ITSM and ITAM to govern the modern workplace

Maintaining control of IT assets is a challenge for organizations, both public and private. Hardware and software are allocated, reassigned, and moved from one location to another based on business needs.

On average, 30% of hardware assets are untraceable within organizations, nothing more and nothing less. Knowing what assets we have and where they are, tracking contracts and regulatory compliance, and gaining visibility into the cost of ownership are just the tip of the iceberg in day-to-day asset management.

Everything should start with a discovery according to the needs, which helps to identify the volume and complexity of the organization’s asset park. We cannot manage what we are not able to see, and without visibility we will not have the ability to govern either. Therefore, discovery is the first key element in asset management.

On the other hand, a symbiosis of service management and asset management (ITSM and ITAM) is necessary. Although these two practices have generally been implemented from separate areas, with different business goals and objectives, their processes and data are highly correlated. But when technology is structured into operational silos, gaining visibility and automating manual processes is challenging. There are separate teams, tools, and goals that limit information and data sharing by keeping ITSM and ITAM practices isolated from one another.

A symbiosis of service management and asset management (ITSM and ITAM) is necessary

Bringing both worlds together, ITSM ensures the timely delivery of essential services and support for users, while ITAM discovers and tracks hardware and software assets for those services.

When ITSM and ITAM are closely aligned and integrated, many activities and processes are automated, but most importantly, there are fewer “lost” items. IT teams gain more insight and are better prepared to move from reactive activities to more proactive practices, delivering a better service experience.

There are five examples that demonstrate that the combination of processes, data and information between ITSM and ITAM must be a fundamental part of any overall IT plan that aims to maximize efficiencies and improve service delivery through a modern workplace, secure and manageable:

• Empower users with self-service

• Resolve incidents more quickly and efficiently

• Proactively manage problem assets

• Effectively manage change

• Have complete visibility of the asset life cycle and its service history

As a conclusion, we can affirm that when ITSM and ITAM are closely aligned and integrated, organizations are better equipped to achieve the objectives set; they can make decisions based on accurate and actionable information; employees increase their productivity thanks to self-service and the ability to resolve incidents quickly, and even proactively; and IT staff are freed from routine activities to focus on projects that are more strategic and enriching for the organization.

Sasha Munoz, Ivanti EXM Senior Sales Specialist