3 Tips for Asset Management Program Implementation
Government agencies serve as stewards of the public trust, managing a wide variety of resources on behalf of the citizens they serve. For many agencies, one key component of this responsibility is managing the many technology assets acquired, maintained and retired in support of agency missions. IT managers find themselves responsible for managing thousands of individual technology assets, which can easily become a daunting task.
Asset management software packages provide technology leaders with a sustainable way to track and maintain IT assets through the assistance of automation. These packages facilitate the acquisition and disposal of hardware and software, monitor compliance with license agreements and provide inventory management features to account for all government property under an agency’s care.
Let’s take a look at three ways IT leaders can facilitate the deployment and maintenance of asset management software — and increase transparency into public spending.
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1. Roll Out Asset Management in Stages
One of the biggest barriers facing agencies seeking to deploy asset management software for the first time is the amount of effort involved. Indeed, going from not having any asset management program to a full-blown effort may prove time-consuming.
Agencies can make these efforts much more manageable by rolling out asset management in stages, prioritized based on agency needs and the amount of risk involved in each class of assets. For example, an agency experiencing a rash of laptop thefts or losses may wish to begin their asset management work by focusing on those devices.
2. Integrate Asset and Service Management
Most IT organizations already use some type of service management tool to track and manage user incidents. These tools often also have asset management capabilities, either as a base feature or an additional module. Agency leaders seeking to manage technology assets should look first to the capabilities of their existing tools.
This approach may provide two important benefits: minimizing costs and decreasing the amount of time required to train users by leveraging an already familiar tool.
3. Treat Asset Management Implementation as Change Management
Change is difficult in any organization, and perhaps even more so in government agencies. Deploying a new asset management tool affects the work of many technology professionals, especially those on the front lines. Agency leaders seeking to add a new tool should remember the human side of the effort and go to great lengths to communicate the change in a manner that encourages staff buy-in and empowerment. Ensure that technologists understand the motivation behind the program and that they have the training needed to effectively participate in asset management efforts.
