A compliance checklist is not a SAM tool report and not a vendor self-declaration. It is a structured internal audit of the buyer's licensing position, executed by the buyer for the buyer, on a fixed annual cadence. The output is two documents: a current Effective Licensing Position by vendor, and a remediation log of any gaps with named owners and dates. Running this annually is the single highest-leverage practice in enterprise software governance. This article gives you the checklist — vendor by vendor, by quarter.
A checklist run without governance produces a binder. A checklist run with governance produces a defensible compliance posture. Four preconditions before you start:
That's a six-figure issue at next renewal. We stand up the role and the operating cadence in 4 weeks.
Oracle and IBM dominate audit settlements by dollar value because their licensing metrics interact with infrastructure choices in non-obvious ways. The Q1 checklist runs deepest here. When a run surfaces material exposure on either vendor, that is the moment to bring in structured software license audit defense — well before the vendor formalises a claim.
Includes the full 47-line annual checklist with worksheets, evidence templates and sign-off forms.
We execute the full 47-line checklist with your team in 8–12 weeks.
We execute the full annual checklist, vendor by vendor, with your team. 8–12 weeks, predictable cost.
Weekly compliance intelligence for IT leaders.