Task: Remove Asset
Describes the conditions when an asset is removed from visibility in the Repository and how the removal takes place.
Disciplines: Asset-Based Development
Purpose
Bring the asset to the end of its lifecycle in the Repository.
Relationships
RolesPrimary Performer: Additional Performers:
InputsMandatory:
    Optional:
    • None
    Outputs
      Main Description

      There are three levels of removing an asset from a repository. These include retiring an asset, archiving an asset, and deleting an asset.

      Retire Asset

      This is performed by an administrator who sets the state of the asset to retired. The effect of this is the asset is no longer visible to the Asset Consumers, but is still visible to the Asset Owner and the administrator.

      Archive Asset

      This is performed by an administrator who sets the state of the asset to archived. The effect of this is the asset is no longer visible to Asset Consumers or to the Asset Owner, but is still visible to the administrator.

      Delete Asset

      This is performed by the Asset Owner or the administrator. The effect of this is the asset is removed from the Repository. Certainly this needs to be handled with care.

      Considerations for removing an asset

      Some of the considerations for removing an asset are:

      • Asset usage levels: the asset is dormant, few searches, few browses, few downloads, little feedback, and so forth.
      • Funding termination: sponsor changes or terminates funding support, perhaps due to business prioritization.
      • Need for solution diminishes: the problem either goes away, or a new solution is available, or level of effort to maintain become prohibitive.
      Steps
      Determine Need to Remove Asset
      An interested party brings forward concerns about an asset. Examining the considerations for removing an asset, an administrator and Asset Owner verify the concerns and evaluate the need to remove the asset.
      Conduct Impact Analysis

      An impact analysis should be conducted where current Asset Consumers are evaluated and the impact to their projects is understood.

      The impact analysis should also address asset relationships, including the related assets' Asset Owners/Producers, as well as other technical dependencies. The Asset Owners/Producers of related assets may need to participate in the planning depending on the nature of the problem and the nature of the asset relationship.

      The administrator and Asset Owner should communicate with the Managers to understand the business impact to removing the asset.

      A case should be prepared to determine the level of removing the asset. Enough insight should be collected to answer the question: Should the asset be retired, archived, or deleted?

      Obtain Approval to Remove
      Approvals from Managers and other stakeholders should be obtained.
      Remove the Asset
      The asset is removed from the Repository according to the appropriate level.
      Key Considerations

      In most cases the enterprise should avoid deleting the asset from the repository. To be more specific, assets which have just been submitted to the repository and are in the initial state or draft state, or rather, the asset has not gone through review and approval processes and are not available for asset consumers, are generally OK to delete from the repository.

      Asset owners can generally delete non-approved assets with little repercussion. Whereas assets which have been approved and are being reused are more difficult to delete. One of the more challenging aspects to removing assets is ensuring that the entire set of Asset Consumers are communicated with. Having support from the repository to automate much of this communication is a critical feature.

      More Information