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Callan Bond
ServiceNow Employee
ServiceNow Employee

You've Worked Through Your SAM Implementation. Now What?

The benefits delivered by a successful SAM and HAM implementation are numerous and varied: better software and hardware spend management, readiness for audits, reduced manual tracking effort, a better customer experience... the list goes on. Getting there involves a good amount of both technical and process effort, but staying there isn't guaranteed. Ensuring you have the right people, with the right skills, doing the right things, will allow you to keep getting all of those benefits for years to come.

Following are some guidelines around building out your SAM and HAM support teams. The video below also summarizes these points, and a pdf of the presentation used in the video is attached to this article.

Roles

There are various roles used to support the process and technical aspects of Software and Hardware Management. We have the following three roles suggested, although there are many ways to bundle job responsibilities.

Software Asset Management System Administrator

This technical role is responsible for keeping up the maintenance of the SAM product within the ServiceNow platform. They typically have a technical ServiceNow background as a platform administrator (and perhaps more specialized knowledge such as Discovery), and need to learn about software asset management process to perform their function well. However, it may be the case they come from a SAM background and are interested in broadening their technical skillset by assuming this role.

This role works very closely with the Software Asset Manager (below), on a daily or near-daily basis. They would be involved in typical administrative functions such as reviewing any errors in the system, daily logs on software imports, and looking at patch and release notes and working with the platform team during upgrades. They also are involved closely with the Software Asset Manager during software audits, and work closely with the rest of the ServiceNow administrative team including configuration management, Discovery, ITSM, and HAM.

In some smaller organizations, the Software Asset Management System Administrator, and the next role we discuss, the Software Asset Manager, may be the same person wearing two hats. Although it can vary depending on the size and complexity of the organization, we typically see 0.3 - 0.5 FTE (full-time employees) allocated to this role.

Software Asset Manager

This role is the process-oriented counterpart to the SAM System Administrator described above. The Software Asset Manager maintains SAM processes including procurement integration and approvals, software normalization, and reclamation policies. They are heavily involved with software audits, partnering with vendor management (if the function exists in the organization), and the SAM System Administrator. 

The Software Asset Manager also interfaces with many department leads frequently in regards to software budgeting and partnering with those departments to look at ways to manage software spend. They are often heavily involved with IAITAM and will look to build industry qualifications and attend various training courses where possible. The FTE count can vary depending on organization size and maturity, but typically ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 FTE. As mentioned above, depending on the organization this role and the SAM System Administrator role may be the same person.

Hardware Asset Manager

Here we do not break the Hardware Asset Manager into two roles as we have for software, however it is certainly possible to do so. Often, desktop or other teams have many staff (whether in-house or outsourced) which in part perform hardware asset management functions, which can include hardware asset lifecycle activities such as deployments and disposal. Ensuring these individual activities are properly updated in ServiceNow is critical and will be a part of the Hardware Asset Manager's responsibilities, and part of managing the entire hardeare lifecycle from procurement to disposition. 

 
The Hardware Asset Manager typically is familiar with SCCM and CMDB population, and if they have (or are able to gain) a background of ServiceNow Discovery it can be quite an 'asset'. Like the Software Asset Manager, they are involved with cost center owners in budgeting and looking for ways to manage cost. They can often also be involved heavily with IAITAM and should look for industry-specific training and accreditations. Typically there are 0.5 – 1.5 FTE for Hardware Asset Managers depending on size of organization and SAM maturity.

Recommended Skills and Training

Following are skills that are useful when looking to recruit the various roles, whether internally or externally.

Software Asset Management System Administrator

Skills

  • 2+ years experience as a ServiceNow System Administrator or similar responsibility
  • Integration experience including but not limited to SCCM or other software discovery tools
  • Experience in ServiceNow Orchestration and Performance Analytics
  • Relevant IT Architecture experience
  • ServiceNow System Administrator training
  • Experience in Java, JavaScript, Web Services, AJAX, XML
  • Understanding and experience with agile software development methodologies (e.g. Scrum)
  • Experience in implementing ServiceNow processes and functions
  • Web applications, networks, protocols and email (SMTP, POP3)
  • Working knowledge of relational databases

Training

Software Asset Manager

Training

  • Experience interpreting licensing terms and conditions
  • IT asset management and discovery tools experience
  • Facilitate business needs on selected products to ensure that maintenance, support and upgrade protection renewals are managed/handled/ordered in advance of their expiration
  • Experience in business process management
  • Experience in interpreting and designing complex workflows
  • Experience in reconciling software license positions

Training

Hardware Asset Manager

  • ServiceNow System Administrator training
  • Experience in implementing ServiceNow processes and functions
  • Knowledge of Hardware Asset lifecycle from request to disposal
  • Knowledge of inventory process and controls including asset tagging and data cleansing
  • Experience interpreting licensing terms and conditions
  • Ability to work with customers regarding budget implications of hardware asset lifecycle and management
  • IT asset management and discovery tools experience
  • Facilitate business needs on selected products to ensure that maintenance, support and upgrade protection renewals are managed/handled/ordered in advance of their expiration

Training

Support Tasks

There are a number of tasks that occur on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Watch the embedded video for more details on a product-by-product basis, but some samples across all products are:

Daily

  • Resolve unmatched or partially normalized software installations
  • Create and/or maintain software and hardware asset information, including Software Models, Discovery Models, Software Contracts and Software Entitlements defined within the scope of their area.
  • Review of previous nights Discovery schedules for diagnosable errors
  • Work with Discovery team on any errors related to discovery of software packages
  • Review any error logs, if applicable, from other data integrations (Procurement etc.)
  • Approve software reclamation and removal requests
  • Approve / coordinate requests for non-standard software
  • Analyze and review opportunities for SAM process improvements

 Weekly

  • Reconciliation and remediation of non-compliant software
  • Collect and retain software asset data for risk and cost assessments
  • Analyze software usage reports and establishing removal rules for infrequently used software
  • Review any Incidents or Changes to detect any trends, possibilities to leverage Problem management
  • Reviewing of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) on new hardware deployment for onboards / reclamation of hardware for offboards
  • Preparation of trend reporting on SLAs and discussion with both staff and key stakeholders on any issues or under-performance
  • Review of disposed assets to ensure they are properly removed from the system

Monthly

  • Meet with peers across the enterprise to review major Incidents or planned feature updates that impact other areas
  • Prepare for any known upcoming audits
  • Review any requests for enhanced feature functionality and prioritize accordingly
  • Ensure disposal regulations are met, disposal properly executed, and documentation maintained so that organizational data are secure, disposition choices are monitored and evaluated, software harvested, and disposition vendors audited
  • Review opportunities for software and product standardization
  • Review and identify cost saving measures such as:
    • Eliminating purchases through redeployment and automated software clawbacks
    • Canceling redundant maintenance agreements
    • Identifying under-utilized assets
  • Increasing negotiation power with vendors

Yearly

  • Review of new version release notes
  • Identify and document changes to SAM or HAM functionality to help Process Owner understand impact (positive/negative) to implementation
  • Discuss with stakeholders (platform teams, cost center owners) upcoming upgrades or new functionality
  • Review and plan new communication plans to increase employee awareness of IT Asset Management and Hardware and Software
  • Review SAM and HAM Maturity Journey with your ServiceNow representative (your AE or appropriate contact)
  • Work with ServiceNow and the community
  • Participate with other Software Asset Managers in the community forums
  • Participate in local user groups and Knowledge events to expand ITOM knowledge and network