If you work in IT, you’re probably familiar with “the spreadsheet.”
It’s that massive Excel file—or, more likely, a dozen different files—that claims to be the single source of truth for all your company’s IT assets. It’s supposed to track every laptop, software license, and server. And it’s almost always out of date.
Maybe you tried to graduate from spreadsheets to a formal Configuration Management Database (CMDB). You spent months trying to map every component, only for the project to stall, becoming a data graveyard that no one trusts.
You’re not alone. According to Gartner, a staggering 75% of CMDB initiatives fail.
The problem isn’t just a messy spreadsheet; it’s a massive business risk. When data is siloed, you can’t respond to incidents quickly. You suffer from unexpected outages because no one knew that server was connected to that application. And you waste money on unused licenses and redundant hardware.
But what if your asset manager wasn’t just a static list, but a dynamic, integrated part of your daily IT and development work? That’s the promise of Assets in Jira Service Management (JSM), a tool that fundamentally rethinks asset and configuration management.
Content vs. Context: The Two Halves of Asset Management
The core problem is that most tools (and spreadsheets) only track one half of the equation. To make smart decisions, you need both:
- IT Asset Management (ITAM): This is the content. It’s the process of tracking your valuable items, both tangible and intangible. This includes things like laptops, servers, software licenses, and even vendor contracts.
- Service Configuration Management (CMDB): This is the context. It’s not just what you have, but how it all relates. It ensures you have accurate information about how your services are configured and the relationships between all those items.
A traditional ITAM tells you you have a laptop. A good CMDB tells you that laptop is assigned to an employee in marketing, runs a specific version of your proprietary software, and depends on a cloud server to function. When that employee files an incident ticket, you instantly have all that context.
The JSM “Assets” Approach: A CMDB That Actually Works
Assets in Jira Service Management is designed to succeed where other CMDBs fail. It does this by moving beyond rigid ITIL theory and focusing on flexibility, integration, and value.
1. It’s Flexible and Open
Unlike legacy CMDBs, Assets in JSM isn’t just for IT. Its flexible data structure allows you to model anything that’s important to your business.
You start with Object Schemas (the container, like “IT Assets” or “Facilities”), define Object Types (the category, like “Laptops” or “Employees”), and create Objects (the specific item, like “Sarah’s MacBook Pro”).
This means you can track your servers and software, but you can also track:
- HR: Employees, positions, and onboarding equipment.
- Facilities: Buildings, floors, and office hardware.
- Legal & Sales: Contracts, vendors, and licenses.
2. It’s Deeply Integrated
This is the game-changer. Assets doesn’t live in a silo. It’s built on the same platform as Jira Software and Jira Service Management.
This breaks down the wall between Development and Operations.
When a developer ships a new feature (tracked in a Jira Software issue) and it causes an outage (tracked in a JSM incident), both teams can see the exact same asset data.
They can understand the downstream impact of changes, troubleshoot incidents faster, and gain full visibility into how their work relates to the hardware and services that support it.
3. It’s Value-Driven, Not a Data Swamp
Assets helps you avoid the #1 cause of CMDB failure: trying to boil the ocean. The Atlassian approach is built on ITIL 4’s guiding principles: “Start where you are” and “Keep it simple and practical”.
Instead of mapping your entire organization at once, you start with a minimal viable product (MVP). Focus on the one or two services that are most critical to your business and build from there.
How to Get Started (The Right Way)
A successful asset management strategy is a marathon, not a sprint. The provided Atlassian e-book outlines a clear, iterative plan for implementation.
- Activity 1: List Your Objectives: Before you import a single spreadsheet, ask “why?” What business questions do you need to answer? (e.g., “What’s the total cost of our cloud services?” or “Which employees are due for a laptop refresh?”)
- Activity 2: Take a Top-Down Approach: Don’t start by counting network switches. Start with your most critical business service (like your e-commerce platform) and map only the applications and infrastructure that support it.
- Activity 3: Identify Your Data: Based on your objectives, list the data you actually need. Where does it live now? What can be imported from other tools (like AWS, Azure, or Jamf) or discovered automatically?
- Activity 4: Outline Your Dataset: Start simple. Most companies begin by tracking servers, applications, laptops, and network equipment.
- Activity 5: Define Your Metrics: How will you measure success? Tie your efforts back to key business outcomes, like “Improved Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR)” or “Reduced system downtime”.
Stop Tracking, Start Connecting
Disconnected spreadsheets and failed CMDBs are no longer acceptable. They cost time, money, and create unacceptable risk.
By bringing asset and configuration management directly into Jira Service Management, Atlassian provides a flexible, integrated, and scalable platform. It connects your IT, development, and business teams, giving everyone a shared understanding of the services that matter most.
Ready to Build a CMDB That Works?
Feeling overwhelmed by your asset data? You don’t have to go it alone. As an Atlassian Solution Partner, Seibert Solutions US can help you design and implement a modern asset management strategy that delivers real value from day one.
Contact us today for a consultation on how to harness the power of Assets in Jira Service Management.