Asset Manager and Service Manager

Asset and Service Management Software

CSE offers a complete range of products and services to control and manage assets and resources in schools, colleges and academy trusts. From sophisticated software tools through to complete asset data collection and auditing services, CSE can make asset and resource management a simple and effective reality.

CSE Asset Manager and Service Manager are integrated school asset management, help desk, and support management software tools. They enable network managers and business managers to manage and report on fixed asset registers, software assets, consumables, service functions – and the costs associated with them. They also enable them to meet the high standards stipulated by the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS), the Academies Financial Handbook, insurance companies and other requirements (read our white paper for more information).

To complement these software products CSE also offers professional services to create your asset register, including cataloguing and tagging your assets. We can configure your network to automatically register and audit your IT assets and software licenses, making it easy to manage the process regularly and routinely. We can also provide regular auditing and maintenance to ensure your registry is always up to date. Learn more about our asset management service for schools here.

Video overviews

Asset Manager

Service Manager

Key Features

Knowing what you have and where it is located is vital to any modern education establishment. CSE’s software products and services can put this information at your fingertips, whether you choose to do it yourself with our advanced software tools or let CSE’s expert staff carry out the whole process for you.

Our systems can scan your school’s network and detect connected IT assets automatically, discover configuration details and installed software, and help you categorise them in the way that best suits you.

Cloud-based or Local implementation

Choose where your asset register and service desk is located, on your own local network or in our secure Cloud-based facility. Whichever you choose, the range of facilities can be available to you whether you are accessing them from within the school or remotely.

Supports Multi-site and Multi-domain implementation

Where a multi-site asset register and/or support desk is required then CSE can provide a perfect solution for either delegated or centralised control, perfect for academy trusts with multiple institutions to manage.

Full Asset and Service Management

CSE can undertake a full survey of establishment assets including physical tagging, locations, and photography (as required), construct and populate your asset register (to your requirements) and train your staff to use it. We can also carry out regular audits of your register adding new items and flagging deleted/missing items.

Automated IT asset registry

Based on your settings, Asset Manager can search your network to discover and create a register of connected IT assets automatically, recording where they are, what they are connected to, the make and model, and even the serial number and warranty status. It can also detect the software installed on devices and check for license compliance. Asset Manager does not require a client to be installed on devices, so it can also be used for devices like printers, switches, IP phones, etc. where client software is not supported.

Powerful scan configuration

You can choose how and when you want Asset Manager to scan the IT assets on your network, and how you are notified of any changes – putting you in complete control. The scans can detect more that just the basics of your devices, they can also discover and record hardware and software configurations including specifications, model numbers and serial numbers of components – particularly useful when sorting out warranty issues for rack mounted servers, etc.

Powerful, integrated Support Desk service

CSE Service Manager provides a Support Desk function that is extremely powerful in its own right, but also integrates seamlessly with your asset register. Assets in the register and their configurations are immediately visible to call raisers and responders, and assets with calls outstanding are flagged to users. A comprehensive automated email and timer facilities ensure that call progress and escalations are notified in a timely manner.

Improve service efficiency and understand costs

With Service Manager you can calculate the true costs of your support service and analyse the data to identify if you need more (or less) resource. The powerful and configurable reporting and analysis tools also allow you to simply and accurately understand the whole-life costs of assets.

Mobile device and phone support

Android, Apple and Microsoft mobile and smart phone devices are supported for entering, searching, editing and auditing assets. Similarly support calls can be logged and monitored using mobiles or smart phones.

Import/export CSVs

Existing records of assets can be easily integrated into Asset Manager using a CSV file. In addition to its powerful built-in reporting and analysis tools, the software can also export CSV files to create additional reports, checklists for audits, stocktaking, and other business processes.

Custom hierarchies

You can configure Asset Manager to record assets in whichever way best suits your school or group of schools. Uniquely, this enables the creation of parent/child categories and hierarchies of assets (e.g. tablets in a trolley, tables in a room), allowing reporting on assets both by type (including location) and by hierarchy. It’s also possible to configure custom classifications and discovery rules.

Asset Management Whitepaper

Download our whitepaper “Developing an asset management system for schools and academies”

FAQs

These FAQs on our school asset and service management software aim to answer some of the most common queries we receive. Click or scroll down to view the answers, and if you have any questions that aren’t answered here, please do contact us!

Why does my school need asset management?

At one time, school asset management was simple – assets were physical objects, consumables, or human resources. As we all know, this picture is now more complicated: IT, networks, electronic equipment, and the related software and consumables are integrated into the fabric of schools, colleges, and academies, and any management systems need to integrate and report on them smoothly and seamlessly. Asset management, inventory control, and reporting are also becoming more critical for establishments leaving local authority control and finding that reporting requirements such as insurance or disposal are more complex and detailed than they previously were.

However, financial regulation and other statutory requirements now make accurate and up-to-date asset and equipment inventories a key management function for all schools following the introduction of the DFE Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) requirements in 2011. It requires:

Academies to account fully for assets with capital values typically between £500 and £1000, and these items must be audited yearly as part of financial returns.

Governors to question school managers specifically about disaster recovery plans. This includes making sure that full asset and equipment inventories are maintained, and that insurance cover is adequate.

An accurate and well-maintained equipment list and documentary evidence of correct disposal procedures to comply with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.

Routine testing of portable electronic equipment, with the results to be documented fully to meet health and safety regulations.

CSE Asset Manager and Service Manager provide a tailored solution designed specifically to help education establishments meet these requirements, and to manage many of the core functions that keep their assets and processes running smoothly.

Please read our white paper on developing an asset management system schools and academies for more information.

Is Asset Manager limited to managing school ICT assets?

Absolutely not! The system is designed to allow you to handle any type of asset: you could include assets such as school minibuses if you want. And by adding your own custom asset field, you could include details such as VED and MOT expiration.

Or you could include the school boilers and heating systems – using the in-built warranty management system an alert can be automatically generated when services are due, as well as helping to manage financial depreciation and replacement plans.

Why do I need a helpdesk system?

A properly constructed helpdesk system provides accountability, management, and monitoring of your day-to-day support services. It also focuses your attention on processes and procedures relating to maintaining Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Once SLAs have been defined, you can then automate processes and put into place escalation procedures that will monitor each service request and perform automated actions based on various triggers that you can define.

It also means that there is one place where problems and issues are reported, which ensures that support staff can access, monitor, update, and resolve issues quickly and efficiently. SLA-based escalations can raise the awareness of issues progressively higher up the management team using notifications sent by email.

From a management perspective, a helpdesk system provides monitoring and control facilities where the effectiveness of support services and procedures can be monitored and improved.

Is Service Manager limited to managing ICT support?

I already have a support desk/asset manager: do I have to buy both products?

Both Asset Manager and Service Manager can be purchased and installed as independent and free-standing products if required, but their close integration brings many benefits including:

Linking assets to service requests
Automatically creating service requests from system alerts (e.g. printer toner low)
Instant access to warranty information
Instant access to internal and external serial numbers
Instant access to configuration and installed software information

If you do choose to implement either Asset Manager or Service Manager individually, it is simple to add the second product at a later date.

How much work is involved in setting up the asset register?

You can choose to set up your asset register and support desk yourself and the software has many features to make this simpler, including a powerful tool to import existing CSV or spreadsheet files.

However, schools can find it hard to find the time and resource to carry out this task.

CSE offers a complete service to design, configure and implement asset registers and help desk systems, including:

In-depth consultation to define your exact requirements
Design of a system specific to your requirements
Physically collecting data on individual assets
Tagging assets with security labels and serial numbers
Importing data into the register
Configuring network scans to automatically collect and audit IT assets and software
Setting up help desk categories, alerts, escalations and warranties
Configuring reports

What are the initial and ongoing costs?

The education price for Asset Manager is £995.00 per domain per annum, with Service Manager provided free of charge (usual price £600.00 per domain per annum). This includes telephone technical support, software maintenance, and updates.

Prices for creating an asset register are available by individual quotation but are usually based on numbers of assets. We can also provide prices for an annual maintenance and audit service. Similarly, we can provide quotations for configuring your help desk service to your exact requirements

Additional costs for other on-site professional services are available on application from CSE by calling us on 01993 886688, or emailing sales@cse-net.co.uk.

Is there help and support available?

Is it good value?

Asset Manager and Service Manager both represent extremely good value. For a long time in education it has been traditional to get by with the cheapest of methods for handling assets and service requests. Scraps of paper, staff memories, word of mouth, spreadsheets, etc. Whilst these methods may appear cheap they miss the very real cost of expensive staff time and the opportunity of real savings from more efficient service and a full understanding of the lifetime cost of assets. A good asset management and service management system will more than repay the cost of initial purchase and set-up; and it will go on delivering savings for years to come.

CSE asset management solutions for schools

CSE are a leading provider of asset management solutions to schools in the UK. Whether you’re looking for asset management software, help creating your register, or a fully managed service, we have a solution to help any school. Get in touch to discuss your school’s asset managment requirements.