IT Asset Management with Jira Assets (Pros and Cons)

When IT asset management starts to matter, tools quickly become part of the conversation. The first question is often whether some existing tool could handle it. Jira is a common option since many IT teams already use it and with the right licence type you can create flexible databases.

The real question is not whether Jira can be used for IT asset management, but when it is the right choice and when a dedicated IT asset management solution becomes the better option.

What is Jira Assets?

In short, Jira Assets is a CMDB that can be found under Jira Service Management (Premium and Enterprise licences). Assets allows IT teams to create different types of records and manage their relationships. From an IT asset management point of view, this is a good starting point.

For example: you can create records for all your devices and store information like owner, status and location under them. You can also link these records with Jira tickets, incident issues, and change requests.

For organisations that mainly need a traditional asset register, simple reporting, and visibility inside Jira, Jira Assets is a good choice. Jira Assets provides almost endless possibilities with the right plugins, integrations and configuration. However, it is good to remember that using Jira Assets is a bit like building your own IT asset management solution. The more assets you manage or features you require, the more configuration is needed on your side.

When is it time to consider a dedicated IT asset management solution?

Managing IT assets with a self-built solution in Jira can become very time-consuming and complex. You are often limited by available features and data structure. On top of that, keeping your asset inventory up-to-date can require a lot of manual work if you don't have the right integrations. In larger organisations, the total cost of creation and maintenance can be unexpectedly high.

If you are looking for something that makes IT asset management as easy as possible, dedicated IT asset management solutions are a good choice. They are fast to set up, provide advanced features out of the box, and support full control of the asset lifecycle with minimal manual work.

Finding an IT asset management solution is easy, but not all tools scale well so. Choosing the wrong one can lead to similar limitations as with Jira Assets. Popular and well-regarded IT asset management solutions include Snipe-IT, Flexera, Asset Panda, and IDR. If you need help on choosing ITAM software, you can check our earlier blog here.

Jira Assets alternatives: IDR

IDR is built around ecosystem thinking. IDR simplifies IT asset management by connecting your partners, data, and software into one system and automating manual asset lifecycle processes. With IDR, you can manage all IT assets in one place, whether they are owned or leased.

The software covers the entire asset lifecycle from purchasing and day-to-day tracking to end-of-life steps like returns or recycling. Many routine tasks can be automated, and with built-in integrations, keeping your data accurate and up to date is simple.

IDR also provides NFC tags that speed up inventory management. With just a single tap, you can instantly access asset information, making audits and tracking much faster and easier.

Another key benefit of IDR is how it brings resellers, leasing providers, logistics partners, and recycling companies into your IT asset management. Now everything related to your IT assets can be managed under one platform.

IT asset management software is built for immediate value

So, what should you actually choose? Both Jira Assets and dedicated IT asset management tools have their place. Jira Assets works well in environments where the number of assets is limited, asset data changes infrequently, and manual updates or custom configuration are acceptable.

A dedicated IT asset management solution is the better choice once organizations move beyond basic tracking and want to manage the full asset lifecycle, automate whole processes, and involve partners in their ecosystem.

If you are looking for a good IT asset management solution, we are happy to demo IDR.