Setting expectations with ITAM tools to avoid disappointment

Whiteboard Wednesday Episode 12: Setting expectations with ITAM tools to avoid disappointment.

Whiteboard Wednesday is me, a whiteboard and learning about all things IT Asset Management (ITAM), every Wednesday!

This week, ITAM tools – setting the right expectations to avoid disappointment down the line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r7xqEWLYEs

Please like, follow, subscribe to Whiteboard Wednesday updates, reach out on social media and say hello, and let me know what else you want explained on the whiteboard, and we’ll get it done!

• Connect with me
• White Board Wednesday Playlist (All Episodes)
• ITAM Review contact form

Setting expectations with ITAM tools to avoid disappointment

Abbreviated transcript:

There’s some fantastic technology out there to help you on your ITAM journey, but it’s good to set expectations about what you can expect from that technology to avoid disappointment down the line. Especially if you’re building out the business case, and you’re selling things to senior management, you don’t want to set the wrong expectations about what this technology that you’re potentially investing in is going to do for you.

The Reality of ITAM Technology

We asked people that had already bought into ITAM technology, what is the number one thing you’d wish you’d known before you’d invested? And the number one response was underestimating the work involved, it would be wrong to assume that you installed an ITAM tool and suddenly, boom, you’re compliant, money savings are piling up everywhere and beautiful reports being sent down to your stakeholders, that would be the wrong expectation. The reality is, ITAM is typically not a turnkey solution, you should consider it more like a platform or a workbench in order to get to your destination.

Consider an Example

Imagine you had just bought a business and the accounts are a mess and the bookkeeping is a mess, and the data behind the business is not great. You go and install an accounting package so that you can manage things, will the accounting package by itself make you profitable? No. But it will if you work it properly, the accounting package will give you sufficient data in which to turn the ship, make strategic decisions, and eventually you’ll get to profitability if you’re doing it properly. And ITAM technology is the same it’s a workbench, it will give you data back if you work it, and then you can turn the ship and you can reach your goals accordingly.

ITAM Technology and Tools

In terms of ITAM technology and tools, you’re going to need some technology, you can’t do world-class ITAM with an Excel spreadsheet You’re going to need to invest in certain technology, or harness what you have internally, but you’re going to need some technology. You’re going to need some people behind it. Remember the number one complaint of people that have already invested in ITAMS, was underestimating how much horsepower was required to actually get the result. You’re going to need people, either it’s yourself, your team, specialists, or somebody else, but you’re going to need some people to drive this. And finally, you’re going to need to refine your processes, you’re not going to get perfectly compliant just by plugging the tool in. The tool will give you signals, and you will need to refine your processes, refine the habits of your organization, and then that will get you to your goal.