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IT assets account for the largest proportion of the overall IT spend, therefore,
ensuring they are properly managed and maintained becomes one of the highest
priority corporate goals for any organization where TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
is high on the agenda.
Without a comprehensive management program in place, IT assets can cost far more
than necessary through waste and redundancy (direct costs) and overly complex
management and maintenance (indirect costs). By implementing an effective IT asset
management program, companies can view every asset in their enterprise, allowing them
to control and manage IT assets, eliminate waste and redundancy, and comply with
ever-tightening government compliance regulations.
The annual cost of supporting this IT infrastructure can often result in costs
spiralling out of control, where the initial purchase price of IT assets pales into
insignificance. Understanding leasing arrangements and undertaking proactive asset
management ensures compliance with software license agreements and makes budget
forecasting more accurate. Knowing how many of your users are using a specific
application at any given time will allow for both effective trimming of software budgets
and a realistic prediction of future software investment.
Information is key. Without this, decisions on upgrades and the
roll-out of new technology will not be taken from an entirely informed position.
From a cost-saving standpoint, knowing the inventory of IT assets is critical when
deciding whether to purchase more assets, redistribute current assets, or retire them
completely—along with their costly maintenance contracts and renewal fees. |
