Compliance Automation Software
For any organization, the effective management of software licenses across the enterprise is essential. It reduces the risk of unauthorized usage, facilitates cost savings and ensures compliance with licensing regulations. To maximize the benefits of a licensed software, organizations must seek to master licensure compliance management. Herein, we explore a few key steps to creating an efficient and rigorous software license compliance management strategy.
Establish Internal Licensing Property Management
Creating a system of internal licensing property management is a must for organizations handling multiple software licenses. This system should track the use of all company-owned licenses and software products. It should involve centralizing responsibility for the collection and management of software licensing records and also integrating that process into existing purchasing and financial systems. This creates an efficient and economical system that allows companies to accurately gain insight into the usage of their software products and keep track of any agreements associated with software licenses.
Strategically Evaluate Software Licenses
Organizations should be mindful of the users, applications and processes related to their software licenses and take note of any updates that may require additional licensing. Keeping up-to-date with any updates and new releases of the software products is essential to maintaining compliance and reducing risk. Taking into account the desired time frame of the business while also understanding any legal constraints is equally as important. By strategically evaluating the software licenses and its associated agreements, organizations can adjust or extend their licenses as needed to accommodate their business model and stay compliant.
Ensure Compliance with Audits
Periodic software license audits are the best method of maintaining compliance across an organization and are a great preventative for potential audits initiated by the manufacturer. To reap the most benefit from audits, organizations should be completely transparent and provide all documentation that is requested. They should document every audit to create a log, noting outcomes and thus providing prompts for follow-up measures. Leveraging the data acquired through these audits, organizations can identify areas for improvement and use this insight to update their licensing property management systems accordingly.
Foster Open Dialogue On Licensing
Organizations should foster an open dialogue with their teams regarding the regulations and policies of their software license agreements. The end-users of the software are the ones using it and they, in turn, should be aware of all available licenses and compliance requirements in order to ensure they are using software correctly and accordingly. This open dialogue will ensure teams are better equipped to tackle any emerging challenges and there is an open bidding process when it comes to negotiation and pricing.
Software license compliance is essential for any organization to reduce risks, maintain cost-efficiency and drive enforcement of licensing regulations. Establishing an internal licensing management system, evaluating the licenses strategically, ensuring compliance with audits and fostering an open dialogue on licensing laws can help organizations achieve software license compliance across their enterprise.
