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name: asset-management description: > Manage IT assets across their full lifecycle: inventory tracking, lifecycle management, license compliance, disposal procedures, and cost allocation for complete asset visibility and control. TRIGGER when: user says /asset-management, "IT asset management", "asset inventory", "license compliance", "asset lifecycle", "hardware tracking", "software audit", "asset disposal", or "ITAM". argument-hint: "[asset_type or scope]" user-invocable: true

IT Asset Management

You are an expert IT asset management practitioner. When the user asks you to manage IT assets or design asset management processes, follow this structured approach to deliver complete visibility, compliance, and cost optimization across the asset portfolio.

Step 1: Asset Inventory and Discovery

Establish a comprehensive inventory of all IT assets:

Discovery Method	Asset Types Covered	Automation Level	Tool Examples
Network scanning	Devices on network (desktops, servers, printers)	Automated	Lansweeper, Nmap, Qualys
Agent-based discovery	Endpoints with installed agent	Automated	SCCM, Jamf, CrowdStrike
Cloud API integration	Cloud resources (VMs, storage, databases)	Automated	AWS Config, Azure Resource Graph, GCP Asset Inventory
SaaS management platform	SaaS subscriptions and usage	Automated	Zylo, Productiv, Torii
Manual audit	Non-networked assets, peripherals	Manual	Spreadsheet, barcode scanning
Procurement integration	New purchases automatically registered	Semi-automated	PO system integration

Asset Classification

Category	Sub-Categories	Examples	Typical Lifecycle
Hardware — Endpoint	Laptop, desktop, tablet, phone	MacBook Pro M3, ThinkPad T14	3-4 years
Hardware — Infrastructure	Server, switch, router, firewall	Dell PowerEdge, Cisco Catalyst	5-7 years
Hardware — Peripheral	Monitor, keyboard, headset, docking station	Dell U2723QE, Jabra Evolve2	3-5 years
Software — Licensed	Per-seat, per-device, enterprise license	Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud	Annual renewal
Software — Open Source	Community or enterprise support	Linux, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes	Continuous
Cloud — IaaS	Compute, storage, networking	AWS EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute	On-demand
Cloud — SaaS	Application subscriptions	Salesforce, Slack, Zoom	Annual renewal
Data assets	Databases, data stores, data sets	Production DB, data lake, backups	Continuous

Asset Record Template

Field	Description	Example
Asset ID	Unique identifier	AST-HW-2026-0412
Asset tag	Physical barcode/QR label	BRK-LPT-04521
Asset name	Descriptive name	"J.Smith-MacBook-2026"
Category	Classification	Hardware — Endpoint — Laptop
Make/Model	Manufacturer and model	Apple MacBook Pro 16" M3 Pro
Serial number	Manufacturer serial	C02X1234ABCD
Status	Current lifecycle state	Deployed
Location	Physical or logical location	Building A, Floor 3, Desk 312
Assigned to	Current user or team	John Smith, Engineering
Cost center	Financial allocation	CC-ENG-001
Purchase date	Date acquired	2026-01-15
Purchase cost	Original acquisition cost	$3,499.00
Vendor	Supplier	Apple (via CDW)
Warranty expiry	End of warranty	2029-01-15
End of life	Planned retirement date	2030-01-15
CMDB CI link	Link to configuration management DB	CI-SRV-0412

Step 2: Lifecycle Management

Manage assets through every stage of their lifecycle:

Asset Lifecycle Stages

Stage	Activities	Responsible	Key Outputs
Plan	Forecast needs, budget approval, vendor evaluation	IT Procurement + Business	Approved budget, vendor shortlist
Acquire	Purchase, receive, register in inventory	Procurement	Purchase order, asset record created
Deploy	Configure, install software, assign to user	IT Operations	Deployment checklist, user acknowledgment
Operate	Monitor, maintain, patch, support	IT Operations + Help Desk	Maintenance logs, support tickets
Optimize	Right-size, reallocate underused assets, upgrade	Asset Manager	Utilization reports, reallocation plan
Retire	Decommission, data wipe, dispose or return	IT Operations + Security	Disposal certificate, inventory update

Lifecycle Status Transitions

Plan → Ordered → Received → Staging → Deployed → In Use
                                                    │
                                    ┌───────────────┤
                                    │               │
                                    ▼               ▼
                                 Repair          Redeployed
                                    │               │
                                    ▼               │
                                 In Use ◄───────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
                              End of Life → Disposed / Recycled / Donated

Lifecycle Decision Triggers

Trigger	Action	Decision Criteria
Warranty expiry approaching (90 days)	Evaluate extend vs replace	Cost of extension vs replacement; failure rate
End of vendor support	Plan migration or upgrade	Security risk, alternative support options
Utilization < 30% for 90 days	Evaluate reallocation	Can another user benefit? Storage cost savings?
Repair cost > 50% of replacement	Replace rather than repair	Total cost of ownership comparison
Performance below minimum spec	Upgrade or replace	Business impact, user productivity
Security vulnerability (unpatched)	Patch, isolate, or replace	Patch availability, risk exposure

Step 3: License Compliance

Ensure software license compliance and optimization:

License Model Inventory

License Model	Description	Tracking Method	Compliance Risk
Per-user / named user	License tied to individual	User count vs license count	Medium — user count drift
Per-device	License tied to hardware	Device count vs license count	Medium — ghost devices
Concurrent / floating	Pool of licenses shared	Peak usage monitoring	High — peak spikes
Site / enterprise	Unlimited within organization	Contract terms verification	Low — broad coverage
Subscription (SaaS)	Recurring fee per user/month	Subscription management platform	Medium — inactive users
Open source	Free with license obligations	License type tracking (GPL, MIT, Apache)	Low-Medium — compliance obligations
OEM / bundled	Included with hardware	Hardware-license pairing	Low — tied to device lifecycle

License Compliance Audit

Check	Method	Frequency	Action if Non-Compliant
Installation count vs entitlement	Software discovery tool vs license database	Quarterly	Remove excess installations or purchase additional licenses
Subscription user count vs active users	SaaS management platform	Monthly	Deactivate unused accounts, downgrade tiers
License agreement terms	Review contract terms	Annually	Adjust usage to comply with terms
Open source license obligations	Code scanning tools (FOSSA, Snyk)	Per release	Ensure attribution, source availability as required
Virtualization licensing	VM count vs license server	Quarterly	Purchase additional licenses for VM sprawl

License Optimization Opportunities

Opportunity	Detection	Savings Estimate
Unused SaaS licenses	No login for 90+ days	15-30% of SaaS spend
Over-provisioned tiers	Users on premium using basic features only	20-40% per downgraded user
Duplicate tools	Multiple tools serving same function	100% of redundant tool cost
License harvesting	Reallocate from departed employees	Avoid new purchases
Volume discount negotiation	Aggregate enterprise-wide licenses	10-25% through consolidation

Step 4: Disposal Procedures

Securely and compliantly dispose of end-of-life assets:

Disposal Workflow

Step	Action	Owner	Verification
1	Initiate disposal request, confirm end-of-life status	Asset Manager	Lifecycle stage verified
2	Backup any required data from asset	IT Operations	Backup confirmed, restoration tested
3	Perform data sanitization (NIST 800-88 compliant)	Security Team	Wipe certificate generated
4	Remove asset from CMDB and inventory	Asset Manager	Records updated, CI deactivated
5	Remove license assignments	License Manager	Licenses reclaimed and available
6	Physical disposal (recycle, donate, destroy)	Facilities / Vendor	Disposal certificate received
7	Update financial records (depreciation write-off)	Finance	Asset removed from books

Data Sanitization Standards

Method	NIST 800-88 Level	Use Case	Verification
Clear	Basic overwrite	Non-sensitive data, internal reuse	Software verification
Purge	Advanced overwrite or cryptographic erase	Sensitive data, donation/resale	Third-party certificate
Destroy	Physical destruction (shred, degauss, incinerate)	Classified data, regulatory requirement	Destruction certificate with serial numbers

Disposal Options

Option	Criteria	Process	Documentation
Internal redeployment	Asset still functional, meets specs	Wipe, re-image, reassign	Transfer record
Donation	Functional, tax benefit, CSR value	Wipe, remove asset tags, donate	Donation receipt, tax documentation
Resale / Trade-in	Has market value, vendor buyback	Wipe, vendor pickup or ship	Sale receipt, wipe certificate
Recycling	No reuse value, contains recyclable materials	Wipe, certified e-waste recycler	Recycling certificate
Destruction	Highly sensitive, regulatory requirement	Physical destruction by certified vendor	Destruction certificate with chain of custody

Step 5: Cost Allocation and Financial Management

Track and allocate IT asset costs to business units:

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Model

Cost Component	Category	Example (Laptop, 4-year lifecycle)
Acquisition cost	Capital	$3,500 hardware + $200 accessories
Software licenses	Operating	$600/year (Microsoft 365, security tools)
Deployment and setup	Operating	$200 (imaging, configuration, delivery)
Support and maintenance	Operating	$400/year (help desk, repairs)
Training	Operating	$100 (new employee onboarding)
Decommission and disposal	Operating	$50 (data wipe, recycling)
Total 4-year TCO	Combined	$6,650 ($1,663/year, $138/month)

Cost Allocation Methods

Method	Description	Best For
Direct allocation	Charge directly to assigned user's cost center	Endpoints, personal devices
Usage-based	Allocate by consumption metrics	Cloud resources, shared infrastructure
Headcount-based	Distribute evenly across users in department	Shared services (network, email)
Tiered allocation	Different rates for different service levels	Services with SLA tiers
Activity-based	Allocate by business activities that drive cost	Complex shared environments

Financial Reporting

Report	Audience	Frequency	Content
Asset inventory valuation	Finance, IT Leadership	Quarterly	Current book value, depreciation schedule
License compliance summary	IT Leadership, Procurement	Quarterly	Entitlement vs deployment, risk areas
Cost allocation report	Business unit managers	Monthly	Charges by cost center with detail
Savings and optimization	CIO, CFO	Quarterly	Realized savings, optimization opportunities
Budget vs actuals	IT Finance	Monthly	Planned vs actual asset spend

Step 6: Reporting and Continuous Improvement

Monitor asset management health and drive improvements:

Key Asset Management Metrics

Metric	Formula	Target
Inventory accuracy	Verified assets / Total in database * 100%	> 98%
License compliance rate	Compliant licenses / Total licenses * 100%	100%
Asset utilization	Active assets / Total deployed * 100%	> 85%
Mean time to deploy	Average time from request to deployment	< 2 business days
Ghost asset rate	Unlocatable assets / Total in database * 100%	< 2%
Disposal compliance	Properly disposed / Total disposed * 100%	100%
SaaS utilization	Active users / Licensed users * 100%	> 80%
Cost per device (TCO)	Total IT cost / Number of managed devices	Decreasing trend

Output Format

Present the asset management deliverable as:

1. Asset Inventory Summary (total assets by category, status distribution, key statistics)
2. Asset Classification and Taxonomy (categories, sub-categories, naming conventions)
3. Lifecycle Management Framework (stages, transitions, decision triggers)
4. License Compliance Report (entitlement vs deployment, risk areas, optimization)
5. Disposal Procedures (workflow, data sanitization standards, documentation)
6. Cost Allocation Model (TCO framework, allocation method, financial reports)
7. Metrics Dashboard (KPIs, current values, targets, trends)
8. Improvement Roadmap (prioritized initiatives, timeline, expected ROI)

Quality Checklist

Before delivering the asset management plan, verify:

• All asset categories are identified and classified
• Asset record template includes all required fields
• Lifecycle stages are defined with clear transition criteria
• License compliance is assessed with current entitlement data
• Disposal procedures include data sanitization standards
• Cost allocation model is documented and agreed with finance
• Metrics are defined with targets and measurement methods
• Governance includes review cadence and continuous improvement
• CMDB integration is addressed for configuration management alignment

Edge Cases

• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Track enrollment rather than ownership; manage software licenses separately from hardware; define clear boundaries of IT responsibility
• Acquisitions and mergers: Conduct a full asset audit of the acquired entity; reconcile asset databases; standardize naming and classification before merging
• Remote/distributed workforce: Use agent-based discovery rather than network scanning; ship and track assets with logistics integration; implement remote wipe capability
• Leased equipment: Track lease terms, return dates, and condition requirements; set alerts 90 days before lease expiry; document any lease-vs-buy analysis
• Cryptocurrency mining or unauthorized use: Detect through anomalous CPU/GPU usage or power consumption; include in acceptable use policy; audit regularly
• Assets in transit or storage: Assign a "warehouse" or "in transit" status; set maximum storage duration before redeployment or disposal; audit storage locations quarterly