Make Sense of MS System Center ConfigMgr Data to Save Up to 35%
Take control of your asset management data to stay on top of contracts and licenses.
- Organizations are eventually forced to improve their IT asset management (ITAM) processes due to license audits.
- Many organizations approach software compliance with a calculated risk approach: they know they are out of compliance, believing the costs of proactive or ongoing compliance are higher than reactive compliance in the event of an audit. But the calculated risk approach is not a viable long-term strategy.
- Vendors aim to maximize revenue from audits by targeting customers that they know have had past uncertainty and inconsistency in their audit and purchase history.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Microsoft markets System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr or SCCM) as having ITAM capabilities, but it is not a true ITAM solution.
- SCCM provides asset discovery, inventory, and usage capabilities, but does not provide that data in actionable or decision-ready formats. Third-party tools are required to provide reports, dashboards, and integration with IT and business workflows.
Impact and Result
The cost-benefit equation of ITAM must include benefits other than mere compliance. Organizations that adopt more disciplined ITAM discover four basic types of benefits:
- Licensing cost savings
- Compliance risk mitigation
- Service desk and operational efficiency
- Information security and operational risk mitigation
Workshop: Make Sense of MS System Center ConfigMgr Data to Save Up to 35%
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Define and Optimize ITAM Workflows
The Purpose
This guided implementation will help your team:
- Document standards for ITAM activities such as:
- Adding and removing users.
- Updating or replacing assets.
- Clarify relationships and responsibilities between ITAM and other functional areas such as service desk, IT operations, HR, and finance.
Key Benefits Achieved
After this project is complete, you and your team will have:
- Opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce risk by way of reduced task overlap and interdependency.
- Improved communication and stakeholder satisfaction.
Activities
Outputs
Define roles and responsibilities
- RACI chart designating roles and responsibilities
Define ITAM workflows (e.g. move/add/change users)
- Workflow diagrams
Module 2: Evaluate and Select Third-Party SCCM Add-Ons
The Purpose
This guided implementation will help your team:
- Prioritize features and functions required in your organization.
- Generate a shortlist of ITAM add-ons for SCCM.
- Compare solutions on your shortlist.
Key Benefits Achieved
After this project is complete, you and your team will have:
- Clear direction with a rapid start in the selection process.
- Documentation to use for buy-in for the decision, getting funding, and managing stakeholders.
Activities
Outputs
Evaluate feature requirements
- Customized shortlist of ITAM add-ons for SCCM
Develop a product demo script
- Demo script for evaluating vendors
Module 3: Reconcile Licenses to Prepare for Audits
The Purpose
This guided implementation will help your team:
- Calculate and compare total spend on individual products across departments or the organization as a whole.
- Reduce total installs based on usage.
- Reconcile entitlements with installs.
Key Benefits Achieved
After this project is complete, you and your team will have:
- Cost savings from reducing unused software installs.
- Reduced uncertainty and vulnerability going into vendor audits.
Activities
Outputs
Plan and scope for a vendor audit
- Audit plan
Reconcile installs with usage
- Software license reconciliation workbook
Reconcile licenses with installs
Module 4: Define Your ITAM SOP
The Purpose
This guided implementation will help your team:
- Document standards for ITAM activities such as:
- Adding and removing users.
- Updating or replacing assets.
- Clarify relationships and responsibilities between ITAM and other functional areas such as service desk, IT operations, HR, and finance.
Key Benefits Achieved
After this project is complete, you and your team will have:
- Opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce risk by way of reduced task overlap and interdependency.
- Improved communication and stakeholder satisfaction.
Activities
Outputs
Establish clear ITAM policies
- ITAM SOP
Validate and agree on roles and responsibilities
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 1-phase advisory process. You'll receive 4 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
- Call 1: Define and optimize asset management workflows
Visually map processes of adding, changing, and removing users. Clearly defining these processes is a necessary step to ensure asset data is accurate, timely, and actionable.
- Call 2: Evaluate and select third-party SCCM add-ons
Define use cases and requirements, create a shortlist and demo script, and select the best ITAM add-on for SCCM for your needs.
- Call 3: Reconcile licenses to prepare for audits
Start from a usage-based perspective to find cost savings opportunities. Reconcile installs with usage before reconciling entitlements with installs.
- Call 4: Define asset management SOP
Document the ITAM process to ensure continuous improvement.
Contributors
- Teva Canada
Implement Hardware Asset Management
Implement Software Asset Management
Develop an IT Asset Management Strategy
Reduce Shadow IT With a Service Request Catalog
Harness Configuration Management Superpowers
Prepare and Defend Against a Software Audit
M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations
Find Value With Cloud Asset Management
IT Asset Management (ITAM) Market Overview