ServiceNow ITAM Assets – How much do you really know about your IT assets?

ITAM assets are integral to the functioning of businesses and organizations, but how much do you really know about them and how they are used within your organization? ServiceNow IT Asset Management can help you protect, control, and optimize your ITAM Assets.  Keep reading to learn more about your IT assets and how ServiceNow ITAM can change how your business integrates them with crucial business functions to help make smarter decisions.

What are ITAM assets? What assets do you have? Which apps? What hardware? Who uses them and who needs them? Where are they deployed today and where should they actually be in use? How long have you had them and how often are they really used?

First, you need to know what IT assets are. ITAM assets are hardware or software for IT departments such as devices, printers, work stations, or applications, licenses, installations, and operating systems. 

ITAM Software

What software does your business use? Software like applications, licenses, and OS’s are ITAM assets. You’d be surprised how quickly software can accumulate and how inefficient it can make your processes- slowing the experience of the end-user and taking up space. There is also risk involved with the use of software that has a lapsed licensing or contract. Additionally, many software has functionality overlap which makes them redundant, underused, or not used at all.  Your business can reduce spending and increase efficiency through Software Asset Management, or SAM. 

ITAM Hardware

What hardware does your organization own versus rent? If you have a finite number of hardware assets, it’s imperative you know the exact number and who is using what and for what amount of time.  You can avoid purchasing unnecessary hardware assets and find a more efficient way to use your existing assets by understanding where they are actually being used and where they should be used.  You can reduce downtime by having the exact location and availability of hardware assets known. Lastly, knowing the maintenance history and contract information for hardware will guide you through the lifecycle of the hardware asset from deployment to retirement.

How does ServiceNow ITAM help manage your assets? 

If you need to know about your hardware and software ITAM assets from the time they’re acquired to the time they are retired, ServiceNow ITAM can help.

• Track the complete life cycle of assets – ServiceNow ITAM  provides visibility into the entire lifecycle of ITAM assets by tracking them end to end. Most businesses have asset procurement, maintenance and disposal processes that are unique to them.  An ITAM asset life cycle covers all stages of the asset in a business with different statuses at each stage.  
• Manage software and licenses in one place – SAM provides businesses with the ability to keep track of software purchase, deployments, use and maintenance.  SAM reduces risk associated with software by identifying ITAM assets that are unlicensed or helping to migrate to different licensing models or new software.Another goal of SAM is to understand how often software is being used and if softwares have overlapping capabilities in order to eliminate underused or redundant softwares and reduce cost.
• Make ITAM work with other ITIL processes – To make ITAM work with other ITIL processes, ITAM should be integrated by following certain guidelines. First, map workstations to end users to allow for quick assessment of which workstations are in use and ability to handle ad hoc IT asset assessments.You should also build a CMDB which will allow you to see a comprehensive look at all of your ITAM assets in one place. Lastly, tie assets to issues for easier analysis and quick resolutions. 
• Keep tabs on the ITAM metrics that matter – By generating reports on specific ITAM metrics, you can work towards specific ITAM objectives like creating a balanced budget, staying license compliant, making smarter purchasing decisions, identifying discrepancies in your IT infrastructure and using existing resources optimally. 
• Conduct IT asset audits – Eventually, your organization will be audited, so why is self auditing a beneficial function of ServiceNow ITAM? Conducting ITAM asset audits has the potential to serve as an early warning system for your organization.  It could save you fines and penalties when an actual audit occurs. By self auditing, you can reduce discrepancies in your IT environment as well as assist your staff in getting experience with an audit situation without the pressure. 
• Continuously improve the ITAM processes – ITAM is always changing and so are your ITAM assets. For this reason you’ll need to regularly refresh the CMDB through different scan techniques. Scans that are schedule regularly will pick up changes such as additions, modifications or deletions to the asset database

InSource can help manage your ITAM assets

With ServiceNow’s ITAM you can simplify the tracking of your organization’s hardware and software assets with intuitive workflows.  As a result, you can automate work, optimize costs, and increase efficiency with a native CMDB.  Contact InSource today to find a qualified ServiceNow professional.