Device Selection and Pre-Installation

The first, and most important, step in this process is selecting the correct device for your project. Keeping the user experience in mind is critical to ensure you choose phones that are of sufficient quality and are software compatible for the app you created.

Make sure to specify minimum requirements for the devices that needed to be procured, in accordance with the project’s objectives. To ensure you choose the correct device and mitigate any mistakes that happen during preinstallation, here are a few key learnings from our pre-procurement experience:

• Review every feature of the app comprehensively to decide what device specifications are necessary to support your app’s functionalities. From audio format support and processor speed to storage capacity and battery, it is essential to test how the app functions on various devices to hone in on the minimum specifications. You should also consider how the industry landscape is evolving to future-proof the specs as much as possible.

• Clearly outline minimum specifications and software compatibility checks for device selection. This will help you articulate and standardize the requirements to ensure all stakeholders are aligned.

• Describe in-detail what state the device should be in after pre-installation is done. Be sure to give clear directions on what the device settings should be, and what the app should look like on the device.

• Prepare for any eventuality. Specify that the software should be removable and reinstallable from all phones. If all else fails in the field, at least it is possible to start from scratch!

See Mobile Device Selection and Mobile Device Planning for more information.

Sample Testing

If you are working with a vendor and ordering devices, you want to ensure that what you choose is compatible with the app, and that pre-installation is done correctly.

• Ask the vendor to submit a sample of re-installed devices. Define testing requirements to ensure that the vendor and you are aligned.

• Define accountability for specifications that fall outside of your scope (e.g. life of touchescreen, processor configuration, or other hardware requirements).

• You may want to request that the manufacturer provides certification on these specifications, particularly the ones that partners cannot feasibly test for.

• Conduct high-load and field sanity tests on the device with the application to ensure the sample device is ready.

See Test your Application Size (Load Testing) for more guidance.

Quality Check

At this stage, the partners should undertake quality check (QC) of each device consignment within a few days of receipt. Once the QC is complete, the partners either accept the consignment or inform the manufacturer of any issues to resolve.

• Define and document criteria for the QC exercise based on minimum specs and pre-installation documents, including the need for hardware testing.

• Define the sample size to be tested and the thresholds for each consignment passing or failing this exercise

• Align responsibilities among stakeholders for any outcome of QC even before the procurement process begins. If you are working with a vendor, they should be responsible for collecting and rectifying any hardware or pre-installation issues identified during QC.

• Test devices on-site and build capacity for local or regional teams to be responsible for this exercise.

Device Set-up

Once the devices pass the QC process, it is time to configure them for the field. Each device will require certain user- or device-specific configurations before considered ready.

• Document and disseminate step-by-step guidelines on what each device must go through to be fieldready. It is critical to align on this before device setup begins to ensure each device goes through the same setup process.

• Streamline loigistics as much as possible. At scale, even seemingly minor factors can block the entire process. Account for every detail. For example, consider the seating arrangement, the transport of devices, Wi-Fi connectivity, how each device is tracked, and how you will box devices after review. A useful trick we learned was to include a one-pager with the end-user’s username and password, Google account credentials, and other details relevant to the project in each device’s box. This ensures that each user receives all key relevant information along with their labeled smartphone.

• Ensure sufficient manpower. Device setup at scale can be a painstaking task that is best accomplished with a team of well trained staff. This should be arranged in advance, along with planning the venue details, meals, and energizer activities!

See this for more information: Preparing Android Devices

Distribution and Management

You’re ready to distribute your phones! Before the job is done, we must prepare for a few scenarios, such as: What if a phone is damaged or stolen? Who should a user contact if he/she has an issue with the application or a SIM card? How are the devices tracked if a user resigns and a new person joins in that role? Thinking through device and SIM card management is an important step of this process.

• Distribute devices to users at events like training sessions to ensure that everyone gets the right device, and that you can resolve issues in person.

• Maintain a master spreadsheet of all information, including phone #s, usernames, user deatils, etc.

• Consider setting up a call center or help desk ecosystem for a first line of support for end users to report hardware or software issues.

• Record and analyze data on reported issues and field feedback to constantly improe the application and implementation.