The current scenario
Over the past decade, companies have invested in device management programs and many of them have achieved significant results in this area.
Despite this, a good portion of them is using programs that are “fairly good”.
Fairly good, however, is not enough nowadays, since we are required to:
- Comply with new legislations to store and document data (access to devices, authorizations, privacy, etc.)
- Pursue the reduction of costs associated with device inefficiencies
- Constantly update devices due to the release of new technologies
In this article we will see how an Asset Management tool integrated into a Service Desk system allows us to achieve all the objectives we have set.
The success factors
Asset and device management programs require to focus on 3 different elements: people, processes and technologies. Companies will constantly have to develop IT resource management strategies aimed at:
- Identifying deadlines (contracts, guarantees, etc.)
- Responding promptly to audits
- Reducing risks associated with inefficiencies (SLAs, penalties, etc.)
- Constantly updating internal technological requirements
The service desk: a complete overlook
Using Service Desk software natively integrated with Asset Management is the right choice to achieve the objectives listed above, because:
- The Service Desk allows efficient management of expiring tasks, thanks toTask Automationmechanisms, such as automatic assignment rules and real-time notifications.
- The Service Desk typically implements aCMDB, which is a database of the entire infrastructure configuration. This is essential to maintain the relationships among Assets, Devices and Licenses in the event of an Audit.
- As for inefficiencies, each Service Desk tool offers advancedSLAsmanagement and response or resolution times to avoid delays and penalties.
- On the people management front, a Service Desk tool allows both the typical reporting of anAsset Managementsoftware (hardware obsolescence, implemented technologies, etc.), but also allows you to monitor the use that users make of the technology and to assess the “technological maturity” of the entire corporate environment.
Asset management: auto-discovery e automation
The Service Desk efficiently manages processes and people, providing support for the technological part; on the other hand, Asset Management has the main purpose of simplifying the technological management of a Service Desk.
Auto-discovery should be used as part of the Asset Management package by all companies.
Personally, I remember various organizations I have worked for managing with Excel sheets servers, workstations, switches and their relationships, and updating them manually.
Many still use these procedures today, without considering the benefits of an auto-discovery tool, such as:
- Information updated in real time
- Certain and unquestionable data(not subject to human error or obsolete copies of the archives)
- Proactive detection of anomalies
- Reduction of user support times,as device data is communicated by the asset management software, instead of by the users themselves, who could provide inaccurate information
Asset management and service desk: the winning combination
Combining Service Desk tools with those of the Asset Manager allows to provide efficient assistance while keeping the infrastructure data updated.
Think about an end user reporting a broken software on their PC. What data do you have available?
- An Asset Management tool tells youwhich device the user has, its IP, what network it is on and various technological features. You can check if there are any anomalies on the network or if the workstation does not support software updates;
- A Service Desk gives youcomplete control over user data: access (to network shares), authorizations, software he has been given access to. For instance, you can check if the user has an expired account or if he no longer has authorization to use that software;
- A Service Desk tells you if the user hasalready reported similar anomalies. You can check their resolution and track common mistakes to give an immediate reply
- Service Desk software allows toprioritize user requestsbased on the work queue or the business impact of the process of the user needs to manage. You can better organize activities without being at the mercy of requests that have a low urgency;
- An Asset Management software allows you todetect any errorson shared servers or physical devices. You can prevent reports from dozens of users with just a few clicks; a situation pretty common when an error is detected.
Benefits
To conclude, we can say that the integration of a Service Desk with an Asset Manager improves our work because:
- It reduces request resolution times:asset management makes you proactive in receiving information. The Service Desk offers a complete control console on the history of reports;
- It reduces costs associated with inefficiencies:asset management allows to predict common errors and avoid inefficiencies. The Service Desk controls priority and impact of work, and automatically gives higher importance to the activities with the greatest impact on the business;
- It leaves more time for the activities that matter:combining auto-discovery with assignment rules, and monitoring deadlines and priorities you avoid many repetitive activities, which are essential for governance but do not bring added value to your work. You can thus focus on activities of higher value for the business and for its development;
- It offers complete control over the infrastructure:thanks to auto-discovery, asset management recovers everything that is present in your network. The Service Desk allows you to trace the relationships of what is recovered with licenses, permits, authorizations, etc.
Deepser is Service Desk software natively integrated with the Asset Management. Activate it now and try the free demo.
