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Manage End-User Devices

Simplify device management by aligning practices for laptops, phones, BYOD, and everything in between.

  • 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.

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.

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.

3. Improve supporting technologies

Stop using management tools and techniques from the Windows XP era. Save yourself, and your technicians, from needless pain.


Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

9.0/10


Overall Impact

$47,749


Average $ Saved

10


Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Bruce Power L P

Workshop

8/10

$50,000

10

Jeremy was the best part of the experience - his ability to maintain engagement, understand our particular business landscape, and add value / insi... Read More

Frost & Sullivan Inc

Guided Implementation

10/10

$45,499

10

Texas Children's Hospital

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

10

Wabtec Corp

Guided Implementation

10/10

$35,017

50

Armed Forces Benefit Association

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

N/A

John was knowledgeable and articulate and clearly had background in mobile device management and current available tools.


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.

Module 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

Outputs

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.

  • Executive presentation

Module 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

Outputs

2.1

Align roles to your environment.

  • List of roles involved in end-user device management
2.2

Assign architect-, engineer-, and administrator-level responsibilities.

2.3

Rationalize your responsibility matrix.

  • Responsibility matrix for end-user device management
2.4

Ensure you have the necessary skills.

  • End-user device management training plan
2.5

Define Tier 2 processes, including patch deployment, emergency patch deployment, device deployment, app deployment, and app packaging.

  • End-user device management standard operating procedure
  • Workflows and checklists of end-user device management processes

Module 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

Outputs

3.1

Define the core image for each device/OS.

  • Core image outline
3.2

Define app packages.

  • Application package outline
3.3

Gather action items for improving the support technologies.

3.4

Create a roadmap for improving end-user device management.

  • End-user device management roadmap
3.5

Create a communication plan for improving end-user device management.

  • End-user device management communication plan
Manage End-User Devices preview picture

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

MEMBER RATING

9.0/10
Overall Impact

$47,749
Average $ Saved

10
Average Days Saved

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve.

Read what our members are saying

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Identify benefits
  • Call 1: Overview of project and benefits identification.
  • Call 2: Optional: Review results of stakeholder input and identify initiatives.

Guided Implementation 2: Improve teams and processes
  • Call 1: Overview of end-user device management roles and responsibilities.
  • Call 2: Develop a skills management plan for end-user device management.
  • Call 3: Review our considerations for device management processes.

Guided Implementation 3: Improve toolset
  • Call 1: Review Info-Tech’s recommended approach to imaging and apps.
  • Call 2: Identify opportunities for consolidating management tools.
  • Call 3: Optional: Overview of the infrastructure roadmap tool.

Authors

Sandi Conrad

Brad Wells

Ken Weston

Contributors

  • Raj Sabhlok, President, ManageEngine
  • Simo Salmensuu, CEO, Miradore
  • Valtteri Kekki, CTO, Miradore
  • Phil Martin, Director, Information Technology, Montgomery County
  • Rod Ali, IT Manager, McKeil Marine Ltd.
  • Jed Ayres, Chief Marketing Officer, IGEL
  • Simon Clephan, VP Business Development and Strategic Alliances, IGEL
  • Maverick Fernandes, Information Security Office, Kamehameha Schools
  • Ted Zeisner, Manager, IT Client Technology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
  • 5 anonymous contributors
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