Top Tips for Managing Business Software Licenses
From office suites to programs for billing and payroll, businesses rely extensively on software. Properly licensing all applications to maintain compliance and maximize value from investments takes considerable effort, though. Between license keys, terms that differ across vendors, user provisioning, and renewal dates, it turns into a big hassle for IT administrators, but implementing license management best practices makes the vital task more manageable.
Maintain a Central License Repository
The first step IT administrators must take is to build out and maintain a centralized repository documenting all software licenses. This provides one source documenting vendors, applications, allowed numbers of installations or users, license keys and renewal timeframes across the organization. Storing in a secure database or credential manager system simplifies access for admins while keeping tracking updated. Some platforms like Microsoft 365 provide robust license management portals to leverage, with documentation on subscriptions and usage.
Standardize Agreements
Another tip is to negotiate standardized terms and pricing when licensing agreements come up for renewal, which simplifies keeping track of varying vendor agreements. Elements to standardize include:
- Number of installs or users per license
- Length of agreements
- Notification period on renewals
- License mobility rights
- Service-level agreements for support
Identify your top vendors by spend and aim to align terms first. This consistency aids administrators monitoring a range of license agreements.
Automate Processes
Licensing software should not consume tons of manual overhead for IT teams. Many platforms like Microsoft 365 enable administrators to fully automate license assignments and revocation. Integrations with existing directory services and automatic de-provisioning when employees leave the company simplify maintenance. Automated reports provide license reconciliation showing deployments against existing inventory. Set calendar reminders on renewals and notifications when nearing license limits. Removing manual efforts around routine licensing tasks lets administrators focus on more strategic initiatives.
Control Access
Put controls in place regulating who can access and deploy software licenses across the organization. Limit rights to specific individuals and implement a ticketing process for license requests, which prevents departments or employees from installing unauthorized software or handing out licenses without oversight. Define and communicate standardized policies on permitted apps and usage guidelines. According to the good folk over at Opkalla, Microsoft 365 license support resources provide templates covering access governance all companies should adopt.
Regularly Reconcile
While automating aspects of license management, administrators need to regularly reconcile as well. Actively check deployments versus license agreements to validate compliance and scan networks for any unauthorized installations or excess usage. Review the list of current applications against business activities to determine if certain software warrants elimination. Analytics tools and dashboards built into some centralized licensing platforms facilitate reconciliation. Performing regular oversight into license positions limits non-compliance penalties and helps right-size investments.
Outsource Support
Even with license management best practices, software oversight still demands considerable time and effort. For small IT teams or fast-growing businesses, working with a managed service provider (MSP) presents another option. The MSP takes over administration like assigning user rights, tracking renewals and reconciling licenses. They monitor compliance and spend while maximizing usage of investments. Depending on business needs, completely outsourcing oversight to specialists or just getting help to tackle challenges boosts productivity.
Conclusion
Licensing all the software central to operations stands as a critical but often painful responsibility for companies. Following tips like centralizing documentation, setting access policies and regularly reconciling deployments eases the administrative burden. Automating management processes also helps. Standardization, consolidation and outsourcing support provide additional tactics on the journey towards licensing maturity. Keeping software licenses compliant and optimized enables employees to focus on core jobs and ensures technologies fully support business goals.