Why SAM-iQ? 2 SAM-iQ Specification 3 SAM-iQ Online Tools 4 The Four Distinct Phases 6 SAM-iQ Portal 7 SAM-iQ Assessments 8 The SAM Maturity Assessment 8 The Gap Analysis 10 The Program Tracker 11 Resource Manager 12 Main Dashboard 13 Joint Goals Joint Success 14
Crayon has assisted thousands of organisations globally in delivering SAM services and we understand the challenges that internal IT teams face when trying to implement and maintain a set of ongoing SAM processes. The SAM-iQ Program guides organisations through the initial planning and implementation phases, into a 'business as usual' activity that provides ongoing maintenance and optimisation. Many of the organisations we work with have common business goals and objectives that the SAM-iQ Program directly addresses, such as: Benchmarking their current SAM maturity levels. Implementing better governance through policies and processes. Gaining visibility of their current software usage. Effectively managing their licenses. Understanding their current software requirements and planning for future software needs. Understanding the impact of technology deployment as it transitions from physical to virtual, or from on premise to hosted or Cloud. Mitigating risk of vendor audit and unexpected/unbudgeted cost. Driving cost savings.
The SAM-iQ Specification was developed by our team of industry experts, who conducted market research within our customer base to identify the key challenges they face in relation to SAM and IT optimisation. The result - a world class, industry-recognised approach to achieving and realising the benefits that SAM can bring to an organisation. organisations seeking to manage their hardware and software assets effectively. The SAM-iQ Specification covers the following key areas: Proposing management objectives for SAM. Overseeing the development of the SAM plan. Ensuring all parts of the organisation are covered by the overall SAM program owner or/and local SAM program owners. Acquiring and training the resources for implementing the approved SAM plan. Delivering results against the SAM plan. Large or small, global or local, we have helped thousands of organisations worldwide to develop their SAM knowledge and maturity and this approach has undoubtedly enabled many of them to achieve strategic business goals and objectives. The SAM-iQ Specification encapsulates many years of industry experience and knowledge gained by its authors and collaborators, through working closely with Ensuring that all SAM stakeholders fulfil their responsibilities. Adopting and implementing necessary controls and the automation of processes. Maintaining accurate records of software and related hardware assets. Financial management and budgeting process. Identifying the need for and implementing improvements.
The SAM-iQ Portal provides access to an organisation s SAM status and gives a dynamic view of the improved levels of maturity as they progress through the program. SAM-iQ Program customers also receive access to a host of essential online tools, templates and guidance documents that assist all of the SAM stakeholders in achieving their SAM objectives. The SAM-iQ Dynamic Dashboard updates the improvements on an organisation s SAM maturity as they work seamlessly towards achieving their SAM goals. The SAM-iQ Maturity Assessment measures an organisation s current SAM status and presents a detailed plan of action for improving levels of maturity. The results of the Maturity Assessment will identify the risks and the rewards in the form of a detailed report. This report will form the basis of the SAM plan for the organisation.
The SAM-iQ Gap Analysis measures an organisation s current state against the SAM-iQ Program specification and maps out a series of tasks that will need implementing to meet the specification. The Gap Analysis conducted by a SAM-iQ specialist, involves all stakeholders across the organisation scope and will produce results, that when presented to the relevant personnel, will enable the allocation of responsibility and ownership. The SAM-iQ Program Tracker enables organisations to track their progress throughout each phase and measure it against their overall objectives and KPIs. The Program Tracker monitors the SAM teams progress as they move towards completion of each predefined set of objectives and tasks. The SAM-iQ Resource Manager provides access to around 30 SAM guidance documents, templates and training videos available to download and use to support an organisation through their SAM planning, implementation, maintenance and optimisation.
The Planning Phase is primarily concerned with setting the correct environment for SAM and involves assessing and managing the current maturity levels and risk, whilst also defining the ownership, the scope, the roles and responsibilities and the approval of the overall management objectives. The Implementation Phase focuses on ensuring the SAM plan and all of the necessary tools and processes of the SAM-iQ framework are in place and are ready to be maintained and optimised. The Maintenance Phase focuses on maintaining the implemented SAM system and ensures that regular reviews are in place to validate that the program is delivering the expected outcomes, paving the way for the process of continuous improvement. The Optimisation Phase continues with the improvement of the SAM processes, driving operational efficiencies and tangible benefits such as: Calculating cost savings through renegotiated contracts and agreements. Cost avoidance by re-harvesting and redeployment of existing licenses. Improved efficiencies by gaining a better understanding of current hardware and software assets. Accuracy of budgeted software spend against actual software spend. Efficiency of producing accurate compliance reports to satisfy external and internal audit requirements.
The portal provides a window through which you can see your maturity levels, compare your current state to your previous state, track your progress, download the resources to help you manage your program tasks and measure the KPIs allocated to the SAM team.
Self perception Software policies and processes SAM system and tools License handling Purchase and logistics Compliance Controlling software assets
Crayon will recommend a set of improvements to the current state and present the results of the analysis and the recommendations in a detailed report, in order to: Show how an organisation compares to the average scores generated from assessments from over a hundred other businesses. Define short term immediate actions that provide quick wins. Design a longer term SAM strategy to enable an organisation to increase maturity, mitigate risk, implement the necessary governance and optimise the IT estate resulting in reduced costs.
Bronze certification stage Silver certification stage Gold Stage 1 certification This is specifically for SAM-iQ customers looking to understand their current position and plan the most optimum way to progress through the various phases of the program. The program is split into four distinct phases: Gold certification stage Platinum certification stage Your SAM Consultant or Program Specialist can support and guide through the certification process if required. Phase 1 Planning Phase Phase 2 Implementation Phase Phase 3 Maintenance Phase 4 Optimisation (Note: see page 6 to read more about the four phases) For organisations who want to certify against the program specification, there are also 5 certification stages, each with a specific assessment criteria.
The status of the tasks allocated to your designated users are updated and displayed in the dashboard, enabling the SAM Managers to follow their progress and measure performance against a set of defined KPIs. The Program Tracker also maps to the Gap Analysis tool, providing clear guidance on how to close any identified gaps.
The documents and videos available to download will provide assistance and guidance as an organisation embarks on its SAM journey. Crayon will periodically add resources to this area to provide either new content or simply updates to the existing content. The downloadable content will include templates and guidance documents covering areas such as SAM policies, SAM lifecycle processes, SAM governance, how to conduct a SAM baseline, guidance on how to plan for Cloud migration, plus many more. The documents are available in either Word, PDF or Visio format.
SAM owners/managers and other relevant stakeholders will be able to view their progress at any time and therefore will always be prepared to provide status updates and reports to line managers or senior sponsors.
Crayon takes care of the hazards and makes the complicated simple, allowing our customers to focus on their business, instead of worrying about their technology. Make your way, the Crayon way.