Trapped in the Past? How Outdated Network & Mobility Management Is Costing You More Than You Think

Advanced technology innovations power nearly every corner of organizations today, yet many IT teams remain stuck in an operational time warp when it comes to managing their network and mobility assets and processes. Juggling spreadsheets, scattered tools, and manual processes are outdated legacy approaches that entangle businesses in complexity, drive up costs, and leave them vulnerable to costly errors and missed opportunities for growth.

In this article, we unpack why the old ways of managing network and mobility assets no longer work, what’s at stake, and how switching to a smart, unified lifecycle management approach can save you money, time, and headaches. Whether you’re leading IT, advising clients, or delivering solutions, you’ll find practical insights here to help you leap ahead.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

This article is part of our Thrive 2025 Blog Series, offering a glimpse into the kinds of trends and insights we’ll be exploring at Thrive 2025 in Austin, August 25-27. Watch for new posts on our blog through August.

Why the status quo for network management is risky

Managing your network and mobility like it’s 2005 isn’t just inconvenient—it’s costly and fraught with risk. Sticking with fragmented workflows, siloed teams, and manual processes creates a web of inefficiencies that drains time and money, sacrifices agility, and exposes your business to serious vulnerabilities.

Behind the scenes, IT and finance teams spend countless hours navigating disconnected systems, trying to track assets, orders, and invoices. This manual chaos consumes valuable resources that could be better invested in driving innovation and strategic initiatives. Without clear, centralized visibility into spending and usage, leaders lack the data necessary to make smart, cost-saving decisions.

Network and mobility management has grown increasingly complex and costly—often in ways that fly under the radar. Managing technology across multiple providers through disparate systems leads to operational complexity, errors, and hidden business risk.

Fifty-three percent of IT teams report challenges gaining or maintaining complete visibility of technology investments, according to Flexera’s 2024 State of ITAM Report. A 2023 Deloitte report echoes this concern, emphasizing that end-to-end IT visibility is essential not only for mapping assets but also for identifying vulnerable areas like security. Meanwhile, rapidly changing business, regulatory, and technological environments make IT asset management even more challenging.

“CIOs should be alarmed that 53% of IT teams lack complete visibility into technology assets. Organizations that lack complete visibility overspend on technology, face higher cybersecurity and compliance risk, see reduced IT service management (ITSM) data quality, and slow the pace of growth initiatives.”

—Becky Trevino, Chief Product Officer, Flexera

Fragmented billing cycles and diverse purchasing systems further obscure true spend. Nearly half (48%) of respondents in the 2025 AppDirect IT leaders survey identify monitoring usage of services, assets, or licenses as a major pain point—making it difficult to spot underutilization, control costs, or ensure compliance. Access management challenges, such as single sign-on issues and password resets, affect almost half of IT teams, slowing operations and increasing security risks in today's mobile workforces.

These operational challenges translate directly to business risks. Many organizations experience budget leakage through redundant or unused services. Flexera reports that approximately 30% of IT budgets are wasted on unused or redundant technology due to poor visibility into expenses. Manual IT asset management can also reduce operational productivity by up to 40% because of workflow bottlenecks and delays.

Perhaps most alarming, a lack of centralized visibility creates blind spots that heighten compliance risks and slow innovation. As Becky Trevino, Chief Product Officer at Flexera, warns: “CIOs should be alarmed that 53% of IT teams lack complete visibility into technology assets. Organizations that lack complete visibility overspend on technology, face higher cybersecurity and compliance risk, see reduced IT service management (ITSM) data quality, and slow the pace of growth initiatives. One of the root causes of this visibility gap is siloed teams and systems.”

Key takeaway

Lost productivity, compliance gaps, service interruptions, and unchecked spending combine to undermine your ability to compete and grow. Clinging to business as usual in network and mobility management isn’t just expensive—it’s a risk no organization can afford.

A practical roadmap to unified lifecycle management

The good news is that organizations don’t have to remain trapped in costly, fragmented processes. By adopting a unified lifecycle management strategy—one that covers every stage from planning and procurement to operations, optimization, and retirement—businesses can regain control, reduce waste, and drive agility across their network and mobility environments. This comprehensive approach transforms complex, siloed workflows into streamlined, insight-driven operations, empowering IT teams to deliver real business value and strategic growth.

Here are key principles and actionable steps to get started:

1. Centralize control and visibility across your entire technology ecosystem

Fragmentation breeds inefficiency and risk. Unifying data on assets, contracts, vendors, and spend into a single pane of glass is foundational.

→Look for a provider that offers a comprehensive lifecycle solution that provides a centralized IT hub that streamlines operations, with real-time dashboards, alerts, and consolidated reporting to empower smarter, faster decisions.

2. Automate manual, repetitive processes

Automation is a game-changer for reducing human error and freeing up IT teams to focus on value-added tasks. Target areas such as procurement workflows, invoice reconciliation, asset tracking, and support ticket management. Emerging AI and robotic process automation tools can accelerate these gains.

→Look for a provider that can provide a single platform that automates your workflows and provides real-time monitoring, and expense tracking. Organizations using managed services report a 40% increase in operational efficiency and reduced human error, which is responsible for 73% of unplanned downtime.

3. Simplify vendor management with consolidation and flexible engagement

Managing numerous vendors creates complexity and dilutes buying power. Wherever possible, reduce your vendor footprint without sacrificing choice or flexibility. Engage trusted marketplaces, aggregators, or buying groups that offer vendor-agnostic options and volume leverage.

→Look for a network management provider with a platform to help you streamline management across multiple providers, enabling you to seamlessly source, manage, and pay for your technology in one place, and reduce operational complexity and errors.

4. Use analytics to optimize costs, enforce compliance, and forecast needs

Data-driven insights are critical for understanding usage patterns, identifying waste, and forecasting future requirements. Deploy predictive analytics and customizable reporting that can pinpoint cost-saving opportunities and support proactive lifecycle planning.

→Look for a platform that offers real-time insights and analytics, allowing you to have visibility into every dollar you spend and make informed decisions and optimize your IT budget.

The right technology lifecycle management will help you achieve up to 30% savings through improved expense visibility and management, eliminating overspending, and optimizing your IT budget.

5. Embed expert support and managed services strategically

Strong partnerships can augment internal teams, offering expertise in contract negotiations, compliance management, and technology adoption.

→Ensure your mobility and network management provider has a support model that includes change management to drive adoption and maximize ROI.

6. Build security and compliance into every stage

Security is not an afterthought—the digital perimeter is expanding with mobile and hybrid work.

→Integrate security and compliance workflows into lifecycle management to mitigate risk transparently and efficiently.

Key takeaway

Mastering the full lifecycle of network and mobility management is no longer optional—it’s essential for any organization aiming to compete and innovate in today’s fast-moving digital landscape. A unified lifecycle approach, powered by integrated platforms, automation, advanced analytics, and expert support, can radically simplify operations, reduce costs, and strengthen security and compliance, enabling businesses to unlock the full potential of their network and mobility investments.

Join us at Thrive for a deeper dive

Join industry leaders, experts, and peers at our Thrive 2025 conference in Austin from August 25-27 to dive deeper into practical strategies, customer success stories, and live demos that showcase how streamlining how you manage the complete lifecycle of mobile and network services creates lasting business advantage. Whether you’re an IT leader, advisor, or provider, this is your chance to learn how to align strategy, execution, and insight to unlock the true potential of your network and mobility investments.

Register today and check out the many other available sessions and panels.