Software license servers report usage at the feature level, while organizations buy entitlements at the package or feature set level. That mismatch prevents teams from seeing the true usage of their purchased license packages and their needs going forward.
Engineering software from Ansys, AspenTech, Dassault, Autodesk, and other vendors powers design, modeling, simulation, and analysis. These applications often represent some of the highest per-seat costs in an IT budget. They also come with complex licensing structures that make cost management challenging. Feature-to-featureset mapping has become essential for engineering software license management because it ties real activity to the packages organizations actually purchase. Unlike most license metering tools, Open iT’s solution can provide the detailed mapping and metering of software license usage to bring full insights to organizations to assist in determining the most effective license position.
Open iT’s feature-to-featureset mapping converts raw feature checkouts into accurate, entitlement-level insights. It supports forecasting, cost optimization, and stronger commercial decisions. It also gives engineering, IT, procurement, and finance teams the data needed to manage rising software spend with control and confidence.
DEMO: See Your True Entitlement Usage
Why Raw Feature Data Fails Engineering Teams
Engineering vendors sell bundled packages, but license servers report isolated feature codes. The two rarely align. Entitlements appear as recognizable bundles such as CFD Enterprise, Aspen HYSYS, or Mechanical Pro. License activity appears only as technical feature strings with no link to friendly named package definitions or cost tiers.
Without mapping and normalization, organizations cannot determine:
• Which package was actually consumed;
• Which capabilities drove peak demand;
• Whether high-tier licenses were used unnecessarily;
• Whether entitlements can be shifted without increasing cost.
Feature-level data does not provide commercial context and with vendors like Ansys, there is a many to many ratio. As software costs rise, the lack of alignment between usage and entitlements leads to conservative buying, inflated renewals, and limited negotiating leverage.
See feature-to-featureset mapping in action. Watch the on-demand webinar “Mapping the Way to Efficiency: How Feature-to-Feature Set Mapping Unlocks Value” to learn how feature-level checkouts are translated into entitlement-level insights for clearer reporting, cost control, and stronger commercial decisions. Here’s your invitation to watch the recording.
Open iT | Webinar On-Demand
Mapping the Way to Efficiency: How Feature-to-Feature Set Mapping Unlocks Value
Feature-to-Featureset Mapping: Why It Matters
Open iT’s Feature-to-featureset mapping aligns usage with purchased entitlements, showing precisely how engineering teams consume licensed packages. Instead of isolated feature activity, teams see full package consumption, cost tier usage, and cascading behavior.
This capability reveals:
- True package demand
- How many software licenses are needed at 95 percent and 99 percent service levels
- Where usage spikes justify additional investment
- Where packages are over-purchased or underutilized
- How entitlements should be rebalanced for the next contract cycle
Mapping replaces assumptions with operational facts. It establishes an accurate baseline that teams can use to optimize license portfolios.
The Multi-to-Multi Complexity Most SAM Tools Cannot Interpret
Most SAM platforms were built for desktop, SaaS, and end-user applications. Engineering software demands a different level of interpretation.
Here’s why:
- A single feature may exist in multiple packages.
- A single package holds dozens of overlapping features.
- Vendors apply cascading logic that shifts usage between cost tiers.
- No unique feature identifies a package outright.
Effective mapping must account for cost relationships, package availability, vendor rules, and entitlement structures. General-purpose SAM tools do not have the logic to interpret these relationships accurately.
Open iT does. Its advanced algorithm evaluates the links between features and packages, applies cost priorities, and assigns the correct package to each checkout. This creates a precise and defensible view of software license consumption.
Normalization: Making Software License Usage Data Readable
Feature strings in license files are written for systems, not people. They do not match vendor price books or internal procurement language. This creates friction every time a report is reviewed.
Open iT’s Shared Software Assets Directory (SSAD) normalizes feature names and aligns them with vendor package terminology. Instead of deciphering technical identifiers, stakeholders see clear package names and capability descriptions.
Normalization makes reporting accessible across engineering, IT, procurement, finance, and executive teams. It allows everyone involved in software planning to evaluate the same data with the same understanding.
Mapped Data Enables Real License Optimization
Feature-to-featureset mapping unlocks a level of insight that engineering organizations rarely have access to.
1. License Efficiency
Mapped usage reveals:
- True concurrency
- How many licenses were genuinely required
- Which packages hit saturation
- Which packages sit idle
This level of detail supports accurate rightsizing. Engineers get what they need, and the organization avoids unnecessary expansion.
2. Service-Level Modeling
Mapped data supports 95 percent and 99 percent service-level calculations. These models identify the software license count required to sustain expected performance without over-purchasing.
3. Better Forecasting and Budgeting
Mapped usage provides factual evidence for:
- Next-year license planning
- Departmental allocation
- Growth modeling
- Cost projections
- Ability to chargeback on actual package usage
Teams can eliminate guesswork from engineering software budgeting.
4. Stronger Vendor Negotiations
During audits, true-ups, or renewals, vendors often present feature-level usage to justify additional purchases. Feature-level reporting lacks context.
Mapped reporting shows what the organization actually consumed at the package level. This gives teams a defensible position and helps prevent unnecessary entitlement increases.
5. Building the Ideal Software License Mix
Open iT’s simulation capabilities allow organizations to model usage under unlimited licensing. This identifies the best licensing mix based on actual behavior—not sales recommendations.
How Open iT’s Mapping Stands Out
The SAM market offers many tools for general purpose software tracking. Few offer specialized capabilities for engineering software environments—and even fewer provide true feature-to-featureset mapping capabilities.
Open iT’s approach is different:
- Designed specifically for engineering and specialty applications
- Supports complex licensing models with cascading behavior
- Normalizes all feature names for clarity
- Ties usage to entitlements accurately
- Produces data leaders can act on
This capability makes Open iT one of the most effective platforms for engineering software license optimization.
Organizations using Open iT gain full visibility into how packages are consumed, where waste occurs, and how to reshape their entitlements for long-term efficiency.
When Mapping is Done Right
Engineering software costs will continue to increase. Licensing models will continue to shift. Teams that rely only on raw feature data will struggle to control spend. Teams that operate with mapped, normalized, and entitlement-aligned intelligence will make faster and more informed decisions.
Feature-to-featureset mapping fills the biggest data gap in engineering software license management. It connects raw technical activity to commercial entitlements and makes high-cost engineering tools easier to manage, optimize and justify.
Discover how feature-to-featureset mapping can support your engineering software strategy. Contact Open iT and schedule a demo with our experts.
Schedule a Free Demo of Open iT’s Feature-to-Featureset Mapping.
