Software Asset Management (SAM): A Comprehensive Guide

Software is used by every part of a business, from specialized engineering programs and SaaS subscriptions to productivity suites and tools for working together. Companies struggle to accurately predict software budgets, often fail to follow rules during audits, and overspend on licenses they don’t use due to a lack of effective governance. Software asset management, or SAM, is the process of getting the most out of software while keeping vendor agreements. ServiceNow’s SAM solution is built on its AI platform and makes license management easier, gives you more visibility, and automates tasks. This article is a complete guide for businesses on how to manage their software assets in ServiceNow.

What is Software Asset Management (SAM)?

Software asset management is the set of tools and processes used to keep an eye on, control, and get the most out of software licenses, subscriptions, and rights over time. ServiceNow says that SAM is a way to automate the software lifecycle, cut costs, and manage risk all from one place. SAM includes keeping track of contracts and renewals, making sure that all software is up to date, making sure that all rules are followed, and making sure that all software is used to its fullest potential.

Why is SAM Important for an Organisation?

• Cost control and savings: Money is wasted on underutilized or unused licenses. SAM tools reduce spending by identifying unused software and enabling license reharvesting.
  
  
• Audit readiness: Software vendors conduct routine audits of their clients to ensure license compliance. SAM lowers the possibility of severe fines and guarantees accurate records.
  
  
• Security and risk management: Untracked software can introduce vulnerabilities. IT teams can patch systems and remove unsupported apps more easily when they know exactly what is installed.
  
  
• Strategic planning: SAM offers information for predicting software requirements, coordinating investments with corporate objectives, and negotiating vendor agreements.
  
  
• Integration with ITAM: SAM is a component of IT Asset Management, which offers a comprehensive picture of all technology assets by enhancing hardware management.

Core Components of Software Asset Management

ServiceNow compiles essential SAM features and applications into scalable packages.

Core components include:

• Now Assist for Software Asset Management: Saves time by using AI agents to generate publisher compliance summaries.
  
  
• Software Asset Management Playbooks: Offer detailed instructions for accomplishing software management tasks.
  
  
• Software Asset Workspace: A dashboard that centrally displays alerts, suggested activities, and actionable insights.
  
  
• Content Library and Machine Learning: The content library achieves high normalization rates right out of the box by utilizing machine learning.
  
  
• Publisher Packs:  Pre-built configurations for major vendors to optimize positions and review license compliance.
  
  
• SaaS License Management: Utilizes insights and actionable data to manage SaaS usage and costs.
  
  
• Restricted Software Lists: Unauthorized personal software is flagged for removal by restricted software lists.
  
  
• Bring Your Own License: This permits the use of pre-existing perpetual licenses in public cloud settings.
  
  
• Remediation Options: Revocations and reassignments of licenses are automated.
  
  
• Engineering License Manager: Tracks usage and optimizes engineering and specialty app licenses.
  
  
• Software Spend Detection: Identifies IT expenditures by product, vendor, cost center, location, and personnel.
  
  
• Software Asset Connections: Installed software data from any existing discovery tool is integrated through Software Asset Connections.
  
  
• HR Asset Onboarding: Software allocations during employee onboarding are automated by HR Asset Onboarding.
  
  
• Software Exposure Assessment: Uses automated processes to find and fix vulnerabilities.
  
  
• FedRAMP Certification and MSP Support: Offers managed service providers assistance and compliance.
  
  
• Performance Analytics and Automated Entitlements: Provides real-time analytics and imports procurement data automatically.
  
  
• Executive Dashboard and Contract Management: Supervision of cloud, software, and hardware technologies with directed renewal activities.
  
  
• License and Cloud Cost Simulator: The License and Cloud Cost Simulator calculates the price of transferring on-premises resources to the cloud.
  
  

Software Asset Management Lifecycle

1. Discovery and inventory: Utilize tools for inventory and discovery to find all installed software in cloud, virtual, and physical environments.
   
   
2. Normalization: Use machine learning and a content library to standardize software names and versions.
   
   
3. License reconciliation: To find over- or under-licensed products, compare installed software with entitlements.
   
   
4. Optimization: Right-size subscriptions, combine vendors, and reharvest unused licenses.
   
   
5. Procurement and contract management: Use SAM insights to negotiate contracts and handle renewals; publisher packs make complicated vendors easier to understand.
   
   
6. Ongoing compliance and auditing: Keep correct records and automate corrective actions to get ready for vendor audits.
   
   

Benefits of Implementing Software Asset Management

ServiceNow enumerates several benefits:

• Simplify with one platform: Use digital workflows and automation to manage and streamline software assets on a single architecture.
  
  
• Reduce costs: By getting rid of shadow IT, cutting down on overlapping subscriptions, and making the most of license usage, you can save money on software and cloud expenses.
  
  
• Mitigate license risk: Reduce license risk by integrating SAM into the IT change process to identify unlicensed deployments and safeguard the company.
  
  
• Automate IT: Use custom workflows across the HR, procurement, security, GRC, and app teams to automate IT and save time.
  
  
• Built on the ServiceNow AI Platform: SAM, which is based on the ServiceNow AI Platform, makes asset tracking easier for the entire company by utilizing AI and other platform features.
  
  
• Single data model: Give the company a single data source and get rid of information silos.
  
  
• Workflow automation and actionable insights: Automation of workflows and useful insights Create, track, and improve no-code processes; give stakeholders information to help them make better choices.
  
  
• Security and compliance: Data security and regulatory compliance are given top priority on the platform.
  
  
• Certified integrations: SAM makes data collection across systems easier by integrating with SSO solutions and third-party productivity tools.
  
  

Relationship Between SAM and IT Asset Management (ITAM)

An essential part of ITAM is SAM. Hardware, software, cloud, and mobile assets are all included in ITAM. Organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of all technology assets by integrating SAM and HAM on the same platform, which facilitates improved governance and decision-making. By eliminating duplication and inconsistency, ServiceNow’s unified data model and AI platform guarantee that data moves between SAM and HAM with ease.

Common Challenges in Software Asset Management

• Complex licensing models: Vendors provide complex metrics, such as consumption tiers, named users, and core counts. Both automation and experience are necessary for accurate reconciliation.
  
  
• Shadow IT: Workers use credit cards to pay for SaaS subscriptions. Costs and risks increase in the absence of central oversight.
  
  
• Data quality issues: Inaccurate or missing installation or usage data may result in improper licensing positions.
  
  
• Integration with procurement and finance: In order to properly manage contracts and budgets, SAM needs to establish connections with financial records and purchasing systems.
  
  
• Cultural resistance: Departments may be reluctant to relinquish unused licenses due to cultural resistance. Clear policies and executive support are crucial.
  
  

Best Practices for Effective Software Asset Management

1. Establish policies and ownership: Define who is in charge of SAM procedures, what metrics to monitor, and how to respond to audit results.
   
   
2. Automate discovery and normalization: To keep an accurate inventory, use machine learning and discovery tools.
   
   
3. Integrate with HR and IT workflows: Assign licenses automatically both during onboarding and offboarding.
   
   
4. Use analytics to drive decisions: To bargain for better terms, use license optimization reports and publisher packs.
   
   
5. Engage vendors proactively – Use publisher packs and license optimisation reports to negotiate better terms.
   
   
6. Align with security and risk teams – Ensure SAM contributes to vulnerability management and compliance.
   
   

How to Choose the Right Software Asset Management Solution

When evaluating SAM tools, consider:

• Platform integration: Does the solution work with the cloud management, HR, procurement, and ITSM tools you currently have? ServiceNow’s SAM seamlessly integrates with ITSM, HRSD, and HAM by operating on the same AI platform.
  
  
• Content library and normalization: Search for a tool that offers both machine learning-driven normalization and a comprehensive library of software titles.
  
  
• Automation and AI: Determine if the solution provides workflow automation and AI-powered insights (Now Assist and predictive analytics).
  
  
• Vendor support and certifications: Verify that the vendor provides integrations with key discovery tools, publisher packs, and compliance certifications (like FedRAMP).
  
  
• Scalability and pricing: Select a solution that offers clear pricing (per device, per user, or enterprise license) and grows with your company.

Simplify Software Assets Management with DevTools

As a ServiceNow Partner, DevTools helps organizations implement and maximize ServiceNow SAM. We deliver end-to-end Software Asset Management (SAM) solutions designed to maximize value and reduce risk.

The first step in developing a comprehensive SAM strategy is conducting an audit of your existing software assets, license agreements, and expenditures. Following this, we will link with your current discovery tools like SCCM, JAMF, or Okta, import entitlement data, and configure the ServiceNow SAM module. We will standardize and reconcile your data using the ServiceNow content library and machine learning. This will help you find opportunities for cost efficiency and compliance.

We take it a step further by automating license reharvesting, renewals, and remediation using SAM playbooks and Now Assist features. This will relieve your staff of tedious, repeated activities. We also provide specialized training for your finance, procurement, IT, and security teams so they can handle processes with assurance and make good use of dashboards to get insights in real time.

In addition, SAM is never “set and forget.” We constantly monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cost per user and usage rates. This allows us to tailor your program to meet the changing needs of your organization and guarantee that your software investments are always being maximized.

Conclusion

Software asset management is now a strategic necessity for cost control, risk reduction, and digital transformation; it is no longer an option. ServiceNow’s SAM solution streamlines the complicated world of software licensing by combining AI, analytics, and automated workflows. By integrating SAM with DevTools, your company can maximize expenditures, maintain compliance, and obtain complete insight into software usage. A contemporary SAM program will safeguard your company and enable more intelligent decision-making as software models continue to change with SaaS and consumption-based licensing.

FAQs

What is Software Asset Management (SAM)?
SAM is the process of controlling costs and maintaining compliance while managing and optimizing software licenses, subscriptions, and entitlements over their whole lifecycle.

What does software asset management do?
SAM assists businesses with software installation discovery, title normalization, license reconciliation, usage optimization, contract management, and renewal automation.

What is the importance of software asset management (SAM)?
SAM lowers expenses, lowers license risk, guarantees audit readiness, improves security, and supplies information for strategic planning.

Is SAM part of ITSM?
IT Asset Management (ITAM) includes SAM. SAM has its own set of workflows, analytics, and compliance tasks, but it integrates with ITSM to support change and incident processes.

What is the difference between software asset management and license management?
Monitoring entitlements and compliance are the main goals of license management. Throughout the software lifecycle, SAM includes license management as well as discovery, optimization, contract management, spend analytics, risk management, and automation.