{"id":118112,"date":"2023-04-16T08:51:23","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T08:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/?p=118112"},"modified":"2023-04-19T13:05:27","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T13:05:27","slug":"it-asset-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/management\/it-asset-management\/","title":{"rendered":"IT ASSET MANAGEMENT: Meaning, example, systems & software","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
Technology advancement typically coincides with business expansion. More money coming in implies more workers and more workers means more PCs, servers, and networks are needed. Larger businesses often bring formerly outsourced tasks<\/a> in-house, such as human resources<\/a> (HR), finance (FinTech), and accounting (Acquia, NetSuite, etc.), in an effort to cut costs without sacrificing quality or efficiency. Sooner or later, if your company is expanding, you’ll need to establish an IT asset management protocol for managing your hardware and software assets across their entire lifecycle. <\/p> This will allow you to do things like cut down on downtime, improve your financial forecasting, and lessen your exposure to risk. In addition, many organizations couldn’t function without their IT assets. IT asset management (ITAM) systems are useful for keeping tabs on hardware and software across an organization. We will take a look at some examples of IT asset management.<\/p> IT asset management (ITAM) is the practice of keeping track of, deploying, maintaining, upgrading, and eventually getting rid of all of an organization’s IT assets. Basically, it’s keeping tabs on and making use of all the resources your business has to offer. <\/p> A common question is: “What exactly is an IT asset?” A company’s hardware, software, and\/or data are all examples of IT asset management. The computers and software licenses used in the development, sale, and maintenance of Atlassian’s software and the servers on which it is hosted are among the department’s most prized possessions. <\/p> The useful life of IT assets is finite. The IT asset lifetime can be proactively managed to extract the most value for the business. Planning, procurement, deployment, maintenance, and retirement are all typical phases of this lifecycle, however, each company may define them differently. Understanding the total cost of ownership and optimizing asset use are crucial parts of IT asset management that necessitate the use of procedures across all lifecycle stages.<\/p> In the past, IT departments had complete authority over all resources under their purview. In modern businesses, asset management encompasses much more than just the IT-approved gear. New obstacles arise in IT asset management as a result of subscription-based software and the expectation of employees to personalize the tools and systems with which they work through marketplaces and app stores. IT departments, in order to support modern teams effectively, must be adaptable in how they manage their assets.<\/p> Physical, digital, mobile, cloud, and software asset management are every type of IT asset management. Comprehensive IT asset management considers all the elements that make up an organization’s IT systems. It is helpful to have a thorough understanding of what is included in each classification of IT assets before deciding on an appropriate management strategy. Here’s a review of the main types of asset management in IT.<\/p> Management of information technology (IT) physical assets entails tracking and maintaining all IT-related hardware, software, and physical stock. Decisions about the hardware needed to run an organization’s information technology infrastructure fall within the purview of IT asset management. However, assessing the technical requirements of a project or organization, and then selecting inventory to meet those needs, is at the heart of any physical IT asset management plan. Finding new places to keep gadgets, checking to see if they are compatible with the company’s software, and ordering more hardware are all common tasks associated with managing physical assets.<\/p> Some examples of Physical IT asset management:<\/p> The term “software asset management” is used to describe the process by which a company decides what software it will use and how it will be administered company-wide. Ensuring that all software in use by the organization is properly licensed and that all users have the necessary permissions is a crucial part of software IT asset management. The software is only installed on the allowed number of devices once the IT department reviews the licensing agreement for the product in question. Regularly installing drivers, checking for updates, and migrating data from obsolete programs to modern operating systems are all components of software asset management.<\/p> Some common examples of software assets are:<\/p> An integral part of IT asset management is tracking how team members use mobile devices. It entails keeping tabs on how employees in the firm use their own smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices to access the company’s internal network. In order to keep sensitive company information secure, a mobile asset management strategy should include guidelines for how employees should utilize their mobile devices. This can involve regulating the apps that workers are allowed to install on their smartphones, the security of their passwords, and the extent to which their employers can access data from such devices.<\/p> Some aspects of mobile asset management are as follows:<\/p> The term “digital asset management” is used to describe the process of organizing digital files. Digital assets are the information you save in a database, whereas digital asset management strategies are the methods you use to organize that information. Also, databases are essential to the operations of IT departments, since they are used for everything from the processing of algorithms to the storage of organizational data to the analysis of data for forecasting purposes to the maintenance of websites and the running of programs. With effective digital asset management, you may arrange your data in a way that is accessible and useful to IT specialists.<\/p> Examples of prevalent forms of digital IT assets include:<\/p> Management of cloud assets is crucial for companies that store data on the cloud rather than on their own servers. Your IT staff will always have access to data and services hosted in the cloud if you take the time to manage the various components of cloud hosting. If you’re in charge of managing cloud services, you’ll need to take a look at the critical functions that the cloud performs for your business and make sure they’re all safe and running well. Since the cloud may host various storage, networking, and software applications, it is possible to integrate cloud asset management with digital asset management and software asset management.<\/p> Here are some of the cloud-based assets you can manage:<\/p> Software for IT asset management (ITAM) assists users in keeping track of their IT resources. IT asset management software is designed to do one thing, and do it well: keep track of all the digital, physical, and virtual assets of an organization. Contract, financial, and inventory risk management elements are common in IT asset management software. Asset tracking, hardware upkeep, software patches, and policy governance are just some of the many uses for these instruments in business. IT asset management software ensures all connections are authorized, appropriately formatted, and up to date to lessen the likelihood of security breaches. IT asset management software with real-time monitoring capabilities can detect new connections and notify administrators of possibly unauthorized hardware. In addition to the functions found in software asset management systems, many IT asset management platforms also perform physical and network inventories.<\/p> Features found in most IT asset management software systems that help businesses maintain command of their IT infrastructure and keep tabs on their hardware and software both locally and in the cloud include the following.<\/p> The proper preparation, acquisition, management, and upkeep of an organization’s information technology assets are essential to its day-to-day functioning, regardless of whether they are hosted in the cloud by software suppliers or on-premises systems. <\/p> Now let’s examine the stages of an IT asset’s management life cycle in more detail.<\/p> An organization must have a strategy in place before investing in any information technology, software, or hardware. The first step is often simply becoming aware of a problem or a source of discomfort.<\/p> Finding an issue or set of problems to solve is the first step in the planning process. Perhaps an IT provider you’ve dealt with for a while is no longer providing adequate service. Perhaps you’re on the lookout for a new software vendor or partner in order to implement a new customer relationship management (CRM) system.<\/p> At the planning stage, you need to know:<\/p> The procurement process can begin once these questions have been answered.<\/p> It may be possible to sign up for a free trial of the software, determine if the team(s) utilizing this software are happy with it, and then deploy it for lower IT purchases (like a SaaS product under $200\/month).<\/p> However, this procedure may take many months if a substantial IT purchase is being considered. Prior to making a purchase, it is necessary to settle on a budget, find vendors, solicit quotes, begin trial deployments, and evaluate the various providers and their solutions.<\/p> #3. Installation<\/p> You must coordinate with the supplier to integrate the purchased asset into your operations. It is possible that some staff training may be required to get everyone who will need to utilize the new software or hardware up to speed.<\/p> Once an asset is fully implemented, it can begin serving its intended purpose, bringing about the desired changes in operations and profitability. IT asset management software should make it simpler to track the new asset’s long-term benefits.<\/p> You need to keep a close eye on how an asset is doing when it’s in deployment. Notify the provider of any issues, particularly those requiring maintenance.<\/p> Hardware maintenance is usually handled differently than software maintenance. Maintenance is an ongoing cost for any piece of hardware, from machines to servers. However, the software also necessitates vendor-provided upkeep and upgrades. But software revisions don’t call for wrench-turning or new components.<\/p> Since there is no need for on-site maintenance or replacement parts throughout the life cycle of an IT asset, it is no surprise that many businesses are collaborating with suppliers to move as much as possible to cloud-based providers.<\/p>What is IT Asset Management?<\/h2>
What Are the Types of It Asset Management?<\/h3>
#1. Physical Asset Management<\/h3>
#2. Software Asset Management<\/h3>
#3. Mobile Asset Management<\/h3>
#4. Digital Asset Management<\/h3>
#5. Cloud Asset Management<\/h3>
IT Asset Management Software <\/strong><\/h2>
IT Asset Management Software Characteristics<\/strong><\/h3>
Factors to Consider When Choosing ITAM Software or an Asset Management Solution<\/h3>
What Are the Stages for IT Asset Management?<\/h3>
#1. <\/strong>Planning<\/h4>
#2. Acquisition<\/h4>
#4. Operation<\/h4>
#5. Maintenance<\/h4>