Take full control of your IT environment (and your budget!) with ITAM

It can be difficult for businesses to manage their IT resources. Between maintaining physical hardware, managing software and securing data, IT teams can quickly become overwhelmed.

Deploying dedicated ITAM software is a practical solution to make their day-to-day work easier.

Here's what you need to know 😉.

See all software IT Asset Management (ITAM)

What is ITAM?

Definition of ITAM

ITAM (Information Technology Asset Management) refers to the management of IT assets within a company. Here, we need to understand all the tools used daily by the teams:

• computers 💻,
• software 💾,
• printers 🖨️,
• cloud systems ☁️,
• etc.

In other words, ITAM makes it possible to draw up a complete inventory of IT equipment and how it is used. Ultimately, getting a grip on these various assets contributes to better resource management and greater control over the entire IT estate.

The different types of ITAM

Generally speaking, there are three main areas of application for IT Asset Management:

• IT hardware: here we mean all the physical tools needed for the smooth running of the company's IT estate (laptops, printers, headsets, mice, etc.). Thanks to ITAM, you can check, for example, how old these devices are, which ones are still under warranty, etc.
  
  
• Software: for the IT team, installing software means continuous monitoring. Expiry of the licence contract, compliance requirements and the number of authorised users are all factors to be taken into account when managing a company's software.
  
  
• The cloud: using a cloud system implies a number of responsibilities for the IT team. These include protecting company data and monitoring the progress of various SaaS contracts. Here too, ITAM provides the best way of ensuring control over these various assets.

What are the benefits of ITAM?

For a company, there are many advantages to integrating ITAM into its operations.

A single, reliable repository

Without a suitable tool, keeping track of IT assets can be a nightmare for the teams in charge. The larger the company, the greater the risk of information being lost. It's not uncommon to lose track of all the equipment, software and subscriptions to manage.

Thanks to ITAM, the teams responsible for the IT estate gain greater control and efficiency. ITAM makes it possible to

• collect and centralise information in a dedicated area 🗃️ ;
• automate many time-consuming tasks 🦾 ;
• reduce errors and misunderstandings ❌ ;
• promote good decision-making ✔️.

Better use of assets

Are you better off extending your SaaS subscription or canvassing another provider?

Is it really necessary to order the new photocopier demanded by some of your employees?

Is your cloud offering complete enough to cover all your needs?

These are just some of the questions that ITAM can answer, giving you a precise idea of the cost and profitability of your IT assets.

Added security

By automating some of the tasks previously carried out by your IT team using ITAM, you free up precious time for controlling and securing your assets. For example, blockers can be installed to prevent employees installing non-compliant software.

What's more, you have an overview of employees' access to the various company data hosted on your IT estate. An excellent way of redefining rights and limiting access to the most sensitive data to qualified users 💻.

Which ITAM process should be applied?

To gain a better understanding of IT Asset Management and how it is used within a company, we can break down its application into different stages:

1. 📋 Designing the asset inventory: this is the starting point of the ITAM process. Here, all the company's IT assets need to be inventoried. This should detail their function, location, cost, etc.
   
   
2. 💵 Establish the lifecycle cost of each asset: a tedious but necessary step, this calculation aims to list the additional costs incurred for each asset throughout its lifecycle. This is the case, for example, for maintenance costs or scrapping.
   
   
3. 👀 Keeping track of assets: managing IT assets is a daily job. Between faulty equipment, the forthcoming expiry of a licence contract or a warranty, it is imperative to be organised and rigorous so as not to get overwhelmed and to anticipate needs.
   
   
4. 🔧 Maintaining assets: equipment frequently needs to be repaired, updated or replaced. Thanks to ITAM, you have a clear idea of the maintenance requirements for each asset.
   
   
5. 💰 Optimise your budget: as well as managing your IT assets, ITAM also enables you to optimise part of your company's budget. With all the data collected and updated daily on your IT assets, you can adjust your financial planning for the years ahead.

ITAM: what are the best practices to be aware of?

Before embarking on the implementation of an IT asset management system, it is advisable to obtain the support and approval of all the teams concerned. It is therefore advisable to :

• organise information meetings on the benefits of ITAM ;
• put together a qualified and motivated team to carry out the project;
• Involve as many of the company's teams and departments as possible;
• encourage feedback for continuous improvement.

When it comes to implementing ITAM, it is also important to:

• carry out a preliminary audit to identify gaps and the most urgent needs;
• Take stock of all the company's IT assets;
• keep the teams regularly informed about the progress of the project;
• automate as many tasks as possible;
• activate real-time alerts to identify any anomalies in your network and remedy them as quickly as possible.

Software dedicated to ITAM

There is a wide range of software dedicated to ITAM, helping businesses to monitor and optimise their IT assets. These include

• Automated inventory, to gather information about these assets;
• software licence management
• management of contracts with different suppliers
• user tracking, to better manage allocations, changes of assignment and support needs;
• optimising assets to reduce costs, etc.

🛠️ Software example:

NinjaOne is aimed at SMEs, ETIs and large organisations, helping them to manage their entire IT estate. Its promise? Take control of all types of asset, from workstations to cloud infrastructure and software. All the data is centralised in a single interface, simplifying supervision. It is even possible to configure personalised alerts, which are very useful for reacting quickly in the event of an anomaly.

See all software IT Asset Management (ITAM)

What can we learn from ITAM?

In short, ITAM offers greater control and flexibility to companies that choose to integrate it into their operations.

With more detailed and organised management of your IT assets, you gain in productivity, security and peace of mind on a daily basis.