IT Asset Inventory

From servers and routers, through computers and printers, to the smallest devices, and even documents and licenses - the world of IT assets is immense and includes crucial elements of any organization. Therefore, handling an IT asset inventory oftentimes appears to be a time-consuming and labor-intensive activity. In this walk-through, we will show you what you should pay attention to when selecting an asset inventory management system so that it is the one with the features your business will really value.

What is IT Asset Management?

When talking about IT assets, it is important to understand what ITAM is. It stands for IT Asset Management and it is about far more than just creating an asset inventory. It is the lifeblood that helps provide better security for your business in general.

From the network security perspective, you can’t protect what you are not even aware that you have. It increases the risk of not knowing what is in fact connected to your network, thus, making it exposed to vulnerabilities. Therefore, being able to track and audit your inventory is the principal requirement for the majority of security standards.

Whether it is an outdated system or software, devices used outside the company, or some removable media, you can easily identify them all with an ITAM tool.

What are the benefits of ITAM?

Here are some benefits of ITAM:

1. You can keep all your asset information in one place.
2. You have more detailed information on every asset and can easily track down their location.
3. You can keep your assets organized and thus, easily report on them.
4. You can track asset performance - have detailed asset logs and maintenance history.
5. You can minimize the chance of unexpected breakdowns.
6. You can track the asset through its lifecycle so that you know when to plan for upgrades or disposal.
7. You can optimize your procurement process and plan your purchases better.
8. You reduce potential risks.

Best Practices for ITAM

You probably don't need to convince anyone that implementing ITAM is beneficial for the organization. However, to do that right, you need to keep a few principles top of mind:

1. ITAM is a continuous process, not something that you do once and for all. You need to constantly update and monitor your IT assets.
2. Any new device within your organization should be immediately added to your IT Asset Inventory and have monitoring software installed onto it so that you can actively monitor it, making sure everything runs smoothly.
3. Use automation in the ITAM processes whenever possible - schedule periodic scans, set up alerts, etc.
4. Continuously track all your IT assets. It will give you greater control over your network.
5. Prioritize your IT assets in order of importance - it will enable you to make quicker maintenance decisions and support business uptime.
6. Introduce a lifecycle management approach to get the most of your IT assets for their entire lifespan. It will help you identify how long an asset will work and when it should be disposed of.

How to implement ITAM in your organization?

With many Asset Inventory Management Software out there on the market, you should go for one that offers the features that meet your organization's specific requirements:

1. It should be easily configurable and customizable so that you can adjust preferences, generate documents, and above all, suits the policies of your company.
2. It should be mobile compatible so that you can access it whenever you need it.
3. It would be great if it offers a great deal of flexibility and it is intuitive to use.
4. You can follow your company’s policies and processes with it.

Now, you can have it all with Axence nVsion® that comes in with its brand-new Mobile Inventory Assistant. It is a mobile application that will enable you to manage your organization's assets without limits! You no longer need to start your work computer and log in to the console – you can use your smartphone instead. Check it out and download the Inventory Assistant for Android!