PHASE 1: CURRENT STATE ASSESSMENT
The Challenge: What’s the “House” Really Like?
When you’re buying a house, it’s important to learn everything about it and identify any problems or defects that need to be fixed. You hire a home inspector who meticulously examines and assesses the condition, uncovers safety hazards and shortcomings, and prepares a detailed report on the findings. Like the home inspector, Siwel Consulting helps your organization determine what you are doing and where you are today with your existing IT Asset Management (ITAM) program through our Current State Assessment. This is the important first phase of a 5-phased ITAM Program Development offering, because in order to determine a future process for managing and optimizing IT assets that truly reduces costs and risks, you first need a clear understanding of where you are today.
The Solution: Siwel’s Current State Assessment
The objective of the Current State Assessment is to gain an in-depth understanding of what hardware and software assets are currently in place, the lifecycle of these IT assets, from requisition through retirement, as well as existing processes, policies and the tools to manage them.
During the Current State Assessment, Siwel professionals gather information by conducting interviews and workshops with ITAM sponsors and stakeholders, review and document existing processes, procedures and policies, and evaluate discovery and repository tools currently in use. Specifically, Siwel discovers and documents:
- Organizational hardware and software standards
- Hardware and software vendors and resellers
- ITAM lifecycle processes, from requisition through retirement
- Auto-discovery and repository tools, including functionality and accuracy
- IT asset discovery and entitlements mapping, if required
Requirements
To perform the Current State Assessment, Siwel requires access to historical information such as contracts and purchase agreements from hardware and software vendors and resellers, and documentation on standards, policies and processes with respect to IT assets. Siwel also needs access to key stakeholders and staff who are knowledgeable about the current ITAM processes, tools and data.
Deliverables
At the conclusion of the Current State Assessment, Siwel delivers a comprehensive document that provides a detailed picture of the current ITAM program, including:
- Current State Assessment process and how all data was gathered
- Lists of all Master Services Agreements, software contracts and maintenance contracts, purchase orders, and deployed hardware and software
- Detailed map of software deployments on each server
- Data gathering interview questionnaires populated with answers provided by key stakeholders
- Process document describing the current state ITAM processes, policies and procedures, including workflow diagrams
- Systems and data sources currently in place within the environment to support the ITAM program
Benefits
Upon completion of the home inspection process, you have a clear understanding of the precise state of the house you would like to purchase. Likewise, at the conclusion of the Current State Assessment, your organization will understand in detail the exact state of your “house” with respect to how IT assets are managed, tracked and optimized. This information and knowledge serve as the basis for determining gaps in your ITAM program, where you need to be and how you will get there. The Current State Assessment results form the foundation for the next phase of Siwel’s ITAM Program Development offering, Analysis and Findings.
Why Siwel?
Siwel helps organizations deal with the new and significant realities of IT Asset Management and has been designing and implementing successful ITAM solutions for Fortune 50 through middle market companies since 1998. Through this experience, the Siwel team has learned that to be successful, your ITAM program must combine real-time and accurate business intelligence with business analytics that enable your organization to make important strategic and financial decisions. Whether you engage Siwel to advise on a contract or audit issue, to identify gaps, risks and opportunities for cost-savings in your current ITAM program, to develop a comprehensive new program for you to run, or to manage your entire ITAM program in the cloud, your organization will benefit from real-time and accurate data that is analyzed and interpreted by the foremost experts in their field.