Why An IT Inventory is Essential
DC the Computer guy
Do you know what an IT Inventory is? As a business owner myself, I’ve learned a number of hard lessons. Many of these are because I want to do things my own way and figure things out for myself. I imagine it is a common trait among those of us who pour everything we have into our businesses. Over the years, I’ve learned that not every lesson has to be learned the hard way, and I’d like to share an important one.
We all know the importance of product inventories, but I’d argue that having a good IT Inventory is just as important, if not more. When you start to dig into what an IT Inventory identifies, you start to see just how vital it is for so many reasons.
Having recently answered questions about the importance of performing an IT Inventory with a new client, I decided to record a video blog to discuss it.
Click below for my Video on Why An IT Inventory is Essential
When it comes to the importance of having an up-to-date and accurate IT Inventory, I could cite a number of reasons, and delve into a great deal of detail on each. For this video blog, I decided to focus on a few reasons why your business needs an IT Inventory. These are important enough that I wanted to highlight them here.
BUDGETING
I’ve worked with enough clients who get surprised by the need to upgrade technology that I feel it needs to be discussed. A good IT Inventory will include date of purchase, and that is a key component in determining when the hardware will need to be replaced. Computers, servers, and network equipment all have different life expectancies, and it’s rare for a business to have purchased everything at once. Using an IT Inventory as a guide will help you budget for replacing hardware instead of struggling with surprise replacements.
For more, read about the Technology Lifecycle here.
SECURITY
Between blogs and social media posts, we have a weekly focus on security awareness. The majority of these are aimed at preventing security breaches, and an up-to-date and accurate IT Inventory is one of the most preventative measures you can take. Whether it’s old hardware with vulnerabilities or finding that something is missing that may have critical data on it, taking the time to get that inventory done will definitely be worth it.
For a good read old hardware, take a look at this blog.
MAINTENANCE
Security and antivirus updates are often neglected in businesses. Performing maintenance is another of those preventive things we discuss a lot, mostly because so many people don’t do it. A part of every IT Inventory we do includes asking questions about maintenance and checking for the last time security updates were completed.
See just how crucial maintenance is in this blog.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As I mentioned in the video blog, every time we take on a new client, the very first thing we do is conduct a full inventory. If you don’t have an up-to-date and accurate IT Inventory, I would strongly recommend you get one done sooner rather than later. If you’re not sure how to get started, you can download our Asset Template here.
Better yet, contact us and see why we are Simply the Best Choice for IT Support.
As always, if you have any questions or want to discuss IT service options, please get in touch with us here at CLARK by emailing [email protected] or giving us a call at 301-456-6931.
President And Owner
I left big business to start Clark Computer Services in 2003; not because I had a grand vision, but because I had three young children who needed their Dad around. Knowing I had to replace my salary, I went door-to-door visiting small businesses to introduce myself and ask if they needed IT support. I heard story after story from business owners and office managers about IT companies not returning calls and emails, grumpy technicians showing up late or not at all, and systems being down for days, weeks, and in some cases…months. I realized quickly that there was a clear and pressing need for reliable, honest, and professional IT support completed pleasantly and on time.
