Manual device setup wastes hours. New hires wait for their phones. IT teams scramble with staging. Everyone loses time on repeatable tasks.
Automated onboarding changes all of that.
With the right automation, Mobility Managers like you can deliver ready-to-use mobile devices from day one. No staging, no tickets, no delays. In this article, you’ll learn:
- - The business case for mobile device onboarding automation
- - Key benefits for IT and end users
- - 5 must haves for success
Let’s get into it.
Why Manual Onboarding Fails Modern Teams
Manual device provisioning is not only inefficient, but it's nearly impossible to scale. Each device setup can require configuration, testing, kitting, and coordination across HR, IT, and sometimes even third parties.
For growing, distributed, or hybrid teams, this model breaks down quickly. Devices arrive late. Errors creep in. IT gets buried in setup work instead of strategic priorities.
And for end users, onboarding delays create a frustrating employee experience and slow their ability to contribute from day one.
The Cost of Manual Onboarding
Many IT leaders report that manual device provisioning can take hours per device. When an enterprise is onboarding hundreds of new hires, this adds up to a significant drain on IT resources and delays in productivity.
Beyond time, the lack of visibility and consistency also increases risk. Manual errors lead to misconfigurations, delays, and compliance gaps that can escalate if left unchecked. All these issues trickle throughout an organization and negatively impact the bottom line.
Why Mobility Teams Are Turning to Automation
Manual provisioning is more than a time drain. It is costly, inconsistent, and difficult to scale as mobile fleets grow.
With zero touch onboarding, devices arrive fully configured and secured. No manual staging or handoffs. IT saves time. Employees start fast. Mobility teams avoid the constant swivel chairing between UEMs, carrier portals, and logistics.
Zero Touch Mobility (ZTM) by Samsung SDS enables this transformation. As a native ServiceNow solution, ZTM automates device onboarding by integrating provisioning workflows across your ecosystem from request to delivery. The result is faster onboarding, fewer errors, and full visibility without added effort.
What Zero Touch Onboarding Actually Solves
Zero touch onboarding flips the script. Devices are shipped directly to employees fully configured, secured, and ready to go out of the box. No manual staging or IT tickets required.
With Zero Touch Mobility, provisioning is automated across systems. It connects your EPP, UEM, telecom carriers, and logistics providers to deliver a seamless onboarding experience that starts before the box even arrives.
Employees unbox. Power on. Sign-On. Start work.
3 Key Benefits for Mobility Teams
When zero touch onboarding replaces manual device setup, Mobility Managers see immediate gains across IT efficiency, employee experience, and configuration consistency.
1. Save IT Hours and Eliminate Staging Work
No more warehouse staging or late night device prep. With ZTM, provisioning tasks happen in the background and at scale. IT teams reclaim hours and reduce repetitive setup work that adds no strategic value.
ZTM supports scalable deployment across your diverse devices and operating systems without requiring more IT headcount.
2. Improve Day One Productivity
New hires start with the tools they need. No ticket needed. Whether they are remote, in office, or field based, they receive a consistent experience with no waiting, setup errors, or confusion.
This is especially valuable for distributed teams where centralized staging is not practical or possible.
3. Standardize Setup and Reduce Errors
Every device follows the same policy-driven configuration path. That means fewer escalations, less troubleshooting, and better alignment with compliance and security policies.
Inside the ZTM Onboarding Model
ZTM is a ServiceNow native automation platform built for mobile lifecycle management. Onboarding is just one part of its broader provisioning to decommissioning workflow automation.
But for Mobility Managers, onboarding is the place where ZTM delivers immediate time savings and operational clarity.
The key components of ZTM that can impact your priorities include:
- UEM Integration: ZTM connects to Microsoft Intune, Knox Manage, and other UEM platforms to push enrollment profiles and commands automatically.
- Workflow Automation: From new hire creation to shipping and confirmation, everything is handled through connected systems. No manual triggers or handoffs.
- Tracking and Dashboards: Real time visibility shows where every device is, what status it is in, and if onboarding is completed successfully. ZTM’s analytics and reporting tools help IT teams manage proactively and optimize mobile operations.
5 Must Haves for Zero Touch Success
To make zero touch onboarding work in the real world, Mobility Managers need more than device enrollment alone. Successful programs depend on a few foundational capabilities—many of which Zero Touch Mobility is designed to orchestrate inside ServiceNow.
1. Unified UEM Orchestration Triggered by Employee Lifecycle Events
Zero touch onboarding depends on the ability to orchestrate actions across UEM platforms using employee lifecycle context. When HR events such as new hires role changes or departures are captured in ServiceNow they automatically trigger the appropriate mobile device and service workflows. This reduces manual handoffs and prevents operational gaps during onboarding.
2. End to End Automation
True zero touch includes ordering, configuration, shipment, and confirmation. Anything manual breaks the model.
3. Built In Compliance Controls
Security policies such as wiping and Unenrollment are applied automatically and enforced consistently. ZTM includes audit trails and compliance dashboards.
4. Support for IT and End Users
ZTM includes enablement resources for IT teams, helping them manage new automated workflows and troubleshoot edge cases. End users benefit from onboarding guidance that reduces confusion and support tickets. This improves satisfaction and adoption.
5. Full Visibility and Alerting
Mobility teams need dashboards that show which users have been onboarded, which devices are active, and where any delays may occur.
Launch New Hires Faster With Less IT Burden
Automated provisioning helps Mobility Managers like you eliminate one of your most painful and time consuming aspects of mobile device management: onboarding.
Zero Touch Mobility simplifies and automates the entire onboarding process as part of a fully integrated lifecycle approach. It reduces risk, saves time, and improves the employee experience while keeping IT in control.
By removing staging, manual setup, and configuration delays, IT gains back time, employees get started faster, and compliance becomes easier to maintain.
And the benefits do not stop at onboarding. With the right foundation in place, organizations can extend automation across the full device lifecycle from request to return.
Ready to see how much time your team could save this quarter?
Book a Consultation
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Learn more about ZTM by Samsung SDS
and how it supports the full mobile lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding.
