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