3 Quick Wins to Reduce IT Overhead with Device Management

Why “overhead” grows (and why it’s fixable)

Most device pain isn’t caused by rare zero-day exploits, it’s the everyday friction: manual provisioning, mismatched settings, and devices kept long past their prime. The good news: you don’t need a big transformation programme to make a dent. Tackle the “daily drags” first, and you’ll see fewer tickets, faster audits, and happier users.

Below are three quick wins we implement to reduce IT overhead with device management. They’re fast to deploy, measurable, and friendly to change-averse teams.

Quick Win 1: Automate onboarding & provisioning

Manual setup is a silent cost centre. Every minute an engineer spends enrolling devices, hunting profiles, or copying settings is time not spent on higher-value work.

What it solves

• Long setup times and “it works on mine” inconsistencies

• Security gaps at day one (missing encryption, updates, MFA)

• Ticket spikes for new starters and device swaps

How to implement (fast)

• Use zero-touch enrolment

  • Apple Business Manager / Automated Device Enrollment

  • Android Zero-Touch / QR / Intune Company Portal

• Create baseline templates per platform/persona

  • Work profile vs fully managed (Android)

  • User-enrolment vs supervised (iOS/iPadOS)

• Bake in essentials by default

  • Auto OS/app updates, encryption, screen lock, MFA

  • Pre-configured Wi-Fi/VPN, email, certificates

• Automate app delivery

  • Managed app store with allow-listed apps and config

  • Per-app VPN for sensitive tools

Setup checklist

•  Enrolment method selected per platform

•  Baseline profiles created and tested

•  App sets mapped to personas (sales, field, exec)

•  Conditional access linked to compliance

•  “New starter” runbook published for IT and HR

KPIs to watch

• Time to ready (unboxed → productive)

• Tickets per 100 new devices (30 days)

• Baseline compliance rate on day one

Pilot with a friendly team first, capture feedback, then make the baseline the default for all new joiners.

Quick Win 2: Centralise policy & configuration (single source of truth)

When policies live in spreadsheets or are applied ad-hoc, variance creeps in and creates tickets. A centralised MDM/UEM console eliminates guesswork and speeds audits.

What it solves

• Drifts in settings between teams or regions

• “Shadow policies” that no one remembers setting

• Slow, manual audits and compliance reporting

What to centralise

• Security baselines: encryption, lock rules, biometrics, jailbroken/rooted detection

• Updates: OS & app patch SLAs, maintenance windows

• Network access: Wi-Fi/VPN profiles, certs, per-app VPN

• Apps: allow/deny lists, managed app config, data transfer rules

• DLP: copy/paste restrictions, screenshot controls (where justified)

• Access: conditional access tied to device health & user risk

Implementation steps

• Define one global baseline and a small set of persona variations

• Move exceptions into a formal process (time-boxed, visible, approved)

• Integrate identity (MFA, conditional access) so policy = access

• Push logs to your SIEM for central visibility and faster incident response

KPIs to watch

• Policy drift (number of non-compliant settings over time)

• Median patch latency (days from release to installed)

• Audit readiness (time to produce evidence reports)

Avoid this locking everything down on day one. Start with essentials; tighten as you learn, not before.

Quick Win 3: Retire devices on schedule (lifecycle discipline)

Old hardware is expensive: slower performance, more tickets, weaker battery life, and sometimes no security updates. A deliberate lifecycle policy reduces all four.

What it solves

• Endless “this device is slow” tickets

• Security exposure from unsupported OS versions

• Waste from ad-hoc replacements and lost spares

Make lifecycle predictable

• Publish an EOL matrix (by model/OS) with refresh timelines

• Track age & health (battery cycles, storage, last patch date)

• Maintain a spares pool to swap devices immediately

• Plan trade-in/resale at refresh to offset costs

• Wipe & dispose responsibly (certified data erasure, WEEE compliance in the UK)

Retirement checklist

•  Device in inventory with owner + status

•  Full or selective wipe performed and verified

•  Data-erasure certificate stored

•  Asset removed from management and SSO

•  Trade-in/recycling completed

KPIs to watch

• Average device age by team

• % devices at or past EOL

• Tickets per 100 legacy devices vs new

• Time to swap (device failure → user back online)

Tell users the refresh schedule upfront. Predictability reduces pushback and “special case” escalations.

Bonus quick wins (low effort, high return)

• Short device catalogue: fewer models = fewer edge-case bugs and faster fixes.

• Standard accessories: approved chargers/cases reduce damage and strange power issues.

• Self-service portal: password resets, approved app installs, and basic FAQs stop tickets at source.

• Lightweight training: 15-minute mobile hygiene module for all staff (updates, phishing, reporting lost devices).

People and comms: the change accelerators

Technology lands poorly without clear communication. Publish a one-page “What we manage / what we don’t” explainer, especially for BYOD. Emphasise privacy (no access to personal photos or messages) and the business reason (protecting customers, reducing downtime).

Good comms look like:

• Plain-English emails ahead of changes

• Short “how it helps you” bullets for staff

• Named support contact + simple runbooks for line managers

30 / 60 / 90-day rollout (pragmatic and measurable)

Days 1–30: Baseline & pilot

• Choose enrolment paths (ABM/DEP, Android Zero-Touch)

• Build and test baselines for iOS/Android + 1-2 personas

• Pilot with one team; gather feedback and support metrics

Days 31–60: Policy & access

• Roll out conditional access tied to compliance

• Centralise app delivery and data-handling rules

• Publish exception process; connect logs to SIEM

Days 61–90: Lifecycle & scale

• Publish EOL matrix and refresh plan

• Stand up spares pool and wipe certificates workflow

• Executive dashboard: compliance, patch latency, ticket trends

Dashboards that win budget

Leaders respond to simple visuals. Include:

• Compliance rate (target ≥95%)

• Patch latency trend (aim downward)

• Tickets per 100 devices (pre/post-baseline)

• Average device age and % at EOL

• Time to ready for new starters

Attach one sentence to each chart explaining the business impact (risk down, time saved, morale up).

Common pitfalls (and how to dodge them)

• Over-engineering personas: keep it to a few role types; complexity breeds drift.

• Skipping BYOD controls: even on personal devices, use app-level management and conditional access.

• “Set and forget” thinking: review quarterly; platforms and threats evolve.

• Neglecting spares: every hour a user waits for a device is a hidden cost.

• No wipe proof: keep erasure certificates for compliance and trust.

Conclusion

Cutting IT overhead isn’t about heroics. It’s about removing friction where it accumulates: at onboarding, in policy drift, and in ageing devices. Automate the start, control the middle, and plan the end, and your team will feel the difference in weeks, not months.

Want these quick wins live in your environment? Book a 20-minute discovery session. We’ll design your baselines, automate enrolment, and stand up a lifecycle plan—with dashboards your leadership will love.