43% of IT Pros are still Tracking IT Assets in Spreadsheets
43% of IT professionals are still tracking IT assets in spreadsheets. This staggering number is one of the key findings from Ivanti’s survey with more than 1600 IT pros. This means that some people still count on an IT inventory spreadsheet, that’s not good.
Let’s continue number-dropping. 24% of IT professionals spend multiple hours per week on accommodating their IT inventory. 28% of the respondents are spending numerous hours each week supporting out-of-warranty assets. Even more astounding, 20% reported they don’t have insights into which assets are even out of date.
When tasked with keeping track of the network devices in an organization, many IT professionals instinctively open a fresh Excel sheet, punch in their assets, and build from there. Others will search for “IT inventory Excel template” or “Managing hardware in Excel” to give them a head start. Spreadsheets are familiar, easy to whip up and scalable… right? Hold on. IT professionals who swapped their spreadsheets for a dedicated IT Asset Inventory solution rarely look back. We’ve listed four reasons why.
Let Humans do what Humans do Best
- Do you ever find yourself copying
those Cisco switch OIDs manually? - Tired of tracking warranty statuses by digging up the Serial number from an old receipt?
- Do you sometimes spend hours on an inventory task?
- Is the official version of your network inventory doc named Asset_List v2_(copy)(copy)(3).xlsx?
If all this sounds familiar, you have been doing machine work. An automated network discovery solution can gather a wealth of knowledge in minutes, while you focus on actual work. Inventory won’t take hours, and there’s no chance of typos when entering that OID or serial number.
More importantly, it keeps your data up-to-date, so you don’t have to edit your records after every maintenance. With a database full of information that you hadn’t even thought of tracking, you can bring up a report that suits your needs on the spot. No need to plan ahead for every possible challenge, and no lost time on entries you never even use.
People make mistakes, and their time is valuable. Your server can collect detailed information for you, without human errors. Focus on managing your IT, rather than your IT Inventory spreadsheets filled with inaccurate network info.
Up-to-date Asset Data at your Fingertips
Some information changes too rapidly to manage in spreadsheets. An ITAM solution allows you to stay up to date with what’s going on at all times. Besides, it informs you when anything, in particular, requires your attention.
It allows you to manage the entire life cycle and history of an asset, along with a complete audit trail. Keep track of who borrowed which laptop, when they were online, when the warranty expires, or when a software asset is about to reach end of life. Spreadsheets equal limitations, and at best, help you to list your devices. With an automated solution, you own your network.
A Centralized ITAM System of Record
It’s very hard to keep spreadsheets standardized. Everyone has their own ideas, tastes and methods for them. Even with shared workbooks, you can’t be sure that the info stored in these documents is accessible to other staff and is maintained properly.
An ITAM solution lets different users access the information they need, in one central system. The database is always consistent, and users with different skill levels and permissions can access that data in the way that suits them.
One Spreadsheet to Rule Them All?
If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If your only tool is a spreadsheet, everything looks like a table. Why should the way you interact with your network be dictated by the format of a spreadsheet?
An IT Asset Management solution is built for the job and will serve you a custom view, depending on whether you need to find local admins, view the remaining disk space on a hard drive, or get an overview of a specific asset or user.
Are you tired of using Excel spreadsheets and CSVs to track and manage your entire IT network? Start your free Lansweeper trial today and make time for what you do best.
Wondering how much your business can save with an automated IT Inventory Platform? Use our ROI calculator to determine your annual savings.