As companies expand their operations, they require a growing amount of IT resources. This increasing dependency on new technologies — whether they’re intangible assets like software solutions or hardware assets like corporate mobile devices — can lead to challenges in management across the asset lifecycle. Companies can experience a range of problems due to mismanagement, from wasted resources and workflow inefficiencies to increased costs and performance issues. What approach should be taken to address this problem?

Samsung SDS Zero Touch Mobility — a fully automated mobile device lifecycle management solution that seamlessly integrates with your ServiceNow instance.

But before we dive into how Zero Touch Mobility enhances IT asset management, it’s important to understand what that means in the first place.

What is IT Asset Management?

IT asset management (ITAM) is the practice of managing and optimizing an organization’s information, hardware or software assets throughout the entire lifecycle of each — from acquisition to disposal. Effective management doesn’t only monitor and track asset information, it also leverages the insights to make informed decisions that optimize inventory management, utilization and resource allocation; improve performance; and reduce costs.

Why is IT Asset Management so Important?

ITAM is essential for any organization, providing a systematic approach to managing and maintaining IT resources throughout their lifecycles. Not only can this help companies reduce business disruptions and mitigate information security risks, but it can also offer real-time, high-level visibility and insight across all assets within an organization.

By implementing ITAM software, organizations can gain a better understanding of their IT infrastructure and ecosystem through a single source of truth. Automation capabilities also enable your IT asset manager and related teams to work more productively with minimal waste. In addition, these solutions can help organizations enhance resource utilization, maintain software license compliance and even improve cybersecurity.

How does IT Asset Management Work

1. Asset Discovery

The first step is asset discovery, also known as inventory management. During this stage, the asset manager (or software solution) creates a detailed list of all the assets in the IT ecosystem, whether it’s a mobile app or a massive server. This asset inventory includes detailed information on things like the make and model of various physical assets, location data, order information, software license agreements and more. Gathering this information will help organizations identify assets, spot redundancies and optimize resource consumption and efficiency.

2. Asset Tracking

Next, asset tracking leverages ITAM software to continuously monitor the performance, health, location and activity of your entire asset inventory. This information can also include associated costs, software license and service-level agreements (SLAs) and other inventory data. Tracking each asset individually will help ensure your organization is using them effectively while remaining compliant. It can also help IT teams identify potential performance issues, risks and repairs that may be needed in the future.

3. Asset Maintenance

Finally, IT teams must maintain their assets according to their individual stages in the lifecycle. This often involves regular maintenance, repairs and updates to ensure all hardware and software assets are performing optimally. It can also improve cybersecurity to safeguard your organization against potential threats. Throughout the maintenance step, organizations should keep a record of all activities they perform to assess asset performance and make informed decisions throughout the ITAM process.

As this three-step cycle repeats, the asset manager can use the insights they gain to implement policies and procedures that further optimize ITAM while adhering to software license agreements. At the end of an asset’s lifecycle, the process concludes by removing any data before retiring the asset to ensure information security.

From procurement to disposal, this comprehensive ITAM process enables organizations to track their assets and resources, providing greater value from IT investments. But, whereas ITAM keeps a book of records to track assets, Zero Touch Mobility enhances ITAM accuracy by aligning financial and operational views across your fleet, enabling you to manage the devices directly.

What is Zero Touch Mobility for Lifecycle Management?

“ZTM unlocks unlimited possibilities with the power to capture mobile data, maximize productivity and improve the user experience natively within ServiceNow.”
- Kevin Park, Director of Product Management at Samsung SDS America.

Zero Touch Mobility (ZTM) from Samsung SDS is the future of mobile devices lifecycle management. Unlike tools for fixed assets or software asset management, ZTM automates and streamlines the end-to-end corporate mobile device lifecycle, enhancing ITAM with accurate device information.

Use the intuitive portal in your ServiceNow instance to act as a central control tower. Place your orders for new devices and remotely enroll them instantaneously upon arrival.

In the event that a user loses their mobile device, they can use the portal to report it lost or stolen, locking the phone with a passcode. If it’s recovered, users can instantly unlock the device, granting access to the original device user. When an employee leaves, it’s easy to unenroll them and reassign the asset to a new user.

Meanwhile, all of these actions automatically show up in your ZTM workflow. And with bulk action functionality, you can effortlessly and efficiently manage your entire mobile device fleet from a single dashboard. That way, employees don’t have to wait for an IT or asset manager to trigger essential workflow processes.

The Benefits of Mobile Asset Management Software

Zero-touch deployment models are an excellent solution for any organization looking to complement and optimize ITAM processes. But what does ZTM bring to the table?

End-to-end Lifecycle Management

From the procurement to disposal, Samsung SDS ZTM follows your device assets throughout the entire lifecycle. Order your devices through the portal, then use it to deploy security software, and monitor the health to develop a repair and maintenance schedule.

Integrates Directly into ServiceNow

ZTM allows you to integrate the majority of your mobile device management systems into your ServiceNow instance. Between the unmatched flexibility and smooth integration, you can deploy ZTM in no time.

Centralizes Asset Data and Control

Say goodbye to siloed IT systems. ZTM breaks down the barriers between disparate data sources, centralizing device information and management into a single control tower in ServiceNow. That way, you can manage your entire fleet of corporate devices from a central location.

Automates Workflows and Monitoring

Fully automated workflows in ZTM eliminate most of the tedious manual work that comes with supporting assets throughout the end-to-end lifecycle. Streamline everything from enrollment and unenrollment to report locks and forward/reverse logistics.

Provides In-Depth Analytics and Reports

The ZTM portal also offers advanced analytics and customizable reports on device activity — all through a single dashboard. Monitor end-user device requests, asset inventory and individual activity to ensure proper usage and performance.

The Future of End-to-End Lifecycle Management

Zero Touch Mobility from Samsung SDS enables powerful automation and optimization throughout the entire lifecycle of corporate mobile devices. As a native application in ServiceNow, ZTM seamlessly integrates with your existing instance to offer a convenient, single source of truth for your entire fleet. By automating mobile management with ZTM, you can expand your view while optimizing resource allocation and costs.

"Together, Samsung SDS and ServiceNow bring unique expertise and experience to the market, supporting our clients’ digital transformation with innovative and robust cloud-based ITAM solutions.”
- Eric Ferrington, Product Manager and Director of ITAM at ServiceNow.

Download ZTM from the ServiceNow app store today to discover how effortless mobile management can be. Learn more about Samsung SDS Zero Touch Mobility for ServiceNow.