Asset Management: Conception to Maturity

Knowing how, to what level, and when to audit is key to ensuring that an asset management project delivers value and benefit and is not seen as a drain on both resources and time, find out current Corporate IT best practice in this report.

In the context of IT, Asset Management is a set of business practices that join financial, contractual and inventory functions to support lifecycle management and strategic decision making for the IT environment. Assets include all elements of hardware and software that are found in the business environment.

Getting a quick and comprehensive view of what assets are on your network and part of your estate is essential to meet the growing demands of an efficient enterprise. Knowing how, to what level and when to audit is also key to ensuring that an asset management project delivers value and benefit and is not seen as a drain on both resources and time.

Asset management has been discussed frequently over the years by members of the Corporate IT Forum and many organisations struggle with outdated, often partially manual systems or products that are procured, but never customised to the business' needs. Others have systems in place, but no longer employ a member of staff with the knowledge and expertise to complete the project. It is rare for IT to start with a clean slate, but sometimes that can be the best solution.

The objectives of the 'Asset Management: Conception to Maturity' workshop were to enable members to establish the best start to asset management and derive top tips to creating a successful system from scratch. The workshop aims to address when and how to undertake audits and report on the system to show savings and opportunities for investment.

This workshop was conceived and organised by the Corporate IT Forum and attended by 19 members from 15 prominent organisations with IT estates of varying size and consistency. Attending member organisations represent a wide cross-section of industry sectors including airline, automotive, energy, financial services, food, retail and utilities.