Enterprise mobility teams tend to arrive at the same two questions: what devices do we have, and can we trust that inventory? With a few hundred devices, teams can maintain a reliable inventory through manual processes. At enterprise scale, that becomes increasingly complex.
As one Samsung SDS customer put it, “There's a lot of weird mismatched data everywhere.” This is the predictable outcome of how enterprise mobile environments are structured. The four factors below explain why.
To explore how Zero Touch Mobility (ZTM) can support your program’s mobile inventory management:
Contact the Samsung SDS Team4 Factors Driving Mobile Inventory Complexity
Inventory problems at enterprise scale rarely trace back to a single cause. Four factors, each compounding the others, make an accurate inventory difficult to establish and harder to maintain.
Mobile Environments Are Constantly Changing
A single workforce event generates multiple device events. For example, when an employee leaves, the device must be:
- Recovered
- Wiped
- Returned to stock or retired
Each step can require an inventory update. Multiply that by every workforce event (hire, role change, departure) across an enterprise, and maintaining an accurate, up-to-date inventory becomes increasingly difficult. An inventory updated weekly or monthly may already be out of date.
Information Is Distributed Across Multiple Systems
No single system holds the complete record of a mobile device.
- EMM/UEM platforms hold device management data (enrollment status, security policies).
- Carrier systems hold telecom data (service lines, plans).
- HR and service management systems hold user and service data (the people and requests associated with each device).
- Procurement systems hold asset transaction data (orders, returns).
Reconciling these sources requires cross-referencing records that were not designed to work together. For Canadian enterprises subject to stringent regulatory requirements, distributed data can introduce further complexity and risk. Running multiple systems in parallel across business lines can result in multiple inventories with no single authoritative source.
Mobile Operations Span Multiple Teams
Ownership of mobility is divided across various teams, including:
- IT
- HR
- Procurement
- Telecom management
- Logistics
- Security
- Finance
Each team maintains records for the activities it manages, creating gaps at points of transition. For example, when procurement receives a device and passes it to IT for enrollment, there may be a period when the device is recorded in the procurement system but not yet in the management platform. Each transition creates an opportunity for the physical fleet and recorded inventory to diverge.
Inventory Data Changes Over Time
A record that is accurate today will not stay accurate on its own. When a transaction is recorded in one system but not another, the records begin to diverge. Without a process to reconcile them, the discrepancy can persist indefinitely.
Errors can spread when downstream processes rely on inaccurate records. Periodic reconciliation can correct these discrepancies, but only at the point when the reconciliation occurs. As devices and their records continue to change between reconciliation cycles, discrepancies can accumulate again.
Addressing Mobile Inventory Complexity With Zero Touch Mobility
Zero Touch Mobility (ZTM) simplifies mobile inventory management. It connects the systems where device data already resides and manages lifecycle activity through a single environment built natively on ServiceNow.
Connected Mobile Ecosystem
ZTM is purpose built for mobility, connecting the systems that hold different parts of the device record. It includes EMM and UEM platforms, such as Samsung Knox Manage and Microsoft Intune. It also includes enrollment platforms, such as Knox Mobile Enrollment and Google Zero Touch. Collectively, these integrations bring device data and lifecycle activity into a single environment.
Mobile-Aware ServiceNow
ZTM is a certified application installed directly into an organization’s instance through the ServiceNow Store. Device data resides natively in the platform, where existing reporting and workflow capabilities can access it without relying on an external database.
Hardware Asset Management (HAM) is included as part of the ZTM entitlement. ZTM extends ServiceNow HAM with mobile specific asset data, such as IMEI, carrier service lines, and EMM enrollment status. It adds mobile lifecycle capabilities, too, including stockroom management for corporate owned devices.
End-to-End Mobile Lifecycle Workflows
Inside ZTM’s environment, lifecycle activity moves from manual coordination to structured workflows. ZTM includes out-of-the-box workflows for common mobile program requests, including:
- Device ordering
- Device enrollment
- Hardware upgrades
- Service line changes
- Lost or stolen device reporting
Each of these actions updates the record automatically, keeping the inventory aligned with the fleet as lifecycle activity occurs. Workflow libraries (reusable, pre-built workflow components) allow mobile admins to adapt these flows or assemble new ones.
Continuous Synchronization
ZTM continuously synchronizes mobile data (device, user, and group) from connected platforms, replacing periodic reconciliation. The ServiceNow record reflects the current data reported by source systems (not historical data). This provides teams with a single source of truth.
Centralized Inventory Visibility
One Samsung SDS customer reflected a common sentiment among enterprises: there’s complexity in understanding “what we have and where, and who’s utilizing what for what.” The ZTM Manager Workspace addresses visibility gaps, providing a centralized view of the mobile environment.
Mobility managers can:
- View and filter records (devices, service lines, users)
- Take individual or bulk actions on inventory
- Access built-in reports for assets and operations
ZTM also automatically monitors device status—from battery health to network connectivity—extending visibility to device condition.
Contact Samsung SDS
Samsung SDS ZTM simplifies and streamlines mobile inventory management. If your team maintains multiple inventories without a clear source of truth, contact Samsung SDS to discuss ZTM.
Ready to discuss your mobile inventory needs?
Contact Samsung SDSFrequently Asked Questions
What Is Samsung SDS Zero Touch Mobility?
ZTM is a mobile device lifecycle management platform built natively on ServiceNow. It automates end-to-end device workflows, enabling enterprises to seamlessly maintain centralized, up-to-date mobile inventory records.
Which UEM Platforms Does ZTM Support?
ZTM integrates with established UEM platforms, including:
- Microsoft Intune
- VMware Workspace ONE
- IBM MaaS360
- Jamf
- SOTI MobiControl
- Samsung Knox Manage
- Ivanti Neurons
Which Devices Does ZTM Support?
ZTM is device-agnostic. It supports Android and iOS devices across corporate-owned and BYOD ownership models.
How Does ZTM Keep Inventory Data Accurate?
ZTM supports inventory data accuracy through continuous synchronization with connected systems and workflow-driven updates. Lifecycle actions executed through ZTM update the corresponding inventory records as they occur.
