Enterprises generally find three kinds of companies ready to assist on mobile initiatives: (1) business consulting firms; (2) point solution providers; and (3) Managed Mobility Services (MMS) companies. No matter which type of partner an enterprise considers, a series of evaluation-oriented questions can help narrow the list of optimal partners. The following 10 key questions provide a place to start the MMS provider evaluation process: 

  1. Can the provider under consideration demonstrate deep domain expertise in planning, deploying, managing, and measuring complex enterprise mobile solutions similar to the ones you are considering? 
  2. Did the provider jump into mobile recently, or is there a deep legacy of mobile experience to leverage? 
  3. How many mobile devices does the provider have under management? 
  4. How much of the provider’s revenue comes from mobile, and how much comes from other lines of business? 
  5. On average, what is the experience level (in years) of the mobile team being proposed to handle your business? 
  6. Does the provider under consideration manage all aspects of mobile—from planning to deployment to support to device retirement—internally, or does it delegate key mobile activities to third parties? 
  7. What is the provider’s track record when it comes to delivering completed mobile projects on deadline and on budget? 
  8. How many enterprise mobile projects has the provider completed for a company your size? What customer-furnished metrics are available to measure the provider’s performance (i.e., Net Promoter Score)? 
  9. How will the provider’s support team get up to speed on how your users leverage mobile in their jobs? 
  10. Will the provider be able to repair devices on their premises, or must they return devices deemed to be non-operational? 

Looking for more useful information on mobile technology in business? Check out the Enterprise Mobility Insights Podcast.