MMS team of skilled subject matter experts will help distribute devices to users seamlessly, which facilitates sustainable management, best serving the overall objective of full mobile lifecycle management.
4. Mobile device retirement best practices are key to maintaining strong security for your organization
All good things must end, and so is the case for mobile devices.
A competent team of skilled mobility professionals will help to ensure that all devices are retired properly, in accordance with all operational objectives and security requirements, rounding out the full mobility lifecycle.
Many organizations are now retiring their devices in accordance with current environmental standards and best practices, so this is a common operational area that is addressed.
Moreover, security concerns are going to be a top priority with respect to device retirement. Strong support here translates to tight data management, meaning retaining all desired data owned by the organization as well as erasing sensitive corporate data that need not be retained or viewed by anyone outside of the organization.
Closing thoughts for mobile device deployment
When it comes to the management of mobile devices or telecom/technology expense management for that matter, it’s important to consider all aspects of the expense management process as parts of a whole.
In this case, the “whole” is the full mobility lifecycle. Each area of mobility management is important, but all must serve the entire mobility lifecycle in a coherent and effective manner, driving sound mobile device operations and cost management.
Mobile device deployment is yet one more important part of the whole because your employees can’t use their devices if they don’t receive them in a timely manner and – just as importantly – if they are not set up properly.
Mobile device deployment performed well is one more piece of the managed mobility process that will get your organization closer to professional status for managed mobility services.
If you’d like to consider Tellennium in your TEM vendor comparisons, contact us to schedule a brief demo of our solution.
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