As your business grows, so will the size of your team and the number of IT assets that they use. Today’s workplace requires a variety of devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. However, IT asset discovery can be a time-consuming endeavor.
By “discovery”, we mean the process of cataloging all of the IT assets that your organization uses, down to the last detail. Doing so gives you access to all the data you need to make decisions, such as when to replace equipment, whether to renew software licenses or not, and more.
In this article, we’ll talk about what IT asset discovery software is and how it works. Then we’ll discuss the top three benefits of using it.
An Overview of Asset Discovery Software
IT asset discovery software refers to a collection of tools capable of scanning each device in a network and cataloging them. Usually, that process can run with minimal user input, which means you can save a lot of time over cataloging IT assets manually.
Depending on which IT asset discovery software you use, you might get access to different sets of information, such as:
- Specific IT hardware devices connected to the network
- The configuration of each IT hardware device (e.g., CPU, RAM, operating system, etc.)
- What software the hardware is using
That information is at the core of any IT asset management system. The more data you have about the hardware and software that run on your network, the better decisions you’ll be able to make about how to improve your business’ IT infrastructure:
We mention that IT asset discovery software works at a network level, because that is the most common approach. If you set up the software on a computer connected to your company’s network, it should be able to run automatic scans to detect other devices.
However, the amount of information that each scan provides you with depends on the software you use:
In most cases, IT asset discovery tools come as a part of service desk software. With this kind of platform, you can catalog IT assets, manage service requests, configure changes, and more.
3 Benefits of Using IT Asset Discovery Software
There are several ways your business can benefit from using service desk software and IT asset discovery tools. Let’s take a look at three of the most significant benefits.
1. You Can Reduce Time Spent Cataloging IT Assets
If you’re part of an organization with dozens or hundreds of employees, you probably have a massive amount of IT assets on your network. Inventorying all of them could take your employees days to complete, which is time that could be better spent on more productive tasks.
A better approach to inventorying IT assets is to automate the process. By using the right service desk software, you’ll get access to the tools you need to schedule regular network scans, so your IT asset inventory is always up-to-date.
2. It Enables You to Streamline IT Asset Acquisition
When you have a single database that includes all of the information you could need regarding your company’s IT assets, making decisions about acquisitions becomes much easier. You’ll know precisely how many IT hardware units you have, and whether you need to purchase additional ones. The same also applies to software licenses, as you can see if your licenses support all the necessary machines on your network.
If you’re using service desk software, you can also determine whether specific assets are more prone to errors or technical issues, which tells you not to repeat those purchases. In a nutshell, IT asset discovery and cataloging can save you money in the long run.
Service desk software can also provide employees with the tools they need to submit direct IT asset requisition requests. Depending on the software you use, you’ll be able to decide how to manage each request.
3. You Can Generate Better IT Reports
The more data you can include in your IT reports, the better. IT asset discovery will enable you to include all sorts of valuable information in various types of reports. Two common examples include:
- Audits before network upgrades. It’s always a smart idea to audit your IT assets before a network upgrade. That way, you can ensure that all critical assets are functioning properly, and whether that changes after making significant modifications to the network.
- Internal incident reports. With a service desk, you’ll be able to manage internal requests and incident reports. Thanks to IT asset discovery functionality, you can attach information about the specific devices involved in each incident. Moreover, if a family of assets is connected to multiple incidents, reports should reflect such details.
When it comes to internal service requests, IT asset management software can help you catalog incidents based on the types of devices they involve and their specific configurations. If these incidents are related to software, that information will be available as well.
Having access to as much information as possible about your IT infrastructure will enable you to generate better reports. You’ll also be able to make data-driven decisions for your business’s betterment.
Conclusion
Cataloging IT assets is too time-consuming a task to handle manually. A manual approach also opens the door to human error. By automating IT asset discovery through service desk software, you can ensure that the data you collect is accurate.
However, that’s just one of the benefits of using IT asset discovery software. As we discussed in this post, three of the most significant benefits of using this type of software include:
- You can use it to reduce time spent on cataloging IT assets.
- It enables you to streamline IT asset acquisition.
- You can generate better IT reports.