A mobile device program is a big deal for any company. It can be a fairly complex undertaking and involve multiple teams within an organization. And, because of its critical importance to overall efficiency (and profitability), it may be something you consider taking in-house. Perhaps you think its size is something that would be too costly to outsource, or that the best people to have a handle on it are those most familiar with your organization.
But we’re here to tell you: Working with an experienced mobile device management provider can save you significant time, money, and headaches, at all stages of a program: deployment, ongoing upkeep and maintenance, and as your organization plans for the future. Let’s take a look at the benefits of outsourcing your MDM program in more detail.
The Program Deployment Stage
When taking on a mobile device project, the team deploying it must have knowledge and experience (and the insights gained from that experience) in order to put together and deploy the right program the right way. Your internal team likely doesn’t have those qualifications (if they do, hurray!), so you’ll either need to plow forward without the expertise you need, or hire a team that has it.
The deployment stage requires a team to evaluate existing internal processes (Are they efficient? Is every team satisfied with how they work?), the people who will be using the devices (What are their skill levels and role requirements? What functionalities are they looking for?), and the technology that’s available for your use case. Only with that information will they be able to make an informed decision about the most efficient and effective program components.
If you take the DIY approach to mobile device management (leveraging an internal team), you run the risks of flawed thinking and/or information, underutilization of the tools, costly missteps, errors, and wasted time, and the very real possibility of program failure. Most internal teams don’t have nearly the experience necessary to be able to evaluate appropriately, nor the insights that would help them formulate a solid mobile device strategy and plan.
You also have to consider that when you assign team members to take on a project like this, you take them away from their intended work – the place where they add the most value to your organization.
By contrast, when you partner with experts in the field, their knowledge and experience are proven and ready to be immediately applied to your situation. As an example, a partner will show you how to take full advantage of your equipment’s functionality – something your internal team likely has no real insight into. You’ll save time because these teams are highly efficient, and they don’t experience the slow-downs internal teams do (a consequence of their lack of know-how). Your project gets off the ground sooner, and you start benefiting from it sooner, too.
You’ll also likely save money, too, working with a partner rather than hiring for the skills needed. A comparison of the added expenses required when you bring on additional employees (salaries, benefits, paid time off, etc.) with the cost of working with an MDM solutions partner will likely prove that the most practical financial decision is to outsource this work.
Finally, working with a partner could minimize your deployment’s upfront costs, if that partner offers device rental. This approach relieves you of large outlays of cash, and means that your monthly costs are consistent (your Finance person will love this). Some partners offer flexible financing should you decide to purchase your equipment, too. Without a partner, you may be forced to buy the devices – and then you’re also the party responsible for all repairs and updates. Think about the time and effort this will take of your internal team!
The Upkeep/Maintenance Stage
This is the “it’s up and running and I now have to manage it all” stage. You’ll again see that the work needed at this stage puts an added strain on your IT team – a group with so many ongoing issues and initiatives on their plate that adding device management to it only pushes them further to their break point. Being on call at all times to handle issues – just one part of the ongoing management process – is alone enough to require you to add personnel to your team.
In addition, your team will have to ensure that all device apps are up to date at all times, replace devices when needed, and manage their end-of-life requirements. In other words, the work of optimizing the MDM program doesn’t stop once devices are in the hands of users.
Working with an MDM partner, by comparison, takes all responsibility for upkeep and maintenance of the devices and program off your shoulders. The partner ensures optimum uptime of the devices and software, reduces downtime associated with upkeep and maintenance (we can accomplish all the relevant tasks more quickly because we’re familiar with them), and when it comes to upgrades, our ability to get them done efficiently and on-time helps mitigate security risks to the system.
Future/Planning Stage
Once a program is put in place and operating smoothly, the team managing it must look ahead to what’s next – the issues you’ll face, and the opportunities that may surface. It’s hard for an internal team to have the foresight to look into the future, and even if they did, would they know what to do with what they see there?
Quality MDM partners have experience with a variety of industries and use cases and are able to apply that knowledge, for today’s challenges and those that they see on the horizon, to ensure that you’re using your hardware and software to reach your business goals. They’ll prioritize what they see so that risks are avoided and opportunities that make sense are leveraged at the right time.
It’s a competitive world out there, and outsourcing has become one way to get a leg up on others in the industry. Obviously, there is a strong business case for hiring experience – the benefits are numerous and make financial and operational sense. Our team would be happy to walk you through all the ways what we do (and how we do it) can contribute to the success of your business.
