Most CIs, on the other hand, need a whole range of relationships in order to be useful, including to other CIs, users, and groups. As per ITIL, a CI is a component or service item that needs to be managed in order to deliver services, and an asset is a resource or capability that contributes to the delivery of the services. Let Cask help. In my example script, I am just syncing the cmdb_ci_computer table, but they may be other tables you might want to sync. You will learn to understand and use the respective application areas. The Financial Times Names ScienceSoft USA Corporation among the Americas Fastest-Growing Companies in 2023. Because assets have both economic and risk impact to the organization, matters of regulatory compliance also contribute to asset management: accounting standards, security compliance, and governance. But if its not handled by the internal IT team and you just call the vendor when you need support, you dont need to track it as a CI. By reducing or eliminating the occurrences of orphan assets, the cost benefits of a CMDB can be measured and achieved. User Entitlement [alm_entitlement_user]: Enables ServiceNow to categorize the User Entitlement table and enforce how entitlements behave. In order to plan this project effectively, your server will need a full set of defined relationships to ensure the update doesnt cause a major disruption to other important services. The most relevant topics (based on weighting and matching to search terms) are listed first in search results. Assets vs CIs An asset is intended to assist with tracking through financial, contractual and leasing lifecycles. As the asset progresses through its receipt and deployment phases, its state is continuously updated to reflect both its whereabouts and its current disposition. Which means that an item can be tracked as both a CI and an asset if required. WebIn the "alm_hardware" table when creating a new Asset, a corresponding CI (Configuration Item) gets created and the CI name populates in the "Configuration Item" field But in certain cases, the CIs get 3. Stockrooms are places to which assets are assigned. If you must track incidents and problems related to an item or several items, particularly when planning, then you should track it as a CI. Web1.difference between assets and CI? Ive come across this question several times on forums, from colleagues. We build on the IT domain expertise and industry knowledge to design sustainable technology solutions. Management is an important component, too, because if a fault occurs in a CI, significant disruption to an organizations processes and procedures can result. A configuration item is used to track operational and relationship information - basically its a record in your Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Hardware Status and Sub status field: Hardware Status is visible only for Hardware CI. An asset, being typically an endpoint device used by a single user, will mostly fall under incident management. This record includes configuration details such as installed software, the servers interactions with other items, and more. Please let us know by emailing blogs@bmc.com. 15 minutes and the lunch break of approx. Software License [alm_license]: Stores general, financial, and contractual information about software license assets. As per ITIL, a CI is a component or service item that needs to be managed in order to deliver services, and an asset is a resource or capability that contributes to the delivery of the services. One of the most common misunderstandings about ITSM is the difference between an asset and a configuration item (CI). Not all CIs can be qualified as assets, and not all assets are CIs. Inventory tracking is expected to meet obligations. Relationship between Associated with an Incident, Problem, Change, or any task. Models. We support you in setting up and implementing ServiceNow Cloud SaaS correctly - with a holistic approach at various levels. Your company server is a physical asset its financial value can be known and tracked over its life cycle. Post category:Blog One of the most common misunderstandings about ITSM is the difference between an asset and a configuration item (CI). WebServiceNow Hardware Asset Management Part of a complete technology asset management solution Hardware challenges and the risks they pose Every digital business runs on IT assets, which serve as the foundation for generating revenue and creating a better employee and customer experience. Also it is advised to only create an asset when you are using it for financials. WebAsset and configuration item (CI) management refers to creating assets, setting appropriate states and substates, synchronizing assets and CIs, managing consumables, and retiring assets. Build the CMDB using discovery, but pay with it using Asset Management. All configuration items qualify as assets, but not all assets are CIs. What is the difference between an Asset and Configuration Item (CI)? That is, if a problem occurs, the user reports it, and an incident is created and tracked against the CI (not the asset), so that the appropriate person or department can perform repair or replacement against it. WebThis synchronization happens between the assets State field and the following CI fields: Install Status field: Install Status doesnt have a sub status and must be used for non-hardware CIs. From defining assets and CIs to designing and implementing a CMDB and service catalogue, weve helped dozens of organisations already, and wed love to help you. . The Real Difference between ServiceNow Platform Performance Analytics and Reporting, Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance, How Asset Management interacts with other ServiceNow processes. So, you offer the spare license to the user explaining why they cant get CorelDRAW. Assets are business attributes, like purchase price, deprecated value - basically what you need in your books or SAP. Test first. Make your business more responsive and flexible with agile approaches, create more business value for yourself and your customers, and win with faster time to market. The fundamental building block of a CMDB is the CI. To gain a holistic view of the Asset/CI pairing, a recommended best practice would consist of the following scenario: The asset is created as part of the procurement process. Software licenses and other hardware entitlements tied to the asset. One of the most common misunderstandings about ITSM is the difference between an asset and a configuration item (CI). Careers Visit our Blog site for more useful ITSM, ISO20000 and ITIL information www.itsmconsultancy.co.uk/blog. Here is an example when you want to map cpu_manufacturer from a CI, but the asset field you created is u_cpu_manufacturer. Just so happens I have a simple background sync script that you can run to sync those assets and CIs. In our practical workshops, competent trainers support your organisation in integrating theoretical frameworks and software know-how into everyday practice. The model category configuration determines if ServiceNow should create an asset from a CI and if so, what class of asset. A CI is any item, real or conceptual (tangible or intangible in the book,) in your environment. Asset and configuration item (CI) management refers to creating assets, setting appropriate states and substates, synchronizing assets and CIs, managing cons View the full answer Increase the acceptance and use of your service portal with user experience design - for more satisfaction and efficiency in the company. 1 hour, there are also shorter screen breaks (5-10 min.) and our For this reason, we arbitrarily label them CIs, and focus the majority of our efforts on ensuring their relationships are fully defined. Put a cost to Configuration Items, make sure servers and laptops are deployed and retained properly. Assets and Configuration items will likely need adjustment in the sync process. Is ServiceNow Platform Friends with ITIL Change Management? Post category:Blog One of the most common misunderstandings about ITSM is the difference between an asset and a configuration item (CI). Assets vs CIs An asset is intended to assist with tracking through financial, contractual and leasing lifecycles. Managing these underlying components is a vital, value-driven activity in IT service managementbut it isnt easy. The iTSM Group is a holistic partner for the digital transformation of services and processes - from comprehensive consulting to implementation and operation. If it shows that you have none, you can look at the licenses of similar apps in disposal. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The opposite of the deployment phase, retirement may involve some state field changes and different processes to retire and decommission the asset. This is because the management of Tel (855) 250-3370 By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. These practices may overlap, but they arent the same: a CMDB contains some assets, but asset management goes beyond the configuration items that comprise configuration management. Removing assets from the cmdb_ci table provides more flexibility to build new features into the Asset Management application in the future and helps prevent the cmdb_ci table from growing too large. The other 500 devices, though, need a far more comprehensive set of relationships in order for your ITSM toolset to function properly. ServiceNow has no actual field in asset records to track the total cost of ownership. syncing assets and CIs can take a long time. Hardware Status and Sub status field: Hardware Status is visible only for Hardware CI. Leases, Warranty, Support Group and contract info. What is the difference between CI and asset in ServiceNow? It requires a huge amount of time and resources, and achieves very little. Of those, 7,500 are workstation devices such as PCs, laptops, printers, smartphones, and so on. They see the usage in their respective processes in ServiceNow. Configuration management is focused on managing asset information that can be managed and controlled. WARNING: These workshops are filling up fast, and we allow a maximum of eight attendees per session. Laying your ITSM groundwork can be a long, difficult process, and getting it wrong can cause huge problems down the line. The simplest possible TCO formula is TCO = initial asset cost + maintenance and repair costs - resale price. Partners One of the worst things that can happen in ServiceNow is duplicate records. Lets start with configuration management, as that has a smaller scope. Surely, you can track them using ServiceNow Change and Release Management, but it isnt asset-centric. A configuration management database (CMDB) is a key component, as it stores CI records and helps manage the CIs directly. Change management applies to all configuration items. There are five business rules that handle the Asset/CI synchronization: Update CI fields on change, Table: alm_asset, Create asset on model change, Table: cmdb_ci, Update Asset fields on change, Table: cmdb_ci. However it often requires some additional configuration. Annually, this saves the company over $7,000 on user licenses (at the rate of $20/user/month) and over $40,000 on support. And thats understandable. And this is precisely why its important to draw a distinction between assets and CIs. A CI represents an item under configuration management, such as a router, a server, an application, a virtual machine, a container, or even a logical construct such as a portfolio. This makes a specialized custom-made asset-centric app for patches and software versions a much more consistent solution. The Now Platform is a powerful tool for digitising and partially automating your processes and services. What is the difference between an Asset and Configuration Item (CI)? After all, if a single PC has a fault, that only impacts one user. What is the difference between an Asset and Configuration Item (CI)? Track disposal reasons, resale price, and retirement date. When we talk about lifecycle management, we are referring to the asset the requesting, ordering, invoicing, shipping, receiving, paying, imaging, deployment, lease vs. purchase, warranty, depreciation and retirement/end-of-life of the device. ServiceNow also calculates asset residual value, which shows how much the asset costs right now taking into account how long it has been in your company. Surely, you can track them using ServiceNow Change and Release Management, but it isnt asset-centric. Locations, [gravityform id=32 title=true description=false ajax=true], [gravityform id=31 title=true description=false ajax=true], [gravityform id=30 title=true description=false ajax=true], Unlock the Hidden Value of Your IT Investments & Create Value with Service + Financial Management, Options for Making Military Defense More Affordable, A Guide to the People, Process, Technology Framework, Avoid instances of orphan (incomplete) assets, Reduce or eliminate extraneous costs, e.g., paying for leased equipment that has already been returned, Understand the role of the asset record and its corresponding CI record and managing synchronization between them; and. Record the technical attributes of the item, Relationships to other Configuration Items. For example, an asset could be your companys capital, or the knowledge inside one developers head. The most relevant topics (based on weighting and matching to search terms) are listed first in search results. Asset Management has a starter homepage available for usage. Learn more about BMC . In the basic training courses for ITIL, PRINCE2 and Security Awareness, you will be familiarized with the content with the help of case studies and quizzes and chapter questions - all you need is a computer or tablet with a stable internet connection. WebA CMDB provides a common place to store data associated with IT assets and configuration items (CIs). Dependency mapping, that is, the depiction and management of elements upon which devices or services are interrelated and dependent on one another, are all maintained at the CI level. And if you try to treat them as though they are the same, youll wind up wasting a lot of time and resources. Most CIs, on the other hand, need a whole range of relationships in order to be useful, including to other CIs, users, and groups. As an authorised ServiceNow training partner, we also offer you official certification. A CI is any item, real or conceptual (tangible or intangible in the book,) in your environment. Inventory tracking is expected to meet obligations. Known synonyms are applied. And thats understandable. One of the most common misunderstandings about ITSM is the difference between an asset and a configuration item (CI). WebHow search works: Punctuation and capital letters are ignored. WebOne of the most common misunderstandings about ITSM is the difference between an asset and a configuration item (CI). Before we jump into asset management configuration management, lets talk about the differences between assets and configuration itemsthe pieces youll be managing. This is a challenge for most organizations. Weve already established that Asset Management needs other ServiceNow processes and apps to work properly, cover all necessary asset life cycle stages and bring the most value to your organization. Simple: If do treat them the same, youll wind up wasting a huge amount of time, which in all probability means your ITSM toolset will never function the way you intended. The asset database does not require the details the CMDB maintains but does track the servers lifecycle. Avoid Duplicates. Our online training courses prepare you digitally, diversely and efficiently for your certification. Returning to our example, then, the 7,500 PCs, laptops, and smartphones are all examples of assets. All Rights Reserved. It can be as complicated as you want it. Other Asset Relationships. Inventory tracking is expected to meet obligations. In this article, well define assets and configuration items (CIs), compare asset management and configuration management, and provide additional Copyright 2023 cih Solutions - Created By, The 2 Most Common Service Catalogue Issues (And What To Do About Them), Elevate your Cherwell Self Service Portal with contemporary custom fonts. See an error or have a suggestion? On the other hand, if certain BYOD devices run your companys software, you might want to track the software installations by adding the devices as CIs (which will help you with software asset management) but you dont need asset records for them. A faulty server, on the other hand, could impact the entire organisation. If you a certain CI, for example, Computer [cmdb_ci_computer], to create and update an related asset, it must have a model category. This is straightforward how the Model Categories work. This is because the management of both is distinct and different. However this doesn't necessarily insure maximum value. Email: info@cihs.co.ukPhone: +44 (0)208 0503165Address: Lilyshaw, The Green, Ewhurst, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7RTCompany Registration: 06313002. Asset management focuses on the financial tracking of company property. With our Application Management Service (AMS), we take care of the daily tasks involved in the operation of our customers' platform solutions - especially with regard to global ServiceNow platforms. An assets value is usually determined financially. Asset Track the financial aspects of the item purchase, cost, and depreciation of the item. Managing IT assets is a major part of IT Service Management. The good news is that you probably won't have to modify those business rules to maintain synchronization. Not all CIs can be qualified as assets, and not all assets are CIs. Before you buy the license, ServiceNow can check whether you already have any. The short answer is it depends (clichd as it sounds). Why Software Licenses and Subscriptions should be part of IT Asset Management A new perspective on how an asset is defined. You will need to adjust the script to only sync the CIs you are interested in. Two ITSM practices, asset management and configuration management, guide you towards successful component management.