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IT-Inventarisierung
How many laptops does your company currently have in use? Where are the old servers, and who has the tablet from the last project? Without an IT asset inventory, such questions remain unanswered – and during decommissioning they become a risk for data protection and budget.
In brief
IT asset inventory is the systematic recording of all of a company's hardware and usually also software with a unique identifier, location, assignment and condition. It provides the current inventory on which maintenance, licenses, procurement and decommissioning are built. During decommissioning, the inventory becomes the device list that allows every erasure or destruction certificate to be matched to a device.
What is recorded in an IT asset inventory?
The focus is on every single device that stores data or is important for operations. Typical details are:
| Feature | Example | What it is needed for |
|---|---|---|
| Identifier | Serial number, asset tag, inventory number | Unique assignment across all lists |
| Device data | Type, manufacturer, model, processor, memory | Maintenance, replacement procurement, residual value assessment |
| Assignment | Employees, department, cost center | Accountability, return upon departure |
| Site | Building, room, home office | Locating, physical inventory count |
| Status | in use, in storage, defective, decommissioned | Managing the lifecycle, planning decommissioning |
| Whereabouts | sold, erased, destroyed, with date and proof | Accountability, asset disposal |
Manual or automatic?
Small inventories can be managed with a spreadsheet and inventory labels. Larger companies use inventory software that automatically detects devices on the network and reads out hardware data. The results often feed into a CMDB or a system for IT Asset Management.
Automation has a limit: it only finds what is switched on and connected. Devices in the basement, in storage or in drawers are missing. That is why IT asset inventory also includes the physical stocktake, the IT inventory count. A Asset tag with a barcode speeds it up.
Why inventory matters during decommissioning
During decommissioning, the inventory becomes a Inventory listthat the service provider has in advance. It allows the quote and pickup to be planned. Above all, it allows you to check at the end whether an erasure or destruction proof exists for every serial number. If a device is missing, it is noticed immediately. Accounting also benefits: with the inventory number, the disposal can be properly documented in the fixed asset register.
How inventory is embedded in a planned lifecycle is described in our guide IT Lifecycle Management.
Rule of thumb: what is not in the inventory cannot be verifiably erased either.
IT asset inventory and Second IT
At goods receipt, Second IT registers every delivered device by serial number and checks it for all storage media, including forgotten USB sticks or hidden hard drives. You can track the status of the devices in the customer portal. On request, Second IT analyzes your inventory and assesses condition, configuration and market appeal. More about the inventory analysis by Second IT.
Frequently asked questions about IT asset inventory
What is the difference between IT asset inventory and IT inventory count?
Inventory management is the ongoing recording and maintenance of the inventory. The inventory count is the stocktake at a point in time, in which it is checked whether the list matches reality.
Which identifier is the most important for inventory?
For proof during decommissioning, the manufacturer's serial number, because it also appears on erasure and destruction certificates. Asset tag and inventory number link the device to your internal lists.
Do smartphones and printers also belong in the IT inventory?
Yes. Smartphones, tablets and many printers and copiers store data. During decommissioning they must be erased and documented just like laptops and servers.
Is inventory software enough without a physical inventory count?
No. The software only finds devices that are switched on and connected to the network. Devices in the basement, in storage or in drawers are missing. That is why the physical stocktake, the IT inventory count, is part of inventory management.
What is an asset tag?
An asset tag is a label with a unique number, usually with a barcode, that is attached to the device. It links the device to its entry in the inventory and speeds up the inventory count. For proof, the manufacturer's serial number remains important.
Your inventory list becomes a quote – with proof per serial number.
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