Part 4: Plumbing Integrations | Zero to HAM
Welcome to Part 4 of AMI’s “Zero to HAM” series, where we’re laying out the seven steps to building a complete Hardware Asset Management (HAM) program.
In the last episode, we discussed how clean, structured data is the foundation for reliable asset management. Now that your foundation is set, it’s time to move to the next stage: Plumbing Data Integrations.
Building on a Strong Foundation
Just like building a house, once the foundation and structure are in place, the next step is to “plumb” essential systems — water, electricity, and communication lines.
In Hardware Asset Management, that means connecting your HAM platform to the external systems that feed it vital information. These data integrations supply the flow of information that keeps your asset inventory accurate, complete, and actionable.
Why Data Integrations Matter
Knowing the location and status of your assets is a major milestone — but it’s only part of the equation.
To reconcile exceptions and prove compliance, your HAM solution needs ongoing input from other systems, including:
Purchase orders
Shipping notices
Discovery scans
Work orders and incident records
Disposal certificates
These sources act as your control tables — benchmarks to ensure all records align across your environment.
Think of It Like Balancing a Checkbook
You can’t confirm an order is complete if you don’t know what’s on the order.
You can’t verify your team is following procedure without matching work orders to outcomes.
And you can’t prove chain of custody without a disposal confirmation certificate.
Integrations help you validate every transaction and asset movement, ensuring accuracy and compliance at every step.
Test, Verify, and Automate
Once your integrations are established, tested, and running smoothly, your data ecosystem becomes dynamic — constantly refreshed and reconciled.
At that point, you’re ready for the next major milestone: automating workflows. Automation takes the consistent, structured data from these integrations and uses it to drive efficiency across your asset management processes.
Watch the Next Video
In the next video, we’ll explore how automation turns your integrated HAM system into a proactive, self-sustaining process.
Watch the next episode of the Zero to HAM series, where we’ll cover Step 5: Automating Workflows.
Download the Whitepaper
Download the whitepaper for practical steps on plumbing integrations.