Transportation Agency Builds Scalable Entitlement Management Strategy in ServiceNow

The Challenge

This organization was established to improve the coordination and integration of transportation across a key metropolitan region. Managing an extensive IT asset portfolio, the agency required a partner capable of unlocking the untapped capabilities of its ServiceNow SAM tools and developing a comprehensive entitlement management strategy.

Prior to engaging Anglepoint, the organization’s ITAM team relied on manual processes and Excel spreadsheets to manage request fulfilment. Operating in departmental silos and lacking a centralized entitlement repository, application owners and other stakeholders had no unified location for logging entitlement data. This fragmented approach was prone to errors and inefficiencies.

Compounding the issue, a high turnover of contractual staff and a changing roster of stakeholders further exacerbated the challenges due to the absence of standardized processes. This lack of a formalized approach made it difficult to establish a reliable, single source of truth within the data.

In 2022, Anglepoint was selected as the client’s partner of choice to design and implement a structured plan for ongoing entitlement management within ServiceNow, enabling the organization to manage its software estate effectively.

The Solution

Anglepoint began by conducting a comprehensive assessment of the client’s existing SAM practices. The Anglepoint team identified how the company could maximize its use of ServiceNow to address specific pain points and objectives, then developed a detailed implementation plan for both ServiceNow SAM Pro and ServiceNow Discovery.

Following the successful deployment of both solutions, Anglepoint focused on building processes to ensure the effective use of these SAM tools across all software publishers included in the client’s managed service agreement—comprised of six tier-one and twelve tier-two publishers.

Anglepoint moved on to create a report covering all 18 in-scope publishers. These reports provide regular visibility into the status of entitlements. To ensure clear accountability, Anglepoint established a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) framework, clarifying roles and responsibilities between Anglepoint and the client.

To support consistent data management, Anglepoint developed best practices for maintaining the entitlement repository. A standardized template was introduced for importing entitlements into ServiceNow, ensuring alignment between both parties across all publishers, regardless of whether they were in- or out-of-scope. Regular reviews are conducted to identify expired entitlements, and any corresponding requests generated within ServiceNow are analyzed for necessary action.

As part of ongoing operations, Anglepoint reviews each entitlement import template for in-scope software publishers. This review includes validating use rights, updating data as needed, and assessing the client’s ELP. Unlicensed installations are escalated via the ROARs, offering remediation recommendations such as bundling software or applying downgrade rights. A reconciliation run is then performed, followed by a final validation to identify any issues with tool functionality—for instance, missing consumption data or limitations in optimization insights within the tool-generated publisher summaries. Any anomalies trigger the creation of a ServiceNow incident, which is submitted for the client’s review and resolution to maintain consistent accuracy of data held within the tool.

Training has been an integral part of the program’s success. The client’s high turnover of contractors meant that Anglepoint has worked with three ITAM teams and engaged with 14 different executive stakeholders over the course of its three-year relationship. To maintain process consistency amid this fluid environment, Anglepoint delivered comprehensive training on entitlement uploads into ServiceNow. These sessions are recorded, enabling efficient onboarding of new personnel and replication of the process for out-of-scope publishers.

Results

• Maximized Investment in ServiceNow: The client has fully leveraged its investment in ServiceNow, establishing an effective and streamlined entitlement repository management system
• Standardized Processes Implemented: By developing and enforcing best practice processes, Anglepoint has ensured consistent and efficient management of the repository across multiple teams and personnel
• Single Source of Truth Established: The client now has access to reliable, accurate data on entitlement usage, empowering Anglepoint to make informed recommendations for optimizing licensing, reducing costs, and ensuring compliance
• Comprehensive SAM Program Developed: By laying the right foundations, Anglepoint has created a best of breed SAM program that can be used across the client’s full spectrum of publishers