Signing up for an MDM platform is the beginning of a setup process, not the end of a procurement decision. How that setup process is structured determines whether the first few weeks of platform use produce a well-configured, operationally ready fleet or a collection of enrolled devices with gaps in configuration, alerts that are not set up, and a team that is not sure how to use what they have purchased.
Moki’s onboarding process is structured to prevent the gaps. It is a guided sequence of steps that moves from account setup through platform configuration to first device enrollment and validation, with Moki’s team available throughout to answer questions, review configurations, and confirm that the setup is correct before devices go into production.
This guide covers what the onboarding process looks like from the moment a contract is signed through the first successful device enrollment, and what preparation before the first onboarding session makes the process faster and more productive.
Before Onboarding Begins: What to Prepare
The onboarding session is most productive when the customer arrives with answers to a set of foundational questions about the deployment. These questions define the configuration decisions that need to be made in the platform, and having clear answers before the session begins means the time is spent configuring rather than deciding.
The questions to work through before onboarding:
- What device types will be in the fleet, and what operating system does each run? The platform configuration differs for iOS, Android Enterprise, Android Agent, and BrightSign devices, and knowing the mix upfront shapes the entire setup sequence.
- What enrollment method will be used for each device type? Will Android devices be enrolled through zero-touch, Android Agent pre-registration, or manual enrollment? Were iOS devices purchased through Apple Business Manager?
- What is the intended use of each device type? Knowing whether a device is a customer-facing kiosk, a POS terminal, a digital signage display, or an employee handheld determines the configuration profile, kiosk mode settings, and security restrictions that apply.
- What apps need to be installed on each device type, and at which version?
- What is the organizational structure for the fleet? How many locations are in the deployment, and what is the logical grouping structure for device management?
- Who will be the MDM administrator, and are there other team members who need platform access?
- Are there compliance requirements, such as PCI-DSS for payment devices or HIPAA-aligned configuration for patient-facing devices, that need to be reflected in the device configuration?
Bringing clear answers to these questions to the first onboarding session means configuration work can begin immediately rather than spending the session on discovery.
Step 1: Account Setup and User Access
The first onboarding step is configuring the Moki account itself. This covers establishing the administrative account structure, setting up user access for all team members who will manage the fleet, and configuring role-based permissions so each team member has access to the functions they need without unnecessary access to functions they do not.
For organizations with multiple locations or business units managed by different teams, the access structure should reflect the operational ownership model. A regional IT manager who owns devices in their region should have access to those device groups without access to devices owned by other regions. A content manager who pushes content updates to signage displays should have content management access without configuration access. The account setup step establishes these boundaries before any devices are enrolled.
Step 2: Platform Integration Setup
For iOS deployments, onboarding includes connecting Moki’s MDM platform to Apple Business Manager through the MDM server token process. This connection is what enables supervised enrollment, silent app installation through VPP, and the full set of supervised device management capabilities. The process involves generating a token in Apple Business Manager, uploading it to Moki, and confirming the connection is active.
For Android deployments using zero-touch enrollment, onboarding includes connecting the Google Zero-Touch portal to Moki and confirming that devices purchased through the zero-touch program can be pre-registered for automated enrollment.
For organizations using VPP app licenses, this step also includes connecting the VPP token to Moki and confirming that purchased app licenses are visible and assignable through the platform.
Moki’s onboarding team guides customers through each of these integration steps, which are straightforward with the right credentials and access in hand but can create delays if the Apple Business Manager or Google portal access is not established before the session begins.
Step 3: Device Group Structure
Before any configuration profiles are built, the device group structure should be defined and created in the platform. As covered in Moki’s guidance on device groups, the group structure is the organizational framework that makes fleet management efficient at scale, and it is much easier to set up before devices are enrolled than to reorganize after the fact.
The onboarding session covers the recommended group structure for the deployment based on the number of locations, device types, and platforms in the fleet, and creates the groups in the platform ready to receive devices at enrollment.
Step 4: Configuration Profile Build and Review
With the group structure in place, configuration profiles are built for each device type in the deployment. The onboarding session walks through the profile configuration for each device category, covering:
- Kiosk mode or lockdown settings for customer-facing devices
- App assignments and the distribution method for each app
- Network and Wi-Fi configuration
- Security settings including passcode requirements and encryption enforcement
- Hardware restriction policies
- Display and branding settings
- Alert thresholds for offline detection, battery level, and app health
Moki’s onboarding team reviews each profile configuration and flags any settings that are missing, inconsistent with best practices, or likely to cause issues during deployment. This review step is one of the most valuable parts of the onboarding process because it catches configuration errors before they affect production devices.
Step 5: Test Enrollment and Validation
Before any production device ships to a deployment location, the configuration is validated on a test device. The test device goes through the complete enrollment process using the same method that production devices will use, receives the configuration profile, and is verified against the full pre-deployment checklist.
The test enrollment confirms that every element of the configuration is working correctly: kiosk mode activates at enrollment, apps install silently, Wi-Fi connects automatically, alert thresholds are active, and remote management capabilities including reboot and screen view are functioning. Any issues discovered during test enrollment are resolved before production enrollment begins.
Step 6: Production Enrollment
With a validated configuration and a tested enrollment process, production enrollment begins. For zero-touch Android deployments, devices are pre-registered in the zero-touch portal and ship to deployment locations for automatic enrollment. For iOS deployments through Apple Business Manager, devices are assigned in ABM and enroll automatically at activation. For Android Agent pre-registration, devices are registered in the Moki system before shipping.
Moki’s onboarding team is available throughout the production enrollment phase to address any enrollment issues that arise, monitor the dashboard for enrollment completions, and confirm that devices are enrolling with the correct configuration.
After Onboarding: The Support Transition
Once the fleet is enrolled and operational, the onboarding relationship transitions to Moki’s ongoing support model. The onboarding team documents the configuration decisions made during setup so the support team has full context when assisting with any future issues. The customer’s team is trained on the day-to-day management workflows they will use most frequently: pushing updates, monitoring alerts, responding to device issues, and managing the group and profile structure as the fleet grows.
Contact Moki’s team to discuss your upcoming deployment and begin the onboarding preparation process, or schedule a demo to see the platform before committing to a deployment. Moki’s support resources are available throughout the onboarding process and beyond.