ServiceNow HAM: Overview and Demo
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Introduction
Welcome to our in-depth look at the Hardware Asset Management (HAM) product offered by ServiceNow. This article details how HAM functions within the ServiceNow platform, highlights its key features, and provides a practical demonstration of its capabilities.
What is Hardware Asset Management (HAM)?
The Hardware Asset Management product allows organizations to consolidate all of their Discovery data within a single interface. Whether this data originates from ServiceNow’s agentless Discovery tool or agent-based solutions like the Agent Client Collector (ACC), HAM can effectively gather and manage hardware information. The product ingests assets and data from various sources, including procurement systems such as Coupa, Workday, Oracle E-Business, and SAP, as well as infrastructure resources from AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
Data Importation and Integration
Most organizations maintain financial and operational data on spreadsheets along with information from vendors. The HAM product allows for the easy import of these data points into the platform. Moreover, organizations often rely on third-party inventory solutions for activities like network management, security management, or systems management. ServiceNow has developed direct connectors to numerous third-party solutions, including Microsoft System Center, Microsoft Intune, and Jamf, ensuring all relevant attributes are seamlessly transformed and mapped into the ServiceNow Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
Content Service and Normalization
ServiceNow provides a Content Service that features a library of hardware products from various manufacturers, comprising over 3.5 million product SKUs. A dedicated research team continuously updates this content library, making sure to include newly discovered hardware in an anonymized manner to enhance normalization. This practice not only helps in recognizing obscure hardware but also enriches the CMDB with lifecycles, categories, and other attributes of hardware devices.
Normalization is essential for ensuring consistent identification of assets throughout their lifecycle—from planning and acquisition to retirement. A significant advantage of the normalization service is that it allows organizations to automate workflows across various stages of the asset lifecycle, helping to ensure that all stakeholders are engaged appropriately at each stage.
Features and Functionalities
Within the ServiceNow HAM workspace, users can navigate through multiple modules:
- Overview Page: Displays important actions and alerts for any missing data.
- Inventory Management: Shows all assets discovered within the organization.
- Model Management: Lists normalized hardware models and their respective assets.
- Procurement Module: Manages hardware asset requests and purchase orders.
- Contract Management: Enables tracking of contracts related to hardware assets.
Demonstration of Capabilities
The article transitions into practical demonstrations of various features, such as:
- Workspaces: The intuitive interface that showcases various asset-related modules.
- Content Lookup: A feature for searching detailed product information in the Content Library.
- Procurement Workflow: A step-by-step experience of requesting hardware, from approval to asset receipt and deployment.
The demonstration further highlights how easily assets can shift states from pending installation to in-use and how workflows can be automated to manage various actions, such as reclamation and disposal.
Conclusion
The ServiceNow HAM product provides a robust platform for organizations seeking to streamline their hardware asset management processes. With comprehensive integration capabilities and an extensive library of products, ServiceNow enables efficient tracking, procurement, and lifecycle management of hardware assets. For those interested in optimizing their asset management practices, ServiceNow’s HAM product is an excellent solution.
If you have any questions or would like further assistance regarding ServiceNow's HAM, please reach out to your ServiceNow sales or support team.
Keyword
Hardware Asset Management, ServiceNow, normalization, configuration management database, Discovery data, procurement systems, content service, asset lifecycle, inventory management, model management, contract management, system integration, asset workflows.
FAQ
Q: What is Hardware Asset Management (HAM)?
A: HAM is a ServiceNow product that consolidates and manages all hardware asset data from various discovery sources and procurement systems into a single platform.
Q: How does HAM support data integration?
A: HAM provides direct connectors to multiple third-party inventory solutions, allowing for seamless integration and normalization of assets into the ServiceNow CMDB.
Q: What is the role of the Content Service in HAM?
A: The Content Service offers a library of hardware products from manufacturers, which helps to normalize hardware data and provides ongoing updates based on customer discoveries.
Q: How can organizations automate asset lifecycle processes using HAM?
A: HAM allows organizations to set up automated workflows that ensure all stakeholders are engaged at various stages of the asset lifecycle, significantly improving asset management efficiency.
Q: What are the modules available within the HAM workspace?
A: The HAM workspace includes modules for Overview, Inventory Management, Model Management, Procurement, and Contract Management, each aimed at providing comprehensive management of hardware assets.
