IT Asset Management Policy, Procedures, and Reporting Tools

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Introduction

Managing campus IT assets and utilizing them effectively is an important role for everyone at UW-Eau Claire. We all need to be good stewards of what taxpayer and student tuition dollars funds.

This article provides information on UW policy, UW-Eau Claire IT asset management procedures, and links to tools you can use to help LTS maintain accurate IT asset data.

In addition to adhering to policy, when our IT asset inventory is accurate, it allows LTS to provide you with better and more efficient service in a variety of ways.

Policy: Asset Management


1035 Information Technology: Asset Management provides the base of what we need to do as a campus. It defines the type of IT assets we are required to track, what specific data for an asset we need to collect and keep up to date. Along with those required asset types, LTS tracks some additional types.

Surplus of Technology and Damaged Technology


See the Surplus of Technology knowledgebase page for more information.

Any technology that is damaged should still be returned to LTS so that we can evaluate warranty status and consider if a repair of an item is a better solution to the expense of a replacement. Or if the item is going to be surplus, LTS still has the opportunity to properly process it like any other technology. Although a device may not power on, we still need to ensure that the data is no longer reachable in that device if it stores any. For damaged technology the same surplus of technology process referred to above can be followed.

Purchasing Technology


See the Purchasing Technology knowledgebase page for more information.


Device Owner Changes


One of the most important processes we as a campus need to follow is properly sanitizing data from an asset that stores data before it moves to a new owner. This is most commonly associated with computers, but it pertains to any type of device that stores data. Anytime a device of this type is going to be given to a new owner, LTS needs to be contacted so that we can:

  1. Wipe the storage of that device of the previous user’s data.
  2.  Ensure the asset record has the new owner listed and update any other relevant data for the asset.

Email helpdesk@uwec.edu to request this service. Alternatively, the device(s) can be dropped off at the LTS Help Desk in Larson Hall 1106.

If returning a desktop computer, LTS does not need keyboards, mice, monitors, or cables brought with it. We just need the computer.

If returning a laptop or other portable device, please bring the power supply/charger.

Owner changes most commonly occur as part of retirements or separations. Returning technology is listed on the Human Resources separation checklist provided when an employee is going through these processes.

This process also ties into the Redeploy Asset Service information further down.

Lost or Stolen IT Asset Guidelines


A more official process is being drafted to inform everyone what needs to be done in these situations and what will happen. A link to that information will be provided here when it becomes available.

For the time being, if you know a UWEC IT asset has been lost or stolen, you should report this to the proper authorities immediately. Where you are located matters.

If the theft occurred on the UW-Eau Claire campus call the UW-Eau Claire Police mobile phone at (715) 577-9045. Leave a message if they do not answer and they will call you back as quickly as they can.

If the theft occurred off campus, Eau Claire’s non-emergency dispatch number is (715) 839-4972. Anywhere outside of Eau Claire, be sure to reach out to that area’s authorities.

After making that initial contact with the correct agency, informing LTS with a message to helpdesk@uwec.edu, and police@uwec.edu if you worked with an outside agency, is also asked for.

Rotation Guidelines


Every department is encouraged to develop a rotation schedule for their technology, with one of the more important pieces being computers. Developing a rotation schedule also informs budget needs and can be designed in a way to help level-load annually the rotation budget line for a department.

There is no specific policy at UW-Eau Claire that requires a department to rotate equipment. The requirement of when a piece of technology must be rotated or removed from the network is established by UW Policy 1042 Information Security: Threat and Vulnerability Management. In short, when a device is no longer able to receive updates to its operating system, it can no longer be on the network.

Rotation recommendations for common items:

  • Computers: 4 to 5 years
  •  Computer Monitors: 8 to 10 years (basically every two computer cycles)
  •  Docking Stations: 8 to 10 years (again every two computer cycles)
  •  Cellular Devices: 4 years
  •  iPads: 5 years

If you would like assistance with developing a rotation plan, email helpdesk@uwec.edu with your request and LTS will be happy to assist. Part of developing that plan will be an audit of all your existing asset data in our system for accuracy.

Asset Types


The following list is not an exhaustive list of all the asset types LTS tracks asset information for in TeamDynamix (TDX), but it does include what’s specifically outlined in the 1035 policy and the additional types LTS feels are most critical.

  • Computers
    • Desktops
    • Laptops
    • All-in-Ones
    • 2-in-1 and Detachables (Surface, etc.)
    • Raspberry PIs
  • Computer Monitors
  • Docking Stations
  • Printing Devices
    • Printers
    • Fax Machines
    • Multifunction Devices (MFDs, otherwise known as copiers)
    • All-in-One (Print, Scan, and Copy)
    • 3D Printers
  • Other Data Storage Devices
    • Scanners (those used for advanced document ingestion systems)
    • Network Attached Storage (NAS)
  • Other Mobile Devices/Tablets
    • Chromebooks
    • iPads
  • Cellular Devices
  • Audio and Video (AV) Equipment
    • Cost of equipment is considered
    • AV equipment that connects to the campus network
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
    • Things that connect to the campus network that don’t fall into another category type above

Updating IT Asset Information


Policy states that the data for an asset needs to be updated within thirty (30) days of a change. Many IT assets move around campus and change owners without LTS assistance. This means the record is not updated unless you inform us of that change.

When should you inform LTS of an asset change:

  • If the owner changes (see Computer Owner Changes above)
  •  If the owning department changes (typically means the owner changed too)
  •  If the building and/or room the asset is in changes
  •  Assets that will be brought home for use for longer than thirty (30) consecutive days needs to have its record marked with an ‘At Home’ status
  •  When assets are returned from long-term home use so ‘At Home’ status can be cleared

To report a change, email all the important details to helpdesk@uwec.edu and we will follow-up if there are additional questions. The most important piece of information you provide is the UWEC asset tag number. To see examples of what our asset tags look like, please see our IT Inventory Sticker Guide knowledgebase article.

When specifying rooms, LTS uses campus floor plans maintained by Facilities. We do specify rooms down to the room suffix level. Some spaces change room number simply by going through wall openings and not necessarily an actual door.

Asset Lookup Tools and Reports


LTS moved to a new ticketing and asset management system called TeamDynamix (TDX) that allowed us to develop tools you can use on-demand to look at asset information live.

There is a lot of data in this system that still needs to be corrected. If you do find errors, please submit that information to helpdesk@uwec.edu with as much detail as possible.

TeamDynamix Self-Service Portal – This tool can be used to look at assets where you are set as the owner.

In addition to viewing asset information in the self-service portal, you can view your ticket history and submit tickets for common service requests rather than email the LTS Help Desk. Submitting tickets through the specific service pages within the portal may result in faster service times as some will go directly to the team that supports that service and bypass the LTS Help Desk.

To access the TDX Self-Service Portal and view your assets:

  1. Go to https://myhelpdesk.uwec.edu and in the upper-right click ‘Sign in’.
  2.  Once signed in, click your name in the upper-right.
  3.  Select ‘My Profile’ from the menu that appears.
  4.  Scroll down to the My Assets section.
  5.  Click on the link in the Asset column to see additional data fields for that asset.

Department Asset Report Web Application – LTS has created a custom application that reads data from TeamDynamix that allows departments to download a report of assets for their entire department.

To access the Department Asset Report site:

  1. You must be on the campus network or connected to VPN to access this tool.
  2.  Go to https://deptassets.apps.uwec.edu/ and login.
  3.  Select desired Department from the pull-down list.
  4.  Select desired asset status. See the Asset Status Types section below for more information. Select ‘Any’ to get all assets that are assigned to the desired department regardless of status. This will provide historical information on surplus assets, for example.
  5.  Click the notepad icon to the far left of an asset row to view additional data.

You can also download the list as an Excel CSV file by clicking the ‘Download CSV’ button. Downloading as a CSV allows you to use the filtering capabilities for columns within Excel when working with a large data set.

Requesting a Custom Asset Report – In addition to these two self-service asset reporting tools, you can request a custom asset report by emailing helpdesk@uwec.edu with the details of what you are looking for.

Asset Status Types


In TeamDynamix we utilize several different asset status types. These are the most common:

  • In Use – An asset actively in use.
  •  In Repair – An asset is being repaired by LTS.
  •  Retired – An asset has been surplus.
  •  Received – LTS has received an ordered asset.

Less Common asset status types:

  • Redeploy – See more below. LTS is storing an asset for repurposing.
  •  Redeploy-Departmental – See more below. LTS is storing an asset for a specific department for repurposing.
  •  Stolen – The owner has confirmed the asset has been stolen and not just misplaced.
  •  Missing – An asset isn’t where it is expected to be, but don’t feel it has been stolen.
  •  Verify – Some part of the data for an asset needs to be verified and updated.

Redeploy Asset Service


This service has two distinct purposes.

Departmental Redeploy Assets – We are asked to hold onto an asset for a specific department’s use only.

When an IT asset does not have an active purpose and will sit idle, LTS provides a service to collect and store those assets for you until a new use has been identified. This is most critical for assets that LTS actively needs to manage and monitor to be compliant with UW policy 1042 Information Security: Threat and Vulnerability Management. However, LTS will provide this service for any type of asset that we track in TeamDynamix.

Assets that LTS actively manages:

  • Computers running Windows, excludes some specialized systems
  •  All Apple devices (Macs, iPads, and iPhones)

Why LTS wants to hold your assets for redeploy:

  1. When managed assets have not reported in after so many days, LTS will get reports from our management systems and follow up with the last known owner of the asset to get it online so that it can update to remain safe and compliant with policy 1042. If LTS is holding onto the asset in redeploy, this follow up effort is not needed and saves everyone time not chasing down assets.
  2. It provides a secure storage location for these assets when they are not in use.
  3. It ties into the changing asset owner section above when the new owner will not receive the asset immediately after LTS receives it.
  4. It provides LTS the opportunity to properly update asset data for owner, department, and location when we are requested to redeploy an asset we are storing for you.
  5. It provides LTS the opportunity to wipe existing data from the device and install a clean and updated operating system when we are requested to redeploy a computer asset we are storing for you. A machine can be ready typically within 48 hours of your request to deploy it again, if not sooner.
  6. If this service is used properly for all your IT assets, when determining if you need to order new equipment for an employee you can first check the department asset report website for what you already have available in the Redeploy-Departmental status in our storage. This helps with making sure we’re maximizing existing campus resources.
  7. For computers that have not been powered on for extended periods of time, users may no longer be able to even login to the device. Or when they do login, the computer is not usable because it needs to catch up on updates or will not update at all.

University Redeploy Assets

Any IT asset collected for surplus, or when a department simply no longer has us of it, LTS evaluates the technology for redeploy. If it still has useful life, rather than sending it to surplus we retain it for University Redeploy. LTS never guarantees that it has assets for University Redeploy, but the most common asset types we retain redeploy stock of are:

  • Computers
  •  Computer Monitors
  •  Docking Stations
  •  iPads

To request if a particular type of asset is available for redeploy, email your request to helpdesk@uwec.edu. It is our goal to not have a lot of redeploy stock on hand since that typically means we are making good use of our technology resources as a campus.

LTS will only provide a limited amount of redeploy to each department so that the distribution of these assets is equitable to the extent possible.


Technology Asset Tracking and Asset Stickers for Departments


Not everything that is considered technology is required to be tracked by LTS or is purchased through LTS Consulting. If your department has assets you have purchased that you would like to have entered into our TeamDynamix system, or if you simply want some asset tags to identify it is campus property and track in your own tools, email helpdesk@uwec.edu to request a consultation.

If you intend to have assets tracked in TeamDynamix, LTS will need to make updates to assets for you since licensing limits how many users are allowed to have that role in the system.