For many companies, software asset management is seen as tiresome and hopeless, constantly being put off until it's too late. But a mature SAM environment brings many benefits to the enterprise. Taking the time now to understand your SAM maturity can save you time and money in the long run. That's why in this article we're going to talk about how to measure your SAM maturity, but first let's understand what SAM is and how important it is to measure your corporation's maturity.
What is SAM?
SAM (Software Asset Management), also known as Software Asset Management, is a management practice designed to optimize the process of purchasing, implementing, using, maintaining, replacing/disposing of software in an organization.
SAM can help you develop preventive measures to ensure safe and transparent company management. Maturity levels, in turn, indicate how effectively a company is executing this practice.
On the one hand, SAM optimizes investments and reduces financial and legal risks. On the other hand, it manages the software to be purchased at a more granular level and can more accurately plan its use and eventual disposal.
Through SAM, it is possible to achieve a greater level of transparency about a company's intellectual property and technological tools, allowing for more decisive decisions.
What is a SAM Maturity Assessment?
The SAM Maturity Assessment provides organizations with a simple view of their Software Asset Management (SAM) maturity levels. This provides independent analysis and benchmarks with which you can move forward in your SAM journey. It is usually performed as a prelude to full SAM involvement or as a periodic review during managed services.
What are the SAM maturity levels?
Without a doubt, your first step in IT asset management is to determine your current SAM maturity. Below you can see the ITAM/SAM Maturity Curve produced by Snow Software.
ITAM/SAM Maturity Curve
The descriptions below will help you map and understand where you are on your SAM journey, so you can have a clear picture of where you are and what the next step is.
- License compliance and software audits
This is a reactive phase and ITAM's approach is risk-based. In most cases, audits are the main factor.
- structured ITAM
Your ITAM already has governance, accountability, sponsorship, stakeholder engagement, key processes and responsibilities mapped out with people and tools to support most technology assets.
- Cost optimization
Here, waste is identified and actions are implemented to optimize costs. Recycling activities are ongoing and data is being shared with purchases. Insights directly inform your processes.
- Resource optimization
O ITAM moves from a cost-based view of technology assets to a value-based approach. Assets become managed based on the value generated by the business processes they support and the information they contain and communicate.
- Digital technology governance
When you get to the top of the ITAM maturity curve, you won't see an IT-focused discipline, but a business enabler. At this stage, you will have access to established analytics and reporting, ongoing monitoring, support for related activities such as cybersecurity, governance and risk, business user self-service, and engagement across the C-suite. ITAM is focused on business priorities, supporting growth, innovation and efficiency across the organization, not just IT.
Why should I assess my enterprise's SAM maturity?
It's nearly impossible to build an effective SAM program without knowing how mature your program is. Each stage of SAM maturity takes you to the next, and as you move towards compliance and significant savings.
Performing a SAM maturity assessment is an excellent way to reduce the risks associated with a cluttered SAM environment, such as unexpected audits, high update rates, and slow production due to improper licensing.
Where do I start?
Regardless of your SAM maturity level, you'll find that any upward movement requires strong asset visibility. Whether installed software, data center software/hardware, mobile or cloud, having asset visibility means understanding what you already have, what is being used by whom and for what purpose.
Understanding what's installed is a start🇧🇷 But the interesting thing is that you understand what is being used. So you can compare purchases and usage, identifying areas of significant potential cost savings such as unused licenses, excess hardware, and over-spec data center hardware.
SAM will help you eliminate redundant costs, recover and reallocate unused software licenses, reduce unnecessary maintenance expenses, and optimize your defense against potential audits. You may choose to cut your IT spend this year in response to the evolving business landscape. Or, if you're like many others, you might decide to increase your spending to digitally transform your business. In any case, SAM will support you in managing your current expenses and avoiding unwanted audit surprises.
If you would like to understand your corporation's scenario within SAM maturity levels, please contact contact us and talk to one of our SAM experts.