Everything you need to know about IT asset management
19 April 2024
Michaela Gray
Blog,
IT asset management is the process of managing the lifecycle of your IT environments. From software to solutions, IT asset management supports organizations globally with effectively tracking, keeping inventory, and optimizing assets to ensure you’re getting the most out of your environments. From procurement to disposal, we’ll explore why asset management is important to your organization, and the benefits of using a tool to streamline this process.
The importance of IT asset management
IT asset management (ITAM) solutions have the potential to transform organizations like yours. Providing a single source of truth, ITAM simplifies the asset tracking process, eliminating the complex processes many organizations have, replacing it with comprehensive storage and regular maintenance. By centralizing information, ITAM eliminates chaos, ensuring accurate records that facilitate informed decision-making. This streamlines processes, allowing IT employees to focus on strategic initiatives instead of dedicating time and effort to manual tracking tasks.
ITAM also contributes to cost savings and enhanced productivity by improving asset utilization and eliminating waste. The real-time updates enable teams to avoid unnecessary purchases, cut licensing and support costs, and enforce compliance with security policies.
Modern IT asset management extends beyond traditional hardware tracking. It aligns with DevOps and SRE principles, facilitating the rapid delivery of new functionalities without compromising on reliability. Effective IT asset management enables organizations to manage their consumption of on-demand services, preventing excess consumption and unnecessary costs.
ITAM empowers teams to anticipate the impact of changes, fostering innovation and quick value delivery. Democratizing access to insights gives organizations a competitive edge, making strategic IT asset management essential for those striving to keep pace with modern innovation.
What are the benefits of getting an IT asset management tool?
By implementing an IT asset management tool, your organization will see several benefits, empowering your employees with efficiency and streamlined processes.
- Forget complex spreadsheets, License Dashboard’s IT asset management tools give you access to a single comprehensive management dashboard, simplifying the asset tracking process while maintaining simplicity and efficiency
- As the dependence on software, infrastructure, and platform services rises, a key strategy for cost reduction lies in optimizing spending on these resources. IT asset management ensures your assets are being used effectively, cutting out any services or solutions that are generating unnecessary costs
- Increasingly, applications, licenses, and various assets are procured, administered, and utilized ‘in the shadows,’ escaping the awareness of the central IT team. Utilizing software that facilitates collaboration ensures that your IT Team will remain informed, empowering other teams to enhance productivity while mitigating risks and avoiding unnecessary costs
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Introducing software asset management tools
Software asset management (SAM) comprises foundational processes that define its essence.
Together, ITAM and SAM tools can provide a comprehensive oversight of an organization’s IT assets and software licenses. IT asset management tools typically focus on hardware assets, tracking their lifecycle from procurement to disposal, while software asset management tools specialize in managing software licenses, ensuring compliance, and optimizing software usage. When integrated, these tools enable organizations to correlate hardware and software data, ensuring that software is properly licensed for the hardware it’s installed on. This combination of solutions helps organizations streamline IT operations, reduce costs, and mitigate compliance risks by providing a comprehensive view of their environment.
Let’s take a look at the core processes of software asset management tools:
Software usage: this policy delineates permissible user actions with installed software, aiding vendors in detecting misuse and maintaining business compliance
Software procurement: facilitating software acquisition, this process guides decisions on requirements, users, and appropriate usage
Software deployment: SAM processes ensure the proper deployment and approval of new software, streamlining applications and enhancing efficiency
Employee mobility: tracking software usage during employee onboarding, relocation, or departure ensures efficient reallocation and optimal utilization
Disaster recovery: in the event of disasters, SAM processes sustain critical IT and software services until resolution
Software recycling: efficient redistribution of software assets during employee exits or internal license reviews prevents hidden costs and adheres to proper methods
License compliance: SAM processes uphold license compliance, enabling organizations to pass audits and efficiently address any issues
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How secure do my software asset management tools need to be?
The security of your software asset management tools is paramount, aligning with the sensitivity of the data it handles. Robust security measures are essential to safeguard against potential threats, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information. Features such as encryption, access controls, and regular security updates are needed to prevent unauthorized access. The level of security should align with the organization’s risk tolerance and the criticality of the data managed by the ITAM tool, establishing a robust defence against growing cyber threats.
What is an IT Asset Manager?
An IT asset manager is a professional specializing in the oversight of an organization’s IT resources. A software asset manager is responsible for the strategic management of hardware, software systems, and information throughout their lifecycle. By implementing comprehensive processes across all stages, including planning, procurement, and retirement, they aim to minimize costs, maximize investments, and provide a single source of truth for informed decision-making within the organization.
License Dashboard IT asset management solutions
Our specialists will design IT asset management software to suit the needs of your organization. Working with your team to ensure quick onboarding and immediate management of your key software, your organization will continue to get the most value from your SAM investments.
Contact us to find out more about how we can support your cloud finance management process.
Alternatively, please email us at [email protected] or call 01904 562200 and one of our specialists will be in touch to discuss your requirements.
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Michaela has worked within the industry for over 11 years, both within sales and marketing. She works closely with the team to support them with all their marketing needs and maintains and promotes the License Dashboard brand.
Michaela Gray
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