Your software policy should clarify the purchasing procedures of your organisation in order to proactively manage any change in software resources and investment. In addition to centralising all software purchases and requiring all purchase requests to be in writing with department manager approval, the policy should list approved suppliers and prevent employees buying or downloading software without special approval. Everyone in the company must sign-up to the policy. Take a look at a sample software agreement.

The policy should be underpinned by sound procedures. The purpose of the procedure is not just to facilitate the smooth operation of the policy but should also help you identify what software you will need in the future. You can use the procedure to identify the software profile for every computer on your network, in terms of:

• The alternative or additional software that users need
• The existing software the user no longer requires

Take a look at a sample Software needs analysis form that you could use to gather requirements.

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