Technology’s Split Personalities

In any mature organization, the repository of IT items to be managed falls under the purview of both IT Asset Management (ITAM) and Configuration Management (CM). However, many individuals perceive these two distinct processes solely as an inventory of “IT Assets.”

For the majority, this is a fundamental approach to comprehending all technology devices. Nevertheless, as global regulations become increasingly stringent, driven by a new emphasis on Security Operations, Cyber and Vulnerability Management, it is crucial to distinctly separate IT Asset Management from Configuration Management from an awareness perspective.

IT Asset Management primarily focuses on specific classes of IT Assets, such as hardware, software, and cloud resources, following the Asset Lifecycle. This encompasses planning, forecasting, investment/procurement of IT Assets, retrieval, retirement, and disposal of IT Assets.

IT Asset Management (Investment)

IT Asset Management is a process that oversees the lifecycle of IT assets, from acquisition to disposal. It ensures that assets are deployed, operated, and maintained efficiently to meet organizational requirements and customer expectations.

Configuration Management (Operations)

Configuration Management is a process that defines and manages the configuration of IT assets. It ensures that assets are configured to meet organizational requirements and provide the necessary services to customers.

Parallel Operations

IT Asset Management and Configuration Management operate in parallel throughout the IT Asset Lifecycle. Configuration Management supports operational processes, such as cyber security, incident response, and problem management.

Examples of Parallel Operations:

• Configuration Management: If an application or service is decommissioned, its configuration items (CIs) can be decommissioned. Later, these CIs can be re-deployed to support another application as long as the IT asset itself is still within its useful lifecycle, determined by the vendor or manufacturer.
• IT Asset Management: As part of monitoring a vendor or manufacturer’s end-of-life date or contractual end date, IT Asset Management notifies application or service owners to begin planning to upgrade or replace the IT asset with sufficient time to avoid disrupting service delivery.

Dependencies across an organization rely on both Asset and Configuration Management to ensure seamless operation. Each discipline has its own set of policies, standards, controls, operational governance, and data governance roles.

There are significant management activities behind the scenes to ensure that the right technologies, at the right price, from the right partners, are in place and effectively managed. This collaboration between Asset and Configuration Management enables organizations to make informed decisions upfront to realize their investment through the delivery of services to their customers.