Software Audit

What is a software audit?

In short, a software audit is a comprehensive review of a company’s software assets.

It involves a full, detailed analysis of your software licences, tools and systems to make sure everything is being used legally, securely and efficiently. The process often uncovers outdated applications, duplicate tools and those sneaky subscriptions that should have been cancelled a long time ago.

Ultimately, a software audit helps you separate the software you need from the software that's just wasting your time and money.

Who needs a software audit?

Pretty much anyone who uses software for more than checking their emails (so…everyone these days). But some organisations stand to gain more than others:

Growing businesses - Those who are growing at pace and adding new systems here, there and everywhere.

Large or remote teams – Where software use can become decentralised or even duplicated.

IT and finance departments – Those who are tasked with managing (and cutting) costs.

Regulated industries – Where licence and data compliance isn’t optional (hello auditors!).

Companies mid digital transformation – Companies who are trying to modernise without the inevitable chaos.

Basically, if you’ve ever found two systems that do the same thing or have more subscriptions than you can count on one hand, it might be time for a check up!

What does a software audit involve?

Every company will have their own methodology for undertaking software audits and the size of the software ecosystem will also influence how the audit is performed. However, most audits will include some or all of the following steps (not necessarily in order!):

Inventory

Step one - find out what you actually have. This could be large scale enterprise systems or it could be those free trials someone forgot to cancel back in 2019.

Documentation review

Next, it’s time to dig into the paperwork - licences, contracts, purchase records and policies. Not a thrilling task but absolutely vital.

Licence compliance check

This step confirms you’re using your licence's as they should be used - making sure your team isn’t using unlicensed software (or too many seats for one licence - we’ve all been there) for example.

Usage analysis

We look at how often each application is used and by whom. You might discover that your “essential” software hasn’t been opened since 2021.

Redundancy check

For the cost conscious, identifying duplicated or overlapping systems that perform similar functions is a good way to identify areas for potential cost savings.

Security assessment

Another very important step in any software audit is to detect outdated, unsupported or misconfigured software that could present vulnerabilities or non compliance risks to your company.

Technical design review

For bespoke or existing in house systems, this stage ensures your software’s foundations are solid enough to support your present day needs and indeed - whatever tomorrow brings as well.

Cost evaluation

Another for the cost conscious, a review of the cost of your software subscriptions and licences in relation to your actual usage and the value delivered. This can help identify areas that are not providing an ROI.

Reporting & recommendations

Finally, you'll get a clear, actionable report. This will act as your roadmap to smoother, cheaper and more secure software operations.

How can we help?

As you can probably imagine, here at Cool Code Company we know a thing or two about software! Whether you're dealing with an out of control tech stack, worried about licence compliance or just curious if you're getting the best value from your existing software systems our experienced development team are here to help.

We take a practical, jargonless approach to all of software audits and will work with you to understand your business, dig into your current systems and uncover where things can be simplified, improved or secured. We will provide you with a detailed, action ready final report that offers clear recommendations and then, if you wish, we can work with you to implement them. 

If you would like to understand how a software audit could help you improve your operations and save yourself some cash in the process, we'd love to hear from you!