What is IT Asset Inventory & How To Build IT Asset Inventory?
Any good organization thrives on effective management and this also entails ensuring every asset of the organization is well managed including the IT assets This is where IT asset inventory management comes in very handy. In this article, we will explain what IT inventory is including how you can build it for your organization.
Part 1 : What is IT Asset Inventory?
IT Asset Inventory, as the name implies, refers to managing a company's IT Assets. These IT assets include;
- Physical devices such as computers, servers, printers, and networking components like routers, firewalls, switches, and the likes.
- Data storage solutions like cloud storage solutions, databases, and backups.
- Software assets like operating systems, licenses applications, and subscriptions.
- Intellectual property including trademarks, proprietary software, and patents.
Part 2 : Why is IT Asset Inventory Important?
There are actually several reasons why the IT Asset Inventory is a must-have in virtually every organization. Here are some of the benefits of having a good IT asset inventory and IT asset inventory management:
● You can get to know about all the IT assets you have which helps in creating accurate budgets, financial statements and planning for the future. This way you can optimally allocate and utilize all your IT resources.
● It ensures that you do proper proactive IT maintenance. You can schedule regular maintenance and updates to keep all devices and software up to date thus reducing downtime and extending the life of IT assets, plus you can easily keep tabs on outdated or near-end-of-life assets.
● It enhances your security as the IT asset management is a key part of reducing the risk of cyber attacks, data breaches and other security incidents like physical theft.
● It makes it easy to track all your software licenses and hardware warranties. It is thus easier to manage vendor contracts and service agreements, ensuring that the organization receives the best value and service.
Part 3 : What Elements Should be Included in An IT Asset Inventory?
Now that you know a thing or two about why you need an IT asset inventory, the next step is to create it. Now, here are some of the elements that should be included in a typical IT asset inventory:
- Asset Identification Information: This should be a unique identifier for every IT asset you have, the category of asset (e.g. software, hardware, or network equipment), the make and model description of the asset and the likes.
- Asset Details:This should include assets’ description and its purpose, serial number, and key specifications such as RAM, CPU, storage capacity, and many more.
- Financial information:You should capture financial aspects like the cost of purchase, information about depreciation of the asset, and an estimate of the current value.
- Ownership details:This should capture the person responsible for the asset, the user of the asset, and the department to which it is assigned.
- Maintenance and support details:This includes the support contact, dates or intervals of maintenance, and the record of services performed on the assets. You should also capture the current status of the asset whether in use, retired, or in storage.
- Network details:This should include the type of network device, MAC address, IP Address, and network connections associated with the asset.
- License Information:This should capture things like the number of licenses, license keys, and software expiration dates.
- Compliance status:This should detail requisite compliance with internal or external standards and regulations.
- Documentation:This should detail any important reference to manuals or guides for the asset.
Part 4 : How to Create an IT Asset Inventory?
Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can create an IT Asset inventory for your organization:
- Step 1.Define the scope and objective of your inventory
- You can start by determining the type of assets to be included and establish the purpose of the inventory.
- Step 2.Choose the right IT asset inventory software
- The management of IT inventory is certainly easier with the help of a good IT asset inventory software. The beauty is that there are a variety of nice tools in the market that can automatically manage inventory for you including tracking and updating inventory.
- Step 3.Collect Data
- Gather information on your IT assets. For software, consider collection information on name, license key, usage status, and installation date. For hardware, have the name, make, model, location, serial number, and user assigned the assets.
- Step 4.Categorize and organize data
- Categorize the data collected as either, hardware, software, data, digital assets, or virtual assets.
- Step 5.Label assets
- Add tags on hardware assets and for software assets add links to licenses or individuals for easy identification.
- Step 6.Establish processes for maintenance and updates
- List out the procedures on how you are going to upgrade your inventory in cases where you will need to add, change status, or remove the assets.
- Step 7.Integrate your Inventory with other systems
- Just to ensure there is consistency across the organization, you might need to integrate your IT asset Inventory with other systems like financial management systems, procurement, and help desk tools.
- Step 8.Train and create awareness
- The users assigned to the assets need to be trained on how to handle the assets both when in good condition, when damaged, need an upgrade, or when lost.
- Step 9.Review and Improve
- Lastly, ensure a continuous improvement or upgrade on your IT Asset Inventory processes, this way it can adapt to the changing technology, regulatory requirements, and your evolving business needs. You should thus generate reports regularly to help in making informed decisions about your IT Asset Inventory.
Part 5 :Manage IT Asset With AirDroid MDM Solution
We are now in a mobile-first world and your organization might have adopted mobile devices such as smartphones, and tablets to facilitate smoother business operations. This is why managing mobile devices is also a key facet of IT Asset management.
Talking of managing mobile devices, you can go for a dedicated Mobile Device Management (MDM) tool, which is essentially a dedicated software that can help you monitor, secure and manage all mobile devices remotely from a centralized dashboard.
AirDroid Business MDM
AirDroid Business is one of the best MDM tools in the market that allows you to manage all IT mobile device assets in your organization from a central point. This is one inventory software tailored for mobile devices and it has tons of wonderful features:
Features:
- It provides a single interface for managing all endpoint mobile devices thus enhancing oversight and operational efficiency.
- It has pre-set configurations ensuring that all your devices are quickly and consistently enrolled for management
- It has advanced remote access features like the real-time monitoring alerts that makes remote troubleshooting fast and easy
- It provides security features like encryption, remote wipe, and password management safeguard to safeguard sensitive information as you manage your assets.
Summary
In a nutshell, proper IT Asset Inventory management is a critical aspect for any organization looking to operate efficiently, reduce risks, and remain competitive in the market. The key to getting it right is to deploy effective processes, and tapping into the right IT asset inventory management tools like AirDroid Business that make it super easy to manage all your mobile assets from a centralized dashboard!
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