How We Reduced 63% Software Licensing Cost With ServiceNow SAM Implementation

Challenge: Inefficient software asset data management.

The client’s software asset management process was manual, outdated, and lacked a streamlined process. So, they faced numerous challenges in monitoring entitlements and maintaining accurate software license details.

Compliance and audit failures:

The client lacked a centralized system to monitor software installations and track license usage. This resulted in audit failures & compliance breaches, leading to financial penalties and reputation damage.

Inaccurate tracking of license details:

The client lacked visibility into software license management and remote license distribution. Despite having capable tools such as SCCM, those tools were only used to scan hardware assets of their inventory and monitor operational data for asset health in CMDB. However, SCCM can also be leveraged for software license tracking.

Lack of monitoring dashboard:

Moreover, the lack of SAM monitoring dashboards and reports disrupted the effective collection of performance insights and license provisioning tracking.

So, the client sought a team of experts to address these challenges and transform their software asset management.

Solution: Streamlining software management process with ServiceNow SAM implementation

zeb experts analyzed the client’s software procurement practices across different business units and devised the best possible solution to streamline the process.

Cleaning up and organizing license inventory:

By collaborating with the key stakeholders, our team gained a clear understanding of their software procurement processes. Further, we refined the client’s existing data and imported licensing agreements into ServiceNow SAM application. This step enabled effortless management of entitlement and software licenses under a single application.

Enabling traceability with discovery tools:

To track the license usage and distribution, our team identified software installations across various environments by leveraging SCCM discovery tool in ServiceNow.

• Reclamation rules in ServiceNow were established to gather insights into how and when software titles were being accessed. This helps to identify the reusable licenses and ensures efficient allocation and usage.
• To enhance the remote management of software licenses, we integrated Client Software Distribution (CSD) with ServiceNow SCCM. This integration allowed for streamlined user addition and removal from license groups, facilitating hassle-free software license deployment process.

Moreover, the content services in ServiceNow SAM Pro will enable better data normalization with software model data to reduce data redundancy. We also configured custom license metrics to calculate accurate license usage against certain home-grown software.

Developing dashboards for license monitoring:

To facilitate data-driven decision-making, we configured a new set of reports to monitor SAM insights with ServiceNow OOTB dashboards. These dashboards provide valuable insights into software usage trends and license availability.

Benefits: Achieving a seamless software asset management process

• With our streamlined SAM implementation, the client achieved a 63% reduction in software costs, eliminating over-licensing expenses.
• They enabled 58% faster audit response times, ensuring sustained compliance across the organization.
• The client experienced 100% transparency throughout the software management process with ServiceNow SAM application.

Ready to modernize your software asset management process?

Whether you’re struggling with compliance issues or aiming to slash software management costs, we’ve got the expertise to transform your SAM processes. With our deep understanding of your IT infrastructure, we’ll devise a bespoke solution that resonates with your unique business needs.

Streamline your SAM processes, enhance compliance, and optimize costs with our cutting-edge solution to software asset management.
Connect with us to embark on a transformative journey.