How Accurate Was Snow Software on their Optimizer for SAP?

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Executive Summary

Snow Software covers topics related to SAP indirect access and how to minimize the ongoing SAP licensing overhead. In this article, we evaluate Snow’s article for accuracy.

Introduction

In this article, we will focus on Snow Software’s media output on SAP indirect access.

SNOW OPTIMIZER FOR SAP SOFTWARE AT A GLANCE

“View consolidated usage data across all SAP systems
Automate SAP user license administration
Identify and trace indirect usage
Centrally manage contracts and addendums
Contain HANA license costs
Optimize BusinessObjects licensing
Install and manage within the SAP environment (SAP certified)”

This is interesting in that it shows licensing for HANA and BusinessObjects. Curiously, it is called out separately.

INVENTORY & ANALYZE SAP USAGE TO ELIMINATE WASTED SPEND

“Snow Optimizer for SAP Software provides deep-dive analysis into transactional and individual usage data, identifying opportunities to reduce costs and liabilities by eliminating duplicate users and unused licenses. The solution can automatically recommend ‘best-fit’ license types based on user behavior, making it easy to switch from expensive licenses to cheaper ones where appropriate. Automatic monitoring frees up SAP administrators to focus on core duties and ensures information is always up-to-date in case of an audit or review. Contract Management and compliance reports can provide guidance and insight as well as help achieve savings through better negotiations with vendors.”

This is what SAM software for SAP provides users. SAM software should allow companies to “right-size” their licenses.

INDIRECT USAGE

Through this functionality, Snow Optimizer for SAP Software provides comprehensive data about Indirect Usage which enables the organization to significantly reduce financial exposure and to highlight risk in the future.

Another critical reason for SAM software is indirect usage. Indirect usage from SAP comes quickly, so it is essential to have SAM software already installed.

MINIMIZE ONGOING SAP LICENSE ADMINISTRATION OVERHEADS

“Snow Optimizer for SAP Software maintains up-to-date details on all SAP license allocations, giving SAP administrators the ability to adjust license types and distribution on-the-fly. Automated rule sets quickly align individual users with the correct license in the correct system based on their activities.

Alerts can be triggered when the organization nears license limits under current contracts or specific activity restrictions. Pre-defined rules help organizations prevent actions that would incur unexpected or unacceptable costs.”

The concept of SAM software is that it is continuously used to provide an accurate picture of usage versus the customer’s licensing. Alerts are beneficial in keeping logic working in the background to tell the customer when a change occurs.

AVOID MISTAKES WITH ‘WHAT IF’ PLANNING

“Snow Optimizer for SAP Software can be used to test a variety of “what-if” scenarios that enable the organization to model how changing the deployed license types would affect SAP licensing and support costs. Scenarios can be played out in the solution without making any changes on the live system until the organization is happy with the results, avoiding potentially costly licensing mistakes.”

What if planning has quite a lot of uses. For instance, knowing what the costs will be when making changes to the software and using the software that is planned.

References

https://www.snowsoftware.com/int/products/snow-optimizer-sapr-software