Four Reasons to invest Time and Efforts in Asset Management

Blog

August 28 2015

The IT managers knows it well; asset management and the use of a configuration management database - CMDB - is a process that requires a lot of investment, both in human resources and in terms of instrastructure and maintenance. To measure its effectiveness and its contribution in terms of value and return on investment, a good approach would be to break its implementation by type of usage, in order to specifically invest in a service improvement objective.

We can divide this potential ROI of 4 different components. Here are some goals or measurable benefits related to the effective management of a CMDB:

1. Financial Component: Cost Rationalization

Effective asset management for an organization can bring its own set of measurable benefits, especially on the expenditure side.

Lower CIs maintenance costs
Lower software licensing costs
Optimization of expenditures through better supplies planning
Economic gains (for the company) in terms of availability
Evolution of configuration management cost
Registration of financial data in order to facilitate the assessment of costs and billing
Cost reductions related to the unavailability of user activity

2. Process Component: Configuration Elements Compliance

The CMDB provides managers with accessible, accurate and immediately information exploitable on:

The number of implemented CIs
The implementation progress index
The % of changes made without CI (Configuration Item) identified or with the wrong CI
The % of false information following an audit
The % of false information following automatic inventories
The progression index of false information
Number of unauthorized components discovered
Time spent on configuration management
Evolution of incident resolution time (involving the managed CIs)
Evolution of consecutive incidents of uncontrolled changes
Evolution of the number of corrected problems

3. Quality Component : Improved Handling of Information

One can also feel the positive effects of asset management on the quality of the service delivery and support offered to users / customers.

Impact on service availability and the reduction of incidents
Improved responsiveness on incidents
Improved perception of the service by users
Immediate information access on the infrastructure and services
Accelerate and improve the recording of incidents and their resolution
Facilitate problem identification and resolution
Improve changes planning and evaluating business risks
Support life cycle management of IT assets
Check license usage and compliance
Record maintenance information and contract provider
Record service levels
Record financial data in order to facilitate the assessment of costs and billing