SAM consultants are trained to tackle the problems organisations have when faced with a revenue-generating, fear-mongering exercise by a software vendor…an audit! Here is your comprehensive software asset inventory checklist to ensure your impending audit success:

Audit Market Intro

Software customers hold all the risk. Audits expose under-licensed companies, potentially increasing licensing costs. Larger organisations are especially at risk from audits as their complex needs can lead to difficulty in discovering software assets and requirements.

Customer Challenges

Organisations need an “effective licensing position” (ELP); a comprehensive understanding of inventory, entitlement, and non-instance data. Without all or any of this information a company will struggle in the face of a software giant bearing down with an audit, making it impossible to negotiate renewals from a “blind” position.

Insufficiencies of Current Solutions

There is not one tool on the market that can provide 100% understanding of a company’s software licensing position. Consultancies are increasingly tied-in with vendors, resulting in a lack of impartiality and, often, increased licensing costs resulting from “impartial advice”. A one vendor speciality lacks the breadth needed to provide a thorough service.

The Hybrid Approach

Experts such as Gartner recommend a hybrid approach – combining state-of-the-art technology with the best people in the SAM and audit sectors.