When it comes to managing your Information Technology (IT) assets, there are two common options: create a spreadsheet or choose management software. If you normally choose the former, don’t worry – it’s not just you.
Many companies still rely on spreadsheets to track their IT assets. And when you only have a few devices to manage and few users to serve, it’s not all that bad. However, working with a spreadsheet can easily turn into chaos as it is ultimately not as comprehensive as an IT management tool (ITAM).
In recent years, the adoption of IT asset management has grown in popularity. Companies are beginning to realize its usefulness for financial reasons (to avoid unnecessary costs), operational (to optimize processes), regulatory (to contribute to compliance), and security (to keep assets safe and up to date).
Let’s take a closer look at what asset management is and how you can take advantage of it.
What is asset management software?
We can say that asset management software is a tool for asset tracking. But in practice, it is much more than that. It helps you manage and control all aspects of your IT environment, from licensing and compliance to contracts and renewals.
With an ITAM tool you can get a clear overview of your IT infrastructure, see where your assets are, what their status is and how they are being used. You can also track your license usage and make sure you are always compliant.
At the end of the day, IT asset management is all about keeping your company’s assets clean, organized, efficient and secure – tasks that can exceed the usability of a spreadsheet.
What are the benefits of managing IT assets with an ITAM tool?
Now that we know what asset management is all about, it’s time to look at something more concrete. Here is a list of six benefits of managing IT assets with an ITAM tool.
1. Know your IT infrastructure
With an ITAM tool, you can have a complete view of all your assets, their location and status. You can track them digitally and geographically. So you can always be sure that nothing is overlooked and that your assets are where they need to be.
Until now, this task could be accomplished with a spreadsheet. However, software asset management can also map the connections between your assets to understand the relationships between them and the potential impact of repairs, malfunctions or replacements.
let’s use InvGate Insight As an example of IT asset management software. By clicking on any device, you will get a good idea of its condition, health and location by simply going to a screen. Such data points are updated remotely every two hours or at any time you specify. You can also set up alerts and automate actions to respond to any changes.
2. Maximize value
And with the first benefit comes the second. Having a clear overview of your IT infrastructure is helpful for both understanding the resources you have and allocating them better. Additionally, tracking these features allows you to identify unnecessary expenses, control the depreciation process and plan your budget accordingly.
Yes, this is something a spreadsheet can manage. However, you have to spend some time customizing it and manually creating formulas for it to happen automatically. But with an asset management tool this is immediate.
After you upload your asset inventory, the system keeps track of everything. For example, in the screenshot InvGate InsightIt is possible to detect underutilized licenses or idle devices in a few seconds and with a much friendlier interface.
3. Control costs
We have already mentioned this above, but it becomes possible to know what you have and to see the distribution clearly, to control spending. Not just for better resource allocation, but also for investing in what you really need or getting rid of subscriptions and licenses that no one is using.
While this can be done with a spreadsheet, it’s faster and easier to do it through asset management software. For example, you can switch a notebook from one user to another and manually save it to Excel; but you lose traceability.
4. Manage risks
Another benefit of managing IT assets with a single tool ITAM consists in risk reduction. With asset management software, you can easily identify devices that are out of date or have unauthorized software installed.
Imagine how much more secure your network would be if you could push updates to fix zero-day vulnerabilities in software. With the asset management program it is possible to have a list of vulnerable devices in a matter of seconds. Don’t believe? Here’s a video to prove it!
Chrome Zero Day: Find Devices with Vulnerability for Patching
An ITAM tool also makes it easy to identify unauthorized entities, which are unauthorized, unaddressed items that live in your IT infrastructure without you even realizing it. “Bring your own device” and internet of things (IoT) policies are good examples. While it has its advantages, it also has costs: it increases a network’s security risk and multiplies threats.
5. Make informed decisions
Asset management software doesn’t give you visibility into everything we talked about earlier. It should also generate reports quickly. They are useful for the decision process and are a great way to support changes.
Instead of spending hours or even days creating a full report in Excel, simply select the categories and tool you want to report on. ITAM it will create graphics in a “blink”.
6. Meet regulatory and contractual requirements
Finally, being able to monitor processes, have traceability and control licenses has a significant impact on compliance. Fear of audits is a thing of the past because an ITAM tool speeds up the process, allowing you to keep track of everything and show it step-by-step to anyone who needs it.
main results
Asset management isn’t just about keeping track of what you own; it’s also about making sure your assets are used properly and you get the most out of them. With that in mind, you can see how a spreadsheet falls short of the task.
When it comes to managing a company’s IT assets, it is essential to have the best tools to avoid unnecessary costs and security risks. You need a system that alerts you when devices need to be removed, when licenses are about to expire, or when software needs to be updated.
IT asset management software covers all the key points, so it has become an ally for businesses large and small worldwide. So if you still use a spreadsheet to manage your IT assets, it’s time to make the switch. Your business deserves the best asset management solution.
Source: Tec Mundo
