It is said that manpower is the biggest strength of any organization. But the way business is done today IT has also become one of the biggest assets. It is simply not possible to grow a business without investing in proper IT infrastructure. Whether it is hardware or software every company has to have the right kind of IT assets. And when there is IT asset there has to be a robust IT strategy and IT asset management becomes an important part of the strategy.



IT assets help in each and every aspect of running a business. Take for example an online store. Here IT plays a massive role. The website is designed using IT software. The products are categorized and displayed using IT. The order is taken online and then it is processed online. Huge IT security is involved where the customer enters their credit card or bank account information. And then the order flows through the different departments until the product is shipped and is received by the customer. Throughout this entire process IT continues to play a role.



A few years ago IT strategy would involve using some java based application and blocking websites that were deemed not right for employees to open. There would be some policies involving use of email and so on. But now IT strategy is all about aligning with business so that growth can be achieved.



Today when a company plans their IT strategy they need to keep many things in mind. First of all, the need assessment has to be done. This would include understanding the existing IT environment business needs, evaluate the technical drivers that are needed and then setting up a mission and vision for the IT team.



The strategy would also involve analyzing IT inventory, mapping with functions and identifying the gaps. Once this is done appropriate solutions would be identified to bridge the gaps and guiding principles for IT would be set. All of this would be then documented and short and long term fixes would be identified.



As far as IT asset management is concerned it is not just about managing the desktops and the laptops. Organizations need to know what IT asset they are investing in and how to keep a tab on them. So, apart from physical asset tracking there also has to be a store or a library for cataloging all IT hardware and software assets. Various assessments, process flows, redeployments, procurements and disposals form part of IT asset management. When the IT asset is properly managed an organization would be able to stay within the guidelines of various regulations that are set and amended from time to time.



It is true that it is an organization that can best set their own IT strategy but there is no harm in using expert help. There are many professional IT companies that can not only help with strategizing IT but can also assist with IT asset management. Once you partner with one such vendor you take a lot of headache off.

A robust IT strategy http://www.hcltech.com/enterprise-transformation-services/it-strategy-0 can help easier and more professional IT asset management http://www.hcltech.com/it-infrastructure-management/asset-management .