220-1102 Question 649
Single answerAsset managementA company is replacing 40 laptops as part of a hardware refresh. The IT manager wants to reduce future support costs and improve accountability for assigned devices. A technician is preparing the new laptops before they are issued to employees. Which action is MOST important for effective asset management?
- A
Record each laptop's serial number, assigned user, purchase date, and warranty information in the asset inventory system
- B
Install the same productivity software image on all laptops so the environment is standardized
- C
Apply operating system updates and firmware patches before distributing the laptops
- D
Create a shared spreadsheet listing only the laptop model numbers for the accounting department
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Asset management in A+ Core 2 focuses on tracking organizational equipment throughout its lifecycle. In a real environment, the most important step when issuing devices is to create accurate inventory records that tie a specific asset to a specific user or department. Best practices include documenting asset tag or serial number, device type, assigned user, location, purchase date, warranty status, and disposition history. This aligns with common IT asset management practices used for audits, warranty claims, incident investigations, refresh planning, and loss prevention. Standardized images and patching are valuable operational tasks, but they do not replace the need for formal asset tracking.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Effective asset management requires maintaining accurate device records, including unique identifiers such as serial numbers or asset tags, ownership or assignment details, lifecycle data such as purchase date, and support details such as warranty status. This information supports inventory control, incident response, replacement planning, audits, and recovery of devices when employees change roles or leave the company.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Standardizing the software image is a good deployment and support practice, but it does not by itself provide asset accountability. Without tracking which specific device was assigned to which user and recording identifying information, IT still lacks the core data needed for asset management.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Updating operating systems and firmware is important for security and system stability, but it is primarily a maintenance and security task rather than the most important asset management step in this scenario. A fully patched laptop that is not properly tracked is still poorly managed from an asset perspective.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A spreadsheet with only model numbers is not sufficient for asset management because model numbers are not unique to each device. Asset management requires unique device identification and assignment details. Also, relying on an informal spreadsheet instead of an inventory system increases the chance of incomplete records and tracking errors.