IT Asset Audit

IT asset audit: areas of assessment

An IT audit is a structured survey of corporate IT assets: computers, servers, peripherals and mobile devices used across one or more locations. MGK Tech carries out hardware audits for companies with an internal IT estate that need an up-to-date view of what is in operation, where it is located and who it is assigned to. The service produces a verifiable documentary baseline for IT assets, supporting replacement, reallocation or decommissioning decisions based on objective data rather than approximate estimates.

Companies request an IT audit when their device estate has grown without an up-to-date register, when responsibility for IT changes, when a large-scale hardware refresh is being prepared, or when reliable data is needed before requesting a quotation for equipment collection. In these cases, a technical consultation with MGK Tech helps define the scope of the survey and the delivery time for the report.

Which equipment is included in the audit

The audit covers IT equipment connected with business operations: desktop workstations, notebooks, servers, storage systems, network devices, smartphones, tablets and shared peripherals. The devices included depend on the number of locations, the departments involved and the objective of the survey, which may focus on a single asset category or extend to the entire IT estate.

Computers, notebooks and workstations

The PC audit covers desktop workstations, notebooks and workstations assigned to individual users, recording hardware configuration, installed operating system and usage status. This category normally represents the largest share of IT assets in a multi-department company and is usually inventoried first in large-scale surveys.

Servers, storage and corporate infrastructure

Servers, storage units, switches and other infrastructure devices are inventoried separately from user devices because they affect the operational continuity of connected departments. For these assets, the survey includes physical location, role within the infrastructure and operational status, all of which influence replacement or consolidation decisions.

Smartphones, tablets and peripherals

Smartphones, tablets and shared peripherals, such as departmental printers and scanners, are included when the company requires a broader overview of corporate devices in circulation, including equipment assigned to mobile staff. Their inclusion depends on the level of control the company wants over its entire IT estate.

How an IT estate audit is carried out

An IT estate audit is carried out in sequential stages: defining the locations involved, identifying devices, checking condition and assignment, and recording the data in a traceable report. MGK Tech plans each stage according to the number of locations and the level of detail required by the client company.

Defining locations and equipment

The first stage establishes which locations, departments and equipment categories are included in the survey. A company with multiple branches may request a hardware audit limited to its main office or extended to the entire IT estate distributed across its sites, depending on control requirements and the time available for the inventory.

Identification and inventory of assets

IT asset inventory involves physically identifying each device by serial number, asset tag or existing inventory systems already used by the company. The resulting hardware inventory links each device to a location, department and user, making the position of every asset traceable over time.

Condition and assignment verification

Each device is checked for operational status, distinguishing fully functional equipment, devices with faults and hardware that is no longer usable. The assessment also verifies the actual assignment, which is often out of alignment with internal records because of department changes or undocumented replacements.

Device recording and traceability

The collected data is recorded in a structured archive linking each device to its make, model, serial number, location and user. This traceability allows the company to reconstruct the history of each IT asset and update the inventory after subsequent changes without starting again with a complete new survey.

Which data is collected

The IT audit records identifying, technical and management data for each device: make, model, serial number, hardware configuration, location, assigned user, operational status and intended destination. This data forms the final report and remains the basis for subsequent decisions regarding the IT estate.

Make, model and serial number

Make, model and serial number uniquely identify each device and make it possible to check remaining warranty, age and compatibility with possible replacement plans. These three data points form the basic identification record for every inventoried asset.

Configuration, location and assigned user

Configuration records hardware components, operating system and installed software relevant to IT management. Location identifies the site and department, while the assigned user links the device to the person who uses it, simplifying reallocations and targeted replacements.

Operational status and intended destination

Operational status distinguishes fully functional devices, equipment with reduced performance and faulty or obsolete hardware. Based on this information, each asset is assigned an appropriate destination:

• internal reuse, for functioning devices that can be reassigned to other users;
• internal reallocation, for equipment suitable for another department or location;
• assessment for buyback or remarketing, for hardware that still has commercial value but is no longer required;
• collection and secure data erasure, for end-of-life devices intended for decommissioning.

Corporate IT asset report and inventory

The final report provides an inventory of the surveyed IT estate, organised by location, department and device category. Each row records make, model, serial number, operational status and recommended destination in a format that the company can integrate into its own IT asset management systems.

The document supports concrete operational decisions: estimating the residual value of devices intended for further use, identifying assets for remarketing, and flagging devices that should undergo secure data erasure. Companies with reporting obligations to ownership or a DPO can also use the report as documentary evidence of the IT estate under management.

Companies assessing devices ahead of replacement can request a technical consultation with MGK Tech to define the reporting level best suited to their IT estate.

From audit to IT estate management

The audit report informs the next decisions for the IT estate: which devices remain in use, which are reallocated, which are collected for reuse or remarketing, and which require secure data erasure before decommissioning. MGK Tech supports the company through each of these stages, starting from the data collected during the inventory.

Reallocation and IT rollout

Assets that are still functional but are no longer required at their original location or department can be reassigned to other users, often as part of an IT rollout involving the planned replacement of multiple workplaces. The audit report provides the list of devices suitable for reallocation and the technical criteria for setting intervention priorities.

Collection, reuse and remarketing

IT equipment that is no longer required by the company but is still functional can be collected by MGK Tech for assessment, reuse or remarketing to other professional buyers. This step reduces the volume of equipment sent for disposal and supports European objectives for reducing waste electrical and electronic equipment. Companies can submit a request for the buyback or collection of devices that are no longer in use.

Secure data erasure

Before collection or remarketing, every device with mass storage undergoes secure data erasure, an essential step for hard drives, SSDs and other media that have contained corporate information. Procedures follow the guidance on secure erasure issued by the Italian Data Protection Authority, requiring information to be unrecoverable after treatment. Devices intended for reuse are processed using overwriting methods aligned with media sanitisation guidance, while unrecoverable devices undergo physical destruction of the storage medium.

Requesting a corporate IT audit

An IT audit is appropriate when the company does not have an up-to-date inventory of its IT estate, when it is planning a hardware refresh across multiple locations, when devices need to be assessed for reallocation or decommissioning, or when a documentary baseline is required before requesting a quotation for equipment collection. MGK Tech gathers this information during an initial technical consultation to define the scope of the survey and the report delivery time.

After the initial contact, MGK Tech plans the inventory according to the number of locations, the device categories involved and the objectives specified by the company, whether updating the inventory, reallocating assets or assessing them for buyback or secure data erasure. To start the process, it is useful to provide:

• an approximate number of devices and locations involved;
• the categories of equipment to include in the inventory;
• the purpose of the survey, such as hardware refresh, reallocation or decommissioning;
• any timing constraints linked to a contractual deadline or scheduled refresh.

Companies with an internal IT estate, procurement managers and DPOs who need to plan IT asset management can request an IT asset assessment or a quotation for the IT audit by contacting MGK Tech directly.