From best practices to software, how can you optimize your IT asset management?
At first glance, IT asset management may appear to be an operational formality, but in reality the stakes are much higher.
From cost reduction to productivity enhancement, optimized administration and maintenance of IT resources have become real performance drivers for companies.
But it's important to apply the right practices, in line with recognized standards ( ITIL standards in particular), new working practices and technological developments.
How can you best manage your IT infrastructure, especially if you don't use an outsourcing company? What's the best IT management software for your company?
All the answers to these questions can be found in this article 👀.
What is IT asset management?
An IT estate is made up of all the hardware and software resources used within an organization (computer workstations, servers, software, printers, NAS, etc.).
The whole system requires rigorous administration and supervision by the IT department. The aim? Adopt the right strategic orientations through optimized management of the various activities associated with the IT estate, including :
- acquisition and renewal of all hardware and software resources ;
- IT maintenance, both preventive and corrective;
- management of the various service providers involved in the organization and maintenance of the IT estate;
- deployment and maintenance of hardware and software security systems;
- introducing good IT practices among the company's various players;
- strategic management of IT budgets, etc.
How important is optimized IT asset management?
The main benefit of improved IT systems management lies in boosting the company's overall performance and profitability. This is possible, among other things, thanks to :
- better cost control;
- equipment durability ;
- better anticipation of failures;
- greater responsiveness to IT incidents;
- time savings (teams can concentrate more on higher value-added tasks);
- a better understanding of IT tools by all company staff.
☝️ But to take advantage of the above benefits, a number of best practices need to be observed, which we will now describe in detail.
7 best practices in IT asset management
#1 Set up and track an inventory of your resources
To properly manage your hardware and software resources, you need to start by drawing up and rigorously tracking an inventory.
We recommend setting up a CMDB, or Configuration Management Data Base. This database contains all the data relating to your IT assets, as well as a description of the relationships between the various assets that make up your system.
The introduction of this process gives you a precise view of the make-up of your infrastructure. This makes it easier to :
- make improvements and evaluate the benefits ;
- identify obsolete or unused equipment;
- measure the impact of failures.
💡 This practice is one of the fundamentals of the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) standards.
#2 Standardize workstations
Set up workstation profiles adapted to all members of the company, i.e. typical hardware and software configurations, depending on the business and/or department (marketing, HR, customer service, sales, etc.).
This practice makes it possible to :
- save time, especially when a new member of staff arrives, who will be assigned a job that perfectly matches his or her needs;
- place all company players on an equal footing when it comes to IT equipment and software;
- optimize costs by avoiding providing certain employees with licenses or hardware they won't be using.
This standardization must, of course, take into account the specificities of each business, hence the importance of communicating with users in advance.
#3 Automate IT processes as far as possible
In theory, virtually all IT processes can be automated, from updating software to shutting down workstations and starting up servers.
This automation, made possible by the use of specific software, has a dual advantage:
- it saves you valuable time, allowing you to focus your energy and that of your teams on important projects;
- a reduced risk of oversights or errors.
#4 Choose software in SaaS mode
The use of externally-hosted software in SaaS mode relieves the IT Department of the constraints associated with maintenance and updates.
What's more, hosting data externally frees up space on your servers.
#5 Opt for virtualization
Virtualization involves running different IT systems on the same infrastructure.
This process generates significant cost savings for the company, due to :
- fewer servers ;
- energy savings;
- accelerated disaster recovery.
#6 Make users aware and educate them
Applications installed without IT control or approval? Employees using their own equipment ( BYOD, or Bring your Own Device)?
While these practices can be tempting, even for the company, which sometimes sees them as a way of saving money and boosting productivity, beware of data loss and security issues.
That's why it's important to educate users about these uses, and of course to reinforce related security measures.
#7 Integrate remote fleet management
Thanks to the use of certain software, it is possible to manage your IT assets remotely. This is often recommended for a number of reasons:
- easier administration and maintenance of resources for companies
- spread over several sites;
- with a high level of telecommuting;
- the various interventions or deployments do not have to interrupt employees' work.
8 software solutions to manage your IT assets
As you can see, whether you want to automate processes, set up a CMDB or manage your IT assets remotely, you need one or more software solutions.
Here's a selection of IT asset management and IT service management ( ITSM) solutions to help you optimize your hardware and software resources.
1 of 8
 ManageEngine Servicedesk Plus |  Asset View Suite |  Freshservice |  GLPI |  Hector |  LANDESK Service Desk |  NinjaOne (ex-NinjaRMM) |  OCS Inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For companies with more than 1 employees | For companies with more than 50 employees | For companies with more than 250 employees | For companies with more than 50 employees | For all companies |
| See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about ManageEngine Servicedesk Plus | Learn more about Asset View Suite | Learn more about Freshservice | Learn more about GLPI | Learn more about Hector | Learn more about LANDESK Service Desk | Learn more about NinjaOne (ex-NinjaRMM) | Learn more about OCS Inventory |
Asset View Suite
Clarilog developed Asset View Suite, an IT infrastructure management solution, based on ITIL recommendations.
Asset View Suite's various functions, including IT equipment management, license management and auditing, enable you to rationalize IT costs and improve the experience of all users.
What's more, thanks to its intuitive interface, Asset View Suite gives you an overview of all your hardware and software configurations, making it easy to get the most out of them.
Asset View Suite
Freshservice
Freshservice uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to manage IT incidents, divert repetitive requests automatically and lighten the workload of your IT agents.
The software also leverages the ITIL framework to improve IT service management and productivity, accelerate resolution times and improve access to systems.
What's more, its application marketplace is rich and secure, offering a centralized experience between different products and easier governance.
Freshservice
GLPI
Based on a logic of continuous improvement, GLPI is an open source ITSM that is constantly evolving thanks to various contributions and bug reports from users.
In terms of functionalities, this solution supports, among other things, the inventory and visualization of the modification history of all your organization's active hardware and software.
What's more, it features a support module compatible with ITIL V2 standards, particularly with regard to incident management.
GLPI
Hector
All-in-one hardware inventory management software, Hector enables you to process, on a single platform, the loan of your hardware to your employees, periodic maintenance, monitoring of your stock levels and renewal of your fleet.
You can track all your IT assets in real time: equipment loans, losses, breakages, depreciation and maintenance requirements. You can also manage software licenses, warranties and serial numbers, all intuitively.
What's more? In the event of hardware breakage, your team can enter a note in the software at the click of a button to plan repairs or replacement.
Hector
Landesk Service Desk
Landesk Service Desk is the recommended ITSM tool for optimizing and securing your IT assets.
Thanks to automated workflows, all teams can work more efficiently, and costs associated with redundant tasks are reduced.
What's more, the CMDB, along with the dashboards and reports offered by the software, provide real-time visibility of your system's performance. As a result, you can intervene more rapidly in the event of a failure or a need for improvement.
LANDESK Service Desk
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
To facilitate the work of network administrators, CIOs and IT managers, the ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus platform centralizes the management of enterprise services.
It provides 4 ready-to-use, ITIL 4-certified ITSM modules for managing incidents, problems, changes and IT assets in compliance with industry standards.
Within an integrated development environment, you can build and parameterize advanced, visual workflows to establish standard operating procedures for different business functions.
ManageEngine Servicedesk Plus
NinjaOne
NinjaOne is a comprehensive software package for managing and protecting IT assets, enabling you to remotely monitor your entire system (workstations, computers, cloud infrastructure, network devices, etc.) via a single, highly intuitive interface.
In this way, NinjaOne helps you to guarantee the performance and security of your entire fleet, even if you're dealing with multiple sites. This centralized approach, together with the numerous automations and alerts available in the tool, saves you precious time.
You can also take advantage of a maintenance mode to deactivate alarms and actions on assets under active maintenance.
NinjaOne (ex-NinjaRMM)
OCS Inventory
The OCS Inventory solution focuses on managing the inventory of your IT assets.
With OCS Inventory, you can easily launch hardware and software inventories. Then, using a web interface, you get an overview of the results.
You'll also benefit from a remote deployment function, enabling you to deploy and install software packages on remote computers.
OCS Inventory
How should you choose your IT asset management software?
Given the wide range of software on offer, choosing the right IT asset management software is no easy task!
A number of criteria need to be taken into account to ensure you make the right choice.
Asset management functionalities
To begin with, make sure your solution provides a complete overview of your IT equipment, by monitoring various elements:
- their status;
- their location;
- their history.
Detailed tracking of software licenses and maintenance is also crucial.
The user interface
Software that is too complex is likely to turn into a gas factory for users, who will then take longer to fully exploit its potential.
So it's best to opt for a clear, ergonomic, easy-to-use interface.
Security and compliance
Data protection is no laughing matter!
So make sure your solution complies with the latest security standards. Of course, certain prerequisites remain essential, such as data encryption and access management.
And don't forget to check that it complies with current regulations, particularly those concerning the protection of personal data.
Scalability
In most situations, a company is bound to grow: its IT asset management tool needs to be able to keep pace.
Check, among other things, your system's ability to adapt to an increase in the number of devices and the addition of new functionalities. All at no extra cost.
Support and updates
Good IT asset management software must be accompanied by responsive technical support. At the same time, you should opt for a platform that offers regular, easy-to-deploy updates.
These two criteria guarantee that potential bugs are quickly corrected.
Total cost of ownership (TCO)
Finally, don't overlook the price.
Consider not only the initial cost, but also the recurring expenses (maintenance, licenses, updates, etc.) inherent in the software you are about to acquire. After all, a low price sometimes conceals hidden long-term costs!
What about outsourcing IT asset management?
Despite the number and power of software packages available on the market, outsourcing IT asset management is an obvious choice for many companies, especially those lacking competent in-house resources.
💡 Is outsourcing right for you? Here are the other advantages to be gained from this mode of operation:
- you work with experts who are up to date with the latest technologies and industry trends ;
- you benefit from a scalable solution, as the service provider can adjust its services in line with your growth;
- you save on infrastructure, ongoing training and recruitment costs;
- you benefit from support that is generally available 7/7, reducing the risk of service interruption;
- you remain proactive if the outsourcing company you use can anticipate and resolve problems before they affect your business.
Outsourcing therefore promises optimized, secure management of your equipment, while your IT team frees up time to focus on its core business. A solution to be seriously considered, depending on your situation!
What does IT asset management have in common?
Between new working practices, competitiveness and productivity issues, and data security concerns, optimal IT asset management has become an imperative for the modern enterprise.
It's a job that requires both preventive action and rigorous supervision of all infrastructures, as well as the constant evolution of practices to guarantee performance.
But if you don't use an outsourcing company, the efficiency of your IT processes can only be guaranteed by the use of software perfectly adapted to your needs and the complexity of your infrastructures.
Article translated from French
Currently Editorial Manager, Jennifer Montérémal joined the Appvizer team in 2019. Since then, she's been putting her expertise in web copywriting, copywriting and SEO optimization to work for the company, with her sights set on reader satisfaction 😀 !
Trained as a medievalist, Jennifer took a break from castles and manuscripts to discover her passion for content marketing. She took away from her studies the skills expected of a good copywriter: understanding and analyzing the subject, rendering the information, with a real mastery of the pen (without systematically resorting to a certain AI 🤫).
An anecdote about Jennifer? She distinguished herself at Appvizer with her karaoke skills and boundless knowledge of musical nanars 🎤.