‘Practical implementation of Software Asset Management (SAM)’

Agenda

• An understanding of the principles of

SAM

• How does SAM fit into Service

Management

• Assessing the starting point in your

company.

• How to move forward

License Management

The ability to manage licenses and to ensure that each product is compliant with

vendor licensing terms and conditions.

– Installed software

– Deployment type (Citrix, virtual, roaming profile)

– Client access / user licences

– Computing platform configurations

– Metering

– Contractual / but no cost (i.e. freeware)

Example – How Many Licences needed

• Visio is licenced per seat

• 1000 PCs in total

• 500 of the PCs have terminal services client installed

• 3 approved Visio users (via terminal services)

• Only one user has actually used Visio

Answers

1 = 1 licence

2 = 3 licences

3 = 500 licences

4= 1000 licences

Release

Deploy

In-use

Problem

Incident

Retire

Request

Approve

Procure

Goods in

Pay

Asset Lifecycle

Relationship and Contract

BA

Asset record verification

License Compliance

CMDBSW Asset Control

(Libraries)SW Asset Inventory

RequestApproveProcureGoods in

Pay

Cha

nge

Release

Deploy

In UseIncidentProblem

Retire

SW SW

License Management

A = Recognition tables B = Upgrade /downgrade

Asset tracking – hardware

Relationship and Contract

Asset record verification

CMDBSW Asset Control

(Libraries)SW Asset Inventory

RequestApproveProcureGoods in

Pay

Ch

ange

Release

Deploy

In UseIncidentProblem

Retire

SW SWHWHW

De

velo

pm

en

t

SAM is the effective management, control and protection of software assets within an organisation and the effective management, control and protection of information about related assets which are needed in order to manage software assets.

It is not just License management!

You may be forced to do SAM for :

• Risk management

• Brand image (Vendor audits )

• Penalties / fines

• Cost savings and avoidance

• Efficient contracts /

• Efficient software use (re-harvesting)

• Use of outsource partners

• Gaps in process and control have been made visible

• Internal / external audits, excess costs

• Loss of data or assets

So what is SAM?

Lifecycle Core SAM processes Organisational processes

Planning and

Implementation

Lifecycle process interfaces

Acq

uisi

tion

Deve

lop

ment

Release

Deploy

In-use

Problem

Incident

Retire

Cha

nge

Operations management

Inventory management

Verification and compliance

Relationship and contract

Service level

Security Financial

Asset record verification

License compliance

Compliance verification

Conformance verification

Asset Identification

SW asset inventorySW asset control

(libraries)

Planning

Implementation

Monitor and Review

Continual improvement

Control environment

Corporate Governance

Roles and responsibilities

Competence

Processes and policies

HWHW SWSW

SAM – ISO/IEC19770-1:2006

Lifecycle process interfaces

Acknowledgement ISO/IEC and ITIL

Acq

uisition

Deve

lopm

ent

Release

Deploy

In-use

Problem

Incident

Retire

Cha

nge

Operations management

Inventory management

Verification and compliance

Relationship and contract

Service level

Security financial

Asset record verification

License compliance

Compliance verification

Conformance verification

Asset Identification

SW asset inventory

SW asset control(libraries)

Control environment

Corporate Governance

Roles and responsibilities

Competence

Processes and policies

Reque

st f

ulfilm

ent

Release and deployment

Incident

Problem

Supplier management

Service level

Information security Financial

Service asset and configuration management (SACM)

CMS

SAM plan

Implementation

Monitor and Review

Continual improvement

Service Strategy Service Design

Service Transition

Continual service improvement

SAM and ITIL Processes

Cha

nge

Why not combine SAM processes within our ITIL service management processes?

• Avoids duplication of workload

• Reduces duplication of data

• Change processes can be streamlined

SAM and Service Management

Service Design

• Service Catalogue Management

• Information Security Management

Example

• The Solution

• The initiation of the project

• Selection of suppliers

• Procurement costs

Service Transition

• Change Management

• Service Asset and Configuration Mgt.

• Release and Deployment

• Knowledge Management

Example

• Vendor agreements

• The end of the project

Continual Service Improvement

• On going improvement

Service Strategy

• Service Strategy

Example

• Cloud

• Sourcing

• Outsourcing

• Virtual Applications.

Service Operation

• Request Fulfilment

Example

• Asset lifecycle

• Procurements

12

ITIL V3 Lifecycle and SAM

Acquisition

Request

Purchasing

Agreement

to purchase

Non- Standard

Deployed Software

Manual process

License Position (Compliance)

Under

Licensed

Contract

management

Approval

Deployment

Goods in

payment

HWSW

DSL

• No stock check

• Approvals go straight to purchasing

• SAM manager makes all decisions

• Strategy is not considered

• Media gets lost

• Deployment process not integrated

• Wrong packages used for deployment

• Imbedded software not authorised

• Manual compliance process

• All SW uses the same process

• poor software payment authorisation

• DSL (DML) likely to be uncontrolled

HWSW

Procurement data

SWHW

No links with service

management

Typical Inefficient SAM Processes

Request Fulfilment

Procurement

catalogue

Non- Standard

Service Strategy

and Design

Deployed assets

CMS

Knowledge management -automated

Usage

Over/

under

Contract

management

Contract

Purchasing

Approvals

Deployment

Goods in

Payment

HWSW

DSL

License Position (Compliance)

Procurement data

Automated and

integrated

HWSW SWHW

Service

introduction

• Service mgmt integration

• Process tailored to software

• Controlled approvals

• Stock check

• Responsibilities organised

• Deployment via AD group

• Links to packages

• Imbedded SW licensed

• Compliance based on SKU

• Controlled payments

• Usage management

Stock check

Request

Usage

SAM Within Service Management

Few understand SAM, the changes involved and resources required, so risk of failure is high.

- Identify available data, accuracy and gaps

- Highlight process gaps which impact beyond SAM

- Identify benefits / links to operational activities

Using a maturity model to communicate the current position and issues is good practice

The First Step - Assessment

Basic1

Standardized2

Rationalised3

Dynamic4

ITIL Integrated5

Assets are basically

uncontrolled

Assets are controlled

with manual

processes

Assets are actively

controlled but not

fully centralised

Asset management

fully automated and

centralised

Asset management

integrated with ITIL

No policies

No SAM owners or

accountability

No electronic records

available

No technology

Limited policies

Senior execs informal

Some electronic

records

Low coverage and

inaccurate technology

Published policies

Senior exec responsive

Various electronic

formats

Partial centralised

technology

Enforced policies

Senior exec highly

involved

Single electronic

format

Technology has full

coverage and is

trusted

Integrated policies

Senior exec

accountable

SAM integrated with

Config. MGMT

Technology fully

integrated

Source: Microsoft

Maturity Model (SOM) - KPIs

Example maturity results

0

1

2

3

4

5Organization

SAM Plan

Inventory

Inventory %

Licenses

Compliance

Operations

Acquisition

Deployment

Retirement

0

1

2

3

4

5Organization

SAM Plan

Inventory

Inventory %

Licenses

Compliance

Operations

Acquisition

Deployment

Retirement

0

1

2

3

4

5Organization

SAM Plan

Inventory

Inventory %

Licenses

Compliance

Operations

Acquisition

Deployment

Retirement

0

1

2

3

4

5Organization

SAM Plan

Inventory

Inventory %

Licenses

Compliance

Operations

Acquisition

Deployment

Retirement

HW Outsourced Small company

Small companyBlue chip

Typical company - SAM journey

SAM initiatives

• Centralised procurement

• Processes improved

• Variety of records

• Compliance mitigation

Potential Under Licensing (RISK)

40% 10%20% 5%

SAM plan

• Centralised data

• Documented processes

• Defined roles

• Discovery technology

Measured SAM plan

• KPIs, SLAs

• User satisfaction

• Process efficiency

• SAM technology

Department Corporate Operational

2016 20172015 2018 2019

1

Basic

Uncontrolled

2

Standardised

Manual

3

Rationalised

Not centralised

4

Dynamic

Automated

Centralised

5

Integrated

Shared processes

with ITIL V3

?%

Integration

• People

• Processes

• ITSM /SAM technology

Expense Valued service

SAM Side Effects

• Know where every computing device is

• Understand its hardware / software configuration

• Can reduce the cost and time of changes

– Provisioning, transformation, projects

• Re-use hardware and software assets

• Raise commercial awareness within IT teams

• Easier negotiations with vendors and auditors

Moving Forward

SAM relies on information management

• Hardware assets and build

• Software installed

• Deployment methods

• Licences and commercial contracts

• Roles and responsibilities

• Work flow processes

Plus you have other factors!

Culture, legacy, organisational barriers

Collecting Information

Typical lifecycle with

inconsistent records and

poor workflow

Improved lifecycle using service management (and

workflow) with consistent record collection

discovery

Reports

Request

approval

procure

Deploy

In use

repair

Old stock

retire

Goods in

New Stock

Lifecycle

Act. Dir.

logs

?

Co

mp

lia

nce

User CI

Request

approval

procure

Deploy

In use

repair

Old stock

retire

Goods in

Ticket

Change

manage

ment

request

fulfillmentNew Stock

Change

manage

ment

Incident

manage

ment

Update with application

Asset CIStart asset CI

Add ser. No.

Status = stock

Status = deployed

Status = retired

Status = defective

Status = in progress

Status = old stock

Lifecycle Service

ManagementLibraries

discovery

Verification

Co

mplia

nce

Reports

Compliance

reportscatalogue

Deve

lop

ment

Release

Deploy

In-use

Problem

Incident

Retire

Cha

nge

Asset record verification

License compliance

Asset Identification

SW asset inventorySW asset control

(libraries)

Acknowledgement ISO/IEC

SW SWHW HW

CMS

Contracts

DSL

Request (self

service)

Approve

Procure

Goods in

Pay

Which processes or technology are you missing?Item Status

Software catalogue ?

Self service

Procurement Y

Hardware estate ?

Contracts Y

Licence data ?

DSL N

Discovery data N

Incident/problem

Change/configuration Y

Release

Verification N

Compliance recognition ?

Compliance - up/down

grades

Workflow

Deployment methods ?

Processes and Technology Map

Acknowledgement ISO/IEC

What does a particular toolset do?

License compliance

In-use

Deve

lop

ment

Release

Deploy

Retire

Cha

nge

Asset record verification

Asset Identification

SW asset inventorySW asset control

(libraries)

SW SWHW

CMS

Contracts

DSL

Request (self

service)

Approve

Procure

Goods in

Pay

Incident

Problem

HW

Recognition

on

Upgrade/downgrade

Processes and Technology Map

Small companies

• Single decision point

• Out of the box integrated technology

Larger companies

• Project based decisions

• Siloed teams with individual best of breed

technologies and toolsets

• Use of partners / outsourcers

Small or Large Companies

To Summarise

• SAM is continuous, not a one off

• Implementing SAM gives many benefits to projects and operations processes

• Management support is vital

• Communicate the assessment to all

• Give feedback on quick wins

• Measure progress and communicate success

• Avoid the embarrassment of corporate action