If you’re considering a migration from paper processes to digital, then you may be thinking: How do I manage mobile devices for my employees? What happens if an employee changes a password, then quits, or gets let go? How do I keep employees from using it for distracting apps like Facebook or YouTube? If I invest in mobile devices, what protection do I have from them being lost or stolen? There are a lot of variables, and this is when an MDM (Mobile Device Management) solution is incredibly helpful.
An MDM Solves Your Mobile Device Management Problems
Mobile Device Management increases data and device security by monitoring, managing, and securing your company’s laptops, smartphones, and tablets. You can quickly set company-wide mobile device policies and ensure you never lose or get locked out of a device.
Problem #1: “Bricking” a Device
When an employee quits or gets let go without leaving a record of the device password, this is called “bricking” a device. This is because a mobile device you are locked out of is about as useful as a brick. You can contact the employee and request the password, but that is not guaranteed to be successful. With an MDM, your device is always recoverable.
Problem #2: Reduced Productivity Due to Distracting Apps or Websites
One of the major reasons to transition your organization to the digital world is the time savings and increased productivity. Technology is now capable of so much that many companies rely on mobile devices. However, this presents a potential downside of increasing access to apps and websites that actually reduce productivity. A Mobile Device Management solution makes this easy to manage with company-wide device policies. From one account, you can configure all of your devices to only have certain work-necessary apps on them. Or, you may block non-enterprise apps during work hours. Once you decide what employees need to access to do their work, you set the policy. Then, the system automatically communicates it to all devices without needing them to be in the office.
Problem #3: Lost or Stolen Devices
Whether an employee loses a device, accidentally takes it home, or it is stolen, an MDM has you covered. Using the GPS location service built-in to every mobile device, you can track and locate devices at all times. You can even create a digital “geofence” around the office or job site that the device is supposed to remain at. Then, if a device is taken beyond the fence, whether accidentally or not, an alert is sent to track down and recover the device. MDM software can communicate with the device and put it in lock-down mode or remotely wipe your company’s data from the device.
Additional Benefits of a Mobile Device Management Software
While solving the three major problems above is phenomenal, an MDM comes with some additional benefits. An MDM saves you time in many ways. For example, you can configure basic settings like automating wi-fi setup on all your devices. Remote management of apps and operating systems ensures your devices are running at optimal levels without requiring employees to manage updates. You can even track battery life or have an IT team perform remote troubleshooting no matter where your device is on a job site or the plant floor. It’s all done over the air (OTA).
Redlist is not an MDM, but we know that our customers rely on mobile devices to use our software. So, we vetted a Mobile Device Management software called ManageEngine to recommend to our users. They have a free plan for companies with up to 25 devices and a 30-day free trial for all other plans to get to know the software. Since you’re counting on these mobile devices for your maintenance, health and safety, or asset management, they are as valuable of an asset as anything else in your business. ManageEngine can help you simplify your mobile device management, further supporting your business goals.
