ITIL 4 has brought significant changes to IT Service Management (ITSM), and one of the most notable shifts is the evolution of Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM). In ITIL 4, SACM has been replaced by two distinct but complementary practices: IT Asset Management (ITAM) and Service Configuration Management.
But what does this change mean for organisations? How does splitting SACM into two separate practices improve IT service management? Let’s break it down.
Why ITIL 4 Moved Beyond SACM
In ITIL v3, SACM covered both asset tracking and configuration management under a single umbrella. While this approach worked, it often led to confusion, as asset management and configuration management serve different purposes:
- IT Asset Management (ITAM) focuses on managing IT assets throughout their lifecycle, from procurement to disposal.
- Service Configuration Management ensures that all configuration items (CIs) and their relationships are accurately documented to support service management.
ITIL 4 recognises that assets and configurations require distinct governance, processes, and objectives, leading to the creation of separate practices for each.
Understanding the Two New Practices
IT Asset Management (ITAM)
ITAM is all about tracking and optimising the value of IT assets—hardware, software, cloud services, and everything in between. Effective ITAM ensures that:
- Assets are tracked from acquisition to retirement.
- Licensing and compliance risks are reduced.
- Costs are controlled by identifying underutilised or redundant assets.
Service Configuration Management
While ITAM handles asset tracking, Service Configuration Management ensures that IT teams have a clear, accurate view of infrastructure and service dependencies. This helps with:
- Faster incident resolution by understanding how CIs are related.
- More efficient change management by predicting potential impacts.
- Reducing risks associated with unplanned service disruptions.
What This Means for Organisations
With ITAM and Service Configuration Management operating as distinct but complementary disciplines, organisations can:
- Improve visibility across both physical and digital assets.
- Enhance service reliability by maintaining a well-structured CMDB (Configuration Management Database).
- Optimise costs and compliance by ensuring licensing, procurement, and asset lifecycle management are fully controlled.
How to Adapt to This Change
Adopting the ITIL 4 approach means shifting from an all-in-one SACM process to separate but integrated ITAM and Service Configuration Management strategies. Here’s how to do it:
- Assess Your Current SACM Implementation – Identify gaps between asset tracking and configuration management.
- Define Clear Roles and Responsibilities – Assign distinct ownership for ITAM and Service Configuration Management teams.
- Use the Right Tools – Ensure ITAM tools track assets effectively, while your CMDB remains accurate and up to date.
- Integrate ITAM and Configuration Management Workflows – While they’re separate practices, they must still work together to support ITSM objectives.
A New Era of IT Service Management
The shift from SACM to IT Asset Management and Service Configuration Management isn’t just a change in terminology—it’s a smarter, more structured way of managing IT environments.
Think of it as organising a giant library: ITAM helps you keep track of all the books (assets), while Service Configuration Management tells you how they’re related, which ones are part of a series, and where to find them. By adopting this approach, organisations can better manage IT investments, improve service reliability, and support digital transformation efforts with confidence.
💡 Looking to align your ITSM strategy with ITIL 4? Northera IT Solutions can help you navigate the shift and implement best practices tailored to your organisation’s needs. Let’s build an IT ecosystem that’s not only efficient but also future-ready!
