Not only in dancing must we be on our toes at all times. Believe it or not, working in IT requires some fancy footwork. IT managers face new challenges every day - this is no secret. Ten years ago there were no smartphones to keep track of, very few employees telecommuted and mostly everyone was tied to a desk, with the exception of a roaming salesperson. Today, we are faced with all new challenges when it comes to IT Asset Management (ITAM) - moving assets. As if we aren't moving fast enough in life, now we need to keep track of things in motion.

New technologies are great for business, but not so much for IT managers who need to track their organizations devices. What was once a single employee at a desk in an office is now a single employee with a desktop, laptop, netbook, iPad or smartphone who works from the local Starbucks. In addition, with organizations jumping on the virtualization bandwagon, assets are no longer visible, they are in "the cloud" and often times, more difficult to track due to this. As a vital part of any IT strategy, asset management is an essential function that must change with the times to accommodate its moving parts and keep the organization in compliance at all times.

How to Tackle the Moving Parts
We are often asked, what is the most effective way to manage moving assets? Not every organization is the same and faces the same problems; therefore a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist. However here are a few things to consider:

Develop a Mobile Asset Strategy
It's extremely important to start tracking and managing mobile assets even before they enter the organization. You must decide the best way to handle procurement of these devices and then establish, implement and regulate a strict set of policies and procedures among staff. If an employee would like to purchase a new netbook, for example, they should know how to go about requesting one through IT (and not just simply buying one on the corporate card), have a list of things he can and cannot download onto the new netbook, and the new device, once activated, should be monitored for use. The biggest mistake companies make is ignoring devices once they are given to an employee. Who is to stop them from taking that netbook on to their next job? Be sure to monitor device usage every 30 days, at minimum, and reconcile this with HR so you don't have ex-employees running up telecom bills for personal use.

Identify the Right Tools
As mentioned earlier, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for managing IT assets, however, automated tools can certainly be helpful and a complement to a great overall ITAM strategy. Many organizations find both automated discovery tools as well as RFID technology for tracking very useful. Simply scanning a barcode once a device comes into an organization certainly takes the guesswork out of device tracking. The biggest mistake companies will make is relying solely on these automated tools for their ITAM needs. A proper strategy includes both automated tools and a "human touch" to be sure that the technology is doing what it's supposed to be doing. There are still companies out there who are using a simple Excel sheet to track devices, I have seen it. It's not necessarily the wrong way of doing things, but with all the additional challenges in today's world - automation is the way to go.

Lifecycle Management
Retiring assets is often an afterthought, but, this is another common mistake made when managing any assets. In order to get the best ROI out of your hardware and software assets, you must have a strict plan in place for lifecycle management. Oftentimes, moving assets can end up costing you more, if they are not retired soon enough, than it would cost to replace or upgrade; for example, mobile phones that are outdated can slow down productivity of workers. Retiring of assets is not as simple as just tossing aside an old laptop or mobile phone either - with government and environmental regulations, as well as security concerns, this can be a huge undertaking. Our advice is to outsource this task on an annual basis (depending on how large the organization, you may not need to do this annually). Specialists that deal with asset disposal must be up to-date on all regulations and will ensure that your data is wiped out completely, and can also work to get you the proper rebates for your equipment. Obviously there is a cost involved, but on the flip side, if you don't properly dispose of your assets, the costs could be astronomical in terms of fines and security risks. The challenge, as usual, with moving assets, is that they aren't quite as easy to track down for disposal as those literally, tied to a desk!

Licensing
One other major concern with moving assets is licensing. For example, everyone wants an iPhone, right? And with said iPhone comes apps and programs and...licenses. Keeping track of who is downloading what can be a challenge. For this, we suggest again referring back to the policies and procedures in place to be sure that employees are taking on the risk of non-compliance on their own should they choose to download unauthorized programs. Licensing compliance is another huge advantage to having a proper ITAM policy and tracking method in place. Vendor audits are on the rise, and they aren't picky as to who they target.

Managing the Cloud
Cloud computing is something that has come on the scene in recent years and has really shaken things up. These are the ultimate in moving assets, as items in the "cloud" are constantly moving and you can't "see" them. We suggest that cloud-based assets have their own identities and their own tracking methods, as these can be tricky. But they cannot be ignored. Your cloud vendor (if you are using one) may be able to provide reporting on where your assets are and how they are being used on a regular basis. In fact, we would suggest requesting this.

What Are the Benefits?
There is no downside to having a proper ITAM strategy in place, keeping in mind that it much be implemented and managed properly on an ongoing basis. A great strategy is nothing if not given the proper upkeep. A mobile asset strategy may not be in the cards for your organization right now, but it will and should be on the horizon. Regardless of whether or not you have a need, a mobile asset strategy must be part of a larger ITAM program. Software, hardware and mobile assets are all very different creatures, but none of the three should be ignored. Non-compliance and its consequences can occur with any of these three categories. The cost of implementing an ITAM program is nothing in comparison to the risks not having one will open you up to. Fines, vendor audits and just plain misuse of assets can cost thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Just think about how unruly ex-employees can get if they run off with a company iPhone and IT doesn't know about it? We have heard stories about companies paying for entire offices that didn't even have employees in them. Can you imagine? Keeping a tight lid on your software assets - your investments - should never be an afterthought.