As a network technician, part of my (ever-growing) task-list is to help maintain accurate inventories of software and hardware.  This is nothing new, and the concept certainly isn't any different than any other inventory process.  So why is it so difficult to maintain an inventory in the IT world...particularly if you are outsourced?

Since I work for a network consulting company, this is of particular interest to me and my co-workers.  In an effort to try and figure out how to do this successfully, I've been kicking the inventory process around in my head.  I've worked in a retail envrionment, a manufacturing environment, and now in IT.  In each of those environments, maintaining an accurate inventory was crucial. 

In retail, you need to know what products you have on hand, what you need more of (and when to order), and for that matter, what isn't selling.  Typically there is a database that is tied into some scanners and possibly the registers.  This works great for managing everything except for theft (so, you still need a physical touch of the items).

Manufacturing is pretty similar to retail, except you are dealing with internal departments instead of external customers.  Each part needs inventoried so we know what we have (and if we can fill our orders).  Again, theft is the main reason the inventory process can fail in this environment (excluding laziness).

So why is it so different in the IT world?  If you are an internal network admin of a single-site company, it's not so bad.  Generally you know where all the computers are, people will come to you to move them if need be.  If they go out and buy a laptop over the weekend (thank you management staff), they'll come to you for help configuring it.  However, when you are in a consulting position, or managing several sites, you are often excluded from these kinds of events.  People grab a spare machine when their's isn't running as fast as it should.  People get fired or quit and you don't find out until 3 weeks later.  It gets to the point that it feels like the only time the inventory is right is the day that you actually go onsite and touch every computer.

So how do we make make the inventory process work in the IT world?  Well, if we think about what makes the other environments more successful, it's control.  In retail, the cashiers and anti-theft devices provide the control.  An event happens as items change hands from store to customer.  In Manufacturing, it's the same thing (at least where I worked).  At each station, you inventory the parts (from the warehouse to assembly, from assembly to QC, from QC to shipping).  They all have control over their assets.  When you are an outsourced IT company, you don't necessarily have that same luxury.

So how do we gain control in the Outsourced IT world?  Tune in next time as I explore possible ways to get and maintain and accurate inventory.