Software and SaaS license audit for technology and manufacturing

Technology and manufacturing businesses run a wide mix of software. Engineering teams use design and simulation tools. Plants run production and scheduling systems. Everyone else uses subscriptions that were bought one team at a time.

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Fairview Audit connects you with a partner firm that can compare what you pay for with what you use and what your agreements allow. Fairview does not do the review itself.

This page covers the Software and SaaS license audit category for Technology and manufacturing businesses.

Why software licensing matters here

Software spend in this industry is spread across departments. Engineering may hold specialized design or simulation licenses with named users or shared pools. Operations may hold industrial software tied to plants, machines or sites. IT and product teams buy cloud subscriptions, often on a monthly card payment that never passed through procurement.

Two risks follow. You may pay for seats nobody uses. You may also be using software in ways your agreement does not allow, which can lead to a vendor compliance request. A review looks at both.

What a review typically examines

A partner firm compares license agreements, invoices and usage records. In this industry, questions often include:

  • Whether named-user and concurrent-user licenses match how engineers actually work, including contractors and former staff who still hold seats.
  • Whether site or plant licenses cover every facility that uses the software, especially after an acquisition or a new line.
  • How the agreement treats virtual machines, test environments and development copies.
  • Whether embedded or bundled software shipped inside your products is covered by the right rights, such as redistribution terms. [VERIFY: how embedded and redistributed software rights are treated in the partner's reviews]
  • Subscriptions that renewed automatically, overlap with other tools, or were bought by departments outside procurement.
  • Maintenance and support fees, and whether they were billed on licenses you no longer use.

Preparing for a vendor request

If a software vendor asks about your usage, a partner firm may help you understand the request, but it cannot promise an outcome. Do not respond without checking your agreement first, and consider asking a partner firm or your counsel how to proceed.

Note: This page is general information. It is not legal advice, and a license dispute may need counsel.

What to have ready

  • License agreements, order forms, amendments and renewal notices for each major vendor.
  • Invoices and payment history for software and subscription spend.
  • Exports of assigned seats or users from the software admin consoles.
  • A list of plants, sites and teams that use each product.
  • Records of acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations that may change who is covered.
  • Corporate card and expense statements that show subscription charges.
  • Names of the people who own each tool in engineering, operations and IT.

How matching works

You choose the request path that fits: larger business, smaller business or not sure. There is no fixed size cut-off. Fairview matches each request by hand. The request goes to the matched partner firm, or to Fairview for manual matching. You then talk to the firm directly, and the engagement and any fees are set between you and the firm.

Not every partner firm covers software. [CONFIRM: which partner firms cover software and SaaS licensing]

Who does the work

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.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as an accounts payable review?

No. An accounts payable audit checks whether invoices were paid correctly. A license review also asks whether the software itself fits the agreement and the way you use it.

Do I need an inventory of software before I start?

It helps, but you do not need a perfect one. The firm will usually ask what you have and work from invoices and admin exports. Building the list is often part of the work.

Does a review mean I must drop a vendor?

No. A review compares what you pay with what you use and what you agreed to. What you do next is your decision.

Find out what you are overpaying.

Tell us what you need reviewed. We match you by hand with an independent partner firm. You keep your existing vendors.

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