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Audit Objective

Determine whether the District effectively managed hardware and software inventory to ensure that information technology (IT) assets are safeguarded.

Key Findings

District officials did not maintain complete and accurate hardware or software inventory records and did not perform comprehensive inventory counts.

• Our review of 529 purchased items, totaling about $448,000, found that 123 items, totaling $76,425, were not recorded in the District’s inventory records.
• Officials could not locate three of the 48 IT items we tested: a laptop and two cameras, totaling $1,444.
• The last comprehensive physical inventory count was conducted in 2003.

District officials cannot be assured that IT assets are adequately accounted for and protected from loss, theft, misuse and obsolescence.

Key Recommendations

• Ensure IT inventory records include the necessary detail for recording IT purchases and tracking hardware assets.
• Maintain a complete, comprehensive software inventory and applicable licenses.
• Perform physical inventories of hardware and compare them to inventory records, and review software installed on District computers.

District officials agreed with our recommendations and indicated they planned to initiate corrective action.