Many organizations are now using Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Management (SCCM) because it’s easy to use and it collects large amounts of data. It’s also helpful for its IT tasks like packaging software deployments and performing remote installations. Although the tool constantly updates, it still doesn’t include software provisioning processes or flexible workflows like an IT Asset Management (ITAM) solution would be able to perform. An ITAM solution handles employee requests, through complex approval and coordination of provisioning IT tasks.

As a result, SCCM is not enough for some organizations. Don’t replace SCCM with an ITAM solution, but find one that compliments your investment.

Let’s review 3 ways a typical ITAM solution enhances your SCCM investment:

1. Simplifying Approvals

SCCM performs software maintenance like installations, supersedes, and uninstallations. There must be approvals before installations so IT can install them remotely or so employees can set them up themselves. Approvals can be an annoying task that can slow down processes. Although an SCCM tool can deploy software, an ITAM solution can set up an authorization workflow to speed up the process, even when approvals are complex. Once an employee or IT submits a software request, an ITAM solution sends out emails to the appropriate approvers. The solution also notifies them to approve the request if they do not respond within a specified time-frame. This proactive approach ensures the entire software installation process is faster. Find more intuitive ways for the approval process in this blog.

2. Turn Data into Information

SCCM is popular for collecting data to populate databases of information. You can run reports on specific software or hardware. Sadly, it generates tons of information that is not understandable to employees outside of the department. Also, it is usually siloed to the IT department, which doesn’t help the organization make decisions. An ITAM solution takes the data collected by SCCM and uses a normalization process to turn raw data into useful information.

In addition, if the ITAM solution is web-based, the data can also be accessible to other employees like department managers, security officers, and finance. In their unique dashboard, there are monitored metrics relevant to their department or position. As a result, a modern ITAM solution takes data collected by SCCM and makes it understandable and accessible to decision-makers.

3. Automating Onboarding and termination processes

As discussed, SCCM is able to deploy software. But can ITAM automate that process? ITAM takes provisioning to a whole other level. It is capable of provisioning software to specific users based on their position or job title. As long as it is set up, it can have all the software required for that new position and automatically sent to the new employee can work from day one. Yet SCCM helps retrieve software if an employee leaves. ITAM will then take these licenses and put them in a repository with other unused licenses to be re-assigned.

Comparing the uses of SSCM and an ITAM solution

SCCM is a great tool to run IT tasks whereas an ITAM solution is better at executing IT processes. Both tools are complementary to create a full asset management solution that will benefit your organization. By streamlining the approval process for software, no one has to chase people for approval and time isn’t wasted because of ITAM’s reminders helping to make the process faster.

SCCM has the ability to collect a large amount of data that can be useful to other departments. ITAM solutions normalize this data into information that is accessible, understandable and relevant.

Many organizations are now using Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Management (SCCM) because of it’s easy to use and it collects large amounts of data. It’s also helpful for its IT tasks like packaging software deployments and performing remote installations. Although the tool constantly updates, it still doesn’t include software provisioning processes or flexible workflows like an IT Asset Management (ITAM) solution would be able to perform. An ITAM solution handles employee requests, through complex approval and coordination of provisioning IT tasks.

As a result, SCCM is not enough for some organizations. Don’t replace SCCM with an ITAM solution, but find one that compliments your investment.

There are other ways an ITAM solution can enhance a Microsoft SCCM infrastructure. If you want to know more, let us know by sharing this blog!