Assets

An asset has a tag, serial number, location and condition. Its status can show in stock, Assigned, Maintenance or Retired. The service reference gives the Service Desk Agent immediate context when an incident names the asset. A separate asset service link can record a named dependency, its type and the date it was verified. That record is useful when one asset has an important relationship to a service that should be reviewed explicitly.

The Asset Manager maintains asset identity and service association. When a device changes location or enters Maintenance, the record should follow the real asset. The status is an operating description; the dependency link adds a second question: whether the relationship to the service has been checked recently. The verified date lets the manager find links that need renewed attention.

• Identify. Record the asset tag, serial number and location consistently when the asset enters the register.
• Assign. Link the asset to its service and keep its condition current as work changes.
• Verify. Record a named asset service dependency and when the relationship was checked.

Choose the identifier the team will use when a caller reports a device, and decide how to handle an asset without a readable serial number. Agree when in stock becomes Assigned, when Maintenance is appropriate and who can mark a record Retired. Define the meaning of each dependency type your team uses. Decide how often the Asset Manager should recheck important service links, using the verification date as evidence of that review.

Suppose a network device serving a business service is moved for repair. The Asset Manager finds it by its asset tag, updates the location and marks it Maintenance. The direct service reference still identifies the affected service. The manager checks the separate dependency record, confirms whether the relationship remains valid and records a new verification date when appropriate. If a Service Desk Agent opens an incident about the device, the incident can reference the same asset and service. The manager can then trace the service impact without treating a location change as a new asset.

When a device is replaced, the Asset Manager should keep the old and new identities distinct. The incident can continue to point to the equipment that was actually affected, while the service reference keeps the operational context stable. Review the named dependency after the replacement so its verification date reflects the current relationship rather than an earlier check.

• Service assets — Working assets by condition, with identity, location and service.
• Asset dependencies — Named links and their latest verification date.

See service ownership and incident response.