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Best Practices: Managing Your Assets in Conjunction with Your Help Desk Ticketing SystemCopyright © 2007-2008 Clark TannerAre you tired of using multiple systems to keep track of your assets and the issues which have been logged against them? Do you have a way of tracking where your hardware is located and which machines are causing you problems? Is managing all these equipment details giving you a headache? With the growing demands on IT departments, effective management of assets is more crucial than ever. Knowing what assets you have, where they are located, when they were purchased, whether they are actively being used, etc., is critical to any organization. A high end Service Desk software package will often include features to facilitate the management of IT assets. Statistics show that today's IT departments are being expected to track more than just computers and software. Assets such as PDA's, cell phones, laptops and other peripheral equipment must also be tracked. In addition, details such as changes in status, location, and repairs to equipment can also be tracked, allowing management to evaluate trends and make decisions accordingly. Asset management software becomes even more powerful when combined with a help desk ticketing solution. Ticket tracking allows you to see which assets are requiring the most repair/service so you have a better feel of when to upgrade. Asset management software, especially when part of a Help Desk or Service Desk system, can ease the burden of a busy IT department. The benefit is a highly effective tool for tracking what you have on hand and where your assets are located, as well as who is using them. Specifics such as identification number, purchase date, repair history, relationship to other equipment, etc. can be assigned to each item. As assets are purchased and brought on line, assigned to users, or get replaced, the asset management software will keep a history of all the changes. Ad hoc reporting is almost a necessity with a system such as this, since few "off-the-shelf" solutions will offer every report a company would need. A true ad hoc reporting system would allow management to run very specific reports, providing the overall knowledge required to effectively plan for the future with regard to machine replacements. Taking the guess work out of the asset management process, the Service Desk application could report on the past and present issues throughout the entire life of any asset in the database. With increased workloads and limited budgets adding to the daily challenges of IT managers everywhere, powerful asset and ticket tracking systems are becoming more in demand. Upper management expects to see reports which will explain where their support dollars are going and nearly every IT expenditure must be fully justified. If managers are to keep up with these new requirements, they must consider investing in technology which will streamline these processes and keep the CFO's and CTO's happy. "Managed Services" is also a growing trend these days. Large and medium sized companies alike are considering whether to continue managing their own IT shops or to contract out to firms which specialize in providing a "full service IT solution". Herein lies another reason for In-House IT shops to carefully examine their business practices and to focus on regularly enhancing and improving current methods of tracking and reporting on assets. The future will most likely force many changes in the way IT shops are managed. Business models will come and go as companies determine which support methods best complement their agendas. Who will survive this evolutionary process? Consider the man hours you will save by managing your equipment with asset management software. A good Return on Investment (ROI) should help make a decision to implement this type of solution much more favorable than the alternative. About The Author:
*** Digital Reprint Rights *** *** Author Notification *** We ask that you notify the author of publication of his or her work. Clark Tanner can be reached at: marketing@novosolutions.com *** Print Publication Reprint Rights *** If you desire to publish this article in a PRINT publication, you must contact the author directly for Print Permission at: marketing@novosolutions.com
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