General IT administration and specialised IT asset management means work. It is not for nothing that almost every company has an IT department. In schools, the practice often looks different: Computer science teachers or colleagues from the science sector take care of the increasingly complex IT infrastructure on a part-time basis.
The experience of the last few years has shown that it is by no means enough to simply call up the funding that has been made available. The real work begins when the ordered hardware and software arrive on site. A structured inventory, right from the start, makes a lot of things easier here.
This article is intended to show practical solutions, such as professional IT asset management softwares (ITAM).
Why IT inventory in schools is a mandatory task
Theft, vandalism and careless handling are the declared enemies of mostly high-quality technical products in everyday school life. But even peripheral components should not be regarded as mere consumables. Therefore, it makes sense to record the IT inventory used in a structured way, to record locations and to determine personal responsibilities.
Schools can only seal off their premises to a limited extent. It is therefore all the more important to have a permanent overview of the inventory in circulation. IT asset management (ITAM), as has long been standard in companies, is therefore also one of the logical requirements for digital school operations.
Suitable software solutions that form the basis for effective ITAM are available on the market from various providers. With quite different approaches.
Automated inventory vs. manual capture
Network environments that are centrally managed can usually be easily automated. For devices in the Active Directory, for example, a simple Power Shell script that is executed regularly is sufficient.
For heterogeneous environments, solutions based on agents that are installed once and regularly send the relevant data of an end device to the central office are suitable. Other devices in the network can be reliably located via SNMP scan.
The advantage of this approach to an IT inventory is that little work is required to update the data stock after installation. A disadvantage is that passive components, such as monitors, mouse and keyboard, are left out for individual recording or have to be managed in a separate IT asset management system.
A completely different approach is to treat every IT component as an independent asset. With universal inventory software it is possible to record physical hardware of all kinds, but also virtual machines and pure software products.
Associations can be formed from the recorded assets. For example, a computer serves as a container for the separately recorded operating system and the installed software.
The recording can be carried out in several stages within the framework of the work steps that are required anyway. When checking the incoming goods, the initial registration can be carried out in the system. For identification purposes, there is the option of attaching individual QR codes to the respective device.
When the device is installed at the intended location, it is assigned to a container, location or personally responsible person. The maintenance of the database is possible either centrally, for example after updates have been carried out. In the same way, information can also be updated on site, for example via apps provided by the manufacturer for this purpose.
The smart Timly app supports schools with their IT asset management
(Copyright: Timly Software AG)
Organised chaos: the peculiarities of an IT infrastructure in schools
Establishing automated IT asset management in schools does not seem impossible from the outset. However, there are some problems to be considered. For example, there are different user groups that are usually located in carefully separated networks. Many relevant devices are not even accessible via the network.
In addition, in the school environment, it is primarily a matter of managing physical properties of hardware, i.e. condition before issue, defects and current locations. Here, classic inventory solutions are ahead of the more convenient automated solutions.
Using the app of an inventory software, it is possible to make photographic documentation of damage and store it in the profile of the asset. Damage reports and notes can also be created in this way.
IT Asset Management (ITAM) as the Basis for Hardware and Software Management
Business arguments are the main reason why IT asset management (ITAM) has become established in companies. However, monitoring hardware and software components over their “lifetime” has a number of advantages from which those responsible in schools also benefit. For example, an IT security concept can only be implemented if all details about the hardware and software versions used are known and easily retrievable.
Necessary maintenance can be coordinated centrally in this way. Software-based inventory solutions offer a maintenance calendar for this purpose. The risk of overlooking installed components is reduced. Information about which hardware is susceptible to repair and causes high costs is also helpful, not least in what are now mostly budgeted schools.
The road to the cloud has already been taken
At the latest since the pandemic, cloud-based learning platforms have found their way into most schools. There are also efforts to establish transnational school cloud platforms. Local administration is thus eliminated and teaching staff is relieved. Most services are directly functional without installation.
Inventory can also be implemented cloud-based. This has the advantage that only an internet connection is required to work with the data, but not access to the school network. This simplifies on-site handling and supports lesson preparation from the home office.
Implementation using the example of an educational provider in the field of health, care and social services
The Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für soziale Dienste (GGSD), an educational company with 41 state-recognised schools at various locations throughout Bavaria, uses the software of the Swiss provider Timly for inventory management. GGSD focuses on vocational schools for nursing, where modern technology of various kinds is used accordingly.
Julia Pao, Head of Finance at GGSD, sees the heterogeneous infrastructure of the locations in the complex organisational structure very well mapped with Timly’s software.
“Our requirements for inventory management are very heterogeneous, which is why we decided on Timly, because this software meets our complex organisational structure very well and best fulfils our requirements for user-friendliness, intuitive application and versatile evaluation options.”
The inventory solution covers the entire spectrum of inventory at GGSD, from furniture to IT. She finds the centralised evaluation options provided by this form of inventory particularly advantageous for her department.
IT asset management: universal recording and individual requirements as a challenge
Looking at the requirements for an inventory in schools, the universal approach seems superior to the network-based one. In schools, it is more important to have a holistic overview. Where is the hardware? What is its current condition and what software is currently installed?
Licence expiry dates and upcoming security checks should also be monitored automatically. Ultimately, however, requirements in schools differ, so in the end it will remain an individual decision. However, the fact that an inventory of the IT infrastructure is also necessary in schools should better be regarded as a fact.