Apple Business Essentials - Few Apps wont install

I advise all my customers on the following adage:

Deploying an MDM makes everything easier. Deploying an MDM is hard.

Device management is a complex web of intricacies that takes years to master. And at the pace Apple changes, updates, introduces new features, etc., it is a never-ending battle of trying to stay one step ahead of chaos. Add into this the diversity of MDM offerings, and it can be a huge challenge to take the first step. My advice is to always pick an MDM that will grow with your needs. I've learned a valuable lesson years ago. As much as you think you know what you need today, tomorrow those needs will change. Selecting an MDM that has more capabilities than you need today simply means tomorrow you will not be wondering why books don't deliver. Or how to deploy non-App Store apps. Or instead of using a profile template to manage a setting you are now learning how to create custom profiles.

I would suggest you reach out directly to Apple for support on Essentials. Like Profile Manager before it, ABE is inferior to nearly every other MDM. At least Profile Manager could be called a reference implementation. ABE is a... well I don't really have any kind words. Disservice comes to mind. ABE makes the assumption that the devices managed under it will spend 100% of their time within the Apple ecosystem (managed Apple IDs and every app available in the App Store). For 90% of deployments, this is broken the minute you want to deploy and manage Google Chrome. Or Zoom. Or Teams. Or anything from Adobe.

Sorry to hear your struggles. It may help you to reach out for professional assistance. There are many consultants in the Apple Consultants Network that can assist you with the initial setup of your MDM. If you are working with an Apple Store, ask your Business Associate if they have any recommendations.

Hope this is helpful

Xcode has traditionally been a challenging app to distribute via an MDM. Part of the issue is the size. It is very possible that Xcode is trying to deliver to the device and while doing so, it is holding up all the other apps. I recommend the following to see if this is the case. Exclude Xcode from the troublesome device. Redeliver the other apps, possibly one at a time to see if they now deliver. Also, use caffeinate via Terminal to prevent device sleep as a sleep cycle could disrupt the download of the apps.

If you were using another MDM, I would recommend delivering Xcode via Apple's direct download link. However, with ABE you do not have a distribution point or the ability to run scripts so you are stuck with fighting the App Store.

As for books, you have chosen the wrong MDM. ABE cannot deliver books. See Apple's documentation here. Read the note:

Note: Managed Distribution in Apple Business Essentials supports only apps. Book licenses can be bought or transferred to a location in use by a third-party MDM solution for distribution.

ABE is a very limited MDM. It is missing a significant number of features available in other MDMs. If you are not too far into the journey of MDM, you may want to review other MDM options and find one that can provide all your requirements.

Hope this is helpful.