There is no doubt that implementing software asset management will mean significant cultural change. You will have to convince your senior management that software is actually a key business asset and an area they should all be keenly interested in. At the same time, you have to change the way your users think and use software. I'll quickly look at each in turn.

Senior management
It is as simple as this. Without senior management sponsorship, your software asset management programme will fail. If your company does not understand the need, there will be no corporate will to make the cultural change necessary. Without proper senior management support, it is unlikely you'll ever see the budget or resource to make it happen.

End users
You are aiming to create a company culture where employees understand the value of software and the difference between legal and illegal usage and are committed to its proper use as defined by company policy. The current state is probably that employees know they shouldn't download or use illegal or unauthorised software but they do anyway as they probably won't get caught. This can be addressed by establishing a stringent software policy.

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