Why Risk Working With a Vendor When IT Asset Management Can Be Automated?

By Michael
August 5, 2015

Doing IT asset management correctly can be a challenge, so it’s no surprise that so many companies consider outsourcing the task to a third-party vendor. There are two important considerations that IT decision-makers should factor into this choice. First and foremost is the reality that relying on a third-party vendor is not without its risks. Even the operations of the most reputable storage specialist are not completely foolproof.

Furthermore, there are​ reliable enterprise solutions that allow companies to streamline their IT asset management process considerably through automation. Weigh your options carefully before allowing vital information to pass into the hands of another company.

Better processes are key to asset security
In the wake of 2014’s uptick in cyber breaches, the business community has responded by paying greater attention to IT asset management and security. In a FierceRetail article, Dr. Barbara Rembiesa, CEO of the International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers, pointed out an important lesson has been learned from this surge in hacker activity: “If companies are to stop these attacks in 2015, they must first recognize that the true source of nearly all major breaches are more foundational and stem from nonexistent or inadequate IT asset management procedures.”

The only way to guarantee improvements are made to IT asset management is to pay for a premium service vendor or invest in improving the company in-house. When it comes to managing costs, risk and ROI, doing the job onsite puts all the control in the hands of your IT staff. As a result, investments are made in direct response to the unique needs of your business. This focused approach on streamlining your company’s process also benefits the network infrastructure of the company at large, resulting in extra efficiency gains down the road.

Onsite control improves governance
The key to improving your your IT asset management processes lies in greater governance, specifically how well the process is synched with the company-wide business goals and structured to promote productivity and accountability among employees with access to IT assets like servers and backup storage tape.

ComputerWeekly.com recommended that IT teams can achieve this level of governance by integrating the process more smoothly into employee workflows and structuring the process in a way that access is streamlined and automatically documented. Improved governance is just one of the ways in which automating the process can deliver cost-effective results.

Automation assists from multiple angles
There’s a long list of perks that come with automating your IT asset management that go beyond cost-cutting and security improvements. Using a software solution to verify chain of custody and instantly locate assets, for example, is a critical solution for meeting compliance guidelines. Likewise, the ability to easily create audit and management reports has endless applications, from creating performance benchmarks to preparing protocols for surprise visits from auditors. These and other business-enhancing benefits can be earned if your company is willing to invest in improving its own IT asset management process instead of letting the responsibility get outsourced to another firm.

AssetAware is a great example of an application that can deliver on all the promises of automated IT asset management and more. In addition to features listed above, AssetAware also allows users to create custom workflows, implement a barcode scanning system and upload certificates of destruction. These and other advantages make the software a smart choice for any company interested in updating its IT asset management strategy and keep a closer eye on data stored offline and onsite.

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