By Darren Balakrishnan,
In many organizations, various IT systems have been implemented in isolation. These systems are really individual pieces of the business ecosystem. How do we make it all work together? Let’s use the following scenario to illustrate the process. Greg needs new software for his project. The entire process of fulfilling his need can be automated through workflow management, which integrates all of the various systems in the enterprise.
Software Request Workflow:
- Greg makes his software request from the Application Store.
- This request goes through an approval process.
- As part of the approval process, the Software Asset Management (SAM) tool is queried to see if there are available licenses to fulfill his request.
- If a license is not available for his software, a purchase request is created in the Procurement system.
- Once the license has been procured or it has been determined that a license is available, his request is sent to the application deployment (configuration management) system to install it for Greg.
- The Software Asset Management system is updated to reflect the allocation of the license to the user/device/etc., and the license consumption count is incremented.
In addition, we can monitor Greg’s and other users’ application usage and optimize software utilization by reharvesting and re-allocating licenses for unused or under-utilized applications.
For example:
- If Greg has not used the software in the past 60 days, we can confirm that he does not need the software anymore
- Remove his software assignment in the application deployment system
- De-allocate his license in the Software Asset Management repository
- Software Asset Management system updated to reflect available licenses for this application
The workflow management system can also be used, of course, to automate this software license reharvesting process to ensure that organizations maximize the use of their software assets. Workflow management helps organizations automate and optimize the Software Asset Management lifecycle and improve operational efficiency.
