Oracle License for your ERP: Pay up or Reduce Usage? That is the Question…

Contact from the Oracle License Audit team can be a rude awakening for many ERP users.  I keep asking CIOs, “wouldn’t it be a good idea to get a count automatically every quarter, and make sure that you have no outstanding issues that will cost you money?  With no technical effort?”

Every week I have a lot of conversations with users of Oracle ERP systems.  Of course, it’s only when you talk to someone in the real world that you really understand the problems they face.  And then the challenge is to find some answers.

I do understand that Software Asset Management (SAM) and Licensing aren’t the most pressing issues to a very busy IT Director.  Until the call comes.

SAM is a wide field, but, as with all other corporate assets, you need to keep track.  The problem with “leasing” is it’s very easy to be caught out by usage bills that you’re not expecting.

Contain Oracle License usage creep

ERP application usage comes with another interesting challenge.  It’s good to know that 100 people are using the Fixed Assets module, but why is the number so big?  Rather than paying up for the extra licenses, doesn’t it make sense to look at whether all those users really do need access?

So, I had an idea.  As well as counting the number of users accessing a module, why don’t we list them, along with their roles and responsibilities?  Having that information to hand would give management a real chance to decide what to do about the issue.

Do you have users with superfluous access that should really be removed?  This would give you greater control over risk, and potentially reduce your license costs.

If this makes sense to you, you can find out more about our Oracle License Audit solutions here.