Process handling : A study for optimizing the processes for sourcing IT and managing software licenses

Abstract: During a six-month period, the author has studied, observed and analyzed the situation within Skanska ITN, headquartered in Haga Norra, Sweden. Licenses and supplier relationships and management of these are areas Skanska ITN, which delivers and manages IT services and products to Skanska AB, would like to have investigated and analyzed. The problem reveals itself in the current situation because there is no process for managing software asset management (SAM), i.e. management of licenses and software. There are significant savings to be made when it comes to managing licenses and dealing with suppliers. The purpose of this paper is to identify the processes in dealing with the sourcing of licenses, products and services related to IT and to propose a suitable recommendation that can be adopted by Skanska ITN and the SAM processes. During the study the author found several factors such as lack of responsibility and a defined purpose of the SAM process, which had been defined by the global IT department (GSU IT). These were affecting the parties involved and their work tasks regarding sourcing and purchasing licenses.   Three suggestions for improvements and implementations have been presented and these are: Connect the SAM and purchase relationship with IT roadmaps and Enterprise Architecthure (EA) Initiate a common platform as a forum for sharing documents and agreements which can be stored and managed by the SM3 model Examine and analyze the licenses and agreements within the current situation. To be able to perform this a common policy and purpose must be defined for a SAM tool.