Step 1: Perform a Software Inventory

Performing a software inventory is the fist step in understanding your software assets. When you’ve inventoried all of your company’s PCs, combine the information into one master report. This report will be instrumental in the next step of SAM and as a reference for all SAM work moving forward.

Step 2: Match Software to Licenses

Now that you know which software titles are installed on your company’s PCs, it’s time to match the software with the licensing documentation. Before you begin, it is important to understand what documentation you need as evidence of licensing for each type of software your company owns. Once you have collected all of your company’s license documentation, record the information in a report. Then compare this report to the software inventory report you prepared in SAM Step 1. You could even use the same summary report used in Step 1 for this comparison. It should be easy to see where your company is over-licensed and/or under-licensed.

Software Installed			Total Licenses Owned	License Excess or Deficiency
Product Name	Version	Total Installations
Office	XP	14	12	-2
Office	2000	12	12	0
Windows	XP	12	10	-2
Windows	2000	37	40	+3

If your company is over-licensed, software assets are going to waste. The software may be installed on additional PCs until the number of licenses equals the number of installs.

If your company is under-licensed now is the time to acquire additional licenses through an authorized Microsoft software reseller.

Step 3: Review the Policies and Procedures

Establishing and following good policies and procedures for software use and license acquisition is an important part of the entire software asset management process. It’s important that your company have the following policies and procedure in place. If you already have these documents, now is a good time to review and update them as necessary.

• Software Acquisition Policy
• New Software Check-in
• Software Use Policy
• Software Disaster Recovery Plan

Step 4: Develop a SAM Plan

The final step in the SAM process is to create a plan of action to use moving forward. This animated tutorial covers the details of this step.

Before moving forward you may want to perform the following tasks:

• Standardize software titles so employees all have the same versions
• Centralize software purchasing to keep it under control and organized
• Retire obsolete workstations and software
• Create a software inventory database or spreadsheet to keep track of software licenses

Then review the following information and tips so your company can gain the most benefit from your SAM efforts.

• Analyze software needs
• Software Training
• Reduce Support Costs
• Keep software safe
• Create a Software and Hardware Map
• Inventory Schedule

 

For more information please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sam/default.mspx