With any significant IT change, growing pains are inevitable, and the migration of BYO devices to Outlook is no exception. As migration specialists, we help companies large and small migrate users from one MDM platform to another e.g. from AirWatch, or JAMF to Intune.
From the panicked to the exhausted caller and all those in between, we’ve heard it all. Looking back, we’ve assembled a list of seven categories of common support calls you should expect (and address in advance!) when migrating BYO users to Microsoft Outlook with Intune App Protection Policies.
‘Lost’ contacts after migration
This is by far the most frequent support question we receive. Rest assured, the contacts are not gone, they are just hiding. Initially, we’d advise callers to check their settings in Outlook. Oftentimes, an Outlook setting on your personal device happens to turn off by default once a migration has taken place.
To mitigate the frequency of these types of calls, make sure your employees are aware that the sync exists, where and when they can utilize it.
If the instructions are detailed and correct, we estimate your support calls regarding ‘lost’ contacts will decrease by roughly 75%. For those that are still experiencing issues, make sure your techs know exactly where to go to force a contact sync and can provide clear instructions on how it perform the process.
How do I access my calendar?
After a migration has occurred, many employees don’t realize that their calendar has moved. The assumption is that their work calendar will automatically sync to the native iPhone or other device calendar app, but in reality, their calendar has moved to the Outlook app.
This question of “how can I access my calendar” is asked more often than not. The resolution can be a simple matter of training employees to look for their calendar in the right app.
How do I get Outlook on my Personal Device?
This is a pervasive support question post BYOD migration and one that can be largely avoided if addressed properly from the get-go.
Each user should either be assigned the Outlook app via the company portal or instructed to download it on their own via the app store. If this is done correctly, a user should be able to easily log in to Outlook on a personal device using their profile credentials.
Properly setting up personal profiles will alleviate your call volume and, more importantly, employee frustration after a migration.
I’m trying to install my new management profile, but it’s not working.
Users attempting to install new management profiles occasionally run into roadblocks and reach out for support. More often than not, it is linked to a simple error.
The resolution to installation fails of management profiles usually has to do with removing an old profile that is still active on the device. There is an easy fix to this. Simply delete the old management profile, then install the new one.
By wiping old management profiles proactively, you can ensure new installs will be successful.
Migration has occurred, and my device is now asking me for a passcode I don’t know.
There’s nothing more frustrating than being locked out of your company apps when there is important work to be done. This problem occurs often enough to make its way on to our list. Fortunately, it’s one of the easiest to solve.
When a migration is finalized, users will be asked to set a new device passcode in order to access company resources. This is a security feature that will automatically happen during the migration. If a user decides to bypass this and neglects to set a passcode, they’ll be locked out of certain company apps and possibly even their email and calendar. They’ll need to log into their settings, then navigate to ‘Face ID & Passcode’>’Turn on Passcode’ then set a 6-digit passcode to resolve the issue.
You can easily avoid receiving these calls by educating employees on the security enhancements they can expect from a migration. In this day and age, any opportunity to discuss security with members of your team is a good one.
My company’s internal apps are blocked?
In most instances, your settings can be adjusted to correct issues hindering internal apps from working. It’s likely has to do with the default security settings on your device locking the app out.
However, this question can be somewhat tricky at times. Android devices, in particular, are known to block app access and it is a regular headache following a BYOD migration. Issues with these kinds of devices require extra workarounds to get your internal apps working correctly. If this is the case and a fix can not be applied by simply adjusting your settings, we recommend your IT support group digs deeper to deliver a solution.
Instructing employees to configure their settings on personal devices properly will mitigate most occurrences of internal apps being blocked and, in turn, provide your team with a more positive migration experience.
Why has the content in my Notes app disappeared and how can I recover it?
This one often alarms employees. When working with a medical facility, we recently received a call from a panicked doctor that had lost over a month’s worth of medical notes on his device during a migration. Unable to access his notes, the doctor was effectively putting patient’s lives in jeopardy.
Our first piece of advice, should this happen to you would be: Don’t panic. Your notes are not gone for good. When the migration took place, your existing profile was likely pulled off the device. However, the notes can be recovered through Microsoft apps like One Note or Microsoft Office. In most cases, you’ll have to download and open of these apps on your personal device to recover the notes.
What you can do to ensure your company’s BYOD migration goes smoothly from the employees’ perspective
First and foremost, we recommend providing your team with detailed information of precisely what is happening with the migration. It’s no fun for an employee to experience a litany of technical changes when they are simply trying to be productive at work. You can avoid the call of a surprised or angry colleague when things are moved around on their device by being proactively transparent.
Additionally, make sure you’re deploying several pilots to test the process and employee experience prior to going live. Explore all possible ramifications and test on any and all devices your team will be using. Don’t rush the process. You’ll be glad when the migration has gone smoothly, thanks to adequate testing. If you find problems occurring, keep comprehensive documentation of what happened and detail the solution.
