Managing the workflow of purchased VPP apps

[mconners]

Folks,

We have our Apple VPP account configured for use with JAMF Pro and the free apps are streaming down as they should, for the most part. The question is regarding purchased apps for either the Mac App store or the iOS App store. If a user wants to buy three copies of a $5 app for their iPads or five copies of a $20 app for their Macs, what is the easiest and simplest way to administer this so it is integrated with our JAMF Pro installation?

Right now, we have a system in place that isn’t easy or simple and I am curious what others are doing in this regard. Our department, Technology Services, is needing to administer this on our user’s behalf so the purchase is integrated with JAMF Pro and we manage the licensing. No sense of having two different departments buying 10 copies of the same software when we can buy 20 upfront and save money for both areas.

Our discussion on this topic internal to my department last conceived of an idea where the department purchase a gift card for a specific dollar amount. We load that credit into the department's VPP account and then they (us) can manage the apps from there.

What is everything else doing in this regard?

Thank you

[blackholemac]

Our district put our app money in 3 VPP Accounts at the beginning of the year. I control the passwords to those accounts as our Apple admin. A different person for each of our accounts is actually responsible for ordering me to spend the money.

They are the ones that approve piloting paid apps or widely deploying. I just do the mechanics of acquisitions and scoping. Requests from those three individuals go into a separate folder in my email per a mail rule. Our end users have the understanding that their requests will be available in Self Service 48 business hours after the order comes to me to acquire. I have a backup person if I'm on vacation.

It's very low tech, but it is what works for us. We've debated directly delegating purchases to the responsible individuals. We ruled it out not because of finance issues but due to lack of experience by those folks on scoping and administrating the JSS.

Hope that helps

[mconners]

Thank you @blackholemac for your response, this is the path I was considering on this as well. We just need to get our processes documented and locked down.

[blackholemac]

Thank you for the compliment ...I will note that there is much to improve about our method. In the short term what I'm hoping to do is get a separate category added to our work order system for app additions. Staff could request an app addition through the work order system, fill out all details including targets, exact app name, price,etc. They select the app addition category as part of their ticket. Work order system kicks out an email to the correct one of my three budgetary people based on the users login name to the work order system and the fact they chose the app addition category. Budgetary people review the request either grant it or not grant it. Budgetary person routes the work ticket to me. I then procure the app, scope it properly and add to Self Service in the JSS. Students/staff then install from Self Service.

The benefits are checks and balances. Users do not get an app without cost/educational benefit thought from a budget person (an education professional). Apps do not ultimately get added till I make sure they're not going to bring down the network. Students can install themselves through the curated self-service.

Not the most efficient way but that's by design. I'll note if you choose this method, make sure your supervisor is behind you...our budgetary people still wish to do this themselves. my supervisor agrees that it is not a good idea.