Enterprise Device Tracking With Automated Status Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Companies face challenges in efficiently tracking and managing the status and location of thousands of electronic devices, including determining which employee has each device, whether it is in use, and handling devices that are in repair, inventory, or at the end of their life, which is time-consuming and affects productivity.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for tracking electronic devices that utilize a device tracking database and computer processors to automatically determine and update device statuses based on external information, preventing prohibited status changes, and providing real-time status updates to clients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual tracking methods are used to determine device status and location, then employees can provide information about their devices, but productivity is reduced and the process is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-tracking of devices through integration with existing enterprise systems (Active Directory, Intune, Azure). The tracking system automatically determines device status, location, and assignment without requiring employee intervention or additional software installation on devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of employees reporting device status is replaced with an automated electronic system that continuously monitors and updates device information through system integrations, eliminating the need for manual data collection and processing.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive device tracking is implemented to monitor all device statuses, then accurate device information is obtained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves comprehensive device tracking by integrating with existing multi-functional enterprise systems (Active Directory for user management, Intune for device management, Azure for cloud services). These existing systems already perform multiple functions including device provisioning, security management, and user authentication, which the tracking system leverages to obtain accurate device information without adding separate specialized systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing enterprise infrastructure and data exchanges as intermediaries to collect device information. Rather than implementing complex direct monitoring of each device, the system leverages the intermediary role of established enterprise systems that already communicate device status, location, and assignment information through standard protocols and data interfaces.
3Reliability
If status change validation is implemented to prevent prohibited changes, then data integrity is maintained, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a comprehensive validation ruleset that defines all prohibited and allowable status transitions during system configuration. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time decision-making during status updates, as the validation logic is predetermined and can be efficiently executed during automated status change processing.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method of tracking multiple electronic devices is described herein that can include accessing first information regarding the multiple electronic devices with the first information including a connection state for a first plurality of electronic devices of the multiple electronic devices representative of a most recent timestamp that each of the first plurality of electronic devices was active and concurrently determining a first status for each applicable electronic device of the multiple electronic devices dependent upon the first information. The method can further include assigning the first status as a current status for each of the multiple devices in a device tracking database, accessing second information regarding the multiple electronic devices with the second information including the connection state for a second plurality of electronic devices of the multiple electronic devices, and concurrently determining a second status for each of the multiple electronic devices dependent upon the second information.