Pre-Implementation Checklist for Transitioning from Core Asset Management to HAM

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Before diving into the technical implementation of the ServiceNow Hardware Asset Management (HAM) application, it is critical to carry out a series of preparatory activities to ensure a successful transition. These steps lay the foundation for a smooth deployment and help prevent costly mistakes or disruptions during and after implementation. Below is a comprehensive list of activities to perform before implementing ServiceNow HAM . 

1. Stakeholder Alignment and Requirement Gathering 

Start by gathering requirements from key stakeholders who will use or benefit from the new HAM processes. Align expectations and goals by focusing on these areas: 

• Identify Stakeholders: Involve departments like IT, Finance, Procurement, Legal, and Operations. Each has different needs and objectives regarding asset management. 

• Document Use Cases: Gather use cases from these stakeholders that reflect how they currently interact with hardware assets and what they expect from the new system. 

• Define Goals: Align on specific goals for HAM implementation, such as improving audit accuracy, automating procurement, or reducing costs related to lost or untracked hardware. 

Documenting and refining requirements early ensures the HAM implementation supports the unique needs of your organization. 

2. Evaluate Current Asset Management Practices 

Before moving to HAM, evaluate how your organization currently manages hardware assets. This evaluation will help you identify gaps in processes and functionality that HAM can address. Focus on: 

• Current Asset Lifecycle Management: Review how assets are tracked through their lifecycle stages—procurement, deployment, usage, maintenance, and retirement. 

• Stockroom and Inventory Procedures: Assess how well your current system handles stock levels, orders, and asset transfers between stockrooms. 

• Audit and Compliance Processes: Check how often assets are audited and whether your organization is meeting its audit and compliance obligations. 

By conducting a detailed review, you’ll understand the strengths and weaknesses of your current asset management processes, making it easier to define what needs to improve with HAM. 

3. Data Audit and Cleanup 

Moving to HAM is an opportunity to improve data quality. A successful transition requires that you carefully audit and clean your existing asset data to ensure accuracy and relevance: 

• Asset Data Review: Review asset records for completeness, accuracy, and relevance. Identify outdated or duplicate records that need to be archived or deleted. 

• Standardize Naming Conventions: Ensure that asset names, models, and categories follow a consistent naming convention across the organization. Standardization simplifies reporting and analysis. 

• Ensure Data Accuracy: Check fields such as asset status, location, assigned users, purchase details, and depreciation records for accuracy. 

A comprehensive data audit will prevent future issues related to inaccurate reporting and decision-making. 

4. Map Data for Migration 

Data migration is a crucial step when transitioning to HAM. To ensure a smooth data migration process, perform a data mapping exercise: 

• Identify Key Fields: Identify which data fields in your current system need to be migrated to HAM, such as asset types, statuses, procurement information, depreciation details, and lifecycle events. 

• Map Fields to HAM: HAM introduces additional fields and capabilities not present in Core Asset Management. Ensure that existing fields are mapped correctly to the new data model in HAM. 

• Create Migration Rules: Define rules for handling exceptions, such as how to deal with incomplete or erroneous data and whether certain records should be excluded from migration. 

Successful data migration depends on thorough planning and ensuring the data aligns with the new HAM model. 

5. Analyze Existing Asset Workflows 

HAM introduces advanced lifecycle workflows that can automate key processes in your organization. To take full advantage of these, you must understand how your current workflows function: 

• Review Current Asset Workflows: Document the workflows for procurement, asset deployment, asset tracking, and retirement. Identify which workflows are manual and where automation can improve efficiency. 

• Analyze Bottlenecks: Identify any delays or issues in the current processes, such as lengthy procurement approval times or inaccurate asset retirements. 

• Prepare for Automation: Define how you want to use HAM workflows to automate repetitive tasks like procurement approvals, stockroom replenishments, and asset audits. 

A solid understanding of your current workflows ensures that HAM is set up to automate and optimize these processes effectively. 

6. Plan Integration Points 

To maximize HAM’s effectiveness, plan how it will integrate with other ServiceNow modules and external systems. Critical integrations include: 

• Configuration Management Database (CMDB): Ensure that hardware assets are properly linked to CIs within the CMDB for more comprehensive IT management and tracking. 

• Incident and Change Management: Plan to link hardware assets with incidents, changes, and problems in ITSM for a seamless service delivery experience. 

• Procurement Systems: If you use an external procurement system, determine how HAM will integrate to track hardware purchases and ensure assets are captured in ServiceNow. 

Planning for integrations early will reduce implementation complexity and ensure seamless data flow between HAM and other systems.

7. Define Roles and Permissions 

HAM comes with predefined roles and permissions, but you’ll need to tailor these to fit your organization’s structure. To do this: 

• Identify User Roles: List the roles required to interact with HAM, such as Asset Managers, Procurement Officers, Finance, and IT Support. 

• Map Permissions: Ensure each role has the correct permissions for viewing, creating, updating, or deleting assets and performing related tasks like audits or stockroom management. 

• Enforce Security Policies: Ensure that your organization’s security policies are followed by configuring access controls based on job functions. 

Setting up roles and permissions before implementation ensures secure and organized access to the HAM application. 

8. Design Reporting and Dashboards 

One of the strengths of HAM is its enhanced reporting capabilities. Plan for how you will use these tools to drive business insights: 

• Identify Key Metrics: Work with stakeholders to define the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you need to track, such as asset utilization rates, total cost of ownership (TCO), depreciation, and lifecycle status. 

• Customize Dashboards: Design dashboards that provide real-time insights into asset management for different roles. For example, IT might focus on deployment metrics, while Finance may want to see detailed depreciation schedules. 

• Set Up Regular Reports: Define the frequency of regular reports, such as monthly audits, and configure automated reports to be sent to stakeholders. 

Pre-planning reporting requirements will ensure that you make the most of HAM’s analytics capabilities.

9. Train Teams on New Processes and Features

Before launching HAM, ensure that all relevant teams are trained on the new features and processes: 

• Create Training Materials: Develop training materials that highlight the key differences between Core Asset Management and HAM, including lifecycle workflows, audit processes, and stockroom management. 

• Schedule Training Sessions: Conduct hands-on training sessions with key users to ensure they understand how to use the new system and are familiar with the new roles and responsibilities. 

• Ensure Post-Go-Live Support: Set up support structures to address questions and issues post-implementation, ensuring a smooth transition. 

Investing time in training before implementation will help prevent adoption issues after HAM goes live.

Conclusion 

Thorough preparation is essential for a successful transition from Core Asset Management to ServiceNow’s Hardware Asset Management (HAM) application. By following these preparatory steps, you’ll ensure that your organization is ready to take full advantage of HAM’s advanced features, automation capabilities, and integrations. Proper planning and coordination across departments will set you up for a smooth and effective implementation.