RSMUS.comOne of the easiest mistakes in IT asset management is buying for the organization you hope to become and implementing as though you are already there.
The demonstration looks compelling. Automated fulfillment, software reclamation, lifecycle intelligence, mobile auditing, AI assistance, and integrated risk decisions all sound valuable. They can be. But advanced capability does not fix unclear ownership, inconsistent processes, unreliable inventory, missing entitlement information, or teams that disagree about which system should be trusted. It usually exposes those problems faster.
A strong ITAM strategy should account for where the organization is going. The implementation plan, however, must start with what the organization can operate successfully today.
ServiceNow currently organizes its Hardware Asset Management and Software Asset Management maturity programs into Crawl, Walk, and Run. ServiceNow’s broader CSDM implementation framework also includes Foundation and Fly. For this series, I use Fly as an advisory extension for organizations that have moved beyond managing asset transactions and are using trusted asset intelligence to influence broader enterprise decisions.
Crawl: Establish control
Crawl is not simply loading asset records into ServiceNow. The organization must define what it manages, who owns each part of the lifecycle, which sources provide reliable information, and which minimum data elements are required.
Start with a manageable scope. That might be laptops and monitors, a small group of strategic software publishers, or a defined set of SaaS applications. Establish repeatable processes before expanding the asset population. The goal is not perfection. It is control.
Walk: Connect the lifecycle
At the Walk stage, ITAM starts moving beyond inventory. Requests connect to procurement. Receiving updates stock. Deployment establishes custody. Employee departures trigger asset and license recovery. Retirement leads to defensible disposal.
This is where workflow begins to replace email, spreadsheets, and institutional knowledge. The temptation is to automate every exception. Resist it. Standardize the common path first, measure where it breaks, and then decide which exceptions justify automation.
Run: Optimize decisions
Run organizations use asset information to make better decisions. They evaluate hardware refresh based on lifecycle, risk, cost, and business need. They reclaim underused software. They prepare for audits continuously instead of assembling evidence during a crisis. They connect normalized technology data to vulnerability, support, and planning decisions.
At this stage, the program is no longer measured primarily by record completeness. It is measured by financial, operational, and risk outcomes.
Fly: Extend asset intelligence
A Fly organization treats ITAM as an enterprise decision capability. Trusted asset information supports security prioritization, technology standards, investment planning, cloud economics, and AI-enabled workflows. Asset managers are not merely supporting records. They are helping the organization decide what to acquire, retain, replace, secure, and retire.
That does not mean every organization needs the newest feature immediately. It means the foundation is strong enough to evaluate new capabilities based on business value rather than novelty.
The right question is not, “What can ServiceNow do?”
The better question is, “What decision or workflow must improve next, and what must be true for us to operate that capability successfully?”
Design for the destination. Implement for your current maturity. Then build the discipline to move forward.
That is how you avoid buying tomorrow’s problem today.
Mike Lavengood
Manager, ServiceNow Practice, RSM. Mike is an Engagement Manager in RSM US LLP’s ServiceNow practice, specializing in IT Asset Management, including Hardware Asset Management, Software Asset Management and Enterprise Asset Management. He helps organizations turn complex asset and process challenges into practical strategies that improve governance, data quality, operational efficiency and business outcomes. Mike brings a blend of technical, functional and program leadership experience to his work. He leads complex ServiceNow implementations, advises clients on ITAM maturity and operating models, and helps project teams connect platform capabilities to measurable business value. His approach emphasizes transparency, strong delivery discipline and solutions that clients can successfully sustain after implementation. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and an MBA. His professional credentials include PMP, ServiceNow Certified System Administrator, and ServiceNow certifications in IT Service Management, Hardware Asset Management and Software Asset Management.