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Don’t send an ERP application in to do an IT Asset Management (ITAM) application’s job. Consider the following facts.
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Fact 1: Forrester writes that, “IT users typically view the asset data through the life cycle of an IT asset, which is much more complex than other enterprise assets”.[1] |
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IT assets need to be treated differently than fixed assets.
IT assets are complex and dynamic. Understanding the operational and financial status of these assets at any point in their lifecycle is important not only for operational costs and management, but essential for software license compliance and government regulatory requirements. IT assets can account for a large percentage of a company’s capital expenditures, so tracking detailed operational and financial information is critical.
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Fact 2: Forrester writes that, “ERP and ITAM systems and their users have differing priorities.” [1] |
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ERP applications work very well for tracking and managing most types of fixed assets. But ERPs treat every asset in a single class exactly the same -- and IT assets are anything but “fixed.” They are constantly changing – being upgraded, repaired, and repurposed. Effectively managing IT assets requires specific and detailed operational and financial processes, which ERP cannot address. The primary focus of an ERP implementation is capital asset management: managing budgets, capital allocations, and ultimately all elements that affect the balance sheet.
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Fact 3: IT asset management applications, like HP OpenView AssetCenter, track the lifecycle of an IT asset to most granular level. |
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The practice of IT asset management emerged to provide the necessary levels of detail to control IT costs, improve inventory management and asset utilization across the enterprise, and to meet governmental regulations. HP OpenView AssetCenter is a system for tracking and managing IT assets throughout their lifecycle, providing specific and detailed information.
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Fact 4: HP OpenView AssetCenter automates the management of all IT assets – from request and procurement through to retirement and disposal, making it easy to track ongoing asset value and therefore help keep financial statements accurate. |
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While ERP systems support procurement and fixed asset accounting at a macro level, AssetCenter provides the micro-level detail needed to keep your ERP fixed asset system accurate and up-to-date.
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Fact 5: According to Forrester HP received the top scores for its current HP OpenView offering and strategy, and tied for the No. 1 ranking in market presence.[1] |
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1 Forrester Wave: IT Asset Management, Q3 2006, Peter O’Neill, http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,38925,00.html
2 “HP OpenView AssetCenter, Now with HP Muscle, Packs a Powerful IT Asset Management Punch," Forrester Research, August 2006.
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Printable version
September 2006. IT assets are complex. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications are not designed to provide adequate IT asset management, and cannot be easily adapted to do so. IT assets’ unique characteristics are best managed by specialized tools, because ERP systems are not designed to capture the type of details necessary to substantiate and justify current and future IT-related expenditures.