Must-have MDM solutions RFP template in 2025

Mobile device management isn’t just a nice-to-have for companies in 2025. With distributed workforces, global hiring, and tons of employees using their own devices for work (checking Slack from your phone, anyone?), IT teams need to secure laptops, phones, and tablets from anywhere in the world.

The wrong MDM solution creates bottlenecks, leaves devices unpatched, and forces IT staff into constant fire drills. The right one automates onboarding and offboarding, enforces compliance policies, integrates seamlessly with HR and identity systems, and provides real-time visibility across your fleet.

To choose wisely, many companies run a structured procurement process with a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFP ensures vendors are evaluated consistently, surfacing differences in capabilities that might not appear in a demo.

This guide outlines the five most important areas to consider when evaluating an MDM solution, with subtopics for each and targeted RFP questions—plus, a downloadable template to help you get started.

1. Device onboarding and provisioning

Zero-touch deployment

Onboarding should not require IT to manually image laptops or configure mobile devices. A strong MDM supports zero-touch programs (Apple ADE, Android Enterprise, Windows Autopilot) so devices are secure and ready from the moment they’re unboxed.

Rippling supports zero-touch provisioning across macOS, Windows, iOS, and iPadOS, and uniquely ties setup to employee data so devices are automatically configured by role, team, or location.

Questions to ask

1. Do you support zero-touch enrollment programs like Apple ADE, Android Enterprise, and Windows Autopilot?

2. Can devices be configured and shipped directly to employees without IT handling?

3. Can you enforce security baselines (encryption, password, OS version) during enrollment?

4. Do you integrate enrollment with HRIS to automatically assign policies by role or department?

5. How do you handle remote and global shipping logistics?

Automated provisioning

Beyond the device itself, MDM must install required software, assign credentials, and apply policies automatically. Systems that integrate with SSO/IdPs can dynamically assign access.

Rippling goes further by unifying HR and IT: when a new hire joins, their apps, devices, and access policies are all provisioned automatically from a single source of truth.

Questions to ask

1. Can you automatically assign software and apps by role, team, or geography?

2. Do you support custom scripts for device configuration (e.g., macOS profiles, Windows GPOs)?

3. How are license assignments and revocations managed when employees move roles?

4. Can IT set baseline OS patching and update policies during provisioning?

5. Are provisioning workflows automated across devices, apps, and access policies?

Offboarding and device recovery

Offboarding is where many security gaps occur. Companies need to instantly revoke access, lock or wipe devices, and recover assets. Rippling automates the entire offboarding process: offboarding in HR deactivates accounts, revokes app access, and triggers device return workflows with prepaid shipping kits.

Questions to ask

1. Can devices be remotely locked, wiped, or disabled when an employee leaves?

2. Do you support automated workflows for revoking app access and licenses?

3. How do you track device return status and recover assets globally?

4. Can you reassign devices securely after inspection and wiping?

5. Do you generate audit logs for all offboarding actions for compliance review?

2. Policy enforcement and compliance

Automated compliance baselines

MDM must enforce key requirements automatically: encryption, OS patching, password standards, and MFA. Without this, IT wastes time chasing exceptions. Rippling enforces these policies by default and flags drift in real time. Because it’s connected to HR, enforcement can be scoped by role or region automatically.

Questions to ask

1. What compliance policies can be enforced automatically (e.g., encryption, password complexity, OS patching)?

2. Can policies be applied dynamically by role, department, or location?

3. Does the system provide a real-time compliance dashboard?

4. How are non-compliant devices flagged, remediated, or quarantined?

5. Can policy enforcement integrate with identity systems to block non-compliant devices from accessing apps?

Dynamic enforcement by role

Policies should not be static. A senior engineer may need SSH access, while a contractor should have restricted permissions. Rippling uses HRIS data as the source of truth, so policies update automatically when someone joins, changes roles, or moves teams.

Questions to ask

1. Can device and access policies update automatically when employees change roles?

2. Can policies be scoped by team, seniority, or location?

3. Are app access permissions tied to device compliance status?

4. Does the system support exceptions with approval workflows?

5. How are temporary elevated privileges managed and revoked?

Audit readiness

When auditors request evidence, pulling logs manually is painful. Your MDM should store immutable audit logs and generate compliance evidence instantly. Rippling does this out of the box, with built-in integrations for compliance tools like Drata and Vanta.

Questions to ask

1. Does the system generate immutable logs of all device and access activity?

2. Can you export evidence instantly for audits?

3. Are integrations available with compliance tools like Drata or Vanta?

4. How long are logs retained, and can retention be extended?

Does the system provide built-in templates for SOC 2, ISO, or HIPAA audits?

3. Application and software management

App deployment

Your MDM should streamline app distribution. Employees should receive the right software automatically, and IT should be able to push updates remotely. Rippling supports pre-built integrations with 800+ apps, allowing policies to assign and revoke access dynamically as roles change.

Questions to ask

1. Can apps be auto-installed by role, department, or geography?

2. Does the system support version pinning and update enforcement?

3. Can custom or private apps be deployed securely?

4. Are app installs tracked in compliance reports?

5. How are licenses reclaimed when an employee leaves?

App restrictions and security

MDM should block unauthorized apps and detect shadow IT. Rippling enables IT to enforce app allow/deny lists and monitor usage in real time, reducing risk from unapproved tools.

Questions to ask

1. Can you block unapproved apps from being installed?

2. Do you provide real-time alerts for suspicious app activity?

3. Can policies restrict access to apps based on device compliance status?

4. Is app usage visible at both user and team level?

5. Can restrictions be applied differently for corporate-owned vs BYOD devices?

Remote updates and patching

Software updates are critical for security. Rippling automates OS and app patch management across your fleet, so IT doesn’t need to push patches manually.

Questions to ask

1. Can IT enforce OS update deadlines with user deferrals?

2. Does the platform support staged rollouts of updates?

3. Can you exclude mission-critical devices from automatic updates?

4. Are patch compliance reports available for audits?

5. How quickly are vendor patches available for deployment?

4. Security and threat detection

Remote lock and wipe

Lost or stolen devices pose serious risks. Your MDM should allow instant lock or wipe from a central console. Rippling lets IT do this in one click, with audit logs captured for compliance.

Questions to ask

1. Can devices be remotely locked or wiped instantly?

2. Does the system provide confirmation when a device is secured?

3. Are remote actions logged for audits?

4. Can devices be put into a restricted “lost mode”?

5. Can devices be wiped selectively (corporate data only) vs full wipe?

Endpoint protection

Many MDMs require separate EDR solutions. Rippling includes endpoint protection (SentinelOne) out of the box, ensuring every device is covered by default.

Questions to ask

1. Is endpoint protection included or an add-on?

2. Does endpoint protection deploy automatically at enrollment?

3. How are threats detected and remediated?

4. Are alerts surfaced in the same dashboard as MDM compliance?

5. Does the system integrate with SIEM or SOC tools?

Threat alerts and monitoring

Security teams need real-time visibility into device posture to be able to detect threats quickly and efficiently. Rippling provides live dashboards and automated alerts when devices drift out of compliance, reducing response times.

Questions to ask

1. Does the platform provide real-time alerts for policy drift?

2. Can alerts be customized by severity and device group?

3. Are alerts delivered via integrations (e.g., Slack, email, SIEM)?

4. How does the system handle false positives?

5. Can alert history be exported for audits?

5. Reporting, analytics, and support

Real-time inventory and visibility

IT leaders need to know who has what device, where it is, and whether it’s compliant. Rippling provides live inventory dashboards tied directly to employee records, so you always have accurate data across different users, locations, roles, and departments.

Questions to ask

1. Does the platform provide live inventory of all devices by user?

2. Can reports be segmented by department, OS, or geography?

3. Are compliance metrics available in dashboards?

4. Can reports be exported to BI or SIEM tools?

5. Is inventory updated automatically when devices are reassigned?

Audit logs and exports

Audit trails must be immutable and easy to export. Rippling automatically collects device and access logs and integrates with Drata and Vanta to streamline compliance.

Questions to ask

1. Are device and access logs immutable?

2. Can logs be exported on demand?

3. Are log exports compatible with SIEM tools like Splunk or Datadog?

4. How long are logs retained?

5. Can IT customize log retention periods?

Implementation and support

An MDM solution is only as good as its rollout. Rippling can be deployed in days because it’s unified with HR and IT data. Dedicated support teams help configure policies, onboard employees, and train admins.

Questions to ask

1. What is your average implementation timeline?

2. Do you provide a dedicated implementation manager?

3. What SLAs exist for support response and resolution?

4. What support channels are available (chat, email, phone)?

5. Do you offer admin training and certification programs?

How Rippling helps enterprises

Rippling’s IT management software unifies MDM with HR, payroll, and IT in one platform. Unlike standalone point solutions, Rippling ties device management directly to employee data, automating the entire lifecycle: provisioning, policy enforcement, compliance, and offboarding.

With Rippling’s mobile device management software, enterprises can:

• Provision laptops and apps automatically during onboarding

• Enforce encryption, MFA, and patching by default

• Lock or wipe devices instantly from a central dashboard

• Manage device inventory across global warehouses

• Automate audits with built-in compliance logs

• Replace expensive point solutions and MSP contracts with one unified platform

By consolidating identity, device, and inventory management into one system, Rippling reduces costs and complexity while improving security and compliance.

Rippling RFP for MDM solutions example

Device onboarding and provisioning

Policy enforcement and compliance

Application and software management

Security and threat detection

Reporting, analytics, and support

Ready to evaluate vendors?