Mobile device management is about more than just tracking phones, laptops, and other wireless assets. It’s a continuous process that must address every stage of the device lifecycle, from procurement to maintenance to recycling, ensuring all hardware and software is operational, cost-efficient, and secure every step of the way.
How can you streamline and improve the entire device management process? Tangoe recognizes 12 steps for device lifecycle management. For this guide, we break them down into three phases: planning, managing, and end of life.
What specific business needs will each mobile devices address? Will they be used for remote work, field service, customer-facing roles, or internal administrative tasks? What kinds of apps or services will employees need access to? What security policies should apply? Are there any compliance requirements specific to your industry?
Gather input from various departments or user groups to understand the needs of each user group and the associated features required for their devices. If you’re upgrading, refurbishing, or replacing existing devices, take the time to assess their current performance, usage patterns, and any issues that may need to be addressed.
Once you’ve defined your needs, identified a specific number of assets to be purchased, and set your budget, the next step is to put your procurement plans into action by carefully selecting hardware suppliers and data service providers, negotiating the terms of your agreements.
At this stage, you’ll be actively engaging with vendors. It’s important to be strategic when discussing pricing, knowing where you can potentially secure discounts or take advantage of promotions. You’ll also want to carefully review key contract details like delivery and deployment timelines, customization options or pre-configurations, payment terms, and termination clauses.
Procurement orders devices: Mobility teams should use automated routing to accelerate order approvals and processing, reviewing final order details carefully and making sure to order any necessary accessories. Anticipate potential delays (devices can arrive late for a number of reasons such as inventory shortages, shipping challenges, or customization requirements.) Purchasing portals and processes directly integrated with various carriers can mean faster delivery speeds, which is a key advantage of working with a managed mobility services provider.
Also consider where devices will be shipped, how they will be inventoried and who will take the next steps of preparing and shipping devices to employees – configuring them with critical security applications and IT tools.
Employees order devices: Developing an ecommerce platform for self-service mobile orders and upgrades can be tedious, which is why companies leverage Tangoe’s Mobile Store. Standardized procedures ensure employee purchases follow company policies while giving employees flexibility and autonomy over their decisions. This modern shopping experience offers up only the corporate-preferred hardware and data service providers with options to customize offers for different departments, employee groups, and use cases.
Pre-configure devices before deployment to ensure they’re ready for employees to use right away. This involves pre-installing business-critical apps and configuring them for each employee or department. You’ll need to set up security like device encryption, password policies, biometric authentication, and VPN access. All devices will need to be integrated into your Unified Endpoint Security software platform to ensure remote management, monitoring, and policy enforcement from day one.
Don’t forget about branding considerations. You may want to add custom wallpaper, lock screens, or company logos, especially if devices are customer-facing.
It’s important to have a clear plan for how devices will be distributed to employees, whether that’s by department, location, or role. Make sure each employee understands how to effectively set up and use their device, access corporate resources, and follow security protocols. Automated setup wizards should be used to streamline processes for end users.
Streamline processes for addressing any questions or issues that come up during the device rollout and activation. This could include providing troubleshooting steps for users, offering Help Desk support services, handling device swaps if needed, or managing any additional configurations to ensure each device is fully functional for each employee. Providing clear communication and support during this phase is crucial for ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing disruptions to normal business operations.
Monitor your inventory: Once new devices are in use, you must monitor them effectively to keep a detailed, up-to-date record of your organization’s mobile assets. Developing a comprehensive mobile inventory is key to gaining full visibility into all your resources in use and optimizing how you manage those assets. This is particularly important as employees come and go.
Roughly 70% of companies report challenges in managing their mobile inventory. If you’re finding it challenging to keep track, Tangoe offers a helpful guide on creating a complete IT inventory that helps reduce waste, uncover potential savings, and streamline logistics management.
Tangoe One Mobile is a full lifecycle solution designed to efficiently administer the mobile inventory, protect security, offer technical support, and oversee expenses including invoices and cost optimization. Every client mobile inventory is synchronized to their cost centers and users, so IT teams can handle resources more effectively across the organization.
Monitor for security and compliance: Corporate data flows across devices making them a target for security threats. Companies must track and monitor them 24/7 keeping operating systems and applications up to date and protecting devices from internal and external threats and data breaches. Integrations and Unified Endpoint Management software and monitoring services should be used to gain real-time status information, always keeping devices in a known state.
Security monitoring teams need to act quickly to update, control and reconfigure devices as necessary in response to security incidents or when devices and user habits fall out of compliance. Reporting on endpoints is also critical for regulatory audits, as security compliance teams will want insight into device applications and content.
Consider the following:
For example:
What options does your organization have for repairing, repurposing, and replacing devices? Tangoe’s comprehensive guide on end-of-life device management can help you determine whether your device should be repaired or replaced with a newer model. Plus, you’ll learn how you can get cash returns on your old devices that are ready for recycling.
You’ll want to partner with companies certified to handle and repair your specific brand of devices, and you’ll want a quick turnaround time to reduce any impact to business continuity.
Has your device served its purpose, and now it’s time for it to retire gracefully? When devices are no longer useful, companies must discard them in a secure, compliant, eco-friendly way.
The first step in recycling your device is decommissioning it – a.k.a. removing all corporate data as you reset the device. Failing to do so can expose your company’s intellectual property to security risks. There are several important questions to consider at this stage, which are covered in our End-of-Life Device Management Guide. Be sure to check it out for all the essential information you need to manage this process securely and efficiently.
Total solution eliminates complexity: Lifecycle management + security solutions + financial management all in one software platform and one service partnership
Experience and credibility: 14M mobile devices under management, Gartner Magic Quadrant Visionary, 400 contracts negotiated annually, 60 cost optimization consultants, 400+ carrier Integrations, award-winning services
AI-powered automation: Day-to-day device management is accelerated by automated workflows empowering clients to stay productive
Global services: Solutions designed for international companies and operations with support in many countries and languages
Automated mobile store: Fully customizable mobile device ordering platform allows employees to order devices while following corporate mobile purchasing policies
