It’s common for companies looking to improve their IT asset management (ITAM) system to want to hire specialists to manage all the different aspects. You could hire many professionals, including IT asset specialists, asset managers, or full external IT teams you can partner with to get help.
An asset specialist can help with many aspects of the asset lifecycle, including overseeing the entire system that manages IT assets from the beginning to the end of their life.
In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at the roles and responsibilities of IT asset specialists. You’ll learn everything from how hiring one can benefit a company to the qualifications needed to be an asset manager. Keep reading to learn more.
What are the Roles and Responsibilities of IT Asset Specialists?
So you’re looking to bring on an IT asset specialist, but what will their roles and responsibilities be? Here’s a quick breakdown of the asset specialist’s roles in a company:
- Negotiating deals with vendors: Asset specialists can play a key role in IT-related financial decisions and the equipment you choose to purchase. They can work closely with vendors to buy the best equipment for the most economical prices and sell old equipment to get the most value back from it.
- Computer lifecycle management: After purchasing new equipment, it must be managed appropriately. Asset specialists manage equipment throughout its lifecycle. They assign IT team members to work on routine maintenance and help facilitate a system that tracks asset performance to know when equipment should be replaced.
- Oversees device inventory: Your IT asset inventory will help manage the entire lifecycle of computer equipment. The IT asset specialist can supervise the process and ensure everything is tracked according to proper regulations. Regulating inventory is essential to ensure appropriate record-keeping if the company is ever audited.
The asset specialist can essentially act as a leader within the IT team to coordinate objectives and ensure everything runs smoothly.
How These Roles and Responsibilities Will Benefit the Company
Knowing the responsibilities of an asset specialist is great, but you may be wondering what measurable impacts each one has on the company’s performance. Here are a few important benefits of having a knowledgeable asset specialist:
- Better financial management: Asset specialists negotiate sales and ensure all spending is done within budgetary limitations. It can be easy to overspend on computer equipment, so having a good inventory and ITAM system is necessary to keep everything in check. Plus, spending in the right way improves your bottom line.
- Organized processes: Your computer equipment is the backbone of many company operations. If even one piece of it has issues, it can disrupt everything you do. Having a specialist organize everything ensures all equipment is maintained appropriately to prevent breakdowns and keep the work environment running efficiently.
- Improved communication: It’s hard for teams to work together if they don’t communicate effectively. IT asset specialists can help facilitate communication about IT related issues with all teams within a company. For instance, if the marketing team’s servers need to be updated on Wednesday night, everyone will be notified to plan accordingly.
If you want your business procedures to run as smoothly as possible, having a specialist on staff, or through a partnership with an ITAM company, to manage everything will be a great asset. They’ll take a lot of weight off the business owner’s shoulders, so they can focus on other areas of need.
What Qualifications Are Necessary to Be an Asset Manager?
A qualified asset manager will typically have a bachelor’s degree in information technology or computer science. However, some may have degrees in other areas, like business administration, where they’ve since transitioned to the IT field. Education like ITIL certifications can help ensure professionals know the best practices for asset management.
In conjunction with education, asset managers will be required to have a depth of experience in IT and asset management. Most qualified asset managers will need at least 5-7 years of experience, with the most advanced having 10+ years in the field.
When looking for an asset manager, you should ensure they have proven capabilities with evidence of their achievements in past positions.
What is the Role of an ITIL Asset Manager?
An ITIL asset manager is someone trained in ITIL practices for asset management. The ITIL is an organization that formulated best practices for businesses to manage assets in a way that is both effective and compliant with industry standards.
Their role will involve ensuring that the business functions within those same regulations that will lead to high success rates in ITAM systems. The manager will usually coordinate the inventory and lifecycle management and work closely with vendors to achieve this.
How Multiply Helps Improve Your IT Asset Management System
If you’re looking for a team of asset management specialists, Multiply can help. Our team is composed of IT consultants and senior service technicians who have years of experience in setting up and organizing asset management systems for companies we partner with.
When you partner with Multiply, you get a team who will guide you through the ITAM process. We’ll conduct audits for compliance, help you set up an inventory, and facilitate communication between every team involved in the process.
To learn more about how Multiply can help set up successful ITAM systems, contact us today!
