- Desktop and mobile device management teams use separate tools and different processes.
- People at all levels of IT are involved in device management.
- Vendors are pushing unified endpoint management (UEM) products, and teams struggling with device management are hoping that UEM is their savior.
- The number and variety of devices will only increase with the continued advance of mobility and emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT).
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Many problems can be solved by fixing roles, responsibilities, and process. Standardize so you can optimize.
- UEM is not a silver bullet. Your current solution can image computers in less than 4 hours if you use lean images.
- Done with, not done to. Getting input from the business will improve adoption, avoid frustration, and save everyone time.
Impact and Result
- Define the benefits that you want to achieve and optimize based on those benefits.
- Take an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, approach to merging end-user support teams. Process and tool unity comes first.
- Define the roles and responsibilities involved in end-user device management, and create a training plan to ensure everyone can execute their responsibilities.
- Stop using device management practices from the era of Windows XP. Create a plan for lean images and app packages.
Manage End-User Devices Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should optimize end-user device management, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Manage End-User Devices – Phases 1-3
1. Identify the business and IT benefits of optimizing endpoint management
Get your desktop and mobile device support teams out of firefighting mode by identifying the real problem.
- Manage End-User Devices – Phase 1: Identify the Business and IT Benefits
- End-User Device Management Standard Operating Procedure
- End-User Device Management Executive Presentation
2. Improve supporting teams and processes
Improve the day-to-day operations of your desktop and mobile device support teams through role definition, training, and process standardization.
- Manage End-User Devices – Phase 2: Improve Supporting Teams and Processes
- End-User Device Management Workflow Library (Visio)
- End-User Device Management Workflow Library (PDF)
3. Improve supporting technologies
Stop using management tools and techniques from the Windows XP era. Save yourself, and your technicians, from needless pain.
- Manage End-User Devices – Phase 3: Improve Supporting Technologies
Workshop: Manage End-User Devices
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Identify the Business and IT Benefits of Optimizing End-User Device Management
The Purpose
Identify how unified endpoint management (UEM) can improve the lives of the end user and of IT.
Key Benefits Achieved
Cutting through the vendor hype and aligning with business needs.
Activities
1.1 Identify benefits you can provide to stakeholders.
1.2 Identify business and IT goals in order to prioritize benefits.
1.3 Identify how to achieve benefits.
1.4 Define goals based on desired benefits.
Outputs
Executive presentation
2 Improve the Teams and Processes That Support End-User Device Management
The Purpose
Ensure that your teams have a consistent approach to end-user device management.
Key Benefits Achieved
Developed a standard approach to roles and responsibilities, to training, and to device management processes.
Activities
2.1 Align roles to your environment.
2.2 Assign architect-, engineer-, and administrator-level responsibilities.
2.3 Rationalize your responsibility matrix.
2.4 Ensure you have the necessary skills.
2.5 Define Tier 2 processes, including patch deployment, emergency patch deployment, device deployment, app deployment, and app packaging.
Outputs
List of roles involved in end-user device management
Responsibility matrix for end-user device management
End-user device management training plan
End-user device management standard operating procedure
Workflows and checklists of end-user device management processes
3 Improve the Technologies That Support End-User Device Management
The Purpose
Modernize the toolset used by IT to manage end-user devices.
Key Benefits Achieved
Saving time and resources for many standard device management processes.
Activities
3.1 Define the core image for each device/OS.
3.2 Define app packages.
3.3 Gather action items for improving the support technologies.
3.4 Create a roadmap for improving end-user device management.
3.5 Create a communication plan for improving end-user device management.
Outputs
Core image outline
Application package outline
End-user device management roadmap
End-user device management communication plan