| When I was little I had a piggy bank complete with a | | | | own can be a daunting task.Another bright spot for |
| requisite combination lock (needed to keep my | | | | IT managers who use asset management tools |
| younger brother from pilfering). Each week, on Friday | | | | effectively is improved efficiency at the help desk. |
| night when I got my 50 cent allowance, I would lock | | | | IDC reported that downtime can be reduced by 10% |
| myself in my bedroom, twist and turn the | | | | and person hours on recovery can be reduced by |
| combination until I got it right and then I counted my | | | | 22% for businesses that practice good asset |
| prized stash of cash. I always knew exactly how | | | | management. I read another figure that touted a |
| much it would amount to, but I counted it | | | | 25% reduction in average help desk call time. This |
| nonetheless. My brother, on the other hand, never | | | | enables the closing of more trouble tickets per day |
| used his piggy bank; he put his quarters in his | | | | and gets end users back to work faster.I certainly |
| pockets and generally lost them within a few | | | | remember the days when a help desk call started |
| days.Over time, I began to earn more money | | | | out with questions such as "What type of PC do you |
| through babysitting and odd jobs, but the ritual never | | | | have? What version of Windows are you running? |
| changed - lock the door, open the safe and re-count | | | | Did you install anything new recently?" And if you're |
| my money. As I reflect, I think about the time I | | | | laughing now, it's because you know the answer is |
| wasted re-counting my money but I also remember | | | | always "NO! I haven't installed anything!" End users |
| the delight I experienced each time as I dreamed and | | | | never admit to installing or doing something that could |
| planned how to spend my dough! It would have been | | | | have possibly caused their system to misbehave!With |
| great to push a button and have a "piggy bank | | | | today's tools, support staff can easily view hardware |
| statement" printed at any time confirming that my | | | | and software configurations without any end user |
| money was where it should be and how much I had | | | | interaction thus saving time on each and every |
| available. It would have been better still to earn | | | | support call. Having this IT "x-ray vision" debunks the |
| "piggy interest" on my quarters! That would be real | | | | myth that standard images are easier to support |
| optimization!These memories came flooding back to | | | | because a standard image generally fails to remain |
| me when I was pondering the topic of IT Asset | | | | standard after deployment. Being able to see what |
| Management and how ineffectively some businesses | | | | has happened to morph that PC really does make |
| track and manage PCs and other IT equipment. | | | | support easier and faster!Secondly, most good tools |
| Demands for increased staff productivity and greater | | | | will provide a "history" or a "change" flag that can |
| return on IT investments have pushed the need for | | | | clearly identify what software changes have been |
| better asset management and vital solutions.Recently, | | | | made that might have triggered the problem. This |
| I sat in the office of a large organization discussing | | | | feature can also be enlisted to enforce policies |
| this very subject with an IT manager. When I asked | | | | prohibiting users from installing unauthorized software |
| him if he had ever analyzed the use of software in | | | | onto their assigned systems. In the event of serious |
| his organization his reply was "We don't really care if | | | | troubles, these records can provide valuable forensic |
| the software deployed on our standard image is | | | | evidence.Moreover, good asset management tools |
| used or not, it's just easier to support if we give | | | | and techniques can actually prevent the need for a |
| everyone all of the applications."I shook my head; | | | | support call in the first place by allowing for proactive |
| I've heard this rational before, in fact, I've used it | | | | PC management. If a flaw or vulnerability is identified |
| myself in the past. What I've learned since then has | | | | in a particular software version, those affected PCs |
| changed my way of thinking regarding costs and | | | | can easily be identified, isolated and a fix or patch |
| efficiencies.Some IT managers believe that software | | | | pushed out before the problem erupts.This proactive |
| licensing concerns are simplest to address by using a | | | | approach certainly beats the tar out of the "old |
| standard corporate image (a PC configured with | | | | fashioned" method of grab a disk and run when a |
| standard software applications deployed to all users | | | | caller reports a system failure. And it truly beats |
| within the corporation). While it may seem simpler, | | | | hearing the words "it's going to be a long night, |
| one must ask "what happens to standardization once | | | | better order in dinner, we've got to touch every |
| that PC has been delivered to the end user?" I'll tell | | | | machine before we can go home." How many pizza |
| you, in many organizations the end user immediately | | | | dinners in a row can your digestive system actually |
| begins to alter the standard image to the point there | | | | tolerate?In general, businesses will see significant |
| is no longer any homogeny within the business | | | | benefit from using an efficient asset management |
| assets.My second question is this, "why pay for | | | | tool (in addition to an effective underlying process) in |
| software that isn't needed or used?" Besides, why | | | | the areas of software licensing, maintenance costs, |
| on earth would you continue to pay expensive | | | | lease and contract management, support and help |
| maintenance on software that isn't beneficial to the | | | | desk efficiencies, reduction in vulnerabilities and even |
| company? Experts estimate that optimizing | | | | with asset disposal concerns. (See my earlier article |
| maintenance contracts can save a business from 5% | | | | regarding IT asset disposal for a list of those |
| to 15%. When was the last time you got a budget | | | | worries!)To get the most out of an asset |
| or salary increase in the 5-15% range?According to | | | | management tool, carefully research the array of |
| The Gartner Group, "enterprises that fail to integrate | | | | products available. Don't be penny wise and pound |
| usage and inventory data to manage its software | | | | foolish by merely selecting the least expensive or |
| assets will overbuy licenses for 60% of their portfolio | | | | most widely recognized products. Every IT |
| and still be non-compliant on 30%." With proper usage | | | | environment is unique and requires tools that can |
| information, managers can make informed and more | | | | adapt to, or blend with, those specific needs.To get |
| effective decisions about the needs of end users as | | | | started on the selection process, create a |
| well as the use of resources.For example, one | | | | company-wide team to evaluate asset management |
| company recently monitored employee use of a | | | | tools. Enlist the input from each department that has |
| particularly expensive software package. They | | | | any role in relation to IT assets. The team should |
| discovered that, although the product was licensed | | | | include members from finance, purchasing, accounting, |
| and deployed to all users, only about 2/3 of the staff | | | | IT, security, training, risk management, etc.A good |
| ever used it. In addition, it was discovered that an | | | | tool can and should help manage assets throughout |
| inexpensive emulator was a suitable replacement for | | | | the entire lifecycle - cradle to grave. Consider what |
| all but the core power users. The results were | | | | tool features would make it easier, faster and more |
| savings of nearly a million dollars! I would say, | | | | accurate to budget, purchase, receive, deliver, |
| certainly in this case, that end-user usage information | | | | upgrade, support, use and retire an IT asset. Once |
| can be very valuable to an IT manager. What's more, | | | | your team is in place, create a list of the top 25 |
| these are the types of savings that would make any | | | | features and benefits desired in a tool. Create a list |
| CEO dance the rumba!Additionally, Gartner experts | | | | of tool vendors offering products that meet your |
| estimate that up to 30% of an IT budget could be | | | | criteria and arrange for an on-site demo of the |
| saved by effective IT asset management. Further, | | | | product for the whole team (not just IT).At this |
| that 70% of organizations have a 30% discrepancy | | | | point, hopefully, between face to face meetings with |
| between planned and actual IT inventory. Ouch that | | | | the vendor, the demo, addressing compatibility issues |
| hurts! Why not use that 30% to increase budgets | | | | and pricing options, a short list of tools will emerge. |
| for training, salaries, upgrades and new | | | | Arrange for an on-site evaluation of at least two, |
| projects?Besides software licensing and maintenance | | | | perhaps three of the preferred tools. Assign specific |
| agreement savings, there are a host of additional | | | | roles to each team member in the evaluation process |
| benefits stemming from successful IT asset | | | | to ensure that all functions are fully experienced.Once |
| management. Every IT manager would benefit from | | | | a tool has been selected, don't dare cheap out on |
| saving time and effort expended planning for | | | | training! At least one, preferably two, staff members |
| technology upgrades of any size. For years, most of | | | | should receive thorough training on the use and |
| us have tracked our assets in a spreadsheet, | | | | support of the product. Consider hiring an |
| desperately hoping that it contained fairly accurate | | | | experienced professional to install, configure and |
| information.When it came time to prepare for an | | | | document the program. Lost time due to |
| upgrade, usually the low man on the totem pole (or | | | | inexperienced staff struggling to learn a product can |
| an outside temp) was tasked with verifying the | | | | quickly sabotage any project. Further, an experienced |
| accuracy of the spreadsheet data. This method | | | | professional will be able to optimize the tool |
| generally entailed walking from machine to machine | | | | configuration and reporting functions.An asset |
| checking against a list of criteria. The entire endeavor | | | | management tool can be a costly investment for any |
| was painfully slow, dreadfully inaccurate and miserably | | | | organization, but one which if installed properly and |
| inefficient, but hey - great exercise for the | | | | used efficiently, will provide for reduced cost of |
| temp!Once the data was gathered, a manual method | | | | ownership for IT assets and such tools generally |
| was used to determine which machines needed what | | | | provide a positive return on investment within 12-24 |
| hardware and software. Once that task was | | | | months as well. When you add the benefits of |
| completed one could price out the upgrades, prepare | | | | increased staff efficiency and reduction of risk into |
| a budget for management approval and hope there | | | | the mix, the justifications for the expense will be well |
| wasn't noticeable margin of error. Yea, sure - better | | | | founded.What is being done to manage IT assets in |
| add 10% just in case!I really like living in the new | | | | your organization? Are you continually tossing your IT |
| millennium, the whole exercise of gathering data on | | | | budget dollars into metaphorical pockets or are you |
| IT assets has been revolutionized. Now, in a matter | | | | keeping accurate tabs on those valuables? Moreover, |
| of a few mouse clicks, a good asset management | | | | what has been done to not only track and manage |
| application can provide up to the minute information | | | | the IT assets, but to optimize the return on those |
| needed to plan for an upgrade. Not only can these | | | | investments?Donna Johnson Edwards has more than |
| tools provide information on hardware, but also | | | | 20 years' experience implementing and managing IT |
| software versions, patches, etc. Having accurate | | | | projects for companies including the Federal Judiciary, |
| data available in a dynamic system proves to be a | | | | IBM/Lotus and Hamilton Beach Proctor-Silex, where |
| huge forecasting timesaver and can also be used, | | | | she was the senior member of the New Enterprise |
| among other things, to reduce virus incidents by | | | | Technology Team.Her clients include Fortune 100, 500 |
| identifying systems that are at risk. Besides planning | | | | and 1,000 companies as well as not-for-profit entities. |
| for upgrades, simply keeping track of assets that | | | | Her background includes both the technical and the |
| seem to forever grow legs and walk away on their | | | | business aspects of IT projects. |