Strategies For Overcoming 4 Common IT Asset Management Challenges
IT managers face a substantial challenge in digital asset management, whether they are responsible for maintaining high availability for critical business applications or archiving private client information for further review and analysis. A mix of talented employees, innovation-friendly corporate policy and sufficient resources are required to establish an IT asset management strategy that meets the needs of the modern business world.
Thankfully, there are plenty of workarounds available to ensure that establishing and deploying this IT asset management strategy does not break the company budget. Finding the right strategy depends largely on the size and resources available to your IT team, but there are some factors to consider regardless of how big your staff is or what kind of IT assets your team is required to manage. Four key considerations to note include:
1. IT experts struggle to ramp up without the right tools
The more data and hardware your IT team is expected to keep up with, the more resources it will likely need to keep up with the logistical demands of asset management. As data volume increases, for example, tech professionals can benefit from improved processes designed to standardize workflow between systems and multiple sites. Likewise, more extensive monitoring will become necessary when the sensitivity of client data begins to increase. Software solutions can be deployed to handle these issues and more simultaneously through a single interface. Make sure your IT team has the tools they need to succeed.
2. A weak chain of custody compromises governance
PricewaterhouseCoopers pointed out that governance is among the top challenges currently facing IT asset managers. Pressure to keep a closer eye on important data by customers and industry auditors alike has encouraged companies to establish more rigid policies and chain of custody practices with regard to sensitive data. This is another instance where the application of specialized software can help companies to cut costs and streamline logistical efforts. Deploying a software solution like AssetAware, for instance, would make it considerably easier to track data and its location at all times. Greater accountability via documentation can help to encourage a more security-focused mindset among your staff as well.
3. Insufficient talent can threaten reliability
According to a poll performed by CIO Insight, 45 percent of polled IT asset managers find that difficulties in their job stem primarily from a failure to establish a culture at work that prioritizes performance and takes pride in their work. While the right policies and programs can go a long way toward helping to establish that culture in the workplace, at a certain point it falls upon employees to internalize the company’s goals as its own. That’s why it’s so important to screen and evaluate employees to ensure their priorities line up with the type of work culture your company is interested in creating.
4. Documentation provides cover from audits
Documentation does more than help your company keep track of IT assets for the sake of internal accountability. The same information is integral for proving to auditors that your company’s approach to IT asset management is in line with industry standards. That’s part of why automated asset management tools like AssetAware are so helpful. The ability to produce accurate documentation about the IT asset management process is a priceless resource when proving to an auditor that everything on-site is up to code. The same reports can help IT teams to meet surprise client requests for information as well.