Global Financial Institution

Client Challenge

As a major Global Financial Institution, software and its life cycle management is central to business productivity and the ability to grow market share. Following an unprecedented period of business expansion, internal software licensing has become increasingly complex, fragmented, and costly. The existing systems, and the policies and processes used to manage licensing, were no longer fit for purpose, leaving the client at risk to multiple vendor software audits.

bedigital’s Approach

The client’s global operating environment posed numerous challenges to extracting accurate data across disparate systems to understand the true software licensing position.

Previous suppliers had not been able to fully understand the client’s internal systems and procedures, meaning that standard data retrieval methods were prioritised over a holistic client-focused service. bedigital took a staged approach, working on a single element of one vendor and completing an Effective License Position (ELP) proof of concept for Oracle Database products.

This approach provided the client assurance that we could:

• Deliver a robust ELP
• Work collaboratively with the client
• Show how to extract accurate data from their systems

Working alongside the client using agile methodology, we were able to provide regular progress reports and collaboratively develop and support the transfer of valuable knowledge.

Midway through the proof of concept, bedigital’s client-first approach was clear and succeeding. The results were starting to show and bedigital’s project team had started to develop into an extension of the clients own internal resource.

As a result, we were further challenged to deliver an additional 15 ELPs within a 4-month window, including Oracle Middleware, Oracle Finance, Attachmate and a complete review of all IBM products and applications.

Due to our collaborative and cohesive nature of our approach, we were able to deliver on time, to specification and highlight savings that totalled in excess of £30 Million and allowed the client to close compliance risks of £10 million.

Delivering Savings Using Accurate Data and a Joined-Up Stakeholder Engagement Process:

Although existing systems and processes were in place to manage licensing, the client had an unfortunate track record of being audited, and consequently heavily fined by high profile software vendors. These fines totalled in excess of £20 Million in the 18 months prior to bedigital’s engagement.

The client understood that to drive effective results, and to take control of their software licensing, they needed to engage with client focussed, specialist external expertise. bedigital recommended a review of current practices, enabling the means by which they could extract accurate data and ultimately train employees to be able to extract this data themselves.

Once accurate data was made available, bedigital’s licensing specialists were able to prepare the data, reducing licensing costs and removing any risks of non-compliance.

We pride ourselves on our agile approach and always work in partnership with the client in order to deliver tangible results. The transfer of knowledge and upskilling of internal resources to effectively manage their IT estate is as critical, and as satisfying, to a project’s success as delivering savings.

Continuous Business Benefits:

The client is now in a strong position to effectively negotiate licensing costs with all vendors, as they have the knowledge and skills to obtain and manage accurate software data. In addition, they have been equipped with a negotiation strategy, developed exclusively by bedigital’s  leading consultants, that will reliably deliver savings in excess of 30%.

The client has been provided with the knowledge to maintain compliance positions across all 16 vendors, negating the risk of further audits.