Instead, a software tool will more effectively shed light on your current software usage, who has access, for how long and at what cost. It’s the foundation of a robust software asset manager (SAM) program and an integral component of gaining true technology intelligence. But deciding how to begin importing your data into a software tool can seem like a very big project for even the most savvy SAMs.

Earlier in the year, in our SAM in 2021 series, we discussed beginning this process with an import of your software agreements. This way, you have insight into your agreements and when they come up for renewal. For this, we outlined key data elements to track for software agreements. But now, we’re going to explore taking the next step.

Start with baseline entitlements

Once you have agreement data imported, the next step is to load entitlement data. Instead of loading all the past purchases individually, it is a SAM best practice to create a publisher baseline by consolidating all purchases for like products into a single entitlement. This will help identify what you own, and the terms and conditions of those licenses.

To create your software baseline license information, you can follow the same thought process you used for software agreements. Begin by importing data from your top 5 software publishers (maybe it’s your top 20 — whatever you have) and consider this your starting point, or your baseline. Typical data elements selected as baseline imports include the following fields:

License data elements to import

• Software application name or manufacturer SKU
• Purchase date
• Legal organization that contractually owns the license
• License metric
• Quantity owned
• License subscription (Yes/No)
• Subscription begin and end dates
• Downgrade rights (Yes/No)
• Upgrade rights (Yes/No)
• Maintenance begin and end dates
• Agreement number

Once this information has been imported into your software tool, you already have foundational insight into what you are contracted for which may then be compared to your actual usage. The data provides an initial compliance position so you have a starting point to help determine next steps. Are you over-compliant? Maybe there’s an opportunity to negotiate with the publisher and take advantage of other software products? Are you under-compliant? Maybe entitlements are missing or there are re-harvest opportunities instead of having to purchase additional licenses?

Build out your baseline

Once you have your baseline data, you can work on building out your knowledge base further with additional licensing elements. License data elements available for import but not typically included in a baseline import are:

• License purchase price
• Purchase order reference
• Maintenance/support cost
• Maintenance/support invoice
• Cross edition rights
• Vendor/reseller name
• Notes
• Serial number/license key

Many of these data fields fall outside of the baseline effort because often, the data simply isn’t available at the time of initial import. Take purchase price for example. If someone entered into a software agreement years ago, the initial purchase price may not have been documented. Backing your way into cost can be done with maintenance costs but again, this information comes with time.

This is one of the many benefits of relying on a software tool for tracking your technology use, rather than relying on manual spreadsheets. Software helps you track who is using it today instead of who bought it, when (years ago) and under what purchase number. Today’s usage insight is more actionable — it gives you complete visibility so that you can optimize costs and reduce risk.

Importing data into a software tool can feel like an overwhelming task at the start. Set realistic expectations with executive leadership and convey that the population of the SAM tool should be a marathon and not a sprint.

Once you start though, with the ongoing support of SAM tools such as Snow License Manager, you can be light years ahead of where you are today.

This is the ninth post in a series of articles on SAM. Read our previous posts for insights on SAM implementation, how-tos and more.

The post SAM in 2021: Data Elements You Should Be Tracking for Software Licenses appeared first on Snow Software.

How can you reduce risk by managing software if you don’t know your users downloaded it? Here are three ways to improve visibility of software in your environment. 

1. Partner with accountants payable

One way to learn what new software is coming into your organization is by doing it the old-fashioned way – take a look at what the company is paying for. Work with your accounting team to create a category within expense reporting for ‘software’ and track it monthly. This will show you software that has been brought into the environment and by whom. You can then speak with the employee who used their company credit card or even personally paid for new software.

Once this process is in place, you can expand on it by partnering with accounting to establish system alerts that notify when a user attempts to buy a new software license and route those approvals through your SAM team. This can not only prevent certain software purchases, but it also helps communicate company-wide that IT needs to be involved in any software purchase decision from the onset.

2. Encourage collaboration

Too often, software asset managers are seen as rule enforcers who ultimately impede productivity. Work on shifting this incorrect perception while also curbing unnecessary cost and risk by aligning with your organization’s departments. The trick is in finding ways to provide guardrails, not gates. Find out what is and what isn’t working for sales, for marketing, for HR, as examples. Ask a lot of questions and then encourage users to share cross-departmentally what software tools and processes they have found works for them.

This is a particularly timely idea given the shift to hybrid work. How work gets done continues to shift and constant collaboration with your users will benefit everyone, including the perception of IT and SAM.

3. Leverage automation

In the last year, SaaS adoption has significantly accelerated, driven largely by organizations’ need to provide access to applications from anywhere. According to a recent Snow survey, 92% of IT leaders reported moving to or already moved to hybrid work and 71% of respondents increased SaaS spend in 2020. In such a fast-evolving landscape, automation is the name of the game.

Consider using a SAM software tool to truly gain visibility and manage this fast-growing sprawl. Snow offers a suite of SaaS management solutions that discover applications and usage, establish automation and governance and optimize spend. Easy reporting features can show you, and members of your leadership team, what’s being accessed in your environment, who is using it and how often, and at what cost.

Learn more about discovering SaaS application usage in your organization and see how Snow can help.

This is the eighth post in a series of articles on SAM. Read our previous posts for insights on SAM implementation, how-tos and more.

The post SAM in 2021: 3 Tips for Software Asset Managers on Reducing SaaS Sprawl appeared first on Snow Software.

Consider all the elements that SAM touches: hardware, software, users and the organization that relies on each of these. All these components are in a constant state of flux. As you implement a SAM strategy, it’s important to remember that building a comprehensive software asset management program is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and there will be changes along the way. 

Hardware

At the foundation of SAM is hardware (physical as well as virtual) inventory. Your inventory undergoes nearly constant changes from new equipment and retired devices to changes in processing power and the installed programs on every device.

Software

The sources of change among software are almost too varied to list. From new software tools and services coming onto the scene, to new versions that require a move from on-premises to the cloud; software is always evolving. Frequent updates that deliver operational enhancements and security fixes keep IT teams busy. End-of-life and end-of-support dates often call for IT to consider the impact their software will have on their product roadmaps, security, procurement, contract management and internal enablement.

Now, multiply these considerations by the number of licensable applications currently within your organization. On average, a 5,000-seat company will have between 350-750 licensable applications. This doesn’t include non-licensable, “free-to-use” applications which easily could push that number well into the 1,000s. 

Users

People often introduce some of the biggest challenges within any organization. And, SAM managers are no exception to this. As part of the role, you need an understanding of technology’s cross-over needs among IT processes, the cloud, infrastructure, data centers, procurement, local and international law, HR, security, reporting, finance, licensing rules, regulatory requirements and more. But because of this high-value work, software asset managers are in demand and organizations must be prepared for SAM staff changes that can cause unexpected challenges.  

Within an organization, joiners, movers and leavers require the adoption of numerous SAM processes. Plus, user expectations are continuously changing. In today’s on-demand, instantly available world, users have become accustomed to a certain level of availability. If users are unable to successfully download a tool, they will immediately move on to another one that can help them fulfill their needs at the moment and avoid sacrificing productivity. 

Your organization

Organizations are also continuously evolving and shifting priorities and business objectives to better align with the current economic landscape, competitor moves and market drivers. To respond to these macro changes, the business will often rely on data only IT and SAM can articulate. 

Three pillars of SAM success

With so much in flux, how can your SAM team find its foundation and generate the data needed to make a positive impact for the organization? As a good place to start, you can go back to the basics and begin by setting realistic expectations.

1. Realize software is an asset

Helping your organization realize software is an asset that flourishes when it is maintained is a critical first step. Communicating that software is much more than a single, expensive, ERP solution and that it’s equally important to look at all the freeware and middleware software downloaded can be half the battle. The realization that managing everything is important – not just the software you pay for – sets the groundwork for a basic understanding of SAM.

2. Ensure visibility over your full estate

Your next step should be establishing comprehensive visibility of what you currently have. But, this isn’t an easy task. Software discovery is critical but it’s never a 100% known factor, especially when you add in your entitlements. You can get your view as close to 100% as possible with the help of a SAM solution. Getting a handle on your licensed usage is your next step and, given all the changes previously outlined, this process is never complete. It’s an ongoing activity that can only be made easier by consolidating your agreements.

3. Consolidate your view of software agreements

Your organization likely relies on hundreds or even thousands of software vendors. To rein in spend and minimize costly compliance failures, a consolidated view of your agreements with these vendors is important, but certainly challenging to obtain. When it comes to getting started, begin by forming baseline entitlements and then build them out with additional data.

Your SAM strategy isn’t something that, once implemented, can be checked off your list as being “done.” It requires a trifecta of people, processes and technology. And when done well, the benefits include optimized technology spend and reduced audit and compliance risk. It’s important to also remember that SAM isn’t just a project or a race. It’s a crucial business function for your organization that will take time to set up and embed. 

This post is the seventh in a series of articles on SAM. Read our previous posts for insights on SAM implementation, how-tos and more.

The post SAM in 2021: Finding Success Starts with Setting Expectations appeared first on Snow Software.

This working style shift has accelerated the already growing reliance on SaaS technology. While large, on-premise systems were once the norm for an enterprise, today’s companies are moving to the cloud en masse to keep employees productive no matter where they are. These macro trends have created significant changes for software asset managers (SAMs).

The heightened importance of SaaS management

According to a Snow survey of more than 400 IT leaders, 92% say their organizations were moving or had already moved to a hybrid work model. At the same time, more than 70% say their SaaS investment has increased in the past 12 months and nearly half of respondents report controlling SaaS sprawl is their biggest challenge.

While managing a limited amount of SaaS was on the list of SAM to-dos pre-pandemic, it has become wildly more important in the last year. No longer is there a singular priority of installing updates on your on-premise systems. To prevent budget over-runs and minimize security risks and costly non-compliance, software asset managers must now closely monitor SaaS licensing and usage.

Three steps to controlling SaaS

It’s never been easier to purchase software. The very aspects that make SaaS so appealing – easy to procure and deploy – can also lead to decentralized, unmanaged SaaS usage. Here are 3 steps SAMs can take to control their organization’s SaaS consumption and right-size their technology investment.

1. Ensure you have complete visibility

Knowing what you have in your environment and who uses what for what price is paramount to reining in budgets before they snowball out of control. Snow allows you to easily discover, manage and optimize SaaS applications through a single pane of glass, even those that don’t show up in financial systems or on credit card statements.

2. Formalize and streamline your renewal process

By using SaaS applications, your organization can continually rely on the most up to date software and receive the latest patches for security fixes and operational enhancements. To fully realize these benefits though, SAMs must ensure they are maximizing their renewal opportunities across all SaaS licenses. Accurate, real-time visibility into current use is the first step. The next step is to implement a defined process for a proactive review of the businesses license needs well in advance of the vendor’s renewal date.

3. Optimize your usage

SaaS also allows SAMs to continually optimize their company-wide reliance by scaling up or down their licenses as they are needed at regular intervals. You can cut down on wasted SaaS spend by identifying unused accounts, duplicate users and unnecessary premium subscriptions. This is a way to reduce software costs and minimize the risk of overspend and underutilization. But you also don’t want to reduce your users to a level that impedes productivity, so a certain level of pragmatism may be required. Rightsizing your technology investment for maximum productivity at the lowest cost is the goal.

Despite general concern over SaaS sprawl, most IT leaders are optimistic about the opportunities the hybrid work model brings. According to our survey, 57% say they are feeling excited about the larger trend of organizations moving to hybrid work.

That being the case, hybrid work still requires management for both a remote and physical environment with employees who continually pivot between the two. It’s up to IT, and SAMs in particular, to create a similar technology experience, regardless of location, in a way that encourages productivity and stays within budget.

See how Snow can help you unlock a unified view of your SaaS and on-premise environments. 

This post is the sixth in a series of articles on SAM. Read our previous posts for insights on SAM implementation, how-tos and more.

The post SAM in 2021: How the Rise of Hybrid Work Impacts Software Asset Management appeared first on Snow Software.

Consolidation is the key to proactive management

While spreadsheets are a common approach and a good way to start tracking software agreements, they don’t allow SAMs to work collaboratively or in the proactive manner that is necessary for reducing sprawl or spend. Software tools will more effectively shed light on the bigger picture of what software you have, who has access, for how long and at what cost, for even the largest organizations. Complete visibility from a single dashboard powers smart, timely decision-making and can help you prepare for upcoming software renewals and audits. It’s not only a SAM best practice – it’s a compliance driver.

Knowing what agreement data to import into your software tool can be tricky so the tendency is often to wait “until you have all the data.” The truth is you’ll likely never have it all, particularly if your organization has been in business for any length of time, so the best step is usually your first step.

Start by forming baseline entitlements

With so many software agreements, the best place to start is by drawing a line in the sand. Consolidate all your software purchases from a single point in time and call that your starting point – your baseline. You may not be able to get every vendor entered into your tool initially, and that works too. It’s okay to start with your top 5, 10 or 20. 

Once you’ve identified the top publishers, build out your baseline by importing the software agreement data. Each agreement looks different from another of course, and there’s no shortage of information. Here are some of the key software agreement data fields you should collect and import: 

• Agreement Name
• Agreement Number
• Manufacturer
• Master Agreement Number (if sub-agreement)
• Automatic Upgrade (Yes/No)
• Subscription Agreement (Yes/No)
• Agreement Begin & End Date

With this information in your software tool, you’ve already increased your visibility. You may quickly see you have a dozen software agreements with one vendor. How can you consolidate that into one agreement for more efficiency?

Build out your baseline with additional data

Next, you may want to add fields for your agreements that will help improve ongoing management. Contact information is one example. Adding contact information can help identify who within your organization can provide information on the agreement, or you may end up listing the publisher contact who you work with for renewals and changes. In other cases, you may have standard terms and conditions, such as cancellation policies, maintenance terms and audit policies, that get attached to every contract you sign. Adding this information to the agreement can provide quick access when needed.

By adding this level of detail, the software tool can then alert you to requirements that enable proactive management. For example with renewals, if your contract says 90 days is required to exit, you can set up a notification for 6 months prior to the end date and that gives you plenty of time to navigate the timeline.

Phase two: software licenses

For a robust SAM program, the goal is to get your license data imported too. This is how you can start to gain true technology intelligence over what works and what doesn’t, who uses what and how licenses may be reharvested to maximize budget. Because this can seem like a herculean task given the volume of software subscriptions and users, consider this your phase two.

Like the above-mentioned list of data elements for tracking software agreements, there are similar lists for software license imports and application settings, both for a baseline and beyond.

See how Snow can help you unlock a unified view of your software, cloud and hardware assets, license entitlements, application usage metrics and automatically calculate the compliance position for all software.

This post is the fifth in a series of articles on SAM. Read our previous posts for insights on SAM implementation, how-tos and more.

The post SAM in 2021: Data Elements You Should Be Tracking for Software Agreements appeared first on Snow Software.

As we’ve discussed in previous posts in the series, SAM programs deliver the highest ROI when they are staffed and supported appropriately and map to the full software lifecycle. But, when defining your SAM function, there are also some key components you should include to achieve the highest level of success.

Our list below includes areas for program focus and specific tasks you should consider building into your plan. 

1. Governance

Governance offers leadership a roadmap for reaching intended goals and objectives. It translates the “why” behind the “what” of SAM operations into language that is meaningful to business units outside of IT. A policy statement and communications plan which demonstrates senior management (C level) buy-in is crucial – it should also include the objectives of the SAM program and how these align to the overall business objectives of the organization. When creating policies you should: 

• Capture risk and compliance issues facing the business and blend them into SAM program goals
• Enable the SAM framework to support business goals
• Develop a SAM communications policy that articulates the who, when, why and how behind messaging

2. Scope 

It’s important to understand the boundaries of SAM frameworks and plan accordingly. Clearly define what is and what isn’t in scope, what are the priorities and how should those different priorities be managed. 

• Define platforms and business units within scope to avoid unlicensed software being installed on unmanaged devices
• Create a publisher plan which defines the priorities and how they should be managed to help focus the SAM team
• Develop a process that ensures all software inventory is being captured to help drive accuracy in reporting

3. Data

Data management within a SAM framework is vital. Ensure you understand the required data feeds while enforcing quality controls on any data before it reaches your SAM system. It’s also important to create an agreed-upon process for validating the data – how will you know you have captured everything? How will you know that you can trust the data? 

• Develop a process for validating that all data within the agreed scope is being captured and remains up to date
• Develop a process for validating that all use rights are being maximized and contractual terms are being adhered to
• If additional metadata is required, ensure it is populated fully, consistently and is kept up to date

4. Systems 

Yet another quality control often overlooked within a SAM framework is the requirements definition for any system used. A SAM manager should closely review the technical and geographic landscape of their SAM scope to ensure that the tools applied can capture, read and interpret the data presented to them. 

• Build a process that periodically reviews system performance to serve as a health check that ensures SAM framework goals can be met
• Regularly assess business requirements against the systems that serve them to ensure ongoing relevance
• Measure the quality of support and maintenance offered by the SAM systems provider

5. Policies and procedures 

Policies and procedures are the glue of software asset management – they form the link between the operational activity and the strategic ambitions of a company. Your policies should offer guidance on how to use any system within the SAM framework to generate a license compliance position. When establishing these policies and procedures, you should focus on:

• Aligning SAM objectives with the overall business objectives will ensure that SAM data can be used to provide actionable intelligence for other departments
• Completing a risk/maturity assessment will serve as the baseline for goals and objectives for your SAM framework and provide tangible performance targets
• Developing a method, means and manner of communication for promoting and updating key stakeholders on SAM progress

6. Implementation 

Implementing a SAM framework is as much about communication and training as it is about the installation of any technical systems. Key stakeholders will need to be told what is expected of them, when and how. Consider developing processes to: 

• Ensure that the appropriate systems are in place and fully-functional
• Verify that the appropriate licensing personnel are in place
• Educate and share a training agenda for personnel charged with specific roles and responsibilities so they are fully informed of any work instructions

7. Control 

Remaining objective and impartially reviewing the performance of your SAM framework as change occurs will provide a solid foundation to drive up SAM maturity within your company. 

• Create an outline for continuous improvement and review to maintain and measure SAM framework performance
• Review ITAM staff skills in the use of the systems that comprise the SAM framework
• Drive SAM maturity

8. Reporting 

Reports are the public face of your SAM framework so ensure they are produced in a timely and accurate fashion. This is essential to the credibility of your SAM team. You should consider:

• Developing a process to ensure license compliance reports are generated in a timely and accurate fashion
• Implementing a process for managing spare licenses to prevent over-purchasing
• Driving business decisions and action off the back of reports produced. 

9. Operational processes 

Processes that offer control around software requisition, procurement and deployment offer the most immediate gains for your SAM program, but many other scenarios exist. You should consider:

• Developing a process for formal software requests will enable your company to funnel these requests and so enforce quality checks to filter out unserviceable demands
• Creating and maintaining a supported software catalog will help funnel software requests and provide information in the deployment of software titles
• Implementing a process for joiners, movers and leavers to help IT recover assets when staff members leave your company or move departments

10. Best practices

As your SAM framework matures, you will want to look for potential loopholes in your IT operations that need plugging for advancement. 

• Ensure your process for inventory data, entitlement data, and recognition data are aligned as closely as possible to enforce license compliance as well as license pool management
• Implement a process to verify that hardware records are purged from inventory systems, so that disposed of devices are not mistaken as “missing” or unplugged from the network
• Ensuring deployment teams check licenses/license evidence to justify a deployment will act as a better-than-ITIL check against license compliance risk

If you want to create a SAM program that’s all-inclusive, these are just some of the steps you should take to gain maximum ROI. Watch our recent webinar to learn how your ITAM program can be a business enabler and discover practical steps you can take to advance your ITAM/SAM maturity. 

This post is the fourth in a series of articles on SAM. Read our previous posts for insights on SAM implementation, how-tos and more.

The post SAM in 2021: 10 Key Considerations for a Successful SAM Program appeared first on Snow Software.

When implementing a SAM program it’s crucial to work incrementally and focus on what will create the most significant impact first. But with so much to consider, where do you start?

When you focus exclusively on onboarding new software but leave out policy and procedure on maintenance or removal, for example, you are exposing your organization to costly risk. For smooth tactical execution, you will see the most impact when your SAM program maps to the entire software lifecycle, as illustrated below: 

• Requisition: The process for identifying and requesting software.
• Procurement: The process for purchasing software.
• Deployment: The process of installing software on hardware.
• Support (Monitor): The process of tracking software installations; this includes maintenance negotiations and payments.
• Retirement: The process for removing software that is no longer needed or transferring the software from one location or individual to another location or individual.

Finding incremental success

To achieve the highest levels of SAM and organizational maturity, your cross-functional team should consider processes designed to span the entire software lifecycle — starting with acquisition through retirement. Treat this as your strategic vision; to achieve holistic coverage of your processes aligned with the full lifecycle. What this means for your organization is that each software asset will be maintained in the most cost-aware and optimized position, including when to remove it gracefully to complete the optimized position.

But remember, this is not a set-and-forget strategy. It’s a journey of continual improvement and not a one-size-fits-all approach. When tailoring your program to your organization’s needs, it’s important to strive for productivity rather than perfection.

Navigating complex processes

One of the biggest challenges facing software asset managers is the sheer complexity of implementing a new program and identifying specific tasks that address the entire software lifecycle. The processes written in bold indicate a good starting point if your SAM program is new or if you’re looking to start a review of an existing process set.

• Create and maintain a SAM plan process

• Outline a procurement process

• Create a software request process

• Define a software re-harvesting process

• Identify a software sourcing process

• Outline a software change management process

• Implement a corporate governance process

• Maintain a supported software catalog process

• Define a software rationalization process

• Clarify your joiners, movers and leavers process

• Determine how scope will be verified

• Identify your named user verification process

• Outline an asset use verification process

• Pre-define your SAM review process

• Indicate a BYOD process

• Determine the license compliance process

• Establish a software removal process

• Author a hardware disposal process

• Create a SAM competence and training process and set schedule

• Identify a reporting process

• Establish an orphan data process

• Clarify a support and maintenance review process

Start taking action

The list above demonstrates how challenging and time-consuming finding a SAM program can be; start with the items in bold, then continue to focus on processes that will have the most significant impact on your organization. Productivity is ultimately qualitative rather than quantitative: not so much by the number of tasks or processes defined, but the outcome of each task.

It’s essential to set clear metrics for each process and to be able to measure the success against organizational goals to reinforce the value of the SAM program to gain continual support. Of course, a SAM program is only as successful as the people behind it. By investing in the right people, and with a well-organized team, you can roll out these processes over time and see your SAM success grow.

If you’re not sure where you stand in your SAM journey, or you’re just getting started, try our free, Software Savings Calculator. Using your current software spend as a benchmark, our cost savings calculator will help estimate returns based on your current and target level of SAM maturity. 

This post is the third in a series of articles on SAM. Watch for future posts that will include insights on SAM implementation, how-tos and more.

The post SAM in 2021: Be Productive, Not Perfect appeared first on Snow Software.

Businesses are doubling down on technology that helps them remain flexible and most of all, competitive. With skyrocketing cloud use and software applications being regularly introduced directly from the workforce, many organizations have lost track of the technology being used across their business. Technology blindspots can leave a business in a position of risk – and potentially mean leaving money on the table.

A comprehensive software asset management (SAM) program can provide complete visibility and usage data of your software, application, cloud and hardware assets so IT teams can better manage costs, improve security and minimize costly regulatory and compliance risks. But how do you manage your SAM program for optimal results?

As we mentioned in our last blog, your first step in managing a sprawling IT landscape is determining your current SAM maturity. Understanding your entitlements and what is installed is a start. But the real value comes when you understand what you are using, who is using it and how to build a framework for future purchasing.

Create policy framework aligned with business outcomes

The most successful SAM programs start with a policy framework that provides a clear and consistent structure and alignment with business outcomes. Proper preparation is the key. Clarify that your vision aligns with what the new technology will provide and define governance, people, and processes that need to be in place to leverage the technology when it is deployed. This reduces the time to value and ROI period.

When it comes to your team, inclusivity is always critical. Gartner says those who develop policy in isolation will find their work unread or ignored, so it’s a good idea to assess whether to integrate SAM governance into existing policies or develop a stand-alone document.

Clearly define roles and responsibilities

Another important component to a successful SAM program is ensuring all of IT has a strong understanding of the program and their individual role within it – not just the role of your SAM manager. Teamwork across your organization is the biggest success driver for truly minimizing the risks of non-compliant software. Defining roles can be different for every organization, but the one component that should stay the same is that a SAM practitioner is the one that has connections to everyone and provides valuable insight. The SAM practitioner is essentially the glue that brings all the different parts of the organization together. While the program manager oversees the full lifecycle of software, all of IT should support the resulting SAM policy and processes developed.

Likewise, key executives within the organization also have a role to play. Gartner recommends having the SAM program policies be signed off by the CEO to avoid any disruption. The CEO and others can also lead by example when it comes to adhering to defined processes.

In addition to software management being ‘everyone’s responsibility,’ there are specific tasks that make up a successful SAM program, and they bridge your entire organization. The below chart represents a suggested scope of work.

A = Accountable. Has final decision-making authority and accountability for completion. Only 1 per task.

C = Consulted. An adviser, stakeholder, or subject matter expert who is consulted before a decision or action.

I = Informed. Must be informed after a decision or action.

R = Responsible. Assigned to complete the task or deliverable

Tips for success

Establishing this organizational-wide breakout of responsibilities will help you achieve the best possible results and deliver the highest ROI on your SAM strategy. Specific tasks that address the entire software lifecycle and other key policy considerations will also boost your success. While the above chart is only an example, you can fill out the chart for your own organization and get a more accurate sense of how roles and responsibilities are distributed.

Remember, building a comprehensive software asset management program is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. In your SAM program, you should identify the key business objectives and prioritize what needs to be done based on those objectives and executive leadership support. It takes time to put things in place so don’t try to do everything at once!

This post is the second in a series of articles on SAM. Watch for future posts that will include insights on bringing SAM into the entire software lifecycle, how-tos on implementation and more.

The post SAM in 2021: Success Starts With a Strong Foundation appeared first on Snow Software.

But as you look at your software landscape, you can see the signs of a rapidly accelerated digital transformation. To support the shift to remote and hybrid work, new SaaS applications were likely adopted and (hastily provisioned) legacy hardware and software systems were expanded. The resulting license compliance risks are enormous. Plus, there’s a whole host of new and growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Where do you even begin?

Assess your current SAM maturity

Your first step forward in managing a sprawling IT landscape is determining your current SAM maturity. For a quick, easy start to assessing maturity, try our Software Savings Calculator. This free, confidential tool will help break down your current situation and provide real insight into the savings you will realize when you implement a strategic SAM program over the course of several years.

With the cost savings assessment completed, it’s time to determine where you stand on the below ITAM/SAM maturity curve.

The descriptions below will help you map where you are in your SAM journey, according to our curve, so you can get a clear picture of where you are now and what you’d like to achieve. 

This is a reactive phase where the approach to ITAM is risk-based. In most organizations, audits are the key driver.

Your ITAM now has governance, sponsorship, accountability, stakeholder engagement, core processes and responsibilities mapped with people and tools in place to support the majority of technology assets.  

At this stage, waste is identified and actions are put in place to cut it. Recycling and re-harvesting activities are fully running and data is being shared with procurement. Insights directly inform your processes.  

ITAM moves from taking a cost-based view of technology assets to a value-based approach. Assets are managed based on the value driven from the business processes they support and the information that they contain and communicate.  

Surprisingly, at the top of the ITAM maturity curve you won’t see an IT-focused discipline, but rather a core business enabler. At this stage, you’ll have fully established analytics and reporting, continuous monitoring, support for related activities such as cybersecurity, governance & risk, business-user self-service and engagement across the C-suite. ITAM is focused on business priorities, supporting growth, innovation and efficiency across the organization, not just within IT. 

It is possible you are doing a few things across multiple categories. And that’s fine; every organization is different! The important thing is to assess overall maturity and set goals for future growth. 

Start with visibility

Regardless of where you stand on the maturity curve, you will see that any move up requires strong asset visibility. Whether it is installed software, data center software/hardware, mobile, or cloud, asset visibility means understanding what you already have, what is being used by whom and for what purpose. This depth of perspective is what we call, technology intelligence.

Understanding your entitlements and what is installed is a start. But the real value comes when you understand what you are using. Armed with usage information, you can compare purchases and usage, identifying areas of significant potential cost savings such as unused licenses, excess hardware and over-spec’d data center hardware.

SAM will help you eliminate redundant applications, reclaim and re-allocate unused software licenses, reduce unnecessary maintenance expense and streamline your audit defense. You may choose to cut your IT spending this year in response to the evolving business landscape. Or, if you’re like many others, you may decide to ramp up your spending to digitally transform your business. Either way, SAM will help you maximize your current spend and prevent unwelcome audit surprises. The best way to begin this strategic shift is with an assessment of your current maturity.

This post is the first in a series of articles on SAM. Watch for future posts that will include insights on roles and responsibilities, technology considerations and how-to’s on implementation.

The post SAM in 2021: What’s Your Maturity Level? appeared first on Snow Software.