Overview
Software Asset Management (SAM) is a set of business practices and strategies for optimally managing acquisition, usage, and lifecycle maintenance of software across an organization. SAM enables organizations to create an accurate system of record for all software assets that can be maintained in real time. The goal of SAM is to:
SAM is one component of a broader set of practices known as IT Asset Management (ITAM). SAM focuses on managing software, while ITAM encompasses management of an organization’s entire IT environment.
Why Businesses Need SAM
Businesses spend considerable time and resources to manage software assets; this process is often done manually in spreadsheets and requires use of multiple inventory and discovery tools. The firm Enterprise Management Associates published a 2018 white paper that found:
Organizations are buying more and more software to support their business environment. Spending on software can easily eclipse 20% of IT budgets, according to ServiceNow. The research firm Gartner has estimated that spending on enterprise software will grow at 8.6% per year through 2020, with growth of SaaS (Software as a Service) estimated at a whopping 19.3%.
At the same time, Gartner has estimated that only 25% of businesses will be satisfied with the value they’re deriving from their software assets by 2020, primarily because they have not created proper alignment between the assets and their pre-purchase expectations for these assets.
A 2016 Gartner study found that organizations can cut spending on software assets by as much as 30% by implementing the following SAM best practices:
Why Businesses Choose ServiceNow for SAM
ServiceNow’s SAM platform provides a single system of record upon which to identify opportunities to reduce costs, eliminate duplication of resources, improve compliance, mitigate security risks, and drive standardization. SAM also is nested with the greater ServiceNow ecosystem, allowing it to integrate optimally with:
Businesses across all industries have reported achieving significant efficiencies using ServiceNow SAM:
Where SAM Is Headed
Businesses’ growing need to manage the lifecycle of software assets and ensure compliance readiness will drive the growth of the SAM market in the coming years. The analyst firms MarketsandMarkets, Research and Markets, and ReportLinker have all estimated that software asset management is expected to grow into a $2.3 billion industry by 2022, at a compound annual growth rate of 14.8%.
ServiceNow Products
Businesses that use ServiceNow are able to rapidly achieve improved self-service capabilities for all users (both employees and customers) and elevated efficiencies in service operations.
ITSM
Information Technology Service Management
ServiceNow IT Service Management (ITSM) helps you accelerate your digital transformation by enabling services for your end-users wherever they are, whenever they need it, and from any device they have.
ITBM
Information Technology Business Management
Information Technology Business Management (ITBM) is a set of workflows and tools for optimally developing, delivering, and managing business services through an IT-focused lens.
CSM
Customer Service Management
Customer Service Management (CSM) is a set of workflows and tools for optimally overseeing and tracking all interactions with a business’s customers with the goal to comprehensively manage the customer experience (CX).
ITOM
Information Technology Operations Management
IT Operations Management (ITOM) is a set of services, processes, and best practices for optimizing the availability, efficiency, and performance of an organization’s IT operations. Through IT Operations Management, the organization reduces infrastructure spending, improves utilization of existing resources, and reduces risks due to human error.
ITAM
Information Technology Asset Management
Information Technology Asset Management (ITAM) is a set of business practices and tools for optimally supporting lifecycle management of IT assets with the goal of ITAM helping organizations manage their hardware and software inventory more effectively.
HRSD
Human Resource Service Delivery
HR Service Delivery (HRSD), also known as HR Service Delivery, is a best-practices approach for automating and standardizing HR processes within your organization that enables organizations to provide engaging, holistic HR services to employees.
THE BUSINESS CASE FOR SERVICENOW
Begin your custom ServiceNow
Business Case
According to Forrester Consulting’s 2017 The Total Economic Impact of ServiceNow report, ServiceNow customers benefit from a 20% increase in IT productivity and enjoy, on average, a 195% ROI and payback in less than nine months.
While Forrester provides numerous benefits and statistics quantifying ServiceNow’s ROI, businesses should also develop a customized business case for their own organization. Crossfuze can create a detailed ServiceNow business case for any qualified organization that requests one.
Additional Resources
PILLAR SERIES
10 Pillars of ServiceNow Success for CIOs
Unlock the secrets of platform success from over 500 ServiceNow implementations by reading the 10 Pillars of ServiceNow Success for CIOs eBook. Join the hundreds of readers who have used these tips to quickly and strategically align their ServiceNow investment with business outcomes.
RESOURCE
Must-read Resources While Evaluating ServiceNow
Are you considering investing in the ServiceNow platform for your organization? Or have you recently invested in the ServiceNow platform and want to make sure you get the most from your investment? Put away your search engine of choice, because we’ve done all the research for you. Here’s a handy list of resources to help you learn more about ServiceNow.
BLOG
ITSM vs. ITIL: What’s the Difference Between ITIL & ITSM?
In the IT world, it’s assumed you understand the difference between the terms ITSM and ITIL. However, not everyone uses these ITSM and ITIL correctly; some even use ITSM and ITIL interchangeably, which magnifies everyone’s confusion.
CASE STUDY
ServiceNow Success Story: Gary Collins, Finastra
Gary Collins shares his experience working with Crossfuze on launching Smart Launch for ServiceNow ITSM in this informative video. Onboarding ServiceNow has never been so easy since Smart Launch for ITSM. With Finastra’s ITSM success, Gary and his team are now working with Crossfuze on the next stage of their ServiceNow roadmap.
BLOG
3 Reasons Why Modernizing IT Service Management Will Improve Employee Engagement and Experiences
Operational efficiency impacts the bottom line of every organization. When employees are faced with IT issues, the most common way to a resolution is to march into the IT office and find help.
EBOOK
ServiceNow Onboarding Success Workbook
This highly interactive workbook will position you for early and often platform wins. Dive in and start building your ServiceNow foundation for success using the workbook’s advice, tips, and dynamic forms. Capture your goals, strategies, and tactics all in one spot. Collaborate and share with colleagues.
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