Instituting SAM Best Practices
Immediately, the defense contractor put SAM front and center, documenting the company’s new commitment to software asset management. The company then created a new position of software asset manager, detailing the job description and reporting structure. Finally, the company established a software policy that outlines specific procedures for using software and required employees to sign it.
With these pillars of SAM in place, the defense contractor conducted a detailed audit of all of its software, not just Autodesk titles, using a combination of manual methods and third-party auditing software. Now the company will conduct these software inventories regularly to make sure it’s always meeting the conditions of its licensing agreements.
Licensing Changes
Supporting its new SAM processes, the company has changed its licensing agreements with Autodesk to better fit the way it works. Instead of purchasing standalone licenses, the company now has network licenses that users check out when they need them. In addition, Autodesk titles are on Autodesk Subscription, so everyone has access to the latest versions of Autodesk software.
Offering Advice
When asked what advice he would give to other companies struggling with software asset management, the company’s president says, “Get a handle on your software management. If you’d asked me before Autodesk called us, I would have said we had no problem. At the bare minimum, do a self-assessment not out of fear of being penalized, but to better manage your company and be more efficient in what you’re doing. It’s much better to know your problems than to be told what they are.”
Strategic SAM
By addressing its licensing and software asset management problems, the defense contractor has begun to approach its software assets strategically. Through a needs assessment, the company is working to understand just which software applications employees need—and which the company can jettison. “We realized that we weren’t working as efficiently as we could have,” says the company’s president. “By getting a handle on SAM, our people are ultimately more productive because they have managed, standardized tools at their disposal. We’re also vastly decreasing our security risks and legal exposure.”
