Whilst this transformation has positively impacted many businesses and their end users, it does present a risk for effective asset management, raising questions such as..

  • What devices do I have deployed?
  • How are they being used?
  • Are they secure?
  • Is software installed and used in line with vendor use terms?

During the pandemic, software auditors were extremely quiet, potentially recognising the challenges that organisations were facing and not wanting to add to them. Now that we are in a more settled position, we have started to see an increase in activity from the Business Software Alliance (BSA), with audit requests being presented for Adobe and Microsoft. So, we want to ask, ‘Are you audit ready?’, and help you to prepare and mitigate the risk.

It’s not just the impact of the pandemic that may be leading to an increase in audit activity. According to Gartner, 70% of mid to large organisations will face a software vendor audit each year. There are some key triggers for an audit that you may not be aware of, these include:

  • Mergers, acquisitions or divestitures
  • Changes in management (key personnel)
  • Changes in purchasing behaviour (dramatically downsizing your estate)
  • Increase or decrease in workforce (Starters/Movers/Leavers)
  • New working practices (hybrid/remote working)
  • Previous audit/engagement
Did you know?
  • The Business Software Alliance (BSA) have a program dedicated to the reporting of unlicensed software - even offering monetary reward for reports of software piracy.
  • The industry has seen an increase in requests for support from customers receiving ‘self-audit’ requests.
  • Fines are excessive – these are typically 3 times the full retail price of an ‘unbundled’ title. This does not include any associated legal costs for recovery of infringement.

 

 Top Tips 
  • Housekeeping – maintain clear records on inventory, licenses and usage
  • Maintain dialogue – keep in contact with your vendor account manager
  • Look out for triggers – key business changes such as drastic changes (drop) in software spend, mergers & acquisitions, working practices (hybrid working).
  • Act swiftly – if faced with a request for self-audit, don’t delay. Reach out for help if needed, but time is of the essence.

Of course, having a mature SAM process will help to make you less attractive for a software vendor audit too. If you can demonstrate SAM maturity, the appetite from vendors to audit your business is drastically reduced as there is little value for them.

How can Bechtle help? 

With the help of our partner, EasySAM, we are keen to support our customers and ensure that, in the event of a BSA audit request, you are positioned to respond swiftly and confidently as well as making sure that you reduce any associated risks to the business. Our audit assessment includes a full inventory of your selected software vendors; a breakdown of the entitlement; an effective license position, and suggestions on how to optimise your software provision. This is a great opportunity for return-on-investment potential as well as an important diligence exercise. Click on the link below to learn more about our Audit Readiness Assessment and to book a discussion.

Book an Audit Readiness Assessment