Why Mobile Device Support Keeps Adding to IT Workload

Your IT team has a system upgrade to finish. An integration project is already behind. Then a shipment of new mobile devices arrives.

Now someone needs to stage and configure every device. A facility needs help with scanners that went offline. Another deployment needs coordination.

The planned work waits.

Mobile device support encompasses a wide range of activities, including troubleshooting, procurement, staging, configuration, deployment, daily management, and ongoing support. All of these demand significant IT time. Recognizing this full scope helps organizations see how these responsibilities can overshadow infrastructure and other technology priorities, increasing backlogs and delays.

Key Areas Competing for IT Attention

Managing corporate mobile devices involves several ongoing responsibilities:

• Procurement – Evaluating hardware needs, sourcing hardware, and handling orders.
• Staging (baselining/level setting) – Unboxing, inspecting, and ensuring that all devices are on the same OS before configuration.
• Configuration – Installing apps, adjusting device and network settings, and applying security profiles.
• Deployment – Distributing units smoothly to team members across different facilities.
• Day-to-day management – Device data visibility, device status, and asset tracking
• Ongoing support – Fixing glitches, processing repairs, and helping end users stay productive.

The workload becomes difficult when several functions require attention at once. New devices may need staging while IT coordinates a rollout and responds to support requests.

The result can be staging backlogs, longer deployment timelines, inconsistent configurations, and less time for infrastructure work.

Why Device Work Interrupts Other IT Priorities

Device issues often require immediate attention because warehouse employees depend on mobile technology to complete their work.

New device shipments also create deadlines. Units need to be staged, configured, and verified before they reach the floor. Multi-facility deployments require additional coordination.

When these responsibilities share resources with infrastructure work, planned projects can slip. IT remains busy maintaining current operations while system upgrades, integrations, and other projects wait.

Look Beyond the Support Ticket

Support ticket volume does not capture the full mobile device workload. Organizations should also consider time spent on:

⌛Staging new devices
⌛Coordinating deployments
⌛Managing configuration and application updates
⌛Preparing replacements
⌛Troubleshooting and escalation
⌛Communicating with facilities and users
⌛Following up after devices return to service

Looking at the full process provides a clearer picture of how much IT capacity device management truly requires.

What Should IT Own?

The question is not whether internal IT can manage mobile devices. It is whether every device management responsibility needs to remain with the internal team. Consider:

❓Which activities require internal IT expertise?
❓Which tasks follow repeatable processes?
❓Where are backlogs occurring?
❓Which responsibilities interrupt planned IT work most often?
❓Where could dedicated ownership improve consistency?

These questions can help organizations identify where IT resources are being used and where responsibilities may need to change.

Establish Clear Ownership

Define who owns procurement, staging, configuration, deployment, management, and support.

Clear ownership of device management tasks can help IT teams feel more supported and less overwhelmed by reducing confusion over who handles each task and creating a more consistent approach to device management. Organizations can then monitor backlogs and interruptions to see if the structure is working.

Learn How SMG3 Can Help

SMG3 provides mobile management services across procurement, staging, configuration, deployment, management, and support. This gives organizations peace of mind by providing dedicated ownership of device operations, freeing internal IT teams from responsibilities that compete with other priorities.

SMG3 also helps standardize configurations across facilities and manage mobile devices throughout their operational life.

Which device management responsibilities are taking the most time away from your IT team’s other priorities?

Talk with an SMG3 mobility expert about evaluating your current device management structure.