IT asset management process flowchart
An information management (IT) process flowchart is a strategic outline of what is in your IT infrastructure, how it’s being utilized and what needs to be retired. This flowchart helps streamline your IT assets, improve their operational efficiency and control their costs.
Managing your IT assets is a multifaceted task that requires proper organization and systematic processes. This is why you need a well thought-out IT asset management process flowchart and one of the best IT asset inventory management software in the market.
Choose your IT asset management application carefully to ensure that it serves the exact purpose you need it for. Two solutions you may need to consider are information technology asset management (ITAM) solutions and configuration management database (CMDB) solutions.
First, find a detailed comparison of ITAM versus CMDB to understand their functionalities and differences. Secondly, it’s important to understand the importance of having a well-designed IT asset management process flowchart.
What is an IT management process flowchart?
An IT asset management process flowchart is a graphical support designed to help you predict the order of phases you need to follow throughout the implementation process of your IT systems. Once you’ve established the right flow of tasks in your process, it’ll guide each phase of your current and future utilization of IT assets in your organization.
This flowchart is an essential tool to modernize and simplify the whole process of managing your IT assets. It offers a path that you can easily follow to quickly determine the right strategy to manage your IT resources. In short, an IT asset management process is a precious resource for your enterprise, especially if you appreciate the importance of having an efficient and compliant process for managing your IT assets.
The right flowchart will enable you to take appropriate steps in managing your IT resources for maximum productivity and compliance with industry standards. However, the efficacy of your flowchart will depend on its design.
How to develop a professional IT asset management flowchart
Outlining your flowchart
The first step in developing an IT asset management flowchart is to map out the flowchart. This involves identifying your chart’s key inputs and outputs. You must consider the following factors when mapping out your IT asset management flowchart:
- Steps for monitoring your IT assets like monitoring updates, errors, redundancies, etc.
- Strategies for documenting IT resources, including databases, servers and lists
- Systems, system administrators, and users involved in every process
- Timelines for every phase, including acquisition, implementation, renewal and disposal of each asset
These steps are the key to having a smooth flow of asset management. Ensure that your flowchart establishes a standardized procedure from acquiring your assets to disposing them.
Identifying key IT assets
This process involves identifying all the necessary IT assets within your IT infrastructure that need to be managed. Having a detailed list of IT assets helps you identify the most effective way to manage them.
These assets will include computers, routers, switches, servers, printers, software and other essential IT systems. This list will help you understand the scope of work you need to do to manage your resources effectively.
It also makes it easy for you to categorize and record the assets. Fortunately, you can use an application portfolio management program to identify all apps within your IT infrastructure. One of the benefits of application portfolio management software is that it simplifies the process of identifying apps in your system.
Assigning identification numbers to assets
Once you’ve identified, categorized and recorded your IT resources, you need to assign each of them a unique identification number that you’ll use to distinguish and monitor each asset.
After you’ve assigned your assets unique identifiers, input them into your asset management software. Contact Flexera today for assistance in developing your IT asset management flowchart!