SAM solutions - complete order in IT infrastructure

The farther we go into the 21st century, the more intense the growth processes of the information field and technical infrastructure become. If literally 5-7 years ago, many tasks in companies were solved in the old fashioned way, and even large organizations could come across “granary books”, today automation has penetrated into all areas: from personnel service to production department. As soon as a decision is made to automate any process (choice of CRM, corporate portal, workflow system, billing system or integrated automation solution), even a quick glance at the search engine and access to specialized sites causes panic. And this is natural: along with the problem of choice, a number of issues arise, without which automation will be reduced to the most terrible finale - software developed for serious money will become non-functioning ballast, and the processes will remain beyond automation.

Who does not risk, that ...

... doing the right thing. Corporate business is not the best place for risks. And they necessarily arise during the implementation of any software. Here is just a small list of risks faced by businesses at any level.

• Before implementation, there is no internal audit of business processes and no needs are collected. This risk entails many problems, one of which is the selection of completely inappropriate software chosen either by the opinion of a narrow number of employees or under the pressure of the manufacturer’s marketing activity.
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• The physical infrastructure does not match the technical requirements of software solutions. Simply put, not every computer and server can correctly work with modern business solutions. Buying expensive "hardware" in this case is not a panacea, since it is possible to save a lot, for example, by deploying part of the corporate infrastructure in the cloud.
  
  
• Employee sabotage is, paradoxically, an extremely common and dangerous risk. After the deployment of infrastructure, especially in the absence of training or lack of internal expertise, employees can simply ignore the work with the system, especially if it is not vital for the company (such as billing). And if this was not carried out a complete transition from the old platform and / or data is replicated on two systems - consider everything, the majority will work in the usual old interface.
  
  
• The greed of top managers. It is not a secret for anybody that the system of kickbacks is flourishing in Russia - the manager’s shares for guaranteeing completion of the transaction. It is extremely difficult to get around this situation, so it’s worthwhile to turn to external independent expertise to avoid making a biased decision.
  
  
• The risk of prolonged introduction in time. Self-implementation can take a lot of time. There are many peak times when there are strong delays:
  
  - the stage of collecting requirements and creating technical specifications - non-professional work negates the attempts of technical specialists to create a unified document. In addition, there is always a certain misunderstanding between specialists due to the nature of the activity.
  - the stage of adaptation of technical specialists to the new IT infrastructure.
  - the stage of training, at which both the center of expertise and the initial knowledge about the implemented software of employees are simultaneously formed.
  
  
• The presence of the need to refine and adapt software for specific business needs. This risk forms either a rejection of a certain functionality or throws a project almost to the starting stage, resuming the whole chain of problems.

As you can see, even basic risks can paralyze the work of a company and level any achievements in building an IT infrastructure. And if we take into account industry, qualification and legal risks, the situation can absolutely get out of control.

Not yourself, but SAM

The described risks are easy to avoid if you turn to professionals whose main task is not just software implementation, but also integrated management of the company's IT assets. Recently, the trend of using SAM (Software Asset Management) is becoming more and more popular - a comprehensive service for managing software assets of a company over almost the entire life cycle: from selection to management and the end of the need for selected software. This is a safe, independent profile service that is provided by experts from a third-party organization (for example, Softline) and is aimed at solving customer problems as soon as possible.

Why choose SAM?

• Independence will ensure the purity and adequacy of the software management process.
  
  
• Specialists are thoroughly familiar with the legislation and types of software licensing, so they will approach the solution of the problem not only as financiers, managers and engineers, but also as lawyers. A good lawyer who understands IT is a rarity, but controversial issues, especially in licensing matters, are sufficient.
  
  
• A detailed calculation of the cost of software, taking into account the existing non-trivial features and product expertise, will allow you to accurately plan your budget and avoid unpleasant additional costs that pop up during the course of the project.
  
  
• An official audit is able to identify the most subtle and imperceptible problems that at first glance do not play any role, but in fact are the root of a number of problems.
  
  
• Accurate instructions of professionals will allow you to collect all the necessary information as accurately and quickly as possible, taking into account all the nuances of interaction.
  

Thus, the start of the SAM implementation project and further use of this type of management will undoubtedly bring positive results - you will save time, money and nerves and in return will receive an effective independent team ready to solve your problems and at the same time treat the IT infrastructure professionally.

Let's get acquainted closer. SAM project structure

As with any process, software management processes include several interrelated components, each of which is aimed at achieving a professional result and is designed to facilitate the work with the company's software assets.

• The choice of inventory tools. Experts of the Softline company implementing SAM projects own a large arsenal of technical tools and will help you choose the best inventory tool taking into account the peculiarities of your business. And if you already have tools that can be used for inventory (for example, Microsoft System Center), then we will use them with maximum efficiency.
  
  
• Inventory. Many problems cannot be identified by looking from the inside, and in the course of the inventory the task is to independently assess the customer's IT infrastructure from the outside. A thorough analysis of the software on user PCs, servers, as well as the relationship between them, is conducted, and the client receives a report on the results of the study.
  
  
• Certification. If desired, the customer can receive documentary evidence of the work done and certificates of various levels based on the results of the project.
  
  
• Legal analysis. The purchased and used licenses are compared, a full legal risk analysis is conducted on the basis of contractual documents. Many treaties have nuances and pitfalls that you should pay special attention to or even abandon possibly legally “toxic” solutions. In addition, with the help of experts you can solve the issues of registration of copyright on internal software development. Sometimes these risks cost much more than others, for example, technical ones.
  
  
• Organization of management of existing assets. It is not enough to put things in order in the software once, you need to make sure that it persists after the project. To do this, Softline specialists study software asset management processes — the entire software life cycle in an organization, from making a purchasing decision to writing off. they review internal regulations, procedures and instructions related to software and suggest ways to improve. A Softline employee also implements technical tools to support SAM processes to minimize the so-called human factor and prevent errors in software management.
  
  
• SAM and IT consulting. Often in SAM projects, Softline advises the client on the development of IT infrastructure. If during the study of infrastructure, experts find the possibility of optimizing and reducing costs, the business owner is informed about it, as well as possible pros and cons. Often, SAM projects extend beyond analyzing only software assets, for example, it is required to solve the tasks of providing, supporting and managing IT services or developing an IT strategy.
  

All these stages are aimed at the comprehensive coverage of the entire information technology infrastructure of the company and the optimization of existing processes.

Why do SAM like business owners and IT professionals?

Understanding of the current need for software licenses and rational use of licenses. Often, many software licenses in a company are idle, because employees use programs from time to time, or use only in the office, with 90% of working time “in the fields”. This problem is solved with the help of special solutions, for example, the acquisition of a competitive license (by connection), which allows you to use the program together, separated in time, but safely. In addition, the expert will help to orient among the mass of vendors' offers and choose the best option.

Accurate competent pricing. None of the full-time technical director, let alone the system administrator, can calculate the exact cost of the project, taking into account the stocks and special offers of vendors. As well as the financial director will not cope with the choice of software. The expert will be able to combine this knowledge and provide the most profitable reasonable calculation.

Documentary evidence of licensed purity. Especially important point in the framework of modern legislation and regular inspections.

Consulting on IT strategy and the rationale for software implementation. Experts help select software based on real needs and business opportunities. Sometimes the need for automation seems not obvious, but the introduction of specialized software frees up valuable resources.

Employee control. The SAM system provides for a comprehensive analysis of employees' workstations in order to avoid irrational and inappropriate use of working time, as well as technical resources of the company.

To SAM up!

SAM relatively recently appeared in Russia and already had time to acquire myths, such as: it is not safe, such a project is easy to implement with the help of its employees, after all, it is long and difficult. Our task is not to dispel myths, but to prove the effectiveness of projects with our work, but it is worth saying that:

• first, any leaks of information about the software are excluded; all agreements are secured by a non-disclosure agreement that ensures confidentiality;
  
  
• secondly, the SAM expert combines the skills in the technical, licensing and legal industries and considers the problem in a comprehensive manner, avoiding neglect of certain aspects;
  
  
• Finally, the standardization of all project approaches ensures the simplicity and transparency of the process. SAM Softline specialists know the price of time and shorten the project implementation time as much as possible.
  

In general, we told you about the capabilities of SAM. We are sure that this is a productive strategy that will bring obvious benefits to any business. Softline is actively working with SAM-projects and we have accumulated considerable experience, which gives the right to speak with full confidence about the effectiveness of SAM implementation in almost any business that cares about process transparency and IT-security. And safe automation and efficient software management will allow you to focus more on your core business and ultimately increase your profits.

You can learn more about SAM (solutions, implemented projects, and so on) on the Softline website.

Thanks for attention!