Devices
Device setup and onboarding
Assign, configure, check and hand over a work device for a new staff member, with clear owners for unfinished tasks.
A new starter’s device is ready when it is assigned to the right person, configured for their role and supports their first essential tasks. Give setup and handover named owners. Leave unfinished checks visible.
Confirm the role and assignment
Ask the manager what the person must do on their first day, where they will work and which approved equipment they need. Confirm that the selected device supports the required applications and peripherals. Record its asset identifier, serial number, assigned person or team and location. For a shared device, record the responsible team rather than assigning a permanent user who does not exist.
Prepare the device
Apply the business’s standard settings for a supported operating system, updates, screen locking and device protection. Give the worker an individual account with ordinary permissions for everyday work. Keep administrator access for authorised tasks. The exact settings depend on the device and the business’s tools.
Install the applications the role needs through the approved route. Check any specialist exception with its owner instead of copying settings or extras from an older computer. If the business uses device management, confirm both that the device is enrolled and that the intended settings and applications have applied. Enrolment alone does not prove the setup is complete.
Complete Intune enrolment where used
If the business uses Microsoft Intune for Windows, confirm that enrolment is complete and verify that the device appears in the Microsoft Intune admin centre. Check that the intended policies have applied. For detailed enrolment instructions, see Microsoft Learn’s “Step 5 - Enroll a Windows device in Microsoft Intune”.
Pros and Cons of Using Intune for Device Management
- Centralised policy enforcement
- pro
- Automated updates and compliance monitoring
- pro
- Requires technical expertise to manage
- con
- Potential delays if cloud connectivity is poor
- con
Check the first tasks
Have an authorised preparer check the device, network connection and required peripherals without using the worker’s private credentials. At handover, ask the worker to sign in and complete a few representative tasks with their own account, such as opening an approved work record or joining a work call.
Record the result of each essential check as works, pending or not required. Give a pending item an owner and next action. If work must start before it is resolved, agree on a safe temporary route and make clear which tasks remain unavailable.
Record an accept decision when all essential checks work. Use conditional accept only when any unresolved check has an agreed safe temporary route, with unavailable tasks and follow-up actions made clear. If an unresolved issue blocks essential work and there is no safe temporary route, reject the handover as not ready; resolve the issue and repeat the affected checks before accepting.
Essential Checks Before Handover
- Network connection workingworks
- Required applications installedworks
- Peripherals (e.g. printer, scanner) functionalpending
- User can sign in with own accountworks
- Work call joining test successfulworks
Complete the handover
Show the worker how to lock the screen, find approved work files, request software and contact support. Explain the business’s route for reporting a lost device or suspicious activity. Include cyber security in new-starter induction.
Record the equipment received, the tasks checked, the handover date and the remaining items. Update the assignment when the device moves, the worker changes role or the equipment is returned.
In this guide
- Preparing a standard computer setup for new staff: checklistDefine a repeatable computer baseline, apply role settings and verify a new starter’s machine before issue.
- Recording device ownership and assigned usersKeep a device register that separates business ownership, assigned users, physical custody and support responsibility.
- Installing approved software without unnecessary extrasChoose software by role, inspect installer extras and verify what works on a new staff member’s device.
- Creating a practical device handover checklistCreate a short device handover checklist for issued equipment, working tasks, support contacts and pending items.
