How Tracking and Management of IT Assets Help Veterinary Clinics?

IT Assets are important parts of any organization. Especially now when everything is digital. IT asset acts as the backbone of any organization. However, most of the IT assets present in an organization that is out of the IT sector does not receive much attention as they are not supposed to be that important.

IT asset management (ITAM) is directly influenced by the IT infrastructure of an organization. Management of IT assets helps to get maximum value from the use of assets, right-size IT inventory and also optimizes inventory purchase decisions and strategies.

What are Veterinary Clinics and Their IT Assets?

Veterinary clinic is the place where animals are diagnosed and medically treated in case of illness or injury.

The IT assets of a veterinary clinic can be any piece of software or hardware item, owned by it. Few examples of the clinic's IT assets are:

• Desktop computer and monitor
• Keyboard and mouse
• Printer
• Labeling machine
• Photocopier

Also Read: How Is the Tracking of Hospital Equipment Beneficial?

What is IT Asset Management?

Tracking and management of IT assets are the practices that involve financial, contractual, inventory functions to support life cycle management and strategic decision making for the IT assets.

In simpler words, Robust IT asset management practice combines contractual, inventory, and financial functions for the organization or veterinary clinics here.

Management of IT assets allows full visibility of your IT infrastructure inventory and gains its in-depth understanding, along with:

• Existing systems and equipment
• Components location
• Usefulness of assets
• Cost of assets
• Date of purchase of an asset
• The expiry date of the asset
• Asset's business service

The visibility level of asset details helps veterinary clinics to improve infrastructure efficiency and performance and to minimize the related overhead expenses.

What are the Benefits of Tracking and Managing IT Assets in a Veterinary Clinic?

Generally, hardware and software licenses are referred to as IT assets. The management of IT assets helps to keep the record of all the assets that are purchased and rented by the veterinary clinics.

The benefits of effectively managed IT assets are:

• Assets visibility & control
• Improved asset utilization
• Audit compliance
• Regulatory compliance
• Alignment of asset costs to services
• Give configuration data for service management
• The data source for accurate decisions

What are the steps involved in the management of IT assets?

The management of IT assets includes the following steps:

• Asset Tracking & Management (discovery, data capture & storage of assets)
• Lifecycle Management of Assets
• Asset Reporting and Alerting
• And their Audits and Physical Verification

Also Read: What Are the Benefits & Best Practices for IT Asset Management?

What are the effective benefits of tracking and managing IT assets in a veterinary clinic?

Some of the major benefits of managing IT assets in a Veterinary Clinic are:

Control over IT inventory

Management of IT assets provides the ease to view hardware and software components of computers, servers, or any other network infrastructure. Visibility across all the IT assets always provides better IT administration control and accountability.

Asset life-cycle management

For hardware and software, there are limitations with their disposal or replacement date. Management of IT assets helps to keep track of all the hardware asset purchase, its useful period, etc.

This actionable data is utilized to decide the replacement of old or faulty hardware, uninstall an unsafe application, or update any system or to know when to extend or renew a contract with a vendor or hardware or software provider.

Missed To Read: Why Does IT Asset Management Play a Vital Role in Data Security?

Increased accountability

Regular track of IT inventory and its automatic updates helps to monitor hardware and software of computer networks or installation of harmful software/hardware if any.

Allowance to system administrators to quickly isolate unsafe/outdated software and unauthorized downloads make it easier to check the potential risks to be prevented before major problems arise.

Automated asset discovery and tracking

Earlier IT assets were managed using manual, paper-intensive processes, spreadsheets which highly prone to inaccuracies and inconsistencies or manual entry or updates were required.

With the IT asset management solution and its integrations with system and network monitoring tools, the process has become simpler, quicker and automated.

Alerts and Notifications

Tracking and management of IT assets send you notifications and alerts on each activity of the IT asset. Therefore, you are always informed and updated about your assets.

You will receive alerts and notifications on various important situations, such as:

When your software license is expiring and When your assets need maintenance? or, questions like When the assets' maintenance is scheduled? or even, Assets status?

Asset Tracking

The most basic yet most powerful feature is asset tracking. It lets you know the exact details on a real-time basis. It assists you in scheduling the maintenance of the asset.

The visibility won't let you buy assets unnecessarily and always have information on where are your assets. You can also track maintenance records, analyze if any asset is taking more maintenance than required so you can sell that asset at disposal value.

Depreciation Management

Depreciation is an accounting process through which the office can calculate the value of an asset that declines over time.

Whenever a financial statement is made, it includes depreciation expenses to distribute the amount which it has acquired in the financial year like the number of buildings, machines, or equipment.

Depreciation Management counts on the following:

• Method and Rate of Depreciation
• Useful Life of Asset
• Scrap Value of Asset

Also Read: Why Sanitation Industry Needs an Asset Management System in a Global Pandemic Scenario?

Conclusion

There are many IT assets present in a veterinary clinic. Most important of all the IT assets is a computer system as it keeps all the records of patients and their related information and is also used to generate reports. Its absence can cause much of a disaster for managing other operations of the veterinary clinic.

So, before managing anything else management of IT assets is necessary as it keeps checks on all the other requirements (equipment and inventory) and medical operations going on in the veterinary clinic.

Therefore, every veterinary clinic should implement tracking and management software of at least their IT assets as it will help them to work smoothly and strategically.