How to Maximize Results with Your Software Asset Management Tool for Success

 When it comes to tooling, one of the most common ITAM complaints voiced has to be “We invested in a SAM tool and it’s not delivering what we were promised”. Stakeholders expected the ‘silver bullet’ to all their problems, but once the software asset management tool is in place, they are not getting the intelligence needed to drive business critical decision making. There are so many reasons for this and most of them are avoidable if the groundwork is put in before the investment is made and the right skills are available to implement and manage the tool.

In the Gartner Research “Market Guide for Software Asset Management Tools”, October 2023, Gartner states:

Set the Stage: Align Stakeholder Expectations

In many cases, the first mistake with the groundwork, is not having a clear expectation of what you require the tool to provide before you engage with the tool vendor. In our previous article, When is The Right Time to Invest in a ITAM Tool, we explored the importance of ensuring that all stakeholder’s use cases are brought to the table as a requirement and letting these drive the decision-making process, not other sophisticated functionality the tool offers.

Lay The Groundwork For SAM Tooling Success

Defining Requirements 

To begin driving software asset management tool success, these requirements must be defined with an agreed format to present the intelligence back to the business and it should be the basis on which the tool is selected. Failing to take this vital step results in unhappy stakeholders and business that is not seeing a return on their tooling investment.  

It’s very easy to become distracted by the bells and whistles that the software asset mangement technology today offers. A process of evaluating potential risks to adoption of featuresmust be undertaken to understand the challengesthat could arise. Select a tooling solution that meets your organization’s technology use cases, but can grow with you as your ITAM program grows.  

The Need For Skilled Expertise

If these requirements were defined prior to the investment and were the driving factors for the ITAM tool selection, the functionality is likely available to provide the information, however, poor implementation and a tool that is not connected properly or integrated correctly could create blockers to obtaining information and data you can trust. The integration will need to include other ITAM tools, Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and contract management systems.

Effective ITAM Implementation and Configuration

This process requires the skill set to ensure access to all these data sources across the environment that cover all publishers to access the required outputs.  With the right expertise and an effective tool health check, this can be remedied and deliver the ROI for software asset management tool success.  

By having the right processes in place, you  can ensure the right data goes in and the right information comes out. When this integration is incomplete, it can lead to frustration that negatively impacts the relationship between the business and the tool provider. In some cases, organizations even go as far as cancelling contracts with the software tool vendor and/or replacing the tool entirely. It is not uncommon for organizations to have more that one tool in place that is poorly deployed and not performing at the expected level. 

The Role of ITAM Tool Training 

Training should also be undertaken to ensure best practices and being adhered to so that ongoing management of the tool is effective. The skills needed here will include knowing how to carry out the regular updates and maintenance for the tool to operate and monitor the reporting outputs. Processes must be in place for the management of the IT asset management tool and these will need to be reviewed regularly to ensure the tool continues to be managed correctly and provide intelligence that aligns with organizational goals. 

How a Service Provider Can Facilitate SAM Tooling ROI

Overcome Skill Gaps and Maximizing Tool Potential

Unsurprisingly, many organizations lack the skills and expertise to implement the changes required to ‘light up’ an ITAM tool. Often the ITAM framework and processes have not been defined to ensure effective ongoing  management of a tool. These are specialist skills that are gleaned from delivering countless tool implementation and configurations and are not generally part of the standard purchase of a tool.

Access to Specialized Experience and Best Practices

Working with a Service Provider that has a team of tooling specialist provides access to a myriad of experience, expertise,  and best practice recommendations that can be drawn upon to ensure your organization can deliver the optimal ROI for your tooling investment. 

Understand The Broader SAM Industry Challenges

Moreover, the service provider you select needs to understand the industry-wide challenge that is the impact failing SAM technology has on an organization’s overall ITAM program. This will be key when you are selection a partner to work with. 

Leverage Expertise in Publisher-Specific Licensing 

In addition to SAM tooling expertise, your service provider should also have the publisher-specific licensing knowledge required to ensure that your purchases, entitlements, licenses, metrics, evidences, and titles are all accurately mapped, loaded, and reported. Selecting a services provider who sees the big picture impact that failing SAM technology has on your overall ITAM program is key. 

Achieve Tooling Success with Anglepoint

Anglepoint’s Technology Service offers a unique one-stop shop for tooling requirements. We offer Flexera and ServiceNow specific services, designed to address the best practice requirements for a successful implementation, Integration, and publisher on-boarding to deliver the time to value required from your investment. 

Whether you are assessing current tools, trying to drive value from tooling investments, or implementing and standing up a tool, we can support you every step of the way towards software asset management tool success.

If you would like to discuss your tooling strategies with our experts, contact us here.