A common misconception about IT Asset Management is that one person can magically do it all. There are skills and talents that are best done by experts in other departments unless your company is of the size to create the ideal of a department devoted to this service under one umbrella, with dotted lines and coordination with a few other departments such as IT technical staff, legal. When considering the hire of an IT Asset leader, let him/her tell you what is needed, rather than guess or follow misguided information from those who have never created and managed an ITAM program in a real life situation. Flexibility is important.
Follow the current life cycle path of hardware and software within your organization. Typically it begins with the idea and research of what is needed or wanted, then moves to purchasing, receiving, installation, care while in residence, retirement. There are some important steps missing in this scenario that can be filled under the skilled guidance of an IT Asset Manager. The key word here is guidance.
It takes a team for efficient, fully functioning IT Asset Management. It takes coordination and cooperation between departments. It's creating a cultural change in the way people view and handle IT assets. It takes upper management's blessing and support. It takes time, patience and education of organization members including consultants, temp staff and new hires. A world class IT Asset Management program is moved in a step-by-step progression after analyzing the current situation. A staff will require education in the functions and tasks to be performed. It's an exciting, all encompassing effort that reaps great satisfaction and monetary rewards.
Some missing steps in the above scenario include reviewing purchase requests and negotiating license agreements and contracts, monitoring usage, auditing all systems and reconciling differences, tracking and reassigning assets. Assisting in disaster recovery and consulting with Legal council if need be. There are cases where even legal needs to get up to speed in this ever changing field.
One person cannot do all the detail, as some training organizations may lead people to believe. Those people probably haven't actively managed IT assets in a real life situation. Knowledge has to be applied to really know what IT Asset Management is all about. This seems obvious to most readers. It is most obvious to the IT staff who are the primary handlers of IT assets.
