Laitekanta

Laitekanta is a Finnish term used in information technology management to denote the hardware inventory of an organization. It comprises a catalog of physical devices owned or administered by the organization, including desktop and laptop computers, servers, network equipment, mobile devices, printers, and other peripherals. The laitekanta supports asset management, budgeting, security, and compliance by providing a central register of devices.

Typical entries include device type, make and model, serial number or asset tag, procurement date, cost, warranty period, assigned user or department, location, and current status (in use, in repair, retired). Additional attributes may cover operating system, software licenses associated with the device, network address, and maintenance history. Data quality is essential to enable lifecycle tracking, depreciation accounting, and risk management.

Operations around laitekanta involve processes such as procurement, receipt and tagging, assignment to users or assets, deployment, routine maintenance, and eventual disposition or recycling. Regular audits help ensure accuracy. The concept is closely related to IT asset management and configuration management databases (CMDB) and is often implemented as part of IT service management (ITSM) practices following frameworks such as ITIL. Integration with procurement, financial, and help desk systems can improve traceability and reporting.

Origin and usage: In Finnish IT practice, laitekanta captures the official hardware stock of an organization and is distinct from software licenses or intangible assets. The term reflects the emphasis on physical devices in asset management in Finnish-speaking contexts.