Effective communication and collaboration with stakeholders in Software Asset Management (SAM)
Collaboration and communication with stakeholders are key factors in the success of software asset management (SAM) projects. Without it, SAM initiatives can stall and even fail. It is therefore all the more important to know the different interests, expectations and requirements of the parties involved in a SAM project and to manage them.
At COMPLION, our project experience has taught us why stakeholder communication is so important in SAM, what challenges can arise and how companies can overcome them.
Importance of stakeholder communication
Software asset management goes far beyond license management - it requires strategic decisions that affect the entire company. Effective communication with stakeholders ensures that SAM projects meet the needs and requirements of those involved, transparency is created and long-term relationships that ensure good cooperation.
Project Insight:
In a project to formalize and renew a SAM organizational model, we defined a separate work package for stakeholder communication. As part of this, we first carried out a stakeholder analysis, whereby we identified all relevant stakeholders and then categorized them according to their needs, requirements and influence on the project. Based on this analysis, we developed a collaboration model. In it, we defined how and on which topic we communicate with each stakeholder and work together in the project. When implementing the collaboration model, we used various communication formats, including:
Kick-off meetings, regular status calls with project management (jour fixe), reporting for management, exchange of ideas, feedback and quality assurance with internal and external experts, training courses/workshops, wiki articles and web pages for the intranet and newsletters.
Challenges in communication and collaboration with stakeholders
Collaboration with stakeholders is often complex. Different interests, communication styles and priorities make it a challenge to bring everyone involved to a common denominator.
We have made the following experience in our project work:
Blockers and delayers: If stakeholders are not sufficiently involved or feel ignored, they can actively hinder projects - especially if they are crucial to success.
Different expectations: Stakeholders and stakeholder groups have different expectations and interests. These need to be recognized and managed so that no conflicts arise.
Information overload: The multitude of communication channels (email, Teams, wikis, SharePoint) makes it difficult to convey relevant information in a targeted manner. It must also be taken into account that it may not be possible to reach all stakeholders through one communication channel.
Best practices for effective communication
From our consulting practice, we have developed proven approaches that we apply in projects:
Target group-oriented approach: Communication must be tailored to the interests and needs of the specific target group. To achieve this, the needs and interests of all stakeholders must first be identified, ideally through a stakeholder analysis.
Transparency: Honest, clear and precise communication of information helps to build trust and avoid misunderstandings.
Frequency: Stakeholders should be informed regularly according to their importance for the project and their expectations in order to ensure trust and support.
Active listening: Stakeholders should be given the opportunity to share their opinions and provide feedback. In addition to taking the identified into account, points it is a good idea to centrally document requirements, expectations and comments from stakeholders.
Conclusion
Communication and collaboration with stakeholders are a central component of software asset management - they have a significant influence on the success of SAM projects and initiatives. The aim is to understand and manage the interests, requirements and wishes of the stakeholders in order to promote collaboration and achieve the project goals.
Feel free to contact us if you are interested in improving your stakeholder management in the project.
Author: Jan Philipsen