Business Leaders Can't Keep Track of Their Ass(ets)
Simply put, you can’t secure what you can’t see.
When talking about IT Inventory we typically focus on physical and virtual software for anything that has an operating system. From the firewall to an internet-connected TV, these are all IT assets.
IT assets are the essential components of your company’s technological infrastructures.
Ways to keep track of these assets are conducting regular audits, using asset management software, labeling the assets, assigning responsibility for the assets, and documenting any and all changes.
Here are 5 tips to help you better manage your IT Assets
- Conduct Regular Audits: Regularly auditing your IT assets helps to keep track of your hardware and software inventory. This also assists in identifying discrepancies such as missing or unaccounted-for assets.
- Use Asset Management Software: Asset management software can automate your inventory process by tracking assets, monitoring usage, and even generating easy-to-read asset management reports.
- Label Your Assets: Label all your IT assets with identification numbers unique to each asset. This will help when trying to locate or track each asset. This can also help with identifying changes during a disaster such as if machines get a new IP address.
- Assign Responsibility: Assign responsibility for managing and maintaining IT assets to specific team members within your company. This will help keep all members accountable for the assets they use.
- Document Changes: All changes made to your IT assets should be documented and saved. This includes upgrades and repairs. Keeping an accurate and up-to-date history for each asset will help in troubleshooting and planning for future upgrades. Having up-to-date domain controllers and IT Inventory is critical to smooth operations.
Click Here to download a free IT Asset Management Form that specifies what data you should keep when it comes to IT assets.
Inventorying your technology infrastructure will enhance productivity through immediate categorization of assets, prioritizes efficiency by providing your employees with the resources needed, and takes the strain off your day-to-day IT work.
One of the first things SingleWave does when working with a new client is deploy remote monitoring and management software. This not only gives remote access capability but more importantly gives us a view of critical assets and neighboring unmanaged assets.
Understanding IT assets is the first step to creating a strong IT Culture in your business that is prepared for growth.