Top 10 Tips For Successful ITAM. Presentation and Workshop

Transcription

1 Top 10 Tips For Successful ITAM Presentation and Workshop Lori Sechio Chief Executive Officer TekMethods, L.L.C. Author s note: If you have a specific ITAM issue or question you wish to explore with me or one of our other industry experts, please contact me at

2 Copyright Notice Copyright by TekMethods, L.L.C. All rights reserved. This document is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. The information contained herein is proprietary to TekMethods, L.L.C. It shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed, whole or in part without the express written consent of an authorized representative of TekMethods, L.L.C. Use of this information for any purpose other than that for which it has been provided without the prior written consent of an authorized representative of TekMethods, L.L.C., is prohibited. Overview The material in this document was first delivered at the IAITAM Annual Conference in the form of a brief presentation followed by an attendee workshop. Slide content and the feedback from workshop participants has now been encapsulated into this document. 2

3 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 1 Get Senior Management Support ITAM crosses organizational boundaries Stakeholders in various areas must all commit to the program long-term ITAM programs represent significant investment (financial and time commitments) Management support is crucial both initially and ongoing ITAM is a business discipline which crosses organizational boundaries. For example, stakeholders will likely include the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and departments in that arena such as Financial Operations, Contracts Administration, and Risk Management. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is also a major stakeholder representing various IT functions such as help desk triage, deskside support, and upgrade planning. In short, stakeholders will represent many different parts of the organization. Since ITAM programs represent a significant investment both in financial and time commitments, support from executive management is critical. That support is needed both initially in establishing the ITAM program and over the long-term if the desired outcomes are to be achieved by the organization. In this workshop, please discuss the viewpoint of executive management and techniques for obtaining (and retaining) their support for the ITAM program. Tip # 1 - Workshop Feedback o Gain as much knowledge as you can about successful IT initiatives and less successful ones. Use this information as ammunition when you approach senior management to discuss ITAM and its value to the organization in advancing related IT initiatives. o Identify each of the stakeholders in your organization (not just those in IT) and assess their level of support of ITAM. Know the benefits of ITAM that each one of those stakeholders can expect to receive. Look at it from the, What s in it for me? perspective. o Learn how to speak to executive management in business terms. They care about how they can reduce risk, increase revenue, save money, gain market share, etc. and are not concerned with features and benefits of software products. o Educate management and do not assume they are aware of the benefits and 3

4 importance of ITAM. Include all of the benefits as well as the consequences of not implementing ITAM. o Follow the organization chart. Begin with your immediate manager and work upwards. At each level make sure the people below in the chain are given credit for supporting this key initiative. o Consider your executive sponsor s decision-making style. Does he/she prefer the quick, fast, just give me the facts approach or a very detailed justification approach. Communicate to him/her the way that best suits their style. o Get into the head of senior management by reading the annual report and the company newsletter (especially if it has a column by the CEO or other senior manager). Translate the value of the major aspects of ITAM to how it supports the company s vision. o Get as much support as you can by going up the organization chart as well as across to find peer managers and departments that will support the ITAM program. Be sure to quantify for your management how much interest in ITAM exists in other parts of the organization. o Find an advocate a person of influence and garner their support. Ask them to vocally advocate for ITAM on your behalf and that of the organization. o Align ITAM with IT and with the goals of the business. Focus on only three benefits of ITAM that align with those other big initiatives. Write a paragraph or page on how ITAM advances or supports that initiative. (Limiting to only about three benefits will force you to choose the more powerful value targets). 4

5 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 2 Dedicate Qualified and Trained Professional Resources to the ITAM Program ITAM solutions are complex by nature Business process and technical knowledge is required ITAM requires continual (not periodic) attention The organization will continue to change and evolve and the ITAM program will be affected Achieve the value proposition sought by the organization ITAM professionals have learned first-hand that the solutions are complex by nature. They have to contend with various technical components, numerous business processes, and complicated software licensing paradigms, for example. Asset Managers must understand the complete solution and its interrelationships to maintain accurate data and achieve the value proposition targeted by the organization. As the organization changes and evolves, the ITAM solution must also change and evolve if the value of ITAM is to be realized long-term. In this workshop, please discuss 1) skillsets and knowledge the Asset Manager must possess to achieve effectiveness and 2) the means by which they can obtain those skillsets and knowledge. Tip # 2 - Workshop Feedback Part 1 Skillsets and Knowledge The Asset Manager Must Possess o Full technical knowledge of the ITAM solution components (discovery tool, repository tool, interfaces, etc.), understanding of systems administration, database knowledge, knowledge of operating systems and networks. o Business knowledge of the entire organization such as what the company does, how procurement works, how vendors are managed, understanding of asset lifecycles and change management for those assets, understanding of finance (tax, depreciation, contracts, total cost of ownership), as well as global considerations if the organization has assets outside the US. o People and management skills including the ability to manage others to the 5

6 desired result, to manage the overall project, communication skills, negotiation skills, knowledge of the organizational chart, and the ability to obtain an appropriate amount of collaboration between departments. o A full understanding of all of the data being maintained and how it is captured. Consider including a glossary with each report that is distributed so that the recipient also understands the nature of each data element and its limitations and value. o Understanding of the industry as a whole including legal issues of compliance and legislation (such as Sarbanes-Oxley and asset disposal regulations) and other topics such as software licensing models used by major software publishers. o The best asset managers have overall big picture knowledge as well as detailoriented knowledge and ability. Part 2 Means By Which Asset Managers Can Obtain Skills And Knowledge o Retrain long-term employees that already have some of the skills and knowledge needed. o Take classes to improve language, communication, and financial skills. o Socialize ITAM so that many people understand it. For example, managers and individuals should know that their department can save money by properly disposing of obsolete assets. o Encourage learning by employees with profit sharing and other similar programs. o Learn from the 3 rd party vendors who have the knowledge in each particular area. o Attend IAITAM classes and the annual IAITAM conference. o Read trade magazines and research from industry analysts (Forrester, Gartner). o Review all internal processes, policies, and procedures. Develop a list of terminology and acronyms. Meet with others in the organization who have knowledge and learn from them. 6

7 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 3 Prioritize ITAM Needs Definition Identify the goals of the ITAM program before embarking Physical inventory is not the first phase of implementation Avoid selecting tools until needs definition is complete Measures of success should be clearly defined and agreed upon with senior management and relevant stakeholders Proper planning is fundamental to the success of most projects, and ITAM is no exception. As noted earlier, ITAM crosses many organizational boundaries and involves stakeholders from many different functional areas and with differing goals and objectives. The criteria by which success will be measured should be defined and agreed upon with senior management and stakeholders prior to embarking on implementation tasks. Success criteria should be defined prior to selecting software tools or performing physical inventory. Identify points of pain in managing technology assets as well as constraints and enablers to the success of the ITAM program. In short, make needs definition a priority. Define the end state well what you want to achieve and how you will get there. In this workshop, please identify possible measures of success. For example, Our ITAM program will be considered successful when we Tip # 3 - Workshop Feedback o Begin by assessing where you are relative to ITAM maturity that is, assess whether you have any ITAM program at all or whether you have a well established and robust solution -- or where you are in between. o Then determine your organization s philosophy on asset management including what executive sponsorship you may have, what stakeholders are on board, etc. o Assess the current environment from both the technical and procedural perspectives. What systems or tools are currently in place? What policies and practices exist in the organization today? o Determine the goals and objectives. Include current points of pain as well as enablers and constraints to success. o Compare the goals and objectives to the current state of ITAM. o Identify the efforts needed to bring the current state closer to the desired state as 7

8 building blocks. Each step should be achievable within a defined period of time and should get you closer to the desired state. Look for low hanging fruit at each step of the process. Take into consideration that success will require financial investment, cultural change, technical aspects, policies, procedures, etc. o Articulate the ways the ITAM program s success will be measured such as: Our ITAM program will be considered successful when we can successfully defend ourselves in the event of a software audit. have implemented good procedures for all of our lifecycle activities. are reconciling all invoices for accuracy ensuring we are not overpaying for anything. have a program for disposing of hardware in a legally compliant way. return every leased asset on time and never pay overage charges or buy the equipment. have installed an asset repository and a configuration scanning tool and integrated them. can provide configuration detail on each PC to the Help Desk when an enduser calls. are certain that everything we ordered was received. have integrated the purchase order system with the asset repository. can identify non-used or idle assets and redeploy them. 8

9 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 4 Start Small ITAM requires adherence to new discipline Discipline across departments is not easily achieved Implement in realistic phases while gaining credibility Address high yield opportunities first ITAM managers have experienced first-hand that old adage that, People don t like change. ITAM requires adherence to new business disciplines; people in various roles accepting new aspects of their job aimed at accurate care-and-feeding of the asset repository. There is value to implementing ITAM in phases after building experience and credibility over the last phase. Narrow the scope to what is achievable initially but plan out a strategy for where your solution will grow in each subsequent phase. In this workshop, please outline possible growth paths (and their benefits) for evolving your ITAM solution over time from a smaller focus to a larger one. Tip # 4 - Workshop Feedback o Consider narrowing the scope to first managing software titles. Perhaps start with the top three software suppliers to the organization. o If your company is very large, you can focus initially only on one asset type such as PC s and only within one division or business unit. Then you can expand to either more asset types within that business unit, or that same asset type in other business units. o Plan the scope to grow according to the needs defined previously. That is, all of the highest priorities should be part of the first phase or phases before you move on to lower priorities. o Develop a roadmap that is based upon the business drivers particular to your organization. o Perform tools research as a separate phase after the goals have been mapped out. o Consider implementing the corporate-wide asset-related policies first. For example, obsolete hardware disposal policy, software loading policy, etc. 9

10 o Consider implementing the business processes around the asset lifecycles first. Use the ITAM initiative to get the house in order which will, in turn, make the ITAM initiative more successful. o Communicate the value of doing ITAM to all levels of the organization so they understand how they fit into the bigger picture. They need to know that their behaviors can adversely effect data quality and ultimately bigger decision making. o Set up a communications phase/plan for other areas of the organization and educate them on their responsibility in ITAM as well as the benefits they can expect for participation. 10

11 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 5 Examine the Asset s Lifecycle ITAM is 80 percent process and 20 percent tools Allow sufficient time to define data elements to be maintained Examine the lifecycle of the asset types in scope of the solution Develop processes to capture appropriate change data throughout the asset s life ITAM is 80 percent process and 20 percent tools, is a popular phrase in ITAM circles. While we may argue the exact percentages, ITAM experts agree that a full and effective business solution around the software tools is the key to success. Installing an asset repository or configuration discovery tool does not mean you have an effective asset management solution. The asset data itself is the final product. Maintaining the accuracy of that data is the holy grail. The aggregate data encompasses many different data elements which address different aspects of the asset, for example demographic information or contractual data. Allow sufficient time to define the data elements to be managed in the ITAM solution then examine the asset lifecycle s to determine initial point of capture and subsequent points of update. Lastly, develop the processes to accurately capture changed data throughout the asset s lifecycle. In this workshop, please share your approaches to defining data elements and business processes for maintaining accuracy. Tip # 5 - Workshop Feedback o Start with standards to understand what asset types will be coming into the environment. Then define the install, add, move, change, de-install, dispose processes specifically for those assets. Look for opportunities to streamline the processes around each of these lifecycle events. o Look for commonality between data elements. Perhaps they all are updated by one specific function or department in the organization. This will aid in developing the processes. A small number of well defined and followed processes is greatly preferable to a large number of processes with less compliance by involved parties. 11

12 o Standardize the environment, for example, the asset catalog to reduce complexity and variability. o Remember to include the asset lifecycles and associated processes as criteria in your software tool selection. o Consider this possible approach to determining which data elements and business processes are needed: o First define all of the data elements you absolutely need to maintain accurately in your ITAM system. Do not track data just because it exists. o Then determine the asset classes that will be managed (e.g., PC s versus Networking equipment versus Telephones. (Remember to start small and build on success in phases). o Go through each major lifecycle event for each asset class and determine where each of the data elements are 1) first captured and 2) subsequently updated. For example: The printer s Receive Date is only recorded once at the Receiving step of its lifecycle. However, the PC s physical location could be captured first at Receiving then updated at Installation, and then updated again each time it is Moved to a new user/location. o After doing this for each of the asset classes and data elements you can define your business processes to capture the appropriate information at the right time. 12

13 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 6 Select Appropriate Software Tools Select software tools to meet all of the defined needs Software should adapt to fit the organization Opportunity to improve data flows (but do not adapt flows to fit an inappropriate tool) Data interfaces between systems are critical to success As the client and beneficiary of the ITAM program, you need to drive the project to successful completion. You define what is important in terms of goals, objectives, data elements maintained, reports produced, etc. You document the benchmarks by which success will be measured. It s all about you and your organization. Software tools are only a means to an end. Therefore, software tool selection should proceed only after this planning work is done. The selected tools should meet or exceed all of the defined needs and adapt to fit the organization. Further, they must suitable to interface with other software tools and legacy systems in your organization. In this workshop, please discuss methods for selecting the proper tools to achieve your objectives in managing IT assets. Tip # 6 - Workshop Feedback o Perform a needs analysis. Focus on what we need rather than what we want. o Determine the amount of budget available for the entire project, not just the software-related expenses. Be sure to budget funds for professional services to accelerate the implementation timeline while ensuring a quality solution. o Obtain buy-in for the project from executive management and other relevant internal personnel. o Communicate and educate. o Build a support base that includes internal personnel and external people such as vendors the organization routinely works with. o Define the overall plan for ITAM in the organization. Define the priorities and what s most important and know that no one tool will do it all. o Interrogate the software to determine how it will work with existing tools (e.g., Oracle or SQL). Determine the amount of customization/tailoring it will require to meet the defined needs. 13

14 o Remember that you, as the client, should be driving this project. You define your goals what is important to you and the plan for achieving those goals. Your vendors (software vendors, hardware vendors, or service vendors) should be treated as partners supporting you in achieving your defined goals, but should not be driving the project to successful completion. o Keep cost of tools in mind. A software tool which costs $150k would be expected to be twice as effective as the tool which costs $75k. Factor in the potential return on investment (ROI) of automation of processes. o Perform a thorough evaluation of the tools available. For example, you could do a cursory/basic evaluation of 1-2 dozen tools then narrow down to an indepth/thorough evaluation of 2-3 finalists which most closely appear to satisfy the defined needs. o Test the software as much as possible in the real world. For example, throw your real-world data at the tools. Use the normal channels to work with the customer service area to determine the quality of support you would receive after purchase. Test integration with other tools and legacy systems where possible. 14

15 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 7 Implement ITAM Process Auditing and Evaluation Procedures Monitor the key players for adherence to agreed upon processes Deviation from processes causes data anomalies Share the importance of the process in achieving the larger value proposition Identify and resolve root causes The quality of the asset data is of paramount importance in achieving the value proposition of ITAM. Often in examining loss of data quality, the root cause can be traced back to a breakdown in the business discipline. Simply put, a person, function, or department not adhering to the agreed-upon flow causes anomalies in the data and, ultimately, loss of value of that data. Key participants should be monitored for adherence to the processes. Issues should be identified, corrected, and resolved. In this workshop, please outline 1) ways in which processes can be effectively audited for compliance, and 2) methods for obtaining compliance from key personnel. Tip # 7 - Workshop Feedback Part 1 Ways In Which Processes Can Be Audited For Compliance o Perform ad hoc random checks on each process as well as scheduled audits. (Each of the key processes should have been documented well so that ad hoc comparison of the real-world event can be matched against the documentation). o Perform the given process with the person and compare what they are doing to the documented process. It is then a combination audit and training session. o Ask your manager, the internal audit department, or an outside consultant to audit the compliance level on each process and document their findings. If you are uncomfortable with performing the audit, find someone who can do it rather than not auditing. o Pick a key data element such as the invoice number and perform a quality check on the specific data element. o Relate the findings of the audit to the quality of asset data. If a particular piece of data is often inaccurate you need to make a plan for improving its data quality or consider dropping it as a data element you maintain. Look for the root cause of the anomaly rather than just correcting the data. 15

16 o Set up statistical sampling in various areas on a schedule and create reports that show the error percentage related to volume performed. o Make sure you are very clear on who the key players are and what their exact role is. Lack of preparation by the auditor can undermine the effectiveness of the entire process and actually degrade the quality of the data in the long run. Part 2 - Methods For Obtaining Compliance From Key Personnel o Publish reports that show which processes work properly and those that are breaking down. If you used the statistical sampling approach (above), you should trend the data and show it to management sponsorship and involved departments. o Build asset management as part of the official HR employee appraisal process. Call it protecting the investment of corporate assets. Consider a brochure for new hires from the HR department that stresses the importance of ITAM and each individual s role. o Work up a flowchart of the key processes and how data flows from one function/process to another. Use this to educate the involved parties on the significance of their role in overall quality. o Schedule training sessions for areas found lacking. Be sure to explain how their actions (or inactions) adversely affect the ITAM project (which hopefully is considered mission critical and has high management visibility). o Use time out in the field to remind staff of important corporate policies (e.g., cannot install software from home on their company computer or the proper method for disposing of assets). 16

17 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 8 Build in Mechanisms for Correcting ITAM Data Inaccuracies Data integrity is vital to a successful ITAM program Build mechanisms for analyzing and efficiently correcting inaccuracies (which are inevitable) Unforeseen events or circumstances can disrupt the ITAM process Hand-held scanners and RFID tags are examples of such efficient and accurate correction mechanisms Despite all of our best efforts and a clean baseline starting point, the quality of asset data in the ITAM solution will erode over time. Unforeseen events or circumstances can disrupt the program and compromise the data integrity. And of course there s the adherence to discipline problem noted previously. Build in mechanisms for analyzing and efficiently correcting data inaccuracies. For example, many clients use available technologies such as hand-held scanners and RFID tags to periodically re-synchronize the demographic data. In this workshop, please share experiences with identifying and correcting inaccuracies in ITAM data. Tip # 8 - Workshop Feedback o The first attempts should be preventative in nature so that the data quality degrades as little as possible in the first place. Process audits, and re-training of people on the processes are examples. o Try to keep data anomalies from happening. Praise people and departments that are complying with ITAM procedures in a public way (such as taking them out to lunch or bringing lunch in for them). Then go to the non-compliant people or departments and encourage them to support the ITAM program so they can also get public praise and be taken out to lunch too. o Set up a program for periodic point-and-shoot with the hand-held scanners to capture physical location and end-user assignee data. Do this as a visible corporate event or discretely one part of the organization at a time depending on the size of the organization, the visibility of the ITAM program, and any other relevant factors. 17

18 o Hire an outside organization to perform an impartial data quality check. Some ITAM service providers have methods for determining the accuracy of the data for the client. This can be done in a programmatical way and/or via actual spot audit of some subset of assets. Impartial, outside assessment often motivates internal parties toward compliance. o Perform a regular reconciliation between the data collected from the discovery tool and the asset repository. o Establish accuracy metrics/thresholds for different data elements. Keep in mind that while perfect accuracy for all data elements would be wonderful, it is not realistic and some data elements are simply more/less important than others. o Continue training of people who are responsible for key business lifecycle activities. Pay particular attention to employee turnover in these areas and train new staff. This will eliminate potential problems before they start. 18

19 The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Tip # 9 Periodically Review the ITAM Program ITAM programs should be periodically reviewed to ensure achievement of the defined goals, objectives and benefits Recommendation for quarterly review to measure successes and identify problems for future correction Use review time to find new uses for the data to increase benefit realized Keep the ITAM program fresh by periodically reviewing the goals and objectives targeted as well as the benefits which have been achieved. Continue to evolve the program and raise the bar on the value desired. After satisfying your initial objectives, look for new ways the data can be used to support your organization and set new goals. And remember to reinforce the participants positively. Praise successes for goals achieved! In this workshop, please define a process for reviewing the overall effectiveness of the ITAM program. Tip # 9 - Workshop Feedback o Perform a comprehensive review of the program to quantify the return on investment (ROI) from a financial perspective. o Document all benefits achieved, even those that may not be financial in nature. o Evaluate the ITAM program objectively noting its success (and its failures) against the success criteria you defined back in the planning stage. For example, data is successfully provided to the Risk Management department to support their disaster recovery planning project on a monthly basis. For example, we successfully returned 93% of assets coming off lease to the lessor. This is a big improvement and we will refine the ITAM program to achieve 100% going forward this year. For example, we have successfully defended ourselves in a software audit conducted by one of our suppliers. o Look for new uses of the data. Ask management at various levels what initiatives they have coming up during the next months. Be very detailed so that you truly understand the nature and significance of each project. Then figure out the value of ITAM to that manager or department. Meet with your senior management sponsor and share your idea for possibly leveraging ITAM data to support that project. 19

20 Tip # 10 Advertise Successes The Top 10 Tips for Successful ITAM Workshop Demonstrate the value of the ITAM program regularly Share data with appropriate personnel at various levels in the organization Promote successes to obtain further support from senior management as well as other departments and stakeholders As discussed earlier, retaining the attention of senior management is essential to the longterm viability of your ITAM program. It is not enough to simply achieve the objectives and assume your organization recognizes the value of doing ITAM. You must actively champion those successes to retain support from senior management as well as other departments and stakeholders. Share your success stories! In this workshop, please outline ways in which success can be advertised to others in the organization. Tip # 10 - Workshop Feedback o Set up a standard report that is provided to senior management each month with key facts about the ITAM program. For example, note the number of software titles that were harvested from PC s that were being disposed. Include the dollar value of those software titles so that management knows exactly how much money was saved that month from the ITAM program. o Meet with stakeholders in other departments and ask how the ITAM data is benefiting them. Ask permission to share a quote in your next meeting with your senior management sponsor. Then your senior management sponsor hears another perspective other than your own. Have a quote ready each time you meet with senior management. o Put an ITAM feature in the company newsletter periodically. Spotlight how the data was used to solve a business problem and get quotes from the people most intimately involved. Use it also as an education tool to obtain further adherence to policies and procedures. o Forward positive s upward in the organization. o Share the success stories internally as well as in relevant community/business publications. o Also use the internal grapevine within the department and outside of it to share successes. o Learn to be a self-promoter. Get over your discomfort and be your own 20

21 cheerleader. Mistakes get around fast enough do not miss opportunities to gain positive publicity for yourself and your ITAM program. o Use departmental meetings, monthly reports, and other avenues available to highlight savings, compliance, data quality, and any other area of success that can be attributed to ITAM. o Share your success stories and encourage others to love ITAM as we do! 21