The usage of IT and computers in the workplace has rocketed in the last decade.You can't find a single department in an organization these days that doesn't depend on computers to work. Indeed, IT has been the core of the competitiveness of successful organizations.

Behind this dependence on computers lies a heavy reliance on the IT hardware and systems supporting this. This could mean anything from computer hardware, keyboards and mice, software, monitors and more specialized hardware. Just in the United States this amount is in the $trillions.

Monitoring and tracking IT assets can be really tricky to get a handle of, in particular for larger companies. If you lack the proper control and strategic overview on when and how to replace and renew outdated equipment it often has rather chaotic ramifications. Nobody knows what IT equipment is being used in the organisation. Nobody in the organization really knows what computer software is being used and when the licenses will run out. The IT helpdesk gets inundated with requests that it can't deal with because of a lack of information about users' machines. Upgrading equoment or moving to different sofware packages can descend into a slow, inefficient chaos.Sound familiar? Actually you would be surprized at how common it is in businesses today. Dealing with these problems, moreover, can have a hefty price tag. This is even more true when you look at the accountancy aspect, particularly the capital depreciation of IT hardware and assets - having this info can bring big savings in tax.

The fact is you need to control IT assets or the costs associated with them can spiral out of control. The solution lies in a discipline known as fixed asset management. Fixed asset management for IT hardware and software basically falls into two distinct categories

Physical Asset Management. This basically means keeping track of all the IT Assets that exist in your organization. That includes what you have, where it is, and how it is being used. A robust system of asset tracking provides you with invaluable information on which you can act and introduce greater levels of efficiency.

Management of Financial Assets. It is here where the big money can really be saved.  Once you know exactly what equipment your organization is using, you can then calculate the level of capital depreciation. This information is music to your accounting deparment's ears, as cutting costs on fixed assets can sometimes be the difference between profit and loss in a financial year.

Many organizations know full well issues they are facing with regards to their IT assets. The problem lies with inefficient techniques in trying to solve them. The old method of using an Excel spreadsheet to record fixed asset inventory is clunky and inneficient. However there are now highly sophisticated asset management software solutions on the market that are designed to tackle all aspects of asset tracking, accounting and management. It might be time for your business to think about investing in fixed asset management - it could be key to survival in the recession.