Software asset management (SAM) – cost optimisation and risk mitigation

It is hard to imagine these days a company that doesn’t use commercial software in its everyday operations. Dynamic development and the availability of new technologies simply dictate it. Today, digital tools may be within reach, however businesses still contend with software mismatched to their organisations. This can easily be changed by implementing software asset management (SAM). Read below how SAM responds to contemporary challenges in business and how it can allow you to cut costs and increase IT safety.

Cutting costs with SAM

Software costs may be the main financial burden for IT departments. Smart software asset management and the implementation of SAM practices allows you to cut such costs even by a dozen or so percent. The use of SAM, on a par with the virtualisation of assets, is one of the most effective solutions for savings that do not disrupt corporate processes. By implementing, among others, software life cycle servicing standards in your organisation, you can consciously control costs resulting, for example, from the mismatch between the number of licences and the number and profiles of your employees.  

Building awareness of software in your company thanks to SAM allows you to match the number and type of digital tools to the real needs of your organisation and to match processes to the licences you actually hold. This approach involves a number of advantages:

• employees obtain a tool with software of specific parameters;
• a working process of licence purchase, renewal and resignation is created;
• activities which take up too many resources (time, money, etc.) are removed from the process;
• conditions are defined in which the support of software may be used;
• it is possible to forecast licence costs.

SAM and spending on software

Implementation of software asset management (SAM) does not only enable the analysis of current and future costs of all purchased licences. SAM also helps you change the planning system so that you can optimise the number of licences held (purchase of needed licences and removal of obsolete and useless licences) and monitor their use over time. Software which is no longer needed by one employee may turn out to be an essential tool for another.

SAM may be the source of savings in the following areas:

• ensuring that employees have basic licences;
• matching the number of licences to the company’s current needs;
• transfer of licences between stations depending on current needs;
• optimisation of migration licences;
• reduction of costs from undocumented licences – full list and monitoring of paid licences;
• software provider audits (change of regulations and pricelist);
• monitoring software compatibility with the company system;
• restoring licences (resulting from contract management and renewal of licence validity).

SAM – overview

Software Asset Management is a set of good practices designed to optimise the software used at your company and improve its management. Appropriately used licences allow you to rationally manage them and match them to the needs of your employees and your organisation. As a result, an appropriate level of security is ensured and potential costs due to illegal software are minimised. Recent surveys show that nearly half of all companies (46%) use programs without appropriate licences, which globally translates to approximately USD 415m in potential fines.

Alicja Zielińska

https://log-systems.com/