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Finding the Right Software Asset Management Tool
A solid tool set is an essential foundation for good Software Asset Management (SAM). But there are so many available options out there. Where do you start?
Start with figuring out your biggest roadblock to successful SAM. Then, focus on finding a tool that excels at solving that particular challenge.
Defining the problem
The first step to deciding on a specific SAM tool is asking yourself: What are you struggling with the most?
- Visibility: You’re not really sure which software you own or how many licenses are being used, making it difficult to know if you’re in compliance with your publishers.
- Identification: You have a pretty good idea of your software inventory, but you need to make sure said inventory is exhaustive and totally correct.
- Prioritization: You’re trying to better manage your licensing, but need to figure out which software is the most likely to be out of compliance.
- Efficiency: You’re sure there are software assets that are being underused, but you don’t know where to find those opportunities for optimization.
- Maturity: You’re doing a decent job of managing your software licensing, but you know you can do better.
Finding the right solution
The second step is figuring out what type of tool you need to solve said problem. There are lots of tools out there, most with a variety of features designed to solve a variety of challenges. It’s important to choose the tool that excels at solving your biggest problem. Everything else is extra.
- Visibility: To get a better view into what you already own, you need a tool with good inventory management features.
- Identification: To make sure your inventory is all-encompassing and accurate, you need a tool with not just an inventory management feature, but full network discovery capabilities as well.
- Prioritization: To figure out which software you need to focus on, you need a tool with the ability to correctly identify licenses and reconcile them with your entitlements.
- Efficiency: To do more with what you already have, you need a tool that can identify licensing redundancies, and help prepare and optimize your publisher contracts.
- Maturity: To further mature your SAM strategy, you need a tool with the ability to evaluate process performance so you can identify potential areas of improvement.
A word of warning: Beware the “silver bullet” tool that claims to do it all. No one tool can do everything. And it certainly can’t fully automate the SAM process in its entirety.
Plus, tools are just one part of your greater SAM practice. A solid strategy involves a well thought out combination of the right tools, people and processes.
