<h2>IT Asset Managers procure and manage the tools many employees need to do their jobs.<h2>
Every organization, whether large or small, maintains a collection of IT assets that must be handled with careful attention and efficiency. Without an effective system in place to manage the hardware, software, and services employees depend on, your organization could face painful legal and financial penalties, not to mention lost productivity.
Keeping tabs on which assets are already in place, what may be needed, and how these assets affect or contribute to the overall business strategy requires mastering a unique set of skills.
The role of an IT Asset Manager is to ensure that all hardware, software, and IT services are tracked and procured in a way that meets the needs of his or her organization and complies with the requirements of vendors. To master the IT asset management function, one must be adept in the following critical areas:
- Compliance – making sure software and hardware is purchased and used according to licensing agreements
- Cost Management – managing large budgets and ensuring dollars are spent in the most efficient ways possible
- Productivity – leveraging strategies to ensure licenses are managed efficiently, but also equipping users with tools to help them work more productively
- Standardization – establishing procedures to adhere to international standards for asset management
- Infrastructure/Security – ensuring hardware and software are architected in a way that protects an organization’s assets
Each of these categories contributes directly to the smoothness with which an organization’s IT asset portfolio runs, and as IT assets expand from localized hardware/software to cloud-based venues, these skills are only growing in importance.
In this series, we’ll dive deeper into each of these areas of expertise to explain why they are such a critical part of mastering IT asset management, and how doing so can positively impact the overall performance of an organization. Read the next article here.
We’re also recognizing 25 masters of IT asset management who have excelled in the areas of compliance, cost management, productivity, standardization & infrastructure/security. Learn more about the honorees.
Are you an IT professional looking to up your business influence? Our eBook features practical tips from IT veterans for expanding IT’s impact within an organization. Download it now!
