Software and SaaS license audit
Software spend rarely sits in one place. Teams sign up for tools, departments buy their own licenses, and subscriptions renew on their own. Over time you can pay for seats that no one uses, or use software beyond what a license allows.
A partner firm can compare what you hold on paper with what your people actually use.
Fairview Audit connects you with a partner firm. Fairview does not review licenses itself.
What a software and SaaS license review looks at
There are two risks. One is paying for more than you need. The other is using more than you are licensed for. A review looks at both.
Typical areas include:
- Seats or licenses that are paid for but not assigned or used.
- Duplicate tools that serve the same purpose in different teams.
- Pricing tiers, and whether your users need the tier you pay for.
- Renewal dates, notice periods and automatic renewal terms.
- Usage that exceeds license terms, which can lead to a true-up charge from the vendor.
- Charges for add-ons, support plans and integrations.
- Whether invoices match the order forms and agreements.
Some vendors audit their customers, and an audit that finds underpayment often ends in a negotiated true-up payment. Government auditors advise tracking which licenses are in use and checking that against purchase records. A review can help you see your position before a vendor asks. It does not replace legal advice on any license dispute.
What you provide
Your partner firm will give you its own list. Expect to share:
- Software agreements, order forms and amendments.
- Invoices and renewal notices for each product.
- A list of users or seats, with names or roles if you have them.
- Usage reports from admin consoles.
- Records of purchases made on company cards or expense reports.
- Any notices or requests received from a vendor about compliance.
- Contact details for the people in IT, finance and procurement.
Start by asking each department what they pay for. The first list is often incomplete, and that gap is part of what a review finds.
What happens after you submit a request
- You choose a request path and submit the form.
- The request goes to a matched partner firm, or to Fairview for manual matching.
- A partner firm contacts you to discuss your software and its terms.
- You share agreements, invoices and usage data.
- The partner firm reports its findings.
- You decide how to approach each vendor, with or without the firm.
You stay involved. The engagement and any fees are between you and the partner firm. [CONFIRM: a partner firm supplies and approves which software vendors and license types it reviews]
Who this suits
This category suits a business that:
- Uses many software tools across departments.
- Has grown quickly or reorganized and lost track of seats.
- Has renewals approaching and wants to know what it needs.
- Has received a license compliance request from a vendor.
Technology and manufacturing companies often hold complex license sets. See Software and SaaS license audit for technology and manufacturing.
Which partner firm fits may depend on your size.
How Fairview matches you
There are three request paths: larger business, smaller business, and not sure or another need. Each has a form: larger business, smaller business or other needs. Fairview sends the request to a matched partner firm, or matches it by hand on the other path. After that, you work with the firm directly. See how it works.
An independent partner firm that specializes in software and SaaS license audit handles this work. Fairview Audit makes the match. We do not perform the review ourselves.Who does the work
Frequently asked questions
Does this cover cloud subscriptions and installed software?
Both are common. Ask the partner firm which it reviews.
Will the firm contact my software vendors?
Only if you agree. You decide how each vendor is approached.
Is this the same as a vendor audit?
No. A vendor audit is run by the software company. A review by a partner firm is yours, and it works for your side.
Who sets the fee?
The partner firm sets it under its own terms. Fairview does not.
Related pages
Tell us what you need reviewed. We match you by hand with an independent partner firm. You keep your existing vendors.Find out what you are overpaying.