What is Hardware Asset Management (HAM)? 

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What is Hardware Asset Management (HAM)? 

Hardware Asset Management is a subset of IT Asset Management (ITAM). It focused on the management of hardware throughout its lifecycle.  

HAM is the unsung hero of IT governance, which ensures your devices are well tracked, optimised, and aligned to your organisation’s goals. HAM is all about ensuring your organisation gets the most out of its hardware investments by overseeing the lifecycle of physical IT assets. From acquisition and deployment, to maintenance and disposal, HAM ensures you get the maximum value out of everything, from printers to servers.  

How does HAM work?  

Hardware Asset Management focuses on the following key areas:  

• Inventory Management: Tracking all physical assets within the organisation, including their location, condition, and usage.  
• Lifecycle Management: Ensuring all assets are managed from procurement to disposal, whilst ensuring timely upgrades and replacements.  
• Compliance: Aligning asset usage with regulatory standards and internal policies.  
• Cost Optimisation: Avoiding over-purchasing and under-utilisation of physical hardware.  
• Sustainability & Green IT: Aligning to regulatory or monitoring requirements and improving efficiency to reduce costs and increase sustainability. 

Hardware Asset Management vs Software Asset Management  

While Software Asset Management (SAM) and HAM are two distinctly different disciplines, they are heavily reliant on each other. And, both form part of the larger IT Asset Management (ITAM). Together, they offer a full, holistic view of your IT ecosystem, bridging the gap between physical and digital assets.  

The collaboration between HAM and SAM results in improved compliance on both sides. From the SAM perspective, hardware information ensures the most effective methods of software licensing are utilised. From the HAM perspective, understanding the usage of software across your physical assets can help improve efficiency by avoiding under-utilisation.  

Summary 

Hardware Asset Management might not be considered flashy, but it is the backbone of a strong IT strategy. When paired with SAM as part of a holistic ITAM approach, HAM can ensure your business maximises its technology assets by reducing waste and improving efficiency.  

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