Asset Management and Configuration Management are distinct areas of focus, and yet it can be very difficult to differentiate assets from configuration items. Understanding the difference will facilitate the creation of well-defined Asset and Configuration Management processes enabling well-informed decisions for asset spend and operational support.

What is both an Asset and a CI?

Items can meet the criteria for being both an asset and a CI. Anything that needs operational support, as well as financial tracking, should be considered an asset and a CI.

Classify your devices

The table below can be used to identify and classify assets and configuration items. Regarding the item in question, read the statement on left and decide it if applies. If so, the check marks in the Asset and CI columns will tell you the most likely classification.

Leading Practice

Once you have identified your assets and configuration items you will be on the path to a healthy CMDB and ITAM repository. ServiceNow implementation experts provide the following guidance to keep you on that path and ensure quality data to drive meaningful decisions.

Guidance from the Experts

• Refer to your program’s scope first: Always refer to your ITAM or CMDB program scope before deciding if a device type should be tracked.
• Don’t overextend by tracking unnecessary device types: If still defining your ITAM scope, focus on critical items. Consider what will provide the most value or prevent hefty penalties and start there.
• Automate asset and CI data updates: Assets and CIs can change rapidly. Prevent stale data wherever possible through automation and discovery tools
• Make sure asset and CI records stay in sync: Important updates to an asset should also propagate to the associated configuration item. Similarly, updates to a CI should be reflected in the asset record.
• Make any supportable asset a CI: Support records such as Incidents and Change Requests are linked to a configuration item, not to an asset.
• Keep non-asset configuration items out of Asset Management: While these devices may be important to your organization, they typically do not require financial tracking. Examples: Ports, IP Addresses, VLANS, Clusters, and Virtual Devices.