Software is often the largest and least visible IT cost. SAM keeps you audit-ready and stops paying for licences nobody uses.
Why SAM is different
Software licences are governed by complex contractual metrics — per user, per device, per core, subscription or consumption. Compliance depends on matching entitlements to actual deployment and usage.
Managing audit risk
Vendors such as Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe and SAP regularly audit customers. An Effective Licence Position (ELP) — entitlements versus deployments — lets you respond confidently and avoid true-up penalties.
Optimising spend
Harvest unused licences, right-size SaaS subscriptions, remove shelfware at renewal, and standardise on approved software catalogues. Typical SAM programmes recover 15–25% of software spend.
Getting started
Collect purchase and contract data, run discovery on installed and SaaS usage, build the ELP for your top five vendors by spend, and set a renewal calendar owned jointly by IT and procurement.
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