US Health Insurer and Subsidiaries Implement Comprehensive SAM Program
Company Profile
This U.S.-based not-for-profit, part-government agency is a major U.S. health insurance provider subsidiary. When the client needed to enroll in the IBM Authorized Software Asset Management Provider (IASP) program, it engaged Anglepoint—one of only four globally authorized IBM partner SAM providers—for expert guidance. Since then, the partnership has evolved significantly, with Anglepoint collaborating directly with the client, its parent company, and other subsidiaries to drive transformation across major software publishers and broader operational processes.
As the client’s parent company sought to enhance governance, improve efficiency, and streamline operations across its entire organization and subsidiaries following the ISO 19770 PDCA cycle guidelines, it turned to Anglepoint to develop and execute a comprehensive SAM strategy. Anglepoint adopted a phased implementation approach, beginning with a thorough assessment of the organization’s existing manual system. Following this, a detailed roadmap outlining the necessary steps and execution plan, and a SAM playbook, was developed. The program is designed to be tool agnostic but was implemented using Flexera and was rigorously tested and refined. Anglepoint is currently integrating this SAM program with the organization’s new operations tool, ServiceNow, with plans to transition full management of the program to the organization’s internal team by the end of 2025.
With the SAM program now in place and managed by Anglepoint, the organization benefits from better governance around its software estate all governed by consistent processes.
The Challenge
In 2023, Anglepoint was appointed to onboard the client to IBM’s Authorized Software Asset Management Provider (IASP) program and deliver ongoing managed services for the publisher. Over time, the partnership has expanded to include assessments for four additional publishers—Micro Focus (now part of OpenText), Red Hat, VMware, and Microsoft. Collectively, these five software publishers account for almost a third of the client’s annual software expenditure.
The scope of work has also been extended, with Anglepoint supporting the client’s parent company as well as multiple subsidiaries across the organization in individual programs. As part of the parent company’s initiative to streamline operations and follow the ISO 19770 PDCA cycle guidelines, Anglepoint was tasked with establishing a comprehensive SAM program. This program would be tool-agnostic to accommodate future technology changes but would initially leverage tooling from Flexera. However, the organization faced significant challenges, including a lack of internal expertise, reliance on outdated manual processes, a constantly shifting roster of stakeholders, a rudimentary Configuration Management Database (CMDB), and minimal governance over its software procurement process.
To ensure the successful delivery of a robust, well-established SAM program, Anglepoint developed and implemented a strategic transformation plan—creating a single source of truth for software asset data across the organization and enabling greater operational efficiency and control.
The Solution
As one of only four globally authorized IBM partner SAM providers, Anglepoint has served as the client’s IBM managed service provider since 2023. The client also entrusted Anglepoint with managing four additional publisher relationships—Micro Focus, Red Hat, VMware, and Microsoft.
Beyond publisher management, Anglepoint has played a pivotal role in the client’s IT transformation, establishing a comprehensive SAM program to support the parent company’s initiative to streamline operations and comply with ISO 19770 PDCA cycle guidelines. Previously, the organization and its subsidiaries managed their software estate manually, with minimal governance. Departments operated independently in demand planning, procurement, and software management, leading to inconsistencies, inefficiencies, and operational challenges.
Anglepoint initiated the transformation in September 2024 with an in-depth assessment and planning phase, beginning with a two-day exploratory workshop. This workshop provided a deep dive into the organization’s operational structure and the full software asset lifecycle—from procurement to disposal. With limited internal expertise in SAM, Anglepoint guided the organization in understanding the necessary tasks, roles, and best practices to maximize the value of its SAM tooling.
As part of this process, Anglepoint conducted a comprehensive Flexera health assessment, evaluating the client’s software management practices across all major publishers (Micro Focus, Red Hat, VMware, and Microsoft), as well as other titles used across the organization.
This assessment included a detailed gap analysis, examining software consumption, governance, and financial expenditures to identify opportunities for optimization. However, the process was complex with a basic Configuration Management Database (CMDB) containing significant data gaps. Further challenges arose due to ongoing organizational transitions, including large-scale personnel changes that affected key executive sponsors. Despite these obstacles, Anglepoint successfully developed a strategic roadmap to establish a robust, organization-wide SAM program.
The execution phase focused on implementing the newly designed SAM framework. Based on Anglepoint’s recommendations, the organization recruited additional internal personnel to support the new SAM program. Anglepoint is currently reshaping the organization’s processes and has built the foundations for a new software request program with the aim of standardizing processes across the wider organization. It has also built a calendar of renewals to support collaboration with the organization’s procurement department and has created a SAM playbook.
Additionally, Anglepoint is driving the integration of the SAM program and Flexera with the organization’s newly adopted ServiceNow operations tool, aligning with a leadership mandate to create a seamless, automated system.
Currently, Anglepoint manages the entire SAM program, with limited involvement from the internal team. By the end of 2025, the goal is to transition full ownership of a fully operational, rigorously tested SAM program to the client, ensuring long-term sustainability and governance.
Results
- A Unified SAM Strategy: Anglepoint successfully developed and implemented a comprehensive SAM strategy and a SAM playbook ensuring alignment across the entire organization.
- Enhanced Governance and Operational Efficiency: Through the introduction of standardized processes, Anglepoint has strengthened software governance from procurement to disposal, enabling departments and subsidiaries to operate with greater efficiency and consistency.
- Optimized Flexera Investment: By cleansing and validating data within the organization’s CMDB and ensuring seamless integration with Flexera, the organization now has access to accurate, reliable data—establishing a single source of truth for effective SAM management.
- Seamless Integration with Additional Tools: Leveraging its extensive integration expertise, Anglepoint has enabled the organization to maximize the value of complementary tools, including ServiceNow, further enhancing operational effectiveness.