ITAM Primer - The Program Manager's Guide to IT Asset Management

We all know end users can be fickle, and that can be somewhat managed by setting their expectations. How does ITAM set the user’s expectations? Understanding what the user needs to do their job and providing IT assets that look reasonably new. This approach has many benefits, including IT asset standards, IT asset rationalization, and efficiencies for procurement, the IT service desk, IT security, vendor management, and more.

End users are assigned roles driving IT standards, making IT security and service desks more efficient. The use of the asset is governed by policies and training end users on acceptable use and risks associated with the asset.

An IT asset has multiple attributes, including a unique asset identifier, the asset’s configuration, the asset’s location in inventory, the location of the asset, the asset’s owner, the department or business unit using the asset, and the person using the asset. Keeping the attributes accurate and current requires full IT asset lifecycle management.

Vendors that manufacture, resell, or are service providers must be managed to realize the greatest value for the IT investment. An up-to-date list of the vendor’s contacts is maintained. Warranties are utilized, and an RMA process records the asset's return. Finally, feedback from the organization is collected and used to keep a vendor scorecard. Through the scorecard, the performance and compliance positions are shared with the vendor. The criteria by which to manage a vendor that provides IT assets is significantly different than vendors that offer other types of assets. 

IT services, service tickets, and security controls require an accurate IT inventory which requires the asset's lifecycle to be managed. IT’s, and IT Security’s success directly depends on the ITAM Program. Many of IT and IT Security’s challenges are directly related to an incomplete implementation of the ITAM Program, which will persist for some time during the beginning implementation of the ITAM Program. It can take some time for the ITAM Program to recover if ITAM has been ignored or poorly funded for years. 

Besides IT and IT security, C-level executives, business unit owners, PMO (project management office), and Human Resources are vested in IT assets being managed. 

C-level and executives benefit from knowing their investment in IT is managed, resulting in business value. 

Business unit owners have an advocate when working with IT and a resource to manage their IT assets as business assets. 

HR gains efficiency through onboarding and offboarding processes.

The PMO gains from having approved IT assets available and the opportunity to reuse assets. IT is project-driven, and the PMO processes contribute to the ITAM program by following the ITAM processes. Sometimes IT projects bypass ITAM processes because they are fully funded, creating several issues for the organization.

While some interests are unique to each group, many overlap. This makes investing in the development of an organization-wide ITAM Program extremely cost-effective.

Finance gains transparency into IT spending. Grouped under Finance are purchase orders (P.O.), proof-of-purchase (PoP), chargeback, ROI/TCO, taxation, and IT’s budget. Finance is one of the core tenets of ITAM. 

The total cost of ownership (TCO) of IT assets has been one of the most difficult metrics to produce; however, the cloud has made it more possible. But the cost is meaningless without understanding the value delivered by the assets. Leading up to generating a P.O., procurement is a critical phase allowing the organization to negotiate the appropriate terms and conditions required for managing the asset. Proof of purchase is required for software compliance. Chargeback for IT services was not common until the cloud made it easy. Taxation is complicated and includes sales and use tax, international taxes, and depreciation. But perhaps the greatest value ITAM brings to finance is transparency in the spending on IT.

Legal benefits from ITAM managing the IT assets according to governance requirements. Legal is involved in purchase contracts, service level agreements (SLA), entitlements (software licenses), legislation requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, EPA, WIII), transfer of ownership (ITAD), and certificate of destruction (CoD – ITAD).