Software spend doesn’t need to go up to support growth. It needs to get smarter. That starts with turning your software inventory into a source of truth.
In engineering-intensive organizations, software inventory is both foundational and flawed. It tells you what’s deployed—but not what’s being used. And when licenses for tools like CATIA, Ansys, Siemens NX, Teamcenter, and Autodesk Cloud cost tens of thousands of dollars per user, that gap in visibility isn’t just inconvenient—it’s expensive and wasteful.
Your engineering software inventory may look complete. But without software usage tracking, it’s impossible to know how much value those licenses actually deliver. What you don’t see may be costing you more than you realize.
Why Software Inventory Alone Isn’t Enough
An automated software inventory system tells you what’s deployed and assigned. That’s helpful—but it doesn’t tell you if engineers are actually using those licenses, or how often. It doesn’t tell you if high-value modules are being touched at all. And it definitely doesn’t tell you if you’re overpaying for entitlements no one’s touching.
For example:
- A named-user license for a PLM or CAE tool might be assigned but never activated in months.
- A token pool might hit thresholds—even though many assigned users haven’t logged in all quarter.
- Advanced simulation solvers may be sitting idle while other users queue for access elsewhere.
You can’t optimize what you can’t see. And if your software inventory lacks usage context, you’re running blind.
Quantifying the Risk: The Financial Impact of Invisible Waste
According to industry research, mid-sized and large organizations waste, on average, 48% of their software spend. That’s over $235,000 per year, per company—and it doesn’t include the opportunity cost of delays, overbuying, or noncompliance risks.
In engineering organizations, these losses often scale higher:
- Annual license fees per user can reach tens of thousands of dollars
- Complex licensing models (token, concurrent, feature-tiered) add uncertainty
- Software demand fluctuates based on project phases, geographies, and team structures
What does this look like in real terms?
- Idle software inflates your software inventory, tying up budget that could go elsewhere
- License queues and denials slow down engineers even when capacity exists
- True-ups and penalties from failed software inventory audits
- Redundant tools that should have been phased out during application rationalization
What Causes This Disconnect?
Most teams don’t lack effort—they lack visibility.
- Procurement teams buy based on worst-case assumptions
- IT teams maintain inventories, but lack insight into consumption
- Engineers request tools without knowing what’s underused elsewhere
- Tools are added faster than they’re removed or optimized
The disconnect often stems from over-reliance on automated software inventory platforms that don’t provide usage intelligence. These tools check boxes for deployment reporting but offer no view into actual behavior.
Without granular, time-based software usage tracking, you don’t know if your current license position makes sense—or if you’re throwing money at a problem you don’t have.
What You Should Be Tracking
Integrating usage telemetry into your software inventory changes the game. It enables smarter procurement, supports internal chargeback, accelerates decision-making, and ensures license models match actual need.
1. Session patterns
Understand how long licenses are used, how often, and when peak demand occurs.
2. Feature- and module-level usage
Track which modules are being used—and which are ignored. This is critical in PLM, CAD, and CAE suites with tiered licensing.
3. Denials and access queues
Identify bottlenecks that cause productivity loss despite underutilized capacity elsewhere.
4. Dormant users
Spot assigned licenses that haven’t been activated in weeks or months.
5. Geographic and project-level usage patterns
Correlate license demand to project lifecycle, location, or engineering discipline.
To achieve this, you need a software license management solution that connects usage metrics with entitlements across both on-prem and cloud-based systems. Open iT delivers precisely this level of insight.
What Effective Software Usage Tracking Unlocks
Open iT helps engineering organizations take control of their software inventory by adding the missing layer: USAGE DATA.
One customer, a multinational oil company, reduced software costs by $1.3 million in just 18 months using Open iT solutions. Instead of relying on install counts or assumed usage, they tracked actual consumption and optimized their license pool accordingly.
That’s the power of accurate, time-based software usage tracking. It eliminates waste, enables smarter license distribution, and supports long-term application rationalization across the business.
See What Your Software Inventory Has Been Hiding
You’ve already invested in your engineering software. Now it’s time to make sure you’re getting full value.
Open iT transforms your software inventory from a static list into a dynamic, actionable asset—built on real usage insight.
Get in touch with Open iT and see what your software inventory has been hiding—and take back control.
