Why IT Asset Management Is Broken—and What Smart Companies Are Doing About It

The Hidden Strain on Growing IT Teams

IT asset management isn’t keeping pace with how people work today. With more employees working from home or on hybrid schedules, the logistics of managing company-issued devices have become a quiet but persistent drain on time and money.

Many businesses still rely on spreadsheets and manual processes to manage laptops, monitors, and accessories. These methods fall apart as teams grow and spread out. Devices go missing. Inventory data becomes outdated. IT teams waste hours trying to track what they should already know.

This creates a growing gap between what businesses need and what their current systems deliver. StrategiCom helps close that gap by introducing clients to Firstbase, a platform designed to handle the entire hardware lifecycle—from onboarding to offboarding—without the daily stress.

Where Traditional Asset Management Falls Short

Most companies never planned for this level of distribution. In a centralized office, asset tracking was manageable. But with employees scattered across cities, states, or even continents, older methods no longer work.

Devices are often logged manually and tracked through static lists or shared folders. There's rarely a single source of truth. When an employee leaves, the recovery process is slow, unclear, or skipped altogether. Unreturned equipment adds up fast—and so does the risk that comes with it.

What starts as a logistics problem quickly becomes a security issue. Devices may contain sensitive data or provide access to company systems. Without a reliable way to recover them, companies are left exposed.

What It’s Costing Your Business

Every unrecovered device carries a price tag—sometimes several. There’s the cost of the hardware, the time spent trying to get it back, and the potential risk if data isn't fully wiped.

Here’s what businesses lose when asset management breaks down:

• Time spent tracking, shipping, and following up on equipment

• Higher risk of data exposure and compliance violations

• Increased spending on duplicate or replacement devices

• Delays in onboarding that hurt employee productivity

• IT teams pulled away from core support or infrastructure tasks
  

None of this is sustainable for a small team. As the workforce becomes more distributed, companies need a better approach.

How Smarter Companies Are Solving It

The most effective teams are replacing spreadsheets with tools built for remote operations. They manage each device through its entire lifecycle—from initial shipment to retrieval—without needing constant hands-on oversight.

This means knowing where every device is, who’s using it, and what condition it’s in. When someone leaves, the system initiates the recovery process automatically. Returned equipment is repaired, cleaned, and reassigned without delay.

With this level of visibility, businesses reduce losses and regain control. IT teams spend less time chasing updates and more time supporting their people.

What StrategiCom and Firstbase Bring to the Table

StrategiCom works with Firstbase to give companies a complete system for managing employee hardware. Devices are delivered directly to workers with everything they need to get started. When support is needed, it’s handled through the platform. When someone leaves, Firstbase arranges for the return, repair, and redeployment of the device.

This process removes guesswork. It cuts down on delays. It gives IT teams a reliable way to track, manage, and reuse hardware without extra workload. StrategiCom helps businesses implement Firstbase quickly and effectively, so they can focus on what matters.

What to Do Next

If your current system still relies on spreadsheets, scattered emails, or outdated tools, it’s time for a better option. Start by asking a few questions:

• Do you know where all your devices are?

• Are they coming back on time?

• How much time is your team spending on basic hardware tasks?
  

StrategiCom can help answer these questions and offer a better way forward. With the right tools in place, companies save money, reduce risk, and give their teams what they need to stay productive—wherever they work.

Further Reading

• "IT Asset Management Challenges in a Remote Work World"

• Firstbase Co-Brandable Data Sheet

• Firstbase Company Pitch Deck

• "How to Conquer Inefficient and Costly Hardware Management" – AppDirect