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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.

It’s easy to deal with hardware issues as they come along, but having a solid grip on your lifecycle plan for hardware keeps you competitive and shows how efficiently your company is run.  Large companies often have an entire team dedicated to managing the lifecycle process.  But it is just as crucial for smaller companies to stay on top of their hardware needs, so make sure you designate someone to oversee your company’s lifecycle plan.  Things to focus on include:

1.  Know when to decommission old hardware.  This is just as important as making the decision to invest in new hardware.  Holding on to equipment that is subpar could increase your costs while decreasing productivity.

2.  Look into the benefits from green initiatives- from asset disposal to recycling, there are steps you can take to make your company energy efficient and keep costs down.

3.  Explore buyback opportunities.  When you are ready to upgrade your hardware, check to see if your existing products have any value.  You might be able to trade them in and save some money on your new purchases.

By keeping up with your plan, you will help your company stay current and effective.

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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