IT ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN SYDNEY

Case Study

Background:

The following case study focuses on two business clients.   “Business A” has applied an IT Asset Management plan whilst “Business B” keeps no IT asset inventory and continues to purchase or maintain IT systems on an ad hoc basis.

The case study provides an insight and observation of how these two business clients, similar in size and within the same industry, can operate diversely different environments.

Furthermore it demonstrates why incorporating a IT Asset Management plan can be instrumental in establishing a successful business foundation.

Business “A”:

Business “A” understood firsthand that changes needed to happen to their IT workplace environment. They held no inventory of their IT assets. Their IT infrastructure had grown organically and was not ideally configured. As a result, their workplace environment was unstable and inefficient. Business A realised this was impacting everyday business functions. Growth remained stagnant due to poor performing  IT systems.

Solution:

Business A engaged the services of Techstream Solutions as their preferred IT service provider, to assist with the implementation of a new IT solution.

Our first task was to conduct an audit of the existing infrastructure and implement an IT Asset Management plan. The IT Asset Management inventory was essential to gain a full insight of the existing software and hardware components.   This enabled us to understand the age of the systems and determine if there was a greater ROI to replace the existing hardware, or try to maintain the existing systems that were dated and causing frustration.

Further analysis of the environment indicated that keeping the existing systems would also prove costly as they would require a high level of maintenance and support.

Furthermore Techstream Solutions were able to assess what hardware and software components were required. In this instance backup and security measures were non-existent.

The IT Asset Management initiated good IT business practices for Business A. Having the knowledge and understanding of their IT infrastructure empowered Business A to track valuable information and make inform decisions regarding future upgrades and spending.

With careful planning, Techstream Solutions achieved a successful solution for Business A. This included a complete reconfiguration of their IT systems, new server, PC’s for all employees and a backup/security solution.

Results:

As a result, Business A’s workplace now operates at optimum efficiency and other than maintenance requirements, rarely experiences IT related issues. Staff are no longer frustrated, stressed or delayed due to IT problems. Staff turnover is minimal. Most encouraging is the continued growth and success experienced by Business A.

By implementing an IT Asset Management plan, Business A can now:

• Proactively manage software licenses;
• Proactively manage hardware components;
• Keep full inventory of IT assets within the workplace;
• Forecast and budget future upgrades and spending requirements;
• Understand software and hardware usage;
• Reduce their carbon footprint by eliminating any under utilised equipment.

 Value:

Business A has achieved the ultimate ROI. Upgrading systems and incorporating an IT Asset Management plan has provided Business A with maximum benefits including continued growth and success. By strategic planning, Business A has looked beyond the short-term organisational needs and problems and can now make educated and inform decisions for their business.

Knowledge is power!

Business B:

Business B, is a prominent business organisation. On the forefront, they are driven, successful and seem to have good business practices. Behind the scenes their IT business practices are not ideal. They operate on a reactive basis, happily requesting the services of Techstream Solutions on an “ad-hoc” basis, when IT problems arise.

Business B does not have an IT Asset Management plan or strategic IT infrastructure in place. Overall, it is evident their business struggles to cope with the pressures of an unstable IT workplace environment.

The impact on business operation is significant and includes:

• High levels of stress and frustrations endured by management and employees;
• Loss of income from system downtime;
• Loss of revenue due to high staff turnover;
• Unbudgeted spending for unplanned upgrades;
• No inventory on software, leads to being exposed to unlicensed products;
• No inventory on hardware leaves you vulnerable to unnecessary spending or theft.

Techstream Solutions have provided many proposals for a viable effective solution that would see a much more stable workplace environment. At this time, Business B continues to work on an “ad-hoc” basis with no clear IT plan or infrastructure in place.