5 Tips for Effective IT Inventory Management

When it comes to successful, broad-reaching IT inventory management, nothing is more important than visibility. Knowing what you have, where it is, what is connected to it, who is using it, and how it is being used is the key to preserving the integrity of your infrastructure, and maximizing the value of your technology investments.

But, there are other factors to consider when outlining your IT inventory management strategy. Below are five steps for more effectively controlling your inventory of PCs, software, hardware, peripherals, and other components.

Conduct a Preliminary Audit
An initial IT audit will provide you with a current and accurate log of what you have, and related characteristics. In addition to the physical location of each asset, you’ll need to collect and record information such as its model and vendor, as well as its configuration, primary user(s), and any applications installed on it, peripherals connected to it, networks it interacts with, etc.

Schedule Frequent Reviews
Technology environments change rapidly, so frequent reviews of your inventory to identify new assets or changes to existing ones will be required to keep inventory and related records up-to-date. Most experts recommend that your IT inventory management plan include at least one audit each quarter.

Implement Usage Policies – And Enforce Them
A complete inventory management plan must provide for end-to-end control over all related assets – including how they are utilized. Be sure to create and document formal policies and rules related to technology usage. And, make it clear what action will be taken if policy violations are detected.

Be Proactive
The key to keeping your inventory of IT assets protected from threats is to proactively assess risks, and eliminate them before they create a problem. During your audits, be on the lookout for unauthorized downloads, unlicensed software packages, or anything else that can put your company in jeopardy of data or financial loss.

Select a Comprehensive Automated Tool
Manually auditing, logging, and tracking your technology inventory can be highly error prone, and can pose a huge strain on your IT resources. A comprehensive automated asset management software will increase both the accuracy and efficiency of your IT inventory management processes.