Various inventory management methods are available to businesses in order to effectively manage their assets. Among the latter, we can find several IT inventory software with a network scanner for their IT equipment and on the other hand, asset tracking systems that do not use this feature.
With all these options on the market, these softwares have benefits but also disadvantages not to neglect. Indeed, these seem to be at first sight easier to implement with time savings but is it really the case?
Network scanner software
Pros
The many software products available on the market using network scanner, mainly, minimize the data entry times and provide quick and automatic answers to the state of the hardware connected to the network. This is therefore intended to facilitate access to the technical information of the scanned inventory.
More precisely, this method gives the possibility to automatically detect the equipment, the hardware and software components installed within the companies. The scanned devices are then added to the inventory and updated in real time according to the users, their location and the assignment to the workstations.
Cons
However, despite the simplicity and speed offered by network scanner, this process has a major disadvantage. Informations listed are sometimes not relevant, which comes to generate confusion when consulting the inventory of the company. A post-scan sort is therefore necessary in order to remove all the “junk”. The time gain initially perceived is quickly caught up by the sorting and inventory control that results from the network scan.
This could also generate you more costs at the end. Not removing the unrelevant scanned devices will add up the total amount of assets in the software and therefore, increase the monthly bill. Think about a 1000 assets’ company that want to track its IT inventory, the cost difference could be significant !
List manually, manage automatically
Think differently and save time. Rather than let your IT equipment be scanned and have surprises in the assets listed, make the choice of a solution without scan, where the assets are manually entered into the system and are then automatically managed according to the parameters that matter to you:
- Maintenance reminders
- Return of equipment
- Product Lifecycle
- Minimum stock quantity
And so on…
IT assets tracking
For an IT department, it’s understandable and essential to want to thoroughly and properly keep an eye on IT equipment, which generally represents major investments. Even without network scan, it’s very possible to have a view of the status of any asset through the date of acquisition, life cycle, maintenance reminders for preventive maintenance, warranty, assignments , the location and much more. By automating the process the right way, you make sure you have accurate and reliable information about your inventory while giving your employees the opportunity to focus on their priorities.
Finally, with a scanless IT inventory management system, the main advantage is that you can decide to list the type of equipment that matters to you without worrying about having to check or sort afterwards. Choosing an IT asset management software (ITAM) would be beneficial to your business, saving you time and money and increasing your productivity.
For more information and to know how our software hector can support and improve your inventory management, start your free 15-day trial !