In today's IT world, businesses need to implement Software Asset Management (SAM) effectively to stay compliant, maintain control, and make smart decisions about software use and costs. However, ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM) is an effective solution enabling these organizations to overcome these challenges. In other words, ServiceNow SAM allows for improving the overall control over software assets, reducing potential risks, and optimizing the usage of resources. In this blog post, we will examine the features of ServiceNow SAM in terms of software compliance and visibility to learn how it works to tackle several problems with software inventory management.

What is Software Asset Management

SAM is a software business practice covering procurement, deployment, management, and usage of all software in a business entity. With SAM, organizations look forward to cutting costs regarding software, enhancing the efficiency of IT, and conforming to the licensing terms. Efficient SAM entails the proper management of software throughout its life cycle: acquisition, deployment, upgrade, current and future use, and disposal; that is, its correspondence to the organizational and vendor requirements.

We found out that ServiceNow SAM is a one-box solution for software asset management that allows for the organization of inventory, management of licenses, and compliance. In this way, ServiceNow SAM Portal makes the SAM process more efficient. It saves time for organizations to get a better understanding of their software assets and usage, as well as to be compliant with licensing terms.

Additionally, the software inventory management feature within ServiceNow SAM provides a centralized view of all software assets, helping organizations track and manage their software usage more effectively. This ensures that companies avoid over-purchasing or under-utilizing software licenses, leading to better cost management and compliance.

Also, read about IT Managers: Master Software Licenses with ServiceNow SAM.

Challenges in Software Inventory Management

Implementing and managing software inventory presents some difficulties in front of organizations, basically in the field of compliance and control. These challenges include:

  • Lack of Visibility: There is usually an inventory challenge that makes organizations fail to update an accurate record of the total software installed and in use; this leads to problems of compliance. According to a study by Flexera, 32% of software purchased by companies goes unused, highlighting the need for better visibility in software usage.
  • Complex Licensing Agreements: Licensing is a difficult issue in most software systems, and it gets even more complicated when the vendors of such software systems engage themselves. This complexity raises the chances of non-compliance, thus increasing the risk of penalties. As of 2027, Gartner, Inc. projects that 50% of enterprise apps will be located outside of centralized public cloud sites.
  • Manual Processes: Conventional types of SAM Portal involve repeated keying-in of data, which minimizes accuracy and effectiveness and minimizes compliance risks. These manual processes eventually lead to problematic, sharply inaccurate, and unsustainably outdated software inventories.
  • Shadow IT: Shadow IT, or the use of unauthorized software applications, is an excellent threat to organizations left unchecked; shadow ITs result in non-compliance and security breaches and incur additional expenses. McAfee has conducted research and found that most employees use unauthorized SaaS applications in their workplace, 80% to be precise.




How ServiceNow SAM Enhances Compliance & Visibility

Through ServiceNow SAM, it becomes easy to manage software assets well, comply, and have proper visibility. It provides a tool for the management and tracking of software assets and licenses, hence making sure that organizations have adequate information on a single software.

Discovery and normalization make it easier for computers to find and categorize software assets, making them easier to maintain and with fewer incidents of incorrect database entries. ServiceNow Software Asset Management avoids the consumption of licenses that are unnecessarily underutilized and offers the most logical price levels.

Proactive Monitoring and Compliance

ServiceNow SAM helps organizations proactively monitor software usage and compliance, minimizing the risk of non-compliance and related penalties. Key features include:

  • Real-Time Compliance Monitoring: This feature provides continuous tracking of software usage and licensing compliance, allowing organizations to identify and address issues before they escalate.
  • Automated Compliance Alerts: The platform sends automated alerts for potential compliance issues and recommends corrective actions, enabling prompt gap resolution.
  • Audit Readiness: ServiceNow Software Asset Management ensures software inventories are accurate and up to date, generating audit-ready reports that streamline the audit process and reduce the effort needed for vendor audits.

Also, read about ServiceNow SAM: Navigating its Implementation Pitfalls.

Integration with Security Operations

ServiceNow SAM integrates seamlessly with security operations to enhance organizational security by providing visibility into software assets and usage. This visibility helps identify and mitigate security risks associated with unauthorized software and shadow IT. By integrating with vulnerability management tools, SAM Portal proactively addresses security vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of breaches.

The platform also supports incident response, enabling effective identification and management of security incidents. Additionally, ServiceNow SAM leverages threat intelligence to detect and respond to security threats, strengthening the organization's ability to manage risks associated with unauthorized software applications.

Enhancing Risk Management with ServiceNow SAM

SAM Portal supports risk assessment and management strategies by providing organizations with the tools and insights needed to identify and mitigate software-related risks. Key features that support risk assessment and management include

  • Risk Assessment Tools: ServiceNow Software Asset Management offers risk assessment tools that enable organizations to identify and evaluate software-related risks. These tools provide insights into software usage, compliance, and security, helping organizations prioritize risk mitigation efforts.
  • Risk Mitigation Strategies: The platform supports risk mitigation strategies by providing recommendations for optimizing software usage, enhancing compliance, and reducing security risks. These recommendations enable organizations to implement effective risk management strategies and reduce the overall risk profile.
  • Continuous Improvement: ServiceNow SAM supports continuous improvement by providing organizations with insights and recommendations for optimizing software usage and compliance. The platform enables organizations to implement best practices and continuously improve their SAM processes.

    According to a recent McKinsey poll, the top three risks that CROs were most concerned about were reputational damage, customer injury, and direct financial effects. Roughly 30% of the responding CROs identified each of these issues as their top concern.


Continuous Improvement and Best Practices

ServiceNow SAM enhances software asset management by providing insights and recommendations to optimize software usage and compliance. Essential best practices for continuous improvement include:

  • Regular Software Audits: Conduct frequent audits to ensure software inventories are accurate, helping identify compliance gaps and optimize usage.
  • License Optimization: Identify and manage unused or underutilized licenses, recommending cost-effective options to reduce costs and ensure compliance.
  • Employee Training and Awareness: Educate employees on SAM's importance and the risks of unauthorized software to mitigate shadow IT threats.
  • Implementing SAM Best Practices: Adopt best practices to optimize software usage, enhance compliance, and reduce security risks.

Conclusion

ServiceNow SAM plays a vital role in managing software compliance and visibility by providing organizations with a comprehensive platform to track and control software assets. By enhancing compliance and visibility, ServiceNow SAM enables organizations to optimize software usage, reduce costs, and mitigate risks associated with non-compliance and unauthorized software applications.

As organizations continue to face challenges in managing software inventory, inMorphis, a ServiceNow-invested company, provides the tools and insights needed to address these challenges and ensure effective software asset management. By implementing best practices and leveraging the capabilities of ServiceNow SAM, organizations can achieve continuous improvement and maintain compliance in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

inMorphis, a certified ServiceNow partner, can help you implement and optimize ServiceNow SAM for your specific needs. Contact inMorphis today to learn more and start your journey towards more competent software management.