Never again outdated inventory data and documentation

Last updated: December 1, 2021

It is often the case that we have answers to questions that have never been asked. On the other hand, there are also questions that we can’t answer on the fly. When it comes to internal IT questions, which are primarily asked by managing directors or team leaders, “I don’t know, I’ll have to take a look” is not necessarily the best of all answers.

This is because two worlds usually collide. On the one hand, there is the world of management, which usually has a general overview of the technology in use, but which naturally has to rely on information from the IT department for details.

On the other hand, we have the IT staff, who may very well be able to find out all the details in a network, but cannot communicate them without further research. Inventory and networks change too much and too quickly to keep everything in mind. And especially in larger companies, questions like “How many old computers need to be replaced?” or “What notebooks and tablets do we have in use?” are quite tricky matters.

For the annual budget discussions or strategic meetings, you usually have enough time to prepare. Meticulous detail work and a sure instinct are required here to put the inventory of IT hardware on paper or, with even more effort, to present it digitally in writing and in easy-to-understand graphics.

Many IT managers are burnt children in this respect. Smart IT managers have taken a closer look at inventory and documentation. And have painfully discovered that not only the inventory and the creation of the documentation is a mammoth task. Outdated documentation or inventory lists that are no longer valid because they are too old cry out for continuous adjustments and updates. Anyone who does this without tools will relatively soon be driven close to the abyss of despair. The only exception is if you have more than enough staff in the IT department and manage this regular task in no time at all. Kidding, I know. “More staff” is on the top line of nearly every IT department’s wish list – ahead of “pay raise” or “more time off.” It’s similar to the sword of Damocles always hovering over your head. As long as no information is requested, everything is fine.

Enough of this horror scenario?

The fact that good documentation of one’s own network and IT in general is not a bad idea should not be a particularly new insight for most people. That the current inventory status of the equipment and a clear presentation of the networks with the current data also has its advantages should also not be new.

But how do you manage to transmit all data and information cleanly prepared and clearly presented within the shortest possible time?

A short video says more than a thousand words:

 
With Docusnap, a true success story of documentation and automated inventory of your complete IT landscape begins in your company as well. In addition, not only are emergency manuals created, but they are also kept up to date in a completely automated manner. If new devices are acquired, they are also automatically added to the inventory database with extensive additional information via network scans without any further intervention. This not only saves time and money, but also eliminates the possibility of “forgetting” or “we’ll do that later”.

In the future, you no longer evade your supervisor, but answer the question of “Do we still have old computers that need to be replaced?” with a “I will immediately send you a detailed list of the affected devices neatly prepared and with the current status.”

That makes the obligatory early morning coffee taste so much better, doesn’t it?