HAM articles articles

Building a Coverage-First Hardware Lifecycle Program in ServiceNow HAM

Sean_Walker — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:19:56 GMT

We all know the moment: security asks which servers are past end-of-support, finance wants to know what's up for refresh next year, and an auditor wants evidence — and the honest answer is "let me get back to you." Hardware lifecycle data is one of those things that's easy to put off until three different teams need it at once.

I put together an implementation guide to fix exactly that, and it's attached to this post.

What it is

ITAM Lifecycle Management — Implementation Program for HAM is a step-by-step, coverage-first program for standing up hardware lifecycle management in ServiceNow HAM. It's organized as Crawl / Walk / Run, so you can start wherever you are and build up without boiling the ocean.

The core idea is simple: define lifecycle once at the Hardware Model level, and every asset tied to that model inherits the dates automatically. "Coverage" means every model has at least one lifecycle phase record — either a real date or a lifecycle code that explains why there isn't one. That distinction (truly missing vs. investigated-but-no-date) is where a lot of programs get stuck, and the guide draws a clear line through it.

What's inside

Crawl — Establish the baseline. Validate model normalization, turn on Content Services, generate the Hardware Model Lifecycles report, and measure asset-weighted coverage so you know your real starting point.
Walk — Close the gaps. Use Calculated Lifecycle Templates and GA date proxies to fill in what the Content Library can't — plus how to read the APX / END / EXC lifecycle codes.
Run — Operationalize it. Custom lifecycle records for contracts and policy, the Model Lifecycle Overview in HAM Workspace, tie-ins to refresh and procurement planning, Asset Audit Response, and a quarterly review cadence so it stays current.

It also includes success metrics with real targets (asset-weighted coverage >85% at Walk, >95% at Run) and a HAM vs. SAM quick-reference table that explains why the two programs are structurally different — so you don't accidentally apply SAM logic to HAM when you build your reports and queries.

Why grab it

Because "we'll figure out lifecycle later" always turns into a fire drill. This guide gives security, finance, and audit teams actionable, defensible data — in an order that actually works, with the navigation paths and KB references called out at each step. Whether you're just turning on HAM or you've had it for years and never nailed down lifecycle, there's a place to jump in.

Ask a Ranger Video Series

New Whitepaper Series:

IT Asset Management Lifecycle Accuracy and Coverage

Download the attached guide, run the Crawl stage this week, and you'll have a real coverage baseline before your next quarterly review.

🚀 ServiceNow SPM and AI Control Tower

abidsiddiqui — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 02:27:09 GMT

Hi Folks,

Recently, I had the opportunity to demonstrate how ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) and AI Control Tower (AICT) work together, and I found the end to end journey incredibly interesting.

What stood out to me was how organizations can not only manage and prioritize AI initiatives through SPM but also seamlessly govern those AI assets through AI Control Tower, all within the same platform.
From idea submission and demand management to strategic alignment, AI governance, risk assessments, compliance reviews, and deployment, the entire lifecycle remains connected and transparent.

I thought this was worth sharing with the community, so I put together a walkthrough showcasing how an AI Service Desk Assistant can progress from a business idea into a governed AI asset while maintaining alignment with organizational goals and responsible AI practices.

Hope you find it useful, and I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences around SPM, AI Governance, and AI Control Tower.

Server Decommissioning Automation using ServiceNow

abidsiddiqui — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:09:19 GMT

Hello Folks, 🖐🏻

I have Recently developed a simple yet effective Server Decommissioning Automation using ServiceNow and thought to share it with you all.

This helps reduce manual efforts, keeps CMDB updated, and triggers automated actions based on server and IP status.
A small automation that makes a big difference in day-to-day operations! 🚀

How to Bluk Populate Asset Costs in HAM for a Specific Hardware Model Using UI Actions

jonsan09 — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:37:45 GMT

In my "How to Bulk Populate Asset Costs in HAM Using Flow Designer Flows & Subflows" article, I detailed how to bulk update asset costs using a subflow paired with a scheduled flow.

The scheduled flow handles your routine weekly run just fine. But sometimes you don't want to wait for the next scheduled run. Instead of running the whole scheduled flow, you can add a link right on the Hardware Model record to trigger the subflow for just that model.

Before You Start

This builds directly on the subflow from the first article. If you haven't set that up yet, go do that first and come back here.

One thing to double-check: This UI Action uses two outputs back from the subflow: a count (Integer) and a message (String). If you didn't add outputs when you built the subflow your banner message will come back blank. The count is just the number of asset records updated.

Building the UI Action

1. Create it on the right table

Navigate to System Definition > UI Actions (or right-click the Hardware Model form header and configure). Set the Table to cmdb_hardware_product_model.

2. Name and placement

Give it a name, I used: Populate Empty Asset Costs. Check Form link to have it appear under Related Links at the bottom of the record. Set Order to 100 (personal preference for position on form).

3. Lock it down with a Condition

Use the Condition field to gate visibility by role. I limited mine to admins and category managers:

gs.hasRole("admin") || gs.hasRole("category_manager")

Add or change to whatever roles fit your team.

4. The Script

Open your subflow in Flow Designer and grab the auto-generated code snippet from the subflow's menu.

Paste it into the UI Action script and adjust:

var inputs = {}; inputs['override_existing_asset_costs'] = false; // True/False inputs['hardware_model'] = current; // GlideRecord of table: cmdb_hardware_product_model // Start Asynchronously: Uncomment to run in background. Code snippet will not have access to outputs. // sn_fd.FlowAPI.getRunner().subflow('your_scope.your_subflow_name').inBackground().withInputs(inputs).run(); // Execute Synchronously: Run in foreground. Code snippet has access to outputs. var result = sn_fd.FlowAPI.getRunner().subflow('your_scope.your_subflow_name').inForeground().withInputs(inputs).run(); var outputs = result.getOutputs(); // Get Outputs: // Note: outputs can only be retrieved when executing synchronously. var count = outputs['count']; // Integer var message = outputs['message']; // String gs.addInfoMessage('Number of Assets updated: ' + count);

Note: Replace your_scope.your_subflow_name with your actual subflow scope and sys_name. The exact string is in the auto-generated snippet from Flow Designer.

What the Script Is Actually Doing

current is the model you're on. Because this UI Action lives on the Hardware Model form, current is the exact record you clicked from. That gets passed into the subflow's hardware_model input.

Override is set to false. We're only filling in the blanks ($0 / empty costs). Not overwriting existing values. If you need a force-update version, build a second UI Action for it and keep the default safe.

Synchronous vs. asynchronous. I'm running it synchronously (inForeground()) on purpose — that's the only way to read the outputs back and tell the user what happened. The commented-out asynchronous (inBackground()) option is better for very large updates, but you lose access to the outputs. Choose based on how many assets your models typically have.

The confirmation message. Once the subflow finishes, we grab the count output and surface it with gs.addInfoMessage() — the user gets a clean "Number of Assets updated: X" banner instead of wondering if anything happened.

Trying It Out

Open any Hardware Model record that has a cost populated and at least one hardware asset sitting at $0.00. Scroll to Related Links, click Populate Empty Asset Costs, and you should see the info message confirming how many records were updated.

As always, build and test in your Subprod instances before activating it in Production.

Improve Your Financial Asset Visibility: A practical guide to PO data

michaelscog — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:28:00 GMT

Do your hardware asset records have PO numbers populated in ServiceNow? If not, the problem could be larger than you think. When hardware assets in ServiceNow lack a purchase order number, your organization cannot prove what it paid for them, cannot recover costs from the departments that use them, and cannot exercise warranty rights when they fail. PO number population is not an IT data quality metric. It is a financial controls requirement.

In this document we will explain why PO data is so vital for your Hardware Asset Management program, and review three ways to get your PO data into ServiceNow today, from good to better to best. The best option highlights an Australia release Hardware Asset Management Now Assist feature!

HAM Pro - A Capability Map for Design Workshops (Zurich + Australia)

SAMfluencer — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:12:49 GMT

If you've ever tried to explain ServiceNow HAM Pro to a project manager who thinks "asset management" means a spreadsheet in SharePoint this one's for you.

One question comes up more than almost any other, usually right before a discovery workshop:

"Can you send me something that shows what HAM actually covers? Like end-to-end?"

What Is a HAM Capability Map?

It's not a CI class hierarchy. It's not a stockroom configuration guide. It's a structured view of what Hardware Asset Management Pro can do across the full hardware lifecycle with an honest indication of what works out of the box vs. what needs configuration vs. what needs an integration.

Think of it as the one-pager you hand a CMDB architect or IT operations lead before the design workshop so you're not spending the first 45 minutes explaining what a Transfer Order is.

The 9 Capability Groups

Unlike SAM, HAM doesn't split neatly into domains. It follows a lifecycle - and the map reflects that:

1. Discovery & Hardware Inventory

Where everything starts. ServiceNow Discovery (agentless), SCCM/Intune/Jamf SGC, MID Server, mobile scanning, and third-party imports (Armis, BigFix, Lansweeper). The quality of everything downstream is bounded by what you can actually discover. This is worth spending time on upfront.

2. Asset Repository & CMDB

The single source of truth for your hardware estate. CI class hierarchy, lifecycle states and substates, CSDM alignment, CI relationships, and custom attributes (yes - including GPU fields for those managing AI infrastructure). The CMDB is both the foundation and the ceiling of HAM maturity.

3. Hardware Normalization

The HAM Content Library covers 125+ model classes - manufacturer, model, EOL/EOS dates, energy ratings. Similar to SAM's Content Service, but for physical assets. Worth flagging: proprietary or specialist hardware (industrial controllers, custom GPUs) won't be in the library and needs manual rules.

4. Procurement & Receiving

Service Catalog requests, PO integration, asset receiving workflows, barcode scanning on receipt, loaner management, and employee asset receiving (new in Zurich - employees confirm receipt directly from Employee Center). This is where HAM connects to Finance and HR.

5. Stockroom & Transfer Management

Stockrooms, Transfer Orders, Transfer Order Line stage customisation, pre-allocated asset pools, and asset putaway (also new in Zurich - task-based guidance to granular bin locations). If your client has multiple sites or a complex logistics operation, this group deserves a dedicated workshop session.

6. Contract, Warranty & Maintenance

Hardware contracts (ast_contract), warranty tracking, maintenance schedules, renewal alerting, lease management, and RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) workflows. And yes - Now Assist contract extraction lands here in Australia, auto-extracting warranty terms and obligations from uploaded documents.

7. Hardware Attestation & Auditing

Periodic confirmation that assets are where they're supposed to be, with who they're supposed to be with. Mobile scanning validation, discrepancy resolution, audit trail, and the new attestation remediation workflow from Zurich - a guided playbook for when users reject attestation requests. Field auditors will thank you.

8. End of Life & Disposal

EOL/EOS alerts, ITAD disposal workflow, certificate of destruction tracking, data sanitisation, asset donation, and environmental compliance (WEEE/RoHS). This group is consistently underscoped in implementations. It matters a lot when an auditor asks for disposal evidence.

9. Reporting, Analytics & AI

HAM Workspace, Platform Analytics (legacy PA ends with the Australia release - plan for this now), Now Assist for HAM, and the three AI Agents that ship with HAM Pro Plus: HAM Sourcing Agent, Transfer Order Agent, and Purchase Order Creation Agent.

The Platform Foundation

Just like SAM, everything HAM does sits on top of the Now Platform:

CMDB / CSDM · ITSM (Change / Incident) · ITOM Discovery · Service Catalog / CSD · Procurement & Finance · HR Service Delivery

HR is worth calling out specifically. HAM's onboarding and offboarding workflows connect directly to HR Service Delivery - when a new hire is triggered in HRSD, HAM can automatically provision and assign hardware. When someone leaves, the return workflow fires. Getting this integration right is one of the highest-value outcomes you can deliver.

A Note on CMDB Data Quality:

I say this in every HAM workshop - CMDB accuracy is the ceiling, not just the foundation. Attestation results are only meaningful if the baseline is accurate. Disposal evidence is only credible if the asset was properly tracked from day one. Reporting is only trustworthy if discovery is complete.

If your CMDB is in poor shape, fix that first. HAM will surface the gaps faster than anything else.

How I Use This

I walk through the visual diagram to set context across the full lifecycle, use the filter view to focus on the area we're designing (lifecycle vs. operations vs. platform), then use the maturity table to have the honest conversation, what's OOB, what needs config, what needs an integration.

The EA gets a reference they can take back to the architecture review. The project manager stops asking what a Transfer Order is.

Feel free to adapt this in your own workshops. If you want the HTML format, connect with me on LinkedIn happy to share.

Regards,
Abhishek Singh
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-singh786/

How to Bulk Populate Asset Costs in HAM Using Flow Designer Flows & Subflows

jonsan09 — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:56:15 GMT

If you're working in HAM, you may have run into this issue. Hardware asset records with a $0.00 cost even though the Hardware Model cost has been populated (Usually after the creation of the asset records.) This happens due to Hardware Asset cost being populated at the time of the record creation and pulling from the Hardware Model. SN doesn’t have an OOB solution to fill those asset costs when the model cost finally gets populated. This solution should help you, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to retroactively update these empty cost values.

“Update Asset Costs” Subflow

I like to keep the bulk of the heavy lifting and actual record updating in a subflow. It makes it modular, you can call it from a scheduled job or even trigger it manually from a UI Action (hint at a future article?) if you just need to fix one specific model on the fly.

1. The Setup
I use two inputs: the Hardware Model (Reference) and a True/False toggle called Override Existing Asset Costs. Usually, you only want to fill in the blanks, but it’s nice to have the option to force a full update if you need existing costs on the asset records.

2. The Safety Check
First, the flow grabs the cost from the Model and drops it into a variable. Add an If condition to check if that cost is $0 or empty. If it is empty, the subflow stops immediately. You don't want to accidentally push a $0 value and overwrite any existing “good” cost values.

3. The Bulk Update
Performance tip, don't use a loop to update assets one by one. Use the Update Multiple Records action on the alm_hardware table instead.

If Override is False: Filter by: Model is [Input Model] AND Cost is empty OR Cost is 0.
If Override is True: Just filter by the Model.
The Action: Map your Model cost variable directly to the Asset Cost field.

“Populate Asset Costs” Scheduled Flow

You can then pair the previous subflow with a scheduled flow if you want to run this on a set schedule.

1. Set your Schedule
Set your date, time and frequency

2. Finding the Targets
Use a Look Up Records action on the Hardware Model (cmdb_hardware_product_model) table. You only want to grab models that actually have a price now:

Model Category is Computer or Mobile Device.
Cost is not empty AND Cost is > 0.

3. Iterate through the Models
Use a For Each loop to go through those models and call your Subflow for each one. Keep the Override flag set to False for your standard weekly run, to make sure that you are not overwriting existing cost values.

As always, build and test in your Subprod instances before activating it in Production.

Walk-Up Experience + HAM: The In-Person IT Service Channel You Might Be Underutilizing

YvetteM — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:47:57 GMT

When we talk about Hardware Asset Management (HAM) maturity, most conversations center on discovery integrations, lifecycle automation, and CMDB accuracy. But there's one channel that quietly touches all three of those things — and it's already available to you if you're running ServiceNow ITSM: Walk-Up Experience.

In this article, I want to break down how Walk-Up Experience connects to HAM, why that integration matters for data quality and governance, and what a typical in-person service interaction looks like end-to-end on the platform.

What Is Walk-Up Experience?

Walk-Up Experience is ServiceNow's answer to the "Genius Bar" model for enterprise IT. It allows end users to physically visit a designated IT support location — whether that's a dedicated help desk, a kiosk in a lobby, or a campus drop-in center — and receive in-person assistance from a technician.

The key differentiator from just "walking up to the IT desk" is that the entire interaction is managed within ServiceNow:

Users can check in virtually via the Service Portal, mobile app, or a kiosk before they even arrive
A live queue manages wait times with real-time status notifications sent to the user
Users can also book appointments in advance at specific locations
Technicians handle the interaction entirely within Agent Workspace — no toggling between tools

It's structured, trackable, and connected to the rest of your ITSM workflows. That last part is where HAM comes in.

Why HAM + Walk-Up Is a Natural Pairing

Think about what happens during a typical walk-up interaction involving hardware:

A user brings in a laptop that won't boot
A technician swaps out a device for a loaner
Someone drops off a monitor they no longer need
An employee picks up a keyboard because they just moved desks

Every one of these scenarios has an asset management implication — a state change, a custodianship transfer, a stock adjustment, or a retirement trigger. Without HAM in the picture, these events often go unrecorded or require manual follow-up. With HAM integrated, they're captured automatically as part of the walk-up workflow.

Here's how the integration points work in practice:

Asset Visibility at the Counter When a technician opens a walk-up interaction in Agent Workspace, they can immediately see the hardware assets assigned to that user — laptops, monitors, peripherals, and more. No module switching, no separate search. The asset context is right there.

Device Swaps and Custodianship Transfers Walk-up is one of the most common places where devices physically change hands. When a technician issues a loaner or completes a hardware refresh, HAM can track that transfer in real time — updating the custodian record, adjusting asset state (e.g., In Use → In Maintenance, or In Stock → In Use), and logging when and where the swap occurred.

Consumables Fulfillment Cables, keyboards, mice, docking stations — these are frequently handed out at walk-up desks. HAM's consumables tracking decrements stock automatically when items are issued, keeping your inventory counts accurate without requiring a separate process.

Incident-to-Asset Linking If a walk-up interaction results in an Incident being created, that Incident can be directly linked to the specific CI or asset record in the CMDB. This creates full traceability: who reported the issue, which device was involved, what action was taken, and what the outcome was.

Disposal and Retirement Workflows Walk-up desks are often informal drop-off points for old or broken hardware. With HAM, that drop-off can trigger a formal disposal or retirement workflow — ensuring the asset is properly decommissioned in the system rather than silently disappearing from your inventory.

The End-to-End Flow

Here's what a well-integrated Walk-Up + HAM interaction looks like from start to finish:

User checks in via portal, mobile app, or kiosk
Queue and appointment management handles wait time, with real-time notifications keeping the user informed
Technician opens the interaction in Agent Workspace — user's assigned assets surface automatically
Action is taken: an Incident is created and linked to the asset, a device is swapped and custodianship updated, a consumable is issued and stock decremented, or a retirement workflow is kicked off
HAM records are updated in real time — state, custody, and stock all reconciled
Interaction is closed — SLA compliance, MTTR, and technician productivity metrics are captured

The Governance Angle: Walk-Up as a CMDB Accuracy Checkpoint

Here's something worth calling out explicitly: every walk-up interaction is an opportunity to validate and improve your asset data.

When a technician looks up a user's assigned assets and something is wrong — the serial number is off, the model doesn't match what the user is holding, or the device shows as assigned to someone who left the company — that's a data quality catch that might never have surfaced through automated discovery alone.

Organizations that train walk-up technicians to verify asset records during interactions consistently see improvements in CMDB accuracy over time. It's a human-in-the-loop governance checkpoint that complements your automated processes rather than replacing them.

Reporting Benefits

Because all of this is happening inside ServiceNow, the reporting and analytics story is strong. With Walk-Up and HAM working together, you can track:

MTTR for hardware issues handled at walk-up locations
Hardware health trends — which device models are coming in most frequently
Loaner utilization rates — how often loaners are in use vs. available
Consumables depletion rates by location
Technician productivity at individual walk-up sites
SLA compliance for in-person service interactions

This data can feed directly into your HAM reporting strategy and help build the business case for future investments.

Getting Started

If you already have ITSM and HAM deployed, Walk-Up Experience is worth evaluating as a channel enhancement. Some things to consider:

Are your walk-up technicians currently capturing asset activity manually or not at all?
Do you have loaner device programs that could benefit from automated tracking?
Are there locations where hardware is frequently exchanged but your CMDB data doesn't reflect it?

If the answer to any of these is yes, Walk-Up Experience + HAM is likely a quick win.

I'd love to hear how others are using Walk-Up in their HAM programs. Are you leveraging it as a governance touchpoint? Have you integrated it with loaner workflows or consumables tracking? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

April 2026 Asset Management Confidential Product Roadmap Webinars

Brad26 — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:31:44 GMT

Hello ServiceNow community,

We’re pleased to share registration links for our upcoming confidential Asset Management product roadmap webinars.

Each session will cover planned product innovations and include Q&A.

Software Asset Management (SAM)

LIVE: April 1st - 60 minutes, with live Q&A. Register here.
Replay 1 (APAC): April 2nd - 60 minutes, with live written Q&A. Register here.
Replay 2 (AMS/EMEA): April 9th - 60 minutes, with live written Q&A. Register here.

Cloud Cost Management (CCM)

LIVE: April 8th - 60 minutes, with live Q&A. Register here.
Replay 1 (APAC): April 9th - 60 minutes, with live written Q&A. Register here.
Replay 2 (AMS/EMEA): April 14th - 60 minutes, live written Q&A. Register here.

Hardware Asset Management (HAM)

LIVE: April 15th - 60 minutes, with live Q&A. Register here.
Replay 1 (APAC): April 16th - 60 minutes, with live written Q&A. Register here.
Replay 2 (AMS/EMEA): April 20th -60 minutes, live written Q&A. Register here.

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)

LIVE: April 22nd - 60 minutes, with live Q&A. Register here.
Replay 1 (APAC): April 22nd - 60 minutes, with live written Q&A. Register here.
Replay 2 (AMS/EMEA): April 27th - 60 minutes, with live written Q&A. Register here.

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How Now Assist Is Transforming IT Asset Sourcing in ServiceNow ! ! !

abidsiddiqui — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:30:16 GMT

Recently I had the opportunity to demo an ITAM project that showcased one of the most impressive capabilities I have seen recently in ServiceNow ,AI assisted sourcing through Now Assist.

In the traditional process, when an asset request comes in, we manually review stock levels, check transferable inventory across locations, or initiate a vendor purchase. It is also slow and requires constant human intervention.

With Now Assist, this entire workflow becomes smarter and far more efficient.
From the sourcing screen, where we decide whether to fulfill from local stock, transferable stock, or vendor purchase ,Now Assist steps in with real‑time intelligence.

I was really impressed with this feature, so I thought of sharing it with you all. 🙂🙂🙂

Excited to see how AI will continue transforming operational processes in the enterprise space.

ServiceNow hashtagNowAssist hashtagITAM hashtagITAssetManagement hashtagAIDrivenOperations hashtagDigitalTransformation hashtagAutomation hashtagEnterpriseAI hashtagWorkflowOptimization

Why Manage Datacenter Assets in ServiceNow HAM

YvetteM — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:47:25 GMT

Datacenter assets represent some of the highest cost, longest-lived, and highest-risk hardware in the enterprise. Servers, storage, and network equipment often span multiple locations, ownership models, and lifecycle stages, making them notoriously difficult to manage consistently.

ServiceNow Hardware Asset Management (HAM) provides a structured, governed approach to managing datacenter assets by tying physical hardware to financial, operational, and service data in a single platform. Below, we break down the key benefits of managing datacenter assets in HAM and map each one directly to product capabilities.

Centralized visibility into datacenter hardware

HAM capabilities

Hardware Asset table (alm_hardware)
Normalized models and manufacturers
Location, stockroom, rack, and install status tracking

HAM establishes a single system of record for datacenter hardware, eliminating fragmented inventories and conflicting data sources. Teams gain clarity on what assets exist, where they are located, and who owns them.

End-to-end lifecycle management

HAM capabilities

Standardized lifecycle states and substatuses
Procurement and receiving workflows
Install, in-use, maintenance, and retirement tracking

Datacenter assets move through long and complex lifecycles. HAM enforces lifecycle discipline from receipt through retirement, ensuring assets do not remain operational, depreciating, or supported beyond their intended use.

Financial accountability and cost control

HAM capabilities

Purchase order and contract integration
Cost center and financial ownership tracking
Depreciation and total cost of ownership data

By tying assets directly to financial records, HAM supports defensible budgeting, chargeback or showback, and more accurate capital planning for datacenter investments.

Warranty and maintenance visibility

HAM capabilities

Warranty start and end dates
Maintenance contract associations
Vendor and support provider tracking

HAM allows teams to quickly determine coverage status, avoid unnecessary renewals, and respond more effectively when hardware issues arise.

Improved incident and change outcomes

HAM capabilities

CMDB integration
Asset-to-CI relationships
Linking assets to incidents and changes

When datacenter hardware is connected to services and applications, support teams can better understand impact, reduce risk during changes, and resolve incidents faster.

Audit readiness and compliance

HAM capabilities

Asset history and audit trails
Ownership, location, and status tracking
Retirement and disposal records

HAM provides the traceability auditors expect, helping organizations demonstrate control over high-value physical assets and their full lifecycle.

Capacity and refresh planning

HAM capabilities

Asset age and lifecycle reporting
End-of-life and end-of-support tracking
Reporting and Performance Analytics

Accurate lifecycle data enables proactive refresh planning and capacity decisions instead of reactive purchases driven by failures or expired support.

Alignment with ITOM and service visibility

HAM capabilities

CMDB class mapping for servers and network devices
Integration with Discovery and Service Mapping
Relationship visualization

HAM connects physical datacenter assets to the logical services they support, enabling better service impact analysis and operational decision-making.

Data normalization and quality enforcement

HAM capabilities

Normalized models and manufacturers
Model lifecycle states
Governance through required fields and workflows

Consistent, normalized data improves reporting accuracy and supports automation across ITAM, ITOM, and Finance processes.

Reduced dependency on tribal knowledge

HAM capabilities

Centralized asset records
Standardized data model
Searchable history and relationships

HAM replaces undocumented institutional knowledge with structured, accessible information that survives staffing changes and organizational growth.

Controlled and secure decommissioning

HAM capabilities

Retirement workflows
Disposal tracking and vendor associations
Lifecycle state enforcement

These controls reduce security risk, prevent orphaned assets, and ensure retired hardware is properly removed from operational and financial systems.

Executive-level reporting and insights

HAM capabilities

Out-of-the-box dashboards and reports
Performance Analytics indicators
Lifecycle, cost, and risk visibility

HAM supports clear, defensible reporting for leadership without manual data manipulation or disconnected spreadsheets.

Scalability across enterprise datacenters

HAM capabilities

Multi-location and multi-stockroom support
Ownership and assignment models
Integration with procurement and finance systems

HAM scales across regions, datacenters, and operating models while maintaining governance and consistency.

Alignment with ITAM maturity and governance

HAM capabilities

Shared ITAM data model
Governance workflows and approvals
Integration with SAM, CMDB, and Financial Management

Managing datacenter assets in HAM brings infrastructure hardware into the broader ITAM strategy, rather than treating it as an exception.

Final thoughts

ServiceNow HAM does not eliminate the complexity of datacenter environments, but it provides the structure, governance, and integrations needed to manage that complexity effectively. By aligning physical assets with financial, operational, and service data, organizations can reduce risk, control cost, and make informed decisions across the datacenter lifecycle.

Datacenter assets are too critical and too expensive to manage in isolation. HAM gives them the visibility and accountability they require.

From Momentum to Maturity: How to Sustain Your ITAM Program

YvetteM — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:07:12 GMT

Congratulations. You've made it through the first year of your IT Asset Management (ITAM) journey.

You’ve enabled the HAM plugin, cleaned up your data, built receiving processes, reconciled assets, and even started tracking KPIs. But here’s the big question:

Now what?

Too often, ITAM programs stall after Year One. Quick wins taper off, dashboards stop evolving, and team energy shifts elsewhere. But ITAM isn’t a one-time project—it’s an operational capability.

This article lays out how to keep your momentum going, align stakeholders, and grow with purpose.

1. Build on What’s Working

You don’t need a brand new initiative—you need to go deeper into processes that already show value.

Focus on:
- Tightening receiving and reconciliation workflows
- Refining reuse and reclamation processes
- Improving audit cadence and refresh planning
- Keeping stakeholders engaged across IT, Finance, and Procurement

If it worked in Year One, make it faster, cleaner, and more reliable.

2. Keep Communicating with Stakeholders

Stakeholder fatigue is real. If you don’t show visible progress, you’ll lose executive attention.

Maintain alignment by:
- Reporting KPI trends over time
- Visualizing avoided spend from reclamation
- Highlighting environmental impact (e.g., assets diverted from landfill)
- Running quarterly value reviews

Your ITAM story needs a steady beat to stay relevant.

3. Expand Use Cases—not Just Scope

Growth doesn’t always mean bigger. Sometimes it means smarter.

Start by extending to:
- Mobile device management
- Peripherals and accessory tracking
- ESG-linked metrics (carbon reduction, e-waste, reuse rate)
- Stock aging and refresh indicators

Use what you’ve built to solve new problems without adding platform bloat.

4. Mature Through Measurement

Once your KPIs are defined, start managing to them.

Use your metrics to:
- Monitor lifecycle efficiency
- Track governance adoption across business units
- Justify staffing or automation investments
- Identify areas for expansion (e.g., contractor assets, OT devices)

Reporting what happened is good. Using that data to guide your roadmap is better.

5. Plan the Next Strategic Move

Your ITAM program is no longer crawling. Now it's time to walk faster—or even run.

Strategic next steps might include:
- Expanding into Software Asset Management (SAM)
- Linking asset data to contract and vendor records
- Forecasting refresh cycles based on usage data
- Supporting ESG, compliance, and financial goals through ITAM insights

Let your maturity model, KPIs, and real-world feedback guide what comes next.

Final Thought

If Year One was about visibility and structure, Year Two should be about proving value at scale.

Keep momentum by deepening the wins you’ve already earned, and keep maturing by aligning your next steps to real data. That’s how you turn ITAM from a project into a platform capability.

Stay tuned for more “How to ITAM” content—and if you’ve made it to this point, you’re already ahead of the curve.

How to Migrate Assets to a New Model

jonsan09 — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 04:45:53 GMT

After attending a recent HAM Office hours there were some questions about migrating assets to a new hardware model. I wanted to share the step I take to migrate models, and hopefully help some other folks that might have to do the same.

Here is the script I use, it can be used either via fix script or background script

var incorrectModel = "SysID of Incorrect Model"; var correctModel ="SysID of Corect Model"; var correctManufacturer = "SysID of Correct Manufacturer"; var recordLimit = "Limit of records to update, good to test 1 first before updating all records"; var delIncorrectModel = falsel; //Delete the 'incorrect" model var updRecFields = false; //Auto SysFields Update True or False // ================UPDATE CONFIGURATION ITEMS (cmdb_ci)======================= var grCI = new GlideRecord('cmdb_ci'); grCI.addQuery('model_id', incorrectModel); grCI.setLimit(recordLimit); grCI.setValue('model_id', correctModel); grCI.setValue('manufacturer', correctManufacturer); grCI.autoSysFields(updRecFields); grCI.updateMultiple(); // ====================UPDATE HARDWARE ASSET RECORDS (alm_hardware)=========================== var grAsset = new GlideRecord('alm_hardware'); grAsset.addQuery('model', incorrectModel); grAsset.setLimit(recordLimit); grAsset.setValue('model', correctModel); grAsset.autoSysFields(updRecFields); grAsset.updateMultiple(); // ===================DELETE THE OLD MODEL RECORD =============================== if (delIncorrectModel) { var delModel = new GlideRecord('cmdb_hardware_product_model'); if (delModel.get(incorrectModel)) { delModel.deleteRecord(); }

What the script does

It finds all Configuration Items (CIs) and Hardware Assets that are associated with a specified incorrect model SysID.
It updates those CIs and Assets in bulk, re-associating them with a correct model SysID and (for CIs) a correct manufacturer.
It uses a recordLimit variable to control how many records are updated at once, allowing for safe testing before migrating everything.
It includes a setting (updRecFields) to control whether system fields (like "updated on" or "updated by") are changed during this bulk update.
Finally, if the delIncorrectModel flag is set to true, it deletes the original "incorrect" model record from the hardware model table after the migration is complete.

Best Practices for Implementing ServiceNow Hardware Asset Management (HAM)

YvetteM — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 16:45:13 GMT

Implementing Hardware Asset Management (HAM) is more than enabling a plugin — it’s about building reliable, repeatable processes that keep your hardware data accurate, actionable, and valuable across IT and the business.

Below are proven best practices drawn from real-world implementations to help new customers launch confidently and scale effectively.

🧩 Foundational Setup: Reliable Data & Integrations

Start with trustworthy data — it’s the core of HAM success.

Use Service Graph Connectors (SCCM, Jamf, Intune) to bring in Windows, Mac, and mobile device data.
Configure Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE) to prevent duplicates and maintain consistency in the CMDB.
Validate and clean data before import — reliable sources drive accurate reconciliation and reporting.

💡 Pro Tip: Align early with your CMDB team — HAM’s effectiveness depends on CMDB health and data quality.

🏢 Stockrooms & Device Tracking

Asset visibility starts with physical control points.

Track your primary device categories (e.g., laptops, desktops, peripherals, mobile).
Create logical and physical stockroom structures — one per site or personal stockrooms for field users.
Define clear ownership and movement policies: who manages what, and how assets transfer.

Visibility equals maturity — every stockroom should be audit-ready.

💻 Shared & Distributed Device Management

When devices are shared or distributed across teams, establish clear accountability.

Use manual check-in/check-out catalog items for devices that circulate between users or locations.
Introduce automation later (e.g., QR scans, mobile check-in) once the process is proven.
Include reporting for devices by status and location and account for time zone awareness across sites.

Start manual, measure performance, then automate as value grows.

📊 Reporting & Dashboards

Use out-of-the-box reports to establish your baseline.

Review standard HAM dashboards after initial data loads.
Identify data coverage gaps and prioritize business-aligned KPIs (utilization, cost avoidance, lifecycle progress).
Build custom dashboards only after data and processes stabilize.

Reporting maturity follows data maturity — not the other way around.

🧭 Governance & Process Documentation

HAM success depends on consistency and accountability.

Document standard operating procedures (procurement, receipt, refresh, disposal).
Get leadership approval and publish processes for transparency.
Establish a recurring ITAM governance cadence across IT, Finance, and Operations.

Governance ensures your HAM program grows with the business — not apart from it.

📚 Resources & Ongoing Learning

Leverage the wealth of ServiceNow learning content and community support:

🧠 Attend HAM Office Hours — practitioners share field-tested solutions every month.

🧹 CMDB Health & Success Advisor

A healthy CMDB powers every downstream HAM process.

Use the CMDB Success Advisor for HAM to identify and resolve data quality issues early.
Address coverage gaps, misclassified assets, and orphaned CIs before automation begins.
Schedule quarterly reconciliation audits to maintain integrity.

A clean CMDB today prevents reconciliation headaches tomorrow.

🧾 Catalog & Request Strategy

Keep it simple and standard at first.

Use generic product models to prevent catalog bloat.
Leverage out-of-the-box HAM request workflows before considering custom ones.
Link catalog items directly to stockrooms and models for seamless fulfillment.

Standardization accelerates adoption and makes automation easier later.

🧠 Crawl → Walk → Run: Building Sustainable Maturity

Crawl: Set up integrations, stockrooms, and process ownership.
Walk: Add reporting, governance, and catalog workflows.
Run: Automate lifecycle tasks, enable mobile check-in, and extend visibility enterprise-wide.

Growth is incremental — each phase builds confidence and value.

✅ Next Steps for New Implementations

Review and adopt linked HAM resources.
Begin documenting and approving key processes.
Assess CMDB readiness before automation with the CMDB Success Advisor for HAM
Define initial KPIs and reporting needs.
Join Office Hours and community sessions to stay connected.

💬 Share Your Experience

Have you started your HAM rollout?
Post your lessons learned, integrations, or process wins in the comments — your experience helps others accelerate their path to value.

Mastering Hardware Asset Management in ServiceNow-Chapter 2

SaaniyaC — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:24:16 GMT

Getting Granular with ServiceNow HAM: Asset States and Substates

In the last article, we talked about how ServiceNow Hardware Asset Management (HAM) eliminates the chaos of missing laptops, untracked monitors, and ballooning procurement costs. Now, let’s zoom in on one of the most powerful (yet underrated) features that make this possible: asset states and substates.

If you’ve ever wondered why assets in your environment feel like they “disappear” between purchase and retirement, the answer usually lies in how well you’re tracking them. Asset states and substates are the backbone of that tracking - they transform a static asset record into a living, auditable story of where your hardware has been and what needs to happen next.

Why Asset States and Substates Matter

Precision at Every Step
Instead of just knowing a laptop is “active,” you can see if it’s in stock, in repair, pending disposal, or officially retired. This level of detail prevents assets from slipping through the cracks.
Better Automation
State changes can trigger workflows automatically - like creating a repair task when an asset moves into “Pending Repair,” or notifying IT security when an asset is flagged for disposal.
Audit-Ready Visibility

Regulatory audits often require proof of where assets are and how they’ve been handled. States and substates provide that history without manual digging.

The Lifecycle in Action: States and Their Substates

ServiceNow HAM’s Zurich release gives you clear, structured states for every hardware asset, with optional substates to add context. Here’s how they map to real-world scenarios:

State	Substate	When You Use It
On Order	-	Assets have only been ordered
In Stock	Available,Reserved,Defective,Pending repair,Pending install,Pending disposal,Pending transfer,Pre-allocated,On hold,Legal hold,Quarantine,Pending fulfillment, Pending certificate,Pending return,Test,End of support,Pending Retirement,Pending resale,Pending evaluation	Assets are in storage but need assessment or are confirmed broken.
In transit	Available,Reserved,Defective,Pending install,Pending disposal,Pending donation,Pre-allocated,Pending resale	Assets are on their way
In Use	Pending fulfillment,End of support,Pending retirement	Devices are actively assigned to users and operational.
In maintenance	-	Assets are being repaired/scheduled for maintenance.
Retired	Disposed,Pending disposal,Sold,Donated,Vendor credit,Lease return,Obsolete,RMA,Buy out,Pending resale	Asset has completed its lifecycle.
Missing	Lost, Stolen
Build	-	Asset is being prepared(usually for bundled assets)

These states act like checkpoints in the hardware lifecycle, while substates add the “why” behind each status.

How This Works in Practice

Picture this: An employee leaves the company, and their laptop is returned to IT.

IT marks the asset In Stock → Pending Repair because it has a damaged keyboard.
A repair task is automatically created.
After evaluation, IT marks it as Defective under the same state.
The asset then moves to Pending Disposal → Retired, triggering secure data erasure and removal from the CMDB.

Each step is automated, visible, and logged - no spreadsheets, no mystery assets.

Connecting Asset States with the CMDB

One of the best parts of ITAM a such is its ability to map asset states to CI statuses in the CMDB. This keeps IT operations, procurement, and asset management teams aligned:

When an asset is retired in HAM, its CI status in the CMDB updates automatically.
You avoid mismatches between “what IT thinks is active” and “what Finance thinks is owned.”

This integration ensures hardware data isn’t just accurate - it’s actionable across the platform.

Best Practices for Using States and Substates

Define Before You Deploy: Make sure every state and substate has a clear business meaning so teams don’t misuse them.
Keep It Simple: Start with out-of-the-box options before adding custom substates. Complexity without purpose leads to confusion.
Automate Transitions: Use Flow Designer to trigger tasks, notifications, or approvals when assets change state.
Audit Regularly: Run reports to catch assets stuck in outdated states (like “Pending Disposal” for six months).
Train Your Team: A short workshop on what each state means can prevent incorrect updates down the line.

From Chaos to Clarity

By using states and substates effectively, you’re not just tracking hardware - you’re creating a system where every asset has a clear journey from purchase to retirement. It’s the difference between constantly buying new laptops “just in case” and confidently reassigning existing ones.

In our next post, we’ll dive into HAM KPIs and Dashboards.

Take a look at the ServiceNow Official Documentation to see the full details.

Thank you for reading my article! 😊If you found this content helpful, don’t forget to follow me for more insights and updates.

ServiceNow ITAM Content Library Contribution Form

resnofendri — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 22:56:49 GMT

We invite technology vendors, including software publishers, hardware manufacturers, technology data vendors, to be part of continuous growth of the Content Library. You can contribute data on your technology products, such as software and hardware product names, latest versions and model numbers, publisher or manufacturer part numbers, lifecycle dates. You'll help our mutual customers and the industry access to the latest and most accurate information that they need.

Q3 ITAM Roadmap Events

michaelscog — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 23:26:39 GMT

Hello,

Roadmap registrations are live!

Please see below for registration links to the Asset Management team's upcoming 2025 Q3 confidential roadmap sessions. The first option of each is filmed live, and the following two dates are replays. All sessions have live Q&A with our Product team. We're excited to share the direction of the BU with you - see you there!

Hardware Asset Management

September 18th, at 8am PT / 11am ET. 60 minutes, live with live Q&A. Register here.
September 18th, at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register here.
September 23rd, at 5am PT / 8am ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register here.

Cloud Cost Management

September 17th, at 8am PT / 11am ET. 60 minutes, live with live Q&A. Register here.
September 17th, at 9pm PT / 12pm ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register here.
September 24th, at 8am PT / 11am ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register here.

Enterprise Asset Management

September 18th, at 9am PT/ 12pm EST. 60 minutes, live with live Q&A. Register Here
September 18th, at 6pm PT / 9pm ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register Here
September 25th at 6am PT / 9am ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register Here

Software Asset Management

September 9th, at 8am PT/ 11am ET. 60 minutes, live with live Q&A. Register here.
September 9th, at 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register here.
September 23rd, at 8am PT / 11am ET. 60 minutes, replay with live written Q&A. Register here.

How to ITAM: Strategies for Gaining Stakeholder Alignment

YvetteM — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 16:28:50 GMT

Strategies for Gaining IT Asset Management Stakeholder Alignment

ServiceNow HAM Solution Architecture Diagram

SAMfluencer — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:54:15 GMT

Sharing visual architecture designs I’ve worked and learned on for HAM.

These diagrams can be super useful for:

-Customer workshops and value discussions
- Internal training or onboarding
- RFPs, design reviews, and implementation planning
- Demo storytelling or proposal decks

If anyone’s looking for editable formats (Visio, Adobe After Effects, or high-quality PDF), feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-singh786/ — happy to share.

Changes in ITAM Content Library for Hardware Asset Management

resnofendri — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:32:59 GMT

This article captures recent changes in ITAM Content Library specific to Hardware Asset Management (HAM)

HAM articles articles

Building a Coverage-First Hardware Lifecycle Program in ServiceNow HAM

🚀 ServiceNow SPM and AI Control Tower

Server Decommissioning Automation using ServiceNow

How to Bluk Populate Asset Costs in HAM for a Specific Hardware Model Using UI Actions

Before You Start

Building the UI Action

1. Create it on the right table

2. Name and placement

3. Lock it down with a Condition

4. The Script

What the Script Is Actually Doing

Trying It Out

Improve Your Financial Asset Visibility: A practical guide to PO data

HAM Pro - A Capability Map for Design Workshops (Zurich + Australia)

How to Bulk Populate Asset Costs in HAM Using Flow Designer Flows & Subflows

“Update Asset Costs” Subflow

“Populate Asset Costs” Scheduled Flow

Walk-Up Experience + HAM: The In-Person IT Service Channel You Might Be Underutilizing

What Is Walk-Up Experience?

Why HAM + Walk-Up Is a Natural Pairing

The End-to-End Flow

The Governance Angle: Walk-Up as a CMDB Accuracy Checkpoint

Reporting Benefits

Getting Started

April 2026 Asset Management Confidential Product Roadmap Webinars

How Now Assist Is Transforming IT Asset Sourcing in ServiceNow ! ! !

Why Manage Datacenter Assets in ServiceNow HAM

Centralized visibility into datacenter hardware

HAM capabilities

End-to-end lifecycle management

HAM capabilities

Financial accountability and cost control

HAM capabilities

Warranty and maintenance visibility

HAM capabilities

Improved incident and change outcomes

HAM capabilities

Audit readiness and compliance

HAM capabilities

Capacity and refresh planning

HAM capabilities

Alignment with ITOM and service visibility

HAM capabilities

Data normalization and quality enforcement

HAM capabilities

Reduced dependency on tribal knowledge

HAM capabilities

Controlled and secure decommissioning

HAM capabilities

Executive-level reporting and insights

HAM capabilities

Scalability across enterprise datacenters

HAM capabilities

Alignment with ITAM maturity and governance

HAM capabilities

Final thoughts

From Momentum to Maturity: How to Sustain Your ITAM Program

1. Build on What’s Working

2. Keep Communicating with Stakeholders

3. Expand Use Cases—not Just Scope

4. Mature Through Measurement

5. Plan the Next Strategic Move

Final Thought

How to Migrate Assets to a New Model

Best Practices for Implementing ServiceNow Hardware Asset Management (HAM)

🧩 Foundational Setup: Reliable Data & Integrations

🏢 Stockrooms & Device Tracking

💻 Shared & Distributed Device Management

📊 Reporting & Dashboards

🧭 Governance & Process Documentation

📚 Resources & Ongoing Learning

🧹 CMDB Health & Success Advisor

🧾 Catalog & Request Strategy

🧠 Crawl → Walk → Run: Building Sustainable Maturity

✅ Next Steps for New Implementations

💬 Share Your Experience

Mastering Hardware Asset Management in ServiceNow-Chapter 2

Getting Granular with ServiceNow HAM: Asset States and Substates

Why Asset States and Substates Matter