July 27, 2009, 3:18 AM — In order for IT asset management to be effective, the identification and tracking of key components must be performed frequently and regularly. This post highlights some best practices in hardware and software asset management, based on the experience and knowledge learned from our customers. These tips will help ensure the long term success of your IT Asset Management program, and help you boost return on your technology investment.
Weekly Tasks
- Review new assets. Any new assets that have been logged into inventory must be assessed. This includes both new computers added to your inventory and new software installed across your network. Related: new computers in the last week and new software installed in the last week
- Review of asset utilization. Investigate any assets that are not operational, or are not being actively used. Indicate their status (i.e. in repair, in service for periodic maintenance, etc.), and estimate how long it will take to put them to use once again. Related: computers in repair
- Identification of missing assets. Locate any assets that are not reporting frequently, or have not reported within the last week. Determine whether or not they are lost, or if they are still in use. If they are not being utilized, indicated whether they can be reallocated, or if they should be rendered obsolete. Related: computers not reporting in the last week<
- Review risks & license compliance. Review new risks detected in the last week as well as risks that existed before and were not yet resolved. Remind users to take action to remove these risks. Review license compliance standing and impact of this week's inventory changes on your license standing. Related: risks and license compliance
Monthly Tasks
- Review asset locations. Locate assets that were moved between your physical locations and are now located in a new site. Update the asset's new location as well as current user to make sure you can track the asset when needed. Related: assets by sites and by departments and by domains
- Review duplicate assets. Locate computers that were reinstalled and appear as duplicate in the system. Mark the old entry as the duplicate will take it out of your inventory. Related: duplicate computers
- Disposed assets. Check old assets to determine which ones have reached the end of their life-cycle, and need to be disposed of and replaced. Mark all disposed assets in your inventory to have them removed. Related: disposed computers
- Update contracts and licenses. Thoroughly review any new contracts or software license agreements - or any extensions or amendments to existing ones - that have been executed in the last month. Be sure they have all been captured in SAManage. Include the license count (for software purchases) and attach any important documents such as packing slips and invoices. This will guarantee that your records are in good order and you are fully prepared in the event of an IT audit. Related: contracts and software licenses
IT asset management is not a one-time activity - it is an ongoing process. With the right tool in place and with the operational processes to fully utilize the tool, you can optimize the value you derive from your IT systems. Visit SAManage for more valuable tips and best practices, or to learn more about on-demand IT asset management.
