A global healthcare organisation with more than 100,000 employees worldwide commissioned an independent SAM maturity assessment to validate its Software Asset Management strategy, governance framework, and operational processes.

Having invested significantly in developing its SAM capabilities, the organisation wanted independent assurance that its approach aligned with recognised industry standards and ISO 19770-1 guidance. The objective was not only to assess current maturity levels but also to identify any opportunities for further improvement and support the continued evolution of the programme.

The Challenges

TThe organisation had already established a mature Software Asset Management function and required an objective assessment of its effectiveness against industry best practice. Key objectives included:

• Validating the effectiveness of its SAM strategy and operating model.
• Assessing alignment with recognised industry standards and ISO 19770-1 guidance.
• Evaluating existing governance, policies, and operational processes.
• Reviewing data management controls and technology effectiveness.
• Identifying any gaps or opportunities for improvement.
• Providing independent assurance to support the continued rollout of the SAM programme.

The challenge was not to build a SAM programme from the ground up, but to verify that an already advanced implementation continued to meet the highest standards of governance, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

The Solution

IITAA conducted a comprehensive SAM maturity assessment, reviewing the organisation’s strategy, governance framework, policies, operational processes, data management practices, and supporting technologies against industry best practice and ISO 19770-1 requirements. The engagement included:

• Review of SAM strategy and governance.
• Assessment of policy and process maturity.
• Evaluation of operational controls and data management practices.
• Review of technology effectiveness and supporting tooling.
• Benchmarking against industry standards and ISO 19770-1 guidance.
• Analysis of programme strengths, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Development of a detailed findings and recommendations report.

Following the assessment, ITAA delivered a comprehensive report outlining the analysis performed, maturity findings, and practical recommendations to support the ongoing development of the SAM programme.

The Results

The assessment confirmed that the organisation had developed one of the most mature and well-structured SAM programmes encountered by ITAA.

The clearly defined strategy, governance framework, and operational implementation demonstrated strong alignment with ISO 19770-1 guidance and recognised industry best practice. The review found that the organisation had established a thorough understanding of Software Asset Management and had successfully embedded effective processes across the business.

Rather than identifying significant gaps, the assessment highlighted only minor opportunities for improvement, primarily focused on maintaining up-to-date policy and process documentation, strengthening document referencing practices, and ensuring governance records remained current.

The engagement provided independent validation of the organisation’s SAM strategy and gave stakeholders confidence that the continued rollout of the programme would deliver the expected business benefits.

For organisations seeking confidence in their SAM strategy, independent benchmarking can help validate existing capabilities and identify opportunities for improvement. ITAA’s Software Asset Management services support organisations at every stage of their SAM journey.

*Protecting our clients’ confidence is of the utmost importance at ITAA. While our case studies are based on true projects, we have used fictitious names and removed or changed other identifiable details.