This is the third blog is the “SCCM is NOT Enough” Series.

In the first blog, we discussed how SCCM is not enough for IT departments. It creates limitations that lead companies to search for another solution. To complement an SCCM solution, we introduced IT Asset Management. In the second blog, we discussed the first stage of an asset’s lifecycle and where SCCM may fall short. In this blog, we are going to discuss the second stage of an asset’s lifecycle: Purchasing.

Purchasing

The purchasing of an asset comes after there is an identified need within an organization. This stage is usually executed by the procurement department. So you must be wondering why we are discussing it here. Simply put, IT is responsible for anything with a plug and the software within an organization. Therefore, insight into their acquisition is essential. Can you imagine being responsible for a department and not knowing how much it costs to run? Purchasing information is a key component in managing anything. In IT, it also relates to recurring costs and processes like asset maintenances.

IT departments need visibility into the IT purchases of the entire organization. It is their responsibility to know how much they are spending, who is spending it, and what the organization owns. This information is critical for budgeting, forecasting, audits, and reports.

SCCM does not have a centralized view of the information on purchases, vendor contracts or who is purchasing what. This is where ITAM comes in. SCCM collects the data about the assets but it is the ITAM solution that provides a centralized view of IT asset purchases, contracts, and costs.

Examples of how ITAM helps SCCM in the Purchasing stage:

1. Connects IT assets to vendor contracts and maintenance contracts
2. Provides a view of purchasing information in one place
3. Sees which department is purchasing what IT asset
4. Creates reports (no manual work required)
5. Identifies if there are too many or too little assets in inventory
6. Allows department to better prepare for audits (reports ready for compliance)
7. Results from the automated approval workflow (previous blog)
8. Integrates with external purchasing systems and spreadsheets
9. Keeps track of costs automatically (by a department, by a person or by a vendor)

Takeaways

ITAM enhances the value of your asset information in the purchasing stage. It localizes purchasing information from many sources. This enables you to streamline many processes, including creating reports, inventory checks, audit preparations, budgeting, and monitoring contracts.

How is SCCM contributing to those processes for you today? How are you executing them today?

Wondering about how you can enhance your solution? Get your free SCCM Assessment to see how an ITAM tool can help you. Sign up here.