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Back To All Case studies

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

SAVED OVER $50,000 IN THE FIRST 2 YEARS SINCE Tracking wastage: 20-hours per week • ROI Year 1: $15,000 • ROI Year 2: $35,000

Established in 1956, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) is an esteemed global engineering company with over 600 engineers, architects, and materials scientists at home and abroad. Having completed over 100,000 projects, WJE is committed to helping clients solve, repair, and avoid engineering, architectural, and other built world problems globally. However, with approximately 28 locations across the US, a reputation second-to-none, and a requirement to maintain such impeccable standards requires efficient management, they knew existing license management system was insufficient. Not least because of their need for expensive engineering and design software, such as Abaqus, AutoCAD, MathCAD, Siemens PLM, etc.
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The Challenge

WJE’s license management problems were threefold:
● License Squatting
● License Tracking
● License Education.
WJE’s applications are in daily constant use. As such, licensing conditions and cost meant that, when these apps are no longer needed, it was important that engineers closed them. Such attention and diligence were not only hard-earned lessons but also a necessity. Freeing up licenses ensures both maximum use and minimum waste.
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The licensing problem could only be solved through user education. OpenLM gave us that and more.

Raymond Jaskot
Senior Enterprise Technology Strategist

License Squatting

However, to cope with increased workloads during their busiest summer months, WJE hires interns. For them, a quad-factor combination of an unfamiliar environment, new workflows, an alien licensing model, and a lack of education in this regard, exposes problems. Unfortunately, in an organization where 10-12 of the 30+ engineering applications in use are critical, leaving apps open and unused for half-a-day is unacceptable.

License Tracking

Consequently, the dual threat of both increased costs and license violations meant tracking such licenses was essential. It was also time consuming for anyone involved. However, with WJE, and due to their organizations’ size, distribution, and other factors, this involved multiple staff each time. This also occurred at least 2-3 times per day and the tracking burden was intense. Worse was these investigations disrupted the attention of everyone involved. It impeded workflows, upset continuity, and effected productivity throughout.

License Education

Education around license use was key, for both permanent and temporary staff. However, license education was always an issue. Some grasped the practicalities better than others, but lacking real-time data, it was a difficult concept (and practice) for many. Old habits die hard, and especially with new hires, changes rarely occurred overnight.

The Solution

As part of their research, WJE focused on 3 main criteria:
● Reviews/proof – verified suppliers only
● Cross-programme compatibility – already using multiple license managers, WJE needed a solution that could manage them all
● Flexibility – the solution also needed to be able to handle products not covered by license managers.
Though we ticked all 3 boxes, it was this 3rd component – OpenLM’s flexibility – that Mr. Jaskot said set us apart from our competition.

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Once I took everything into consideration, OpenLM really was the only solution I found that could do that. And the cost was in line with the budget that I need to stay within and could be justified easily.
Raymond Jaskot
Senior Enterprise Technology Strategist

Testing and Implementation

OpenLM is designed to be intuitive and simple to setup, and WJE found that to be case when they setup the demo for their own trials. Naturally, they had their own requirements, had several questions, and engaged with support throughout.
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When we ran into issues, the support team, pointed us very quickly in the right direction to what we were doing wrong and what needed to be adjusted.
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The [support] team was very helpful in getting us up to speed, letting them know about the initial features how those would be configured and what other options that might be that would make it useful for things we’re trying to do in the future.
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Your support team worked with me or with me and a member of my staff on fine-tuning, tweaking and getting it to operate exactly how we wanted it to operate.
Ultimately, and with every client or customer that engages, we aim to provision the knowledge and information to make exactly the right decision.

The Results

WJE knew that user education pertaining to license management was crucial. Without it, it was obvious that any gains would be minimal. In addition, OpenLM’s solution also delivered:
● Self-service capability – via improved reporting and intelligent targeting, users can not only easily see what licenses are in use but can also contact the individuals themselves. This minimizes license-locking, disruption, and lost time.
● Enhanced tracking, analytics, and budgeting – greater intelligence and real-time data provides better and informed advice. This leads to better decision-making, avoids bottlenecks, and minimizes delays.
● Improved license availability – through greater visibility, reporting, and contacting capability means licenses are freed up easier and quicker and work tasks and flows are unimpeded.
● Rapid insights and agility – effective license management increases data collection, speeds up responses, and improves business agility.

● Broader reach and increased functionality – WJE have since discovered modules that they were unaware of. This has improved function, scope, and effectiveness.
● Cost savings – through not needing to purchase additional licenses as well as improved tracking and reactiveness, WJE saw a year 1 and 2 ROI of $15,000 and $35,000, respectively.
● Enriched user education – real-time data, reporting, tracking, and communication, transformed the problems into a visual and relatable entity: users could finally see and appreciated the license management problems themselves.

Conclusion

WJE carried out extensive research and tests before choosing OpenLM as their license management solution. Two years on, they have achieved significant benefits and results. Benefits include streamlined analytical processes, empowering user self-service capability, and enhanced license management. Results show a year 1 and year 2 ROI of $15,000 and $35,000 respectively. However, pivotal to such improvements are improved user education and awareness. We all eagerly await the results of year 3.
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Once I took everything into consideration, OpenLM really was the only solution Ifound that could do that. And the costwas in line with the budget that I need to stay within and could be justified easily.
Raymond Jaskot
Senior Enterprise Technology Strategist
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