Asset and Inventory Management
BMC Helix ITSM Asset Management provides organizations with a structured way to manage the full lifecycle of their assets, including hardware, software, contracts, costs, and associated operational indicators such as outages.
While BMC Helix ITSM includes robust Asset Management features, Field Service Management (FSM) primarily relies on Inventory Management, focusing on the tracking of physical items and their locations. This distinction ensures that higher-level asset governance is handled within ITSM, while day-to-day stock control and movement (critical for field operations) are efficiently managed within FSM.
Inventory within BMC Helix Asset Management represents a detailed record of all assets and consumables kept in stock to support operational continuity. Each item is associated with an Inventory Location, which can range from warehouses to mobile environments such as Field Service Agents’ vehicle boot stock. These locations often contain structured bins, such as loan, spare, or faulty bins, to maintain accountability and organization. By combining accurate stock levels, movement tracking, and location-based categorization, the system ensures assets are readily accessible, properly managed, and available to support both planned work and reactive field activities.
Although BMC Helix ITSM has Asset Management, FSM works mainly with Inventory Management i.e. Inventory(assets) and Inventory locations.
The Asset Console
Inventory
In BMC Helix Asset Management, Inventory refers to the systematic tracking and management of assets, including hardware, software, and consumables, that are held within an organization's stock.
The inventory is maintained to ensure that sufficient stock levels are available to meet operational demands, facilitate the quick provisioning of assets, and minimize downtime. It can also be used to manage various types of assets, from IT equipment like laptops and servers to software licenses and other technology-related items.
By maintaining a detailed inventory, BMC Helix Asset Management provides a comprehensive overview of stock levels, asset movement, and the lifecycle of items, ensuring that an organization is well-prepared for both planned and unplanned asset needs.
Inventory location
Before you move assets into inventory, make sure that you have an Inventory Location asset. The Inventory Location is the name of the Inventory Location CI.
An inventory location is the physical place where assets are stored. This could include various spaces such as warehouses where stock is maintained, or a vehicle's boot (trunk), commonly known as 'boot stock.' Boot stock is used as a reserve of assets or spare parts, which can be accessed for the purpose of replacing or repairing equipment when required.
A Field Service Agent (FSA) may manage multiple bins within their boot stock. For instance, an FSA's truck inventory could be designated as 'FSA Ford 12345.' Within this inventory, there may be different bins to categorize items, such as:
- 'FSA12345 Loan Bin' for items that have been loaned out
- 'FSA Ford 12345 Faulty Bin' for damaged or faulty equipment.
This system allows for better organization and tracking of assets, ensuring that equipment is readily available for use or repair as needed.
BMC Helix Asset Management Overview : BMC Helix ITSM: Asset Management overview - Documentation for BMC Helix ITSM: Asset Management 23.3 - BMC Documentation
Create new or update assets : Creating and updating assets - Documentation for BMC Helix ITSM: Asset Management 23.3 - BMC Documentation