What is the purpose of the hardware asset management process in ServiceNow?

The hardware asset management process in ServiceNow is designed specifically to track, manage, and optimize hardware assets throughout their lifecycle. This includes everything from procurement and inventory management to maintenance, retirement, and disposal. By providing a holistic view and control over hardware assets, organizations can ensure that their assets are effectively utilized and comply with relevant regulations. It helps in informing decisions on upgrades, replacements, and resource allocation, thereby improving overall operational efficiency and reducing costs associated with hardware management.

While managing contracts and billing for software licenses, enhancing communication among IT staff, and overseeing network security are important functions within IT service management, they fall outside the primary focus of hardware asset management. Instead, those functions relate more closely to software asset management, general IT operations, or security management processes respectively. This distinction underscores the targeted approach of hardware asset management, which is fundamentally about maximizing the value derived from physical hardware assets.