Managing tech equipment for a remote workforce presents unique logistical and security challenges for IT teams. From tracking laptops and smartphones to coordinating software updates and device returns, staying on top of inventory is essential for smooth operations. Even seasoned teams can overlook critical details, leading to data exposure, asset loss or avoidable expenses.
Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share common mistakes IT teams make when handling device inventories, along with practical advice on how to avoid them. These insights can help businesses minimize risk, save money and better support their distributed teams.
1. Insufficient Asset Management
In my experience, insufficient asset management can be a mistake. Simply put, you cannot protect what you don’t know about. Having a good understanding in real time of what is in your environment will help to ensure devices are inventoried, managed and patched, improving your cyber hygiene. Organizations need to make this a priority. Find out what you have now and address it before an adversary does it for you. – Robert Reynolds, Orange County Government, North Carolina
2. Lack Of A Single, Real-Time System
One common mistake is not using a centralized, real-time system to track tech equipment. Without one, teams often rely on spreadsheets or manual records, which quickly become outdated—especially as employees join, leave or swap devices. This can lead to lost visibility, security risks and inefficiencies. A robust device management platform integrated with HR tools can prevent these issues. – Fran Rosch, Imprivata
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3. Not Using Tokenization For Tracking
The big mistake is not using tokenization to track and secure device inventories. Without tokenized IDs linked to each device, IT teams lack real-time visibility, leading to lost assets and security risks, especially with remote teams. Tokenization adds traceability, automates updates, ensures accountability and integrates seamlessly with smart contracts for compliance. It also adds efficiency and scalability. – Charles Morey, MobilEyes Inc.
4. Failing To Automate Device Retrieval
One common mistake is failing to automate device retrieval during offboarding. Without a consistent, automated process, companies lose track of equipment, creating security risks and financial loss. Automating offboarding ensures assets are recovered, inventory stays accurate and sensitive data is secured. – Kumar Abhirup, Dench.com
5. Overlooking What Data Certain Devices Access
Many teams track devices but overlook what data those devices access. Without that detail, it’s hard to apply the right protections. A laptop handling sensitive or regulated data needs different safeguards than one used for admin tasks. Linking devices to data exposure supports stronger security and better compliance and avoids spending on controls that aren’t needed everywhere. – Leah Dodson, Piqued Solutions
6. Managing With A ‘No First’ Mindset
A common mistake is managing device inventories with a “no first” mindset. Devices are treated as locked-down assets to control rather than as tools employees use to get work done. This leads to rigid policies, poor visibility and employees circumventing the system, ultimately undermining inventory accuracy and security. Empowerment, not control, is the foundation of a reliable device inventory. – Amy Brown, Authenticx
7. Assuming Devices Will Be Returned In Usable Condition
One common yet overlooked mistake is assuming all devices will be returned in usable condition—or at all. Remote setups blur lines of accountability, and without strict tracking or offboarding protocols, equipment can vanish into a logistical black hole, often unnoticed until it’s too late. – Kirill Sagitov, COYTX GLOBAL LLC
8. Failing To Treat Devices As Attack Vectors
The gravest error is viewing devices as cost items rather than attack vectors. You wouldn’t lose track of vault keys, yet companies hemorrhage laptops like loose change. Mandate zero-tolerance inventory protocols with Fed-level encryption, real-time monitoring and automatic remote wipe capabilities. Every device should have biometric authentication, hardware-level encryption and kill-switch protocols. – Kalyan Gottipati, Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
9. Inconsistent Policies
A common mistake is failing to have a centralized asset inventory and consistent policies. Without standardized asset management, assets go missing or are inappropriately used, which results in wasted budgetary resources and poses a security risk. Regular audits and clear procedures help maintain administrative control and reduce risks within a hybrid or remote work setup. – Asad Khan, LambdaTest Inc.
10. Failing To Tie Devices To User Identities
A common mistake is managing device inventories without tying them to identity. When IT teams track hardware separately from who’s using it and what they can access, they lose visibility and increase risk. Linking devices to user identities via an access graph ensures accurate lifecycle management, revokes access promptly and strengthens endpoint security in remote environments. – Craig Davies, Gathid
11. Not Using Centralized Platforms
One common mistake remote IT teams make is not using centralized platforms, like mobile device management tools, to track and manage devices. It’s easy to lose visibility across teams. Centralizing ensures real-time tracking, secure configurations and smoother offboarding. – Nikita Gupta, Symba
12. Incomplete Device Inventory Data
I have observed incomplete device inventory data, which arises from using outdated tracking methods such as spreadsheets and legacy asset management software. Manual tracking is error-prone and becomes unmanageable as the company grows. This leads to accounting errors, poor maintenance and security vulnerabilities. Cloud-based inventory solutions and automated data provide real-time monitoring controls. – Arpna Aggarwal
13. Ignoring User Behavior
A missed angle is ignoring user behavior tied to the devices. Tracking hardware is only half the picture. Without contextual telemetry—who’s using it, how and where—IT teams can’t spot anomalies, misuse or insider threats. True inventory management blends asset data with behavioral analytics for proactive risk posture. – Kiran Elengickal, Siemba
14. Lack Of Tracking And Monitoring Capabilities
One mistake is not requiring that each asset have asset tracking and monitoring capabilities. Not knowing what assets you have on your network and not managing their access privileges is a security incident in the making. How do you assure security and patch compliance if you do not track and monitor what has the right to access your network? – Richard Ricks, Silver Tree Consulting and Services
15. Failing To Prioritize Inventory Streaming During Acquisitions
One of the common mistakes large companies make often occurs during acquisitions: the failure to prioritize inventory streamlining of tech devices. Devices such as laptops, smartphones or headsets issued by the acquired organization often go unaccounted for. In major enterprises, poor inventory management combined with inadequate tech waste handling can lead to significant equipment loss. – Santosh Ratna Deepika Addagalla, Trizetto Provider Solutions
16. Lack Of Thorough Service Ticket Documentation
Following inventory assignments, remote companies usually omit comprehensive documentation of service desk tickets. Each ticket should track the history of the work done, captured by timestamp. Thorough documentation not only aids in troubleshooting and trend analysis, but also enhances accountability and supports compliance efforts. – Sid Dixit, CopperPoint Insurance
17. Not Mapping Users To Devices And Data
IT teams often focus on tracking devices, not the data users can access through them. Without mapping the relationship between user, device and data, it’s hard to manage risk or enforce governance. Classifying access by role and tying it to data—not just hardware—is key to effective asset management. – Karen Kim, Human Managed
18. Not Enforcing Standardized Device Configurations
One mistake IT teams of remote companies make when managing device inventories is not enforcing standardized device configurations. Without consistent setups for software, security settings and updates across all devices, IT teams may face challenges in monitoring compliance, applying patches or troubleshooting issues, leading to increased vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. – Gaurav Mehta, JPMorgan Chase
19. Underestimating The Complexity Of Device Retrieval And Wiping
One critical oversight is underestimating the complexity of reverse logistics for device retrieval and secure data wiping during offboarding. Teams often focus on initial deployment but lack equally robust, well-documented and consistently enforced processes for getting devices back. This leads to “ghost” inventory, potential data breaches from these assets, and significant financial write-offs. – Ashish Bhardwaj, Google
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