IT inventory management is as essential as it is tedious. Manually keeping up your IT is time-consuming, between updating spreadsheets and prioritizing inventory maintenance over other
pressing tasks. However, a sub-par inventory can lead to gaps in security and compliance, inefficiencies that affect productivity and unintentional overpayment for equipment you don’t need (or didn’t know
you had).
Do you need IT inventory management software? Here are four questions to ask yourself:
1. What System Do We Have in Place?
You likely have some form of inventory management in place. Is it an up-to-date spreadsheet? A neglected spreadsheet? A notebook? If you’re not sure what system you have in place, or if it’s a system that’s hard to understand or navigate, inventory management software can help.
2. Is Your Current System Informative?
The reason we keep track of data is to gain useful insights. Can you gain insights from your system? For example, does it tell you which assets have service coverage? Do you have coverage on assets that you aren’t currently using? Your system should be able to report on useful information, including licensing, coverage, upcoming end of support dates and more.
3. Do You Know What’s Nearing the End of Its Lifecycle?
Unexpected hardware issues can derail your business and cause downtime. Do you know the status of your assets? Can you accurately form a budget for equipment updates and replacements based on your current inventory system? IT inventory management software can tell you which assets need to be upgraded and when, allowing you to budget appropriately months and years ahead.
4. Are Your Assets Secure and Compliant?
Up-to-date software is critical to preventing security breaches and maintaining compliance. Do you know the software status of each of your assets? Is any equipment nearing (or past) its update deadline for security or compliance? IT inventory management software can notify your system admins when it’s time to patch, update or renew, strengthening security and ensuring ongoing compliance.
Keeping up inventory manually is tedious, time-consuming and prone to human error — especially when it drops in priority to make way for other pressing IT tasks. IT inventory management software simplifies the process, freeing up your IT team’s time while streamlining inventory management and optimizing your IT assets.
Because IT inventory is so critical to security, compliance, budgeting and business functionality, choosing the right management software is essential. The right software should:
Cisco Smart Net takes inventory tracking off your plate. It provides high-level visibility across your network, allowing you to see what’s covered and what needs to be replaced. It alerts you when software needs to be updated so you can minimize security threats.
Better yet, Cisco Smart Net through Xigent works even if you’ve purchased Cisco products through multiple vendors.
By combining Xigent’s professional management with Cisco Smart Net, your inventory becomes truly hands-off. Xigent works with your business to ensure you can focus on what matters, creating truly Result Driven IT.
Ready to start seeing improved results in your IT department? Contact us today to sign up for Smart Net or learn more about IT inventory management by downloading our Cisco Smart Net Guide.