ICT Management. > Strategy & Planning
Sample ICT inventory
Basic
By Lasa Information Systems Team
It's important to know what equipment you have for insurance and financial auditing purposes. Make an inventory of everything you own - the following format could form the basis of a computer inventory template.
| Computer Items | Details |
|---|---|
| ID | A unique identifier - it is often worth writing this on the machine in indelible ink. |
| Manufacturer | e.g. Dell, HP etc |
| Model | e.g. Dimension 4550 - include all model numbers as well as the name |
| Serial Number | Usually marked on a label on the back or underneath |
| Asset Tag | Some manufacturers (e.g. Dell) include an asset tag which can be used to look up details about this specific machine on the web. |
| Processor and Speed | E.g. Pentium 4 3.1Ghz |
| Hard Drive Capacity | Give details for each hard drive (e.g. C: 30Gb, D: 120Gb) |
| Memory | The amount of RAM in the machine (e.g. 512Mb) |
| Operating System | e.g. Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 |
| Peripherals | Note down any extras that are internal to the machine (e.g. Tape Backup drive, or DVD Burner) |
| Upgrade Notes | Keep a log of what changes have been made to the system and when (e.g. extra 256Mb RAM added 5/12/2005) |
| Date of Purchase | |
| Cost | How much did you originally pay |
| Supplier | Give the name and contact details for who supplied the computer |
| Invoice Number | This can be useful if something goes wrong and you need to return the machine. |
| Monitor Items | Details |
|---|---|
| ID | A unique identifier |
| Computer this is normally used with | Give the ID for the computer this monitor is usually plugged into |
| Manufacturer/Model | e.g. Viewsonic VP730 - it is also useful to note down the type - e.g. CRT or LCD |
| Serial Number | |
| Asset Tag | |
| Screen Size | e.g. 17 inches etc |
| Maximum resolution | e.g. 1024 x 768 |
| Date of Purchase | |
| Cost | How much did you originally pay |
| Supplier | Give the name and contact details for who supplied the computer |
| Invoice Number | This can be useful if something goes wrong and you need to return the machine. |
| Other items | Details |
|---|---|
| Type of item | e.g. Printer, Scanner etc |
| ID | Unique Identifier |
| Connected to | If this item is usually connected to a specific PC, give the ID number of that PC here. If the item is on the network then write "Network". It might also be useful to note down the normal location of the item if it isn't obvious. |
| Manufacturer/ Model | e.g. HP LaserJet 4350 |
| Serial Number | |
| Asset Tag | |
| Date of Purchase | |
| Purchase Cost | |
| Supplier | |
| Invoice Number |
Techsoup also offer downloadable inventory sheets:
- Staff inventory worksheet (Word)
- Techsoup article: Assess Your Tech - Why non profits Need Technology Assessments
For a more automated approach to creating your inventory you could try the following tools:
- Techsurveyor
- Belarc Advisor
- Spiceworks (free software, network and PC inventory tool)
About the author
Lasa Information Systems Team
Lasa's Information Systems Team provides a range of services to third sector organisations including ICT Health Checks and consulting on the best application of technology in your organisation.
Lasa IST maintains the knowledgebase.
Glossary
Backup, DVD, Hard Drive, ICT, Monitor, Network, Operating System, Processor, RAM, Service Pack, Software
Published: 14th April 2003 Reviewed: 7th October 2009
Copyright © 2003 Lasa Information Systems Team
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.
