Discovering seven essential automations that Google Workspace administrators should consider implementing this year — plus two practical, step-by-step workflows you can build today.
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Automating Google Workspace MDM means letting workflows — not admins — provision devices, enforce conditional access, run compliance checks, respond to lost or stolen devices, alert on unusual activity, push updates, and generate reports. Google Admin Console and Google Endpoint Management cover the native basics; a platform like Zenphi orchestrates all seven as part of onboarding, offboarding, and scheduled audits, without scripting.
As organizations continue to expand their reliance on digital ecosystems, managing devices in Google Workspace becomes increasingly complex and critical. For 2025, leveraging automation in Mobile Device Management (MDM) is not just an option; it's a necessity for ensuring security, compliance, and efficiency.
On the other hand, leveraging automation promises a number of positive outcomes every Google Workspace administrator should aim for:
- Enhanced Efficiency: Automation speeds up numerous MDM-related tasks such as device provisioning, software updates, and security checks.
- Reduced Errors: Manual processes are prone to errors, which can lead to security vulnerabilities or non-compliance with policies. Automation minimizes these risks by standardizing processes and eliminating the variability introduced by human intervention.
- Improved Compliance: With stricter data protection regulations, ensuring every device complies with legal and corporate standards is paramount. Automation helps maintain compliance by consistently applying the necessary policies and immediately addressing any deviations.
- Scalability: As your company grows, the number of devices under management can increase exponentially. Automation makes scaling easier by enabling the management of a large fleet of devices without proportionately increasing the workload on IT staff.
Seven Must-Have Google Workspace MDM Automations For 2025
1. Automated Device Provisioning
Automate the setup and provisioning of new devices as soon as they are enrolled in Google Workspace. This can include installing necessary apps, configuring Wi-Fi settings, and applying security policies, ensuring that devices are ready for immediate use.
Tools to Use for Automated Device Provisioning
Google Admin Console — allows administrators to set up basic provisioning templates for Chrome OS devices and mobile devices that connect to Google Workspace. This includes pre-configuring network settings, enforcing security policies, and pushing specific configurations to devices as they come online.
Google Endpoint Management — offers more detailed control over Android, iOS, and other devices, including app management, account setup, and advanced security configurations.
Zenphi — allows to automatically provision devices as a part of the employee onboarding process. With Zenphi, automating Google Workspace MDM workflows and taking actions on the devices is as easy as just choosing an option from a drop-down list.
How To Automate Google Workspace MDM Workflows With Zenphi
While dedicated MDM tools manage and secure mobile devices, Zenphi is the solution you need to complement these capabilities by automating related workflows and processes, which can enhance and streamline the functionalities provided by MDM tools. Zenphi, with all its powerful capabilities, allows IT teams to easily handle approval workflows automation, streamline revocation, blocking and wiping devices — making these actions not stand-alone events but an essential part of operational workflows (for example, automated employee onboarding or offboarding in Google Workspace). Let's see how you can do it with just a couple of drags and drops.
To begin, you'll need to set up a Zenphi account if you haven't already. You can create a free account here. Next, choose a trigger for your workflow (when do you need it to kick off).
- Retrieve the User's Devices. Use the "List User's Mobile Devices" action to generate a list, including details like Device model, Last sync time, Current status (approved, blocked, etc.), and other valuable device metadata.
- Take Actions on Devices. Using a Foreach Loop, iterate through each device and take specific actions. To remove a device, use "Delete Mobile Device" — provide the user's email (from the form) and the device's resource ID (from the previous step). For approving, blocking, or wiping, use "Take an Action on a Mobile Device" — this versatile action lets you approve, block, wipe devices, or cancel pending wipes. You can even include both actions in the same workflow!
- Test and Publish your Flow. Once built, test it to ensure all actions function as expected. After successful testing, incorporate the flow into existing workflows (e.g., onboarding or offboarding) and schedule periodic audits to manage devices proactively — bi-annual reviews or real-time audits when devices are added.
The #1 Google Workspace Admin Automation Tool
Zenphi is named the #1 Google admin tool by thousands of your peers. Contact our team to learn how to automate new hire onboarding including device provisioning step, as well as any other steps relevant to your particular use case.
Book a call →2. Conditional Access Controls Automation
Implement dynamic user access control in Google Workspace that adjust permissions based on factors such as device compliance, location, or time. For example, restrict access to sensitive data for devices that do not meet security standards or are outside the corporate network.
Tools to Use for Automated Conditional Access Controls
Google Workspace Security Settings — allows administrators to set basic conditional access policies, such as requiring 2-step verification for accessing certain data or using context-aware access to control access based on user identity and the context of their request.
Google Context-Aware Access — offers more detailed conditional access settings, allowing administrators to create policies that evaluate the context of a sign-in attempt or a resource request before granting access.
Zenphi — extends the capabilities of Google Workspace by automating the enforcement of conditional access based on custom workflows. This includes actions like notifying administrators, applying temporary restrictions, or automating compliance procedures if anomalies are detected.
5 Best Practices for Google Workspace Access Management
Ready to simplify your Google Workspace access management? From automating RBAC and access approvals to setting up deprovisioning workflows and alerts, this checklist will guide you step by step.
3. Security Compliance Checks
Regular security compliance checks are crucial for ensuring that all devices in an organization adhere to updated security standards. Automating these checks can help identify non-compliance issues early, enabling proactive remediation to protect the network and data.
Tools to Use for Automated Security Compliance Checks
Google Admin Console — provides basic tools for monitoring device compliance, such as checking if devices have the latest security patches or if they comply with established security configurations.
Zenphi — can automate the entire process of compliance checks and the subsequent workflows triggered by compliance results, including identifying non-compliant devices and taking specific actions like sending notifications.
Third-party Compliance Management Tools (e.g., Symantec, McAfee) — offer advanced compliance monitoring and management features that can integrate with Google Workspace.
4. Automate Lost or Stolen Device Response
Set up automated workflows to immediately lock and wipe lost or stolen devices, protecting sensitive information. These workflows can also include steps for notifying the user and IT staff, and logging the incident for audit purposes.
Tools for Implementing Lost or Stolen Device Responses
Google Admin Console — basic functionalities to remotely lock or wipe devices registered under Google Workspace, done manually once a device is reported lost or stolen.
Third-party Security Tools (e.g., Lookout, Prey) — specialize in device security, often providing more detailed monitoring, tracking, and automated response options, including attempting to locate the device or capture photos of the possessor.
Zenphi — excels in automating workflows for immediate response to lost or stolen device reports, orchestrating device locking, data wiping, notifying relevant personnel, and logging the incident for compliance and auditing.
The gap between "policy approved" and "change made" is usually filled by an administrator's afternoon — automation closes it.
5. Automate Alerts for Unusual Activity
Use machine learning models to monitor devices for unusual activity indicative of security threats, such as multiple failed login attempts or unauthorized access to restricted apps. Automate alerts and initiate predefined security protocols without human intervention.
Tools for Implementing Alerts for Unusual Activity
For large enterprises: Google Workspace Security Center & Google Cloud Security Command Center — both offer insights into security analytics and alerting capabilities for unusual activities based on predefined rules, such as repeated login failures or suspicious app installations.
For medium-sized companies: Standard Google Admin Console Features or Zenphi — Google Admin Console includes basic device management, user security settings, and simple alert policies. Zenphi adds more advanced automation, streamlining security protocols by automatically handling tasks like user notifications, password resets, and basic compliance checks.
6. Automated Software Updates
Automating software updates is crucial for maintaining device security and functionality, ensuring all devices run the latest software versions with the latest security patches. Automation helps manage updates more efficiently, especially in larger environments, by scheduling updates during optimal times and handling exceptions automatically.
Tools for Implementing Automated Software Updates
Google Admin Console — allows administrators to manage updates for Chrome OS devices directly within the console, including setting policies for when and how updates should be applied.
Third-party Update Management Tools (e.g., ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus, Automox) — offer comprehensive patch management solutions that extend capabilities beyond native features.
Zenphi — can enhance the automation of the update process by integrating with Google Workspace services, automating notifications, handling update failures with custom workflows, and ensuring compliance across devices.
7. Automated Reporting
Automating the generation of comprehensive reports is essential for understanding device usage, monitoring compliance, and assessing security status across an organization. This automation ensures timely insights into IT infrastructure, helping organizations make informed, data-driven decisions without adding the burden of manual reporting.
Tools for Implementing Automated Reporting
Google Admin Console — basic reporting features for device management, user activity, and security settings. Includes reports on account status, device configuration, and security events. No automations are available though.
Google Data Studio — advanced data visualization and reporting capabilities that can be integrated with Google Workspace data, allowing customizable dashboards updated in real-time.
Third-party BI and Analytics Tools (e.g., Tableau) — robust analytics and business intelligence capabilities for large datasets and complex queries, though automating reporting requires custom scripting.
Zenphi — connects data with any visualization tool (like Tableau or Looker) and provides necessary automation capabilities without scripting, automating the workflow of generating and distributing reports, sending data to necessary tools, and notifying relevant parties about results.
Advanced Reports Automation Without Scripting
Zenphi has already helped to build thousands of workflow automations for Google Workspace, implementing best practices globally. Contact our support team to get a guided automated reporting workflow setup for free!
Book a call →Automate Google Workspace MDM Workflows While Enhancing Security: Automated Mobile Device Audits
Most experienced Google admins know that regular mobile device audits are vital in spotting and addressing risks before they impact productivity or compromise data security. Many MDM tools do provide functionality for mobile device audits, but the capabilities can vary significantly depending on the specific MDM solution. Typical MDM tools allow administrators to monitor and report on device compliance, usage statistics, security posture, and software versions, which are essential components of regular audits.
Automation, on the other hand, can elevate this process to a completely different level. For example, if you choose Zenphi as your IT operations automation tool, you will be able to build a single workflow that would include data collection, report generation, sharing the findings with other organizational systems, and also trigger proactive actions based on audit results.
Let's see how you can automate the initial stages of this workflow: collecting and storing information about mobile devices used in your organization.
- Select a Trigger. For this use case it makes sense to utilize a Scheduled Flow trigger, which lets you run audits regularly — weekly, monthly, or at custom intervals that suit your organization's needs.
- Retrieve Workspace Users. Use the List Users action to pull this data. You can refine your results by filtering users by domain, department, or other parameters. Once you have the list, the next step is retrieving their connected devices.
- Fetch User Devices. Use the Foreach Loop action to cycle through the list of users. Add the List Mobile Devices action within the loop to collect details about each user's connected devices — device model, last sync date, device status, and any additional metadata.
- Organize Device Information in a Table. Store the details of every device retrieved in a Google Sheet or a Zenphi table. Include essential information like the device's id, details, the associated user, and the audit date. This creates a record of every device in your workspace and simplifies report generation for security reviews or compliance checks.
Empower Your IT Management with Smart Google Workspace MDM Automation
The seven automation strategies outlined here provide a robust framework for leveraging the full potential of Google Workspace, enhancing security, and streamlining management tasks. By integrating advanced tools like Google Admin Console, Zenphi, and third-party solutions such as Looker, organizations can not only maintain but enhance their operational posture. These automations ensure that your IT environment adapts in real-time, remains secure against evolving threats, and operates with optimal efficiency.
Embrace these automations to transform your Google Workspace environment into a more dynamic, responsive, and secure system that's ready to meet the challenges of 2025 and beyond.
FAQ
What is Google Workspace MDM automation?
Google Workspace MDM automation means using workflows to handle mobile device management tasks — provisioning, conditional access, compliance checks, lost/stolen device response, alerting, updates, and reporting — without an administrator performing each step by hand. Google Admin Console and Google Endpoint Management cover the native basics; a platform like Zenphi automates the workflows around them, including the actions taken on devices.
Can I automate lost or stolen device responses in Google Workspace?
Yes. Google Admin Console lets you lock or wipe a device manually once it's reported lost or stolen. Zenphi automates the full response — locking or wiping the device, notifying the user and IT staff, and logging the incident for audit purposes — as a single workflow rather than a series of manual steps.
How often should I audit mobile devices in Google Workspace?
Most organizations run audits on a scheduled basis — weekly, monthly, or at custom intervals — using a Scheduled Flow trigger, plus real-time audits whenever a new device is added. The right cadence depends on your risk profile and device volume; bi-annual reviews are a common baseline for lower-risk environments.
Does Zenphi replace my MDM tool?
No — Zenphi complements dedicated MDM tools rather than replacing them. MDM tools manage and secure the devices themselves; Zenphi automates the workflows and processes around device management, such as provisioning as part of onboarding, taking actions on devices, and generating audit reports, connecting those steps to the rest of your Google Workspace processes.
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