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It’s never easy to convince people that IT Service Management (ITSM) is an important area to focus on.  But by investing time and money into it, companies can expose existing inefficiencies, thus saving even more time and dollars (sometimes in the millions or billions) by creating better processes, leveraging its human resources better and revisiting existing technologies that may need care.  In order for an ITSM implementation to be effective, there are a few things that need to happen before you get started.

-Determine what you are trying to accomplish.  There are different reasons for ITSM-anything from seeking to improve IT performance to trying to increase efficiency.   Agree on a goal before putting together new processes.

-Choose your tools wisely. Start with the processes first before focusing on tools.  Too many people do this the other way around.  By taking the time to examine your processes, you may uncover previously purchased tools that can be used.  You will also determine what tools are essential—saving money by not investing in unnecessary products.

-Get everyone on board with the real deal.  Most people are generally resistant to change and employees are often hesitant to speak the truth.   But for an ITSM implementation to work, the employees need to be clear on expectations, their respective roles and that of the goals of the organization as a whole.

Above all, do what makes the most sense for your organization. Everyone’s needs differ so identify your business objectives and make the changes that will improve your efficiencies and maybe even your budget!

Making mobile assets part of your IT Asset Management (ITAM) program doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Mobile assets should and can be tagged just like any other device. As long as you are keeping track of the EMEI number, make and model of each device and tracking who has it in use, you should be fine. You also have to monitor these closely as employees come and go, to ensure that you aren’t paying for a device and contract for someone that no longer works for you! A regularly scheduled audit of the devices is something we recommend to clients. At least every 6 months.

In addition to tracking mobile devices, it’s vital that you implement a separate set of policies and procedures for mobile users. This should include what actions they need to take if the device is lost or stolen, how they are to use (and not use) the device for work-related purposes only, what can and cannot be downloaded, etc. It’s very important to have this in place to ensure the security of the information kept on these devices.

Adding mobile devices to your ITAM program shouldn’t be a huge project, and it should complement your current method of ITAM, for example, if you are using RFID tags for hardware tracking, RFID tags can be used for mobile devices as well. If you are using a spreadsheet, just add an extra tab for mobile. The key is not to make the process more difficult than your IT department can handle in order to keep everything in line.

Mobile bills, as we all know, can be challenging enough to read, let alone understand. And, we have all had one of those inflated bills that was 10 times more than expected. In the enterprise, these extra costs, multiplied, can be frightening. Be sure, when negotiating with a carrier, that users are given access into their usage, whether it is over the phone or online, and ask employees to monitor for excess fees. In fact, set a limit as to how much overage individual users are allowed, and after that (unless proven necessary), additional usage will be billed back to individual users for persona call. Everyone who has a “work phone” has at some point used it for personal reasons, but we can’t let it get out of control. Another recommendation we can make is to purchase a Telecom Expense Management (TEM) program to review and reconcile your bills. All telecoms bills have errors, and these errors multiplied can add up – FAST. A simple software program can help alleviate this burden and save as much as 20% annually on telecoms bills.

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