The engineering visibility gap in Software Asset Management (SAM) tools has become a growing challenge for organizations seeking to optimize high-value engineering and simulation software. Most enterprises today rely on SAM platforms such as ServiceNow SAM Pro, Snow License Manager, or Flexera One to manage software assets, maintain compliance, and control overall software spend. These systems provide a solid foundation for license governance, lifecycle management, and audit readiness.
Yet, as comprehensive as these SAM platforms are, engineering and R&D environments often present unique visibility requirements. Specialized technical applications used for design, modeling, and simulation generate complex license data that extends beyond the reach of conventional SAM reporting. This engineering visibility gap limits how effectively organizations can analyze usage, plan capacity, and identify opportunities for optimization.
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Understanding the Engineering Visibility Gap
Engineering applications such as ANSYS, MATLAB, Siemens NX, or Autodesk products operate under specialized licensing models, including floating, token-based, or cloud-managed licenses that behave differently from traditional desktop or SaaS applications.
- Licenses are shared dynamically across teams and time zones.
- Usage is session-based and influenced by simulation of workloads.
- Data originates from vendor-specific license managers rather than centralized IT sources.
Standard SAM systems are designed primarily for enterprise applications with predictable usage patterns. As a result, engineering license activity can appear as a black box within broader SAM dashboards. Organizations may know what licenses they own and whether they are compliant, but not how effectively those licenses are being used.
Without this layer of insight, it becomes difficult to align license inventory with real engineering demand or to identify where true efficiency gains can be made.
LEARN MORE: Want to bridge the gap between raw engineering-usage data and strategic decision-making? Watch our webinar: From Data to Decisions: License Usage Analytics for Engineering Teams — it dives into how teams use detailed license metrics (from tools like LicenseAnalyzer) to optimise usage and align with business goals. Here’s your invitation.
Open iT | Webinar On-Demand
From Data to Decisions: License Usage Analytics for Engineering Teams
Extending SAM with Engineering License Efficiency
Open iT helps organizations extend the value of existing SAM platforms by providing granular visibility into engineering software usage. It does not replace systems like ServiceNow, Snow, or Flexera—it enhances them.
Through direct integrations, Open iT collects detailed usage metrics from engineering license managers and feeds that intelligence into existing SAM frameworks. This creates a unified view where IT, procurement, and engineering teams can make decisions based on accurate utilization data.
With engineering license efficiency analytics, organizations can:
- Quantify idle or underutilized licenses with precision
- Visualize engineering workload trends to plan capacity more effectively
- Align procurement and renewal strategies with verified usage data
- Integrate engineering insights into SAM dashboards to improve overall visibility and ROI
This approach allows enterprises to continue leveraging the strengths of their SAM platforms—such as governance, compliance, and lifecycle management—while enriching them with engineering-specific intelligence.
Real Results That Close the Engineering Visibility Gap
Across industries, organizations have achieved measurable gains by using Open iT to close the engineering visibility gap and optimize high-value software assets.
A global energy company used Open iT to monitor and analyze license utilization across thousands of simulation tools, uncovering significant idle capacity. By reallocating unused licenses and aligning access with real project demand, they saved millions in software costs without adding new licenses.
Aibel applied Open iT analytics to balance license availability and project timelines. Through data-driven optimization, Aibel reduced license denials, improved global collaboration, and ensured engineers always had access to the tools they needed.
At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Open iT enhanced transparency and reporting across complex engineering applications. Real-time visibility into actual usage supported more efficient planning and ensured mission-critical software remained available when it mattered most.
These results show how Open iT goes beyond compliance monitoring to deliver the insight organizations need to make informed, cost-efficient decisions. For companies already managing software compliance through SAM platforms like ServiceNow, Snow, or Flexera, Open iT adds the missing layer of engineering visibility that turns compliance data into operational efficiency.
Turning Visibility into Value
Modern SAM programs succeed when they combine compliance control with operational intelligence. By closing the engineering visibility gap, Open iT empowers organizations to:
- Gain transparency across specialized engineering tools
- Optimize license distribution to match project demands
- Strengthen collaboration between IT and engineering teams
- Maximize ROI from existing software investments
Open iT extends the reach of SAM platforms into the engineering domain—where efficiency, performance, and precision matter most.
Start your visibility journey today! Schedule a consultation or request a free demo with Open iT.
Discover How Open iT Brings Full Visibility to Engineering Licenses.
