Global ITAM Transformation Through Partnership and Modernization
Company Profile
Outcome:
Cost avoidance of £2.6 million
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To better manage software risk, control spend, and support smarter decision making, a global industrial technology company partnered with an IT Asset Management (ITAM) advisory firm to build a unified and scalable ITAM capability across its global operations.
Before the partnership, the organization faced growing compliance pressures and limited visibility across decentralized business areas. Together, the teams modernized the company’s ITAM program by strengthening governance, improving data quality, and transforming publisher management.
As part of the transformation, the organization also modernized its tooling landscape with a leading SaaS-based ITAM platform and established a consistent operating model that delivers measurable financial outcomes.
These included $9.2M in realized savings, $309M in cost avoidance, reduced audit exposure across major publishers, and significant operational improvements.
The Challenge
As the company’s software and cloud environment expanded, managing licenses and entitlements across global regions became increasingly complex.
The organization faced several key challenges:
- Fragmented visibility into software usage and entitlements
- Inconsistent processes across decentralized teams
- Increasing audit exposure and compliance risk
- Difficulty validating data for accurate licensing decisions
- No unified operating model for risk remediation and optimization
The company required a scalable ITAM program capable of delivering trusted data, reducing risk, optimizing spend, and supporting strategic decision-making across global operations.
The Solution
Together, the organization and its ITAM partner built a scalable ITAM foundation designed to deliver lasting value beyond the initial modernization effort.
The teams developed publisher-specific playbooks, established repeatable governance workflows, and introduced transparent reporting and risk dashboards across business areas. The partner’s expertise helped establish a consistent operating model within a highly decentralized environment.
This approach provided each business unit with accurate data, predictable processes, and expert guidance regardless of region or software portfolio. The framework now supports both day-to-day operational needs and long-term ITAM maturity goals.
1. Establishing a Structured ITAM Operating Model
A standardized framework was introduced to manage risk and drive optimization, including:
- A unified operating rhythm for ELPs and ROARs
- Defined roles and responsibilities
- Consistent reporting across business areas
- Clear workflows for risk remediation and follow-up
This model improved alignment and transparency across the organization’s decentralized IT landscape.
2. Modernizing Tooling with Flexera OneThe organization completed a successful migration from FNMS to Flexera One, resulting in:
- Coverage increasing from 61% to more than 95%
- Reconciliation time reduced from 12 hours to 9 hours
- Significantly improved data quality and trust
- Automated reporting replacing manual processes
- Immediate SaaS optimization insights
- Broader adoption of the platform across teams
“The migration was completed successfully and delivered immediate improvements in visibility and operational efficiency.”- Global IT Asset Management Leader
3. Driving Publisher Optimization and Risk Reduction
The ITAM program delivered measurable results across several strategic software vendors, including:
- Successful exit from a major enterprise license agreement, remediating $160M in risk within six months
- $36M in audit cost avoidance related to a major enterprise application platform
- $7.2M in cost avoidance through improved contract optimization and risk mitigation
- Elimination of $17M in potential licensing exposure through proactive compliance management
- $6M in realized savings through SaaS utilization analysis
- Reduction of multi-million-dollar licensing exposure to verified required entitlements
Additional improvements were achieved across several engineering, productivity, and infrastructure software vendors, significantly reducing audit exposure while improving global visibility.
“It doesn’t feel like working with a supplier. It feels like an extension of our internal team.”- Senior IT Business Partner
Results
The transformation delivered significant financial and risk-related benefits while fundamentally improving how the organization makes decisions about software investments. With higher confidence in data, stronger governance, and a clear view of risk, the organization has shifted from reactive audit defense toward proactive optimization and strategic planning.
The ITAM program now supports budgeting, contract negotiations, lifecycle planning, and SaaS adoption strategies across the enterprise. Business units are more empowered, leadership has greater visibility, and the organization is equipped with a sustainable model that continues to drive operational efficiency and measurable business value.
Financial Impact
- $9.2M in realized cost savings
- $309M in cost avoidance
- 160% ROI on realized savings
- 5,486% ROI when combining realized savings and cost avoidance
Risk Reduction
- Major audit exposures avoided or remediated across multiple strategic software vendors
- Significantly improved audit readiness and negotiation strength
Operational Improvements
- Trusted, high-quality data across the global IT estate
- Consistent governance and remediation processes
- Improved cross-team visibility and alignment
“This collaboration has brought significant value to the business and has been an excellent partnership.”- Head of CIO Office