2.8.7 Asset Management

Time-consuming, detailed recordkeeping of organizational IT-related equipment.

As part of asset management, always know:

• Exactly what you own
• How much it costed
  • And by extension, the cost to replace it
• How long you've owned it
• If you're in compliance with licensing agreements and the Term's of Use of the asset
• When it might need to be replaced

Using this information, you can plan your IT budget for years into the future since you'll be able to predict when something will need to be replaced, and almost eliminate 'budgetary surprises' (when you spend money when you didn't want to).

Procurement

The process of buying new equipment.

• Determine what you need and why you need it.
• Understand the business need it will fulfill once you purchase a new asset.
• Produce a list of buyers that can provide the goods / services you need.
  • Try to 'touch base' (call them) with them in order to get a quote or estimate of what you need, and possibly even a contract.
• Ask for approval and obtain a purchase order, then wait for shipment.

Deployment

The process of implementing your new asset within the company for employee use..

• Record all information in your inventory.
  • Companies might use an asset management database, which is a program that helps to track an asset's life cycle from deployment to disposal.
• Record vendor information
• Record the new asset's information
  • Make
  • Model
  • Asset Tags
  • Warranty Info
  • Licensing Info
  • Support Info
  • Location within Organization Premises
  • Users assigned to the Asset
  • Configuration Info e.g. IP address

Operations

The process of using your asset within the company.

• Perform periodic maintenance
• Apply relevant updates/patches and record doing that
• Perform preventative maintenance e.g. installing a UPS to the asset
• Troubleshoot any problems that occur
• Record needed upgrades
  • Updating a hard drive
  • Adding additional memory modules
  • Replace a malfunctioning network interface

Decommissioning

The process of removing an asset from use within the company and disposing of it if necessary.

• Before decommissioning the asset:
  • Check if you can redeploy the asset elsewhere in the organization
  • Remove the asset from the production network
  • Record the removal in the asset management database
• Clarify why the asset was decommissioned and whether or not a replacement will be needed.
  • It became obsolete
  • It became worn out
  • It is no longer required
• Record how it was disposed of.
  • Whether it was sold to the public under surplus
  • Whether it was recycled
  • Whether it was thrown in the trash
  • Whether it was destroyed

All assets should be disposed of in a responsible manner and should be in compliance with all local laws. Any sensitive or proprietary information is thoroughly and permanently removed from the asset before disposal.

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