# Asset Management > Centralized inventory and configuration tracking of hardware, software, licenses, and metering across all managed PCs in the network. Source: https://docs.capaone.com/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/ Product: CapaInstaller — a separate CapaSystems product; do not apply this page to any other. CapaInstaller Asset Management automates the process of managing configurations and deployments by centrally tracking hardware, software installations including patch levels and software configuration data for all PCs in the infrastructure. It provides capabilities such as automated discovery licenses, number of installations, metering, and relationships between PCs. It also provides the ability to search the CMDB for configuration data, the comparison of configurations across systems. CapaInstaller Asset Management is a dynamic inventory solution that provides a comprehensive overview of all software, hardware, and other elements in use throughout your network. All inventory details can be viewed from a single centralized console, which enables managers to filter, group, and sort the data in a variety of useful ways. With software management, you can see what programs are installed on each machine and which machines are running each program. Similarly, the unit management shows you the exact hardware configuration of each machine and can also show you, for example, exactly which machines need a memory upgrade to accommodate an upcoming OS release. Use the user inventories to find out who is using the network, which computers they use, and when. Using CapaInstaller Reporting makes it easy to generate customized, informative reports. Asset Management is concentrated in three areas, each with its own view: - [Units in Asset Management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/units-in-asset-management/) - [Software](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/software/) - [Assets](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/assets/) ## How Asset Management fits together Asset Management has two branches that both surface in **Reporting**. **The software pipeline** — license and usage management: 1. The agent collects **[Inventory](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/inventory-management/)** on a schedule (Software, Hardware, User, Custom, File Scan, Logon). The schedule is set in Configuration Management. 2. Scanned programs and `.exe` files surface under **[Discovered applications](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/discovered-applications/)** and **[Discovered files](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/discovered-files/)**, feeding the **All software** list. 3. Related software is collected into **[Application groups](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/application-groups/)** (by a query or by linking) so it can share one **[license](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/how-to-use-asset-management/work-with-application-group-license/)** record. 4. A group can be **[metered](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/metering/)** (a metering executable → **[metering history](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/metering-history/)** → license forecast), and everything surfaces in **[Reporting](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/reporting-and-queries/)**. **Units and Assets** — the hardware and organizational branch: **[Units](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/units-in-asset-management/)** (computers, smartphones/tablets, and **[other devices](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/other-devices/)**) are organized into **Business Units** and departments. The **[Assets](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/assets/)** view layers custom data, attachments, relations (unit ↔ unit), and links (software ↔ group) on top. 
flowchart TB
  INV["Inventory (scheduled)<br/>Software, Hardware, User,<br/>Custom, File Scan, Logon"] --> DISC["Discovered files and applications"]
  DISC --> ALLSW["All software"]
  ALLSW --> AG["Application groups<br/>(grouped by query or link)"]
  AG --> LIC["Licenses<br/>(count, supplier, business unit)"]
  AG --> MET["Metering<br/>executable, history, forecast"]
  LIC --> REP["Reporting"]
  MET --> REP

  U["Units<br/>Computers, smartphones/tablets,<br/>other devices"] --> BU["Business Units and departments"]
  U --> AST["Assets (custom data),<br/>Attachments, Relations, Links"]
  U --> REP

  classDef hub fill:#e7f0f8,stroke:#1f6fb2,color:#16202c;
  class AG,REP hub;
## In this section - [Benefits of Asset Management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/benefits-of-asset-management/) - Feature description of Asset Management. - [Best practice of software management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/best-practice-of-software-management/) - Our guide in how to manage software the best way in CMS. - [Asset Management overview](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/asset-management-overview/) - Get the full overview of Asset Management and its elements. - [Prerequisites for Asset Management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/prerequisites-for-asset-management/) - To avoid problems with the installation and the functionality be aware of the prerequisites for Asset Management. - [Getting started with Asset Management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/getting-started-with-asset-management/) - Step by step guide in how to get started with Asset Management. - [Asset Management tree view](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/asset-management-tree-view/) - Learn the structure of the Asset Management tree view. - [Toolbar and menu description for Asset Management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/toolbar-and-menu-description-for-asset-management/) - See the functionality description of the individual buttons and menus for Asset Management. - [What is Asset Management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/what-is-asset-management/) - A description of all the different elements in Asset Management. - [How to use Asset Management](/capainstaller/the-capainstaller-console/asset-management/how-to-use-asset-management/) - Step by step guides in how to use the different elements in Asset Management.