Note on privacy: Client identifiers and sensitive details have been anonymised/redacted.
Summary for busy readers
A regional real‑estate network in Haute‑Savoie faced an unexpected Microsoft licensing audit. Daily use of Microsoft products had grown over time without full visibility of licensing models, historical purchases and rights of use. I provided end‑to‑end support: discovery across offices, reconciliation of deployments vs. entitlements, review of legacy contracts/OEM keys/renewals, a clear compliance report for management, liaison with the audit representatives, and a practical remediation plan with a simplified, cost‑effective licensing approach. Outcome: avoided unnecessary penalties, restored clarity and reduced future admin overhead.
Client context (SME, multi‑site real estate)
- Sector & size: Regional real‑estate network (SME), several branches across one département.
- Environment: Mixed Windows workstations, Microsoft productivity tools, legacy OEM licences and subscriptions accumulated over years.
- Constraints: Short audit timelines, limited internal licensing expertise, risk of financial exposure, need for clear management reporting.
Challenges & risks
- Fragmented records: Purchases split across branches/vendors; incomplete or mismatched proofs of entitlement.
- Deployment vs. rights: Installed editions/features not aligned with licence type (OEM vs. retail vs. volume vs. subscription).
- Legacy complexity: Old contracts, discontinued SKUs, and mixed renewal cycles.
- Operational impact: Potential true‑up or penalties; distraction from core business during audit.
When licensing visibility is low, a structured IT audit can surface dependencies and reduce risk—see IT audit for SMEs.
Approach (end‑to‑end audit support)
Objective: Establish a single source of truth, demonstrate good‑faith compliance and reduce future complexity.
- Discovery across offices
- Inventory of devices, editions and features in use; collect proofs (contracts, invoices, keys).
- Entitlement reconciliation
- Map deployments to rights of use; identify inconsistencies and gaps.
- Legacy review
- Examine outdated contracts, OEM licences and subscription renewals; clarify transferability and scope.
- Compliance report for management
- Plain‑English findings, risk areas, and quantified exposure (if any); recommended actions with priorities.
- Liaison with audit representatives
- Coordinate evidence requests, timelines and clarifications; maintain professional, transparent communication.
- Remediation plan
- Regularise the environment (uninstall, reassign, purchase/true‑up where justified).
- Simplified future model
- Recommend a licensing approach that consolidates entitlements, reduces admin, and fits SME budgets.
Outcomes
- No unnecessary penalties: Good‑faith reconciliation and targeted remediation.
- Clarity for management: A single source of truth on licensing footprint and exposure.
- Lower overhead: Simplified model reduces renewal churn and admin time.
- Reduced risk: Clear processes for future purchases and deployments.
What SMEs can reuse
- Keep a licensing register: device/app, edition, entitlement source, proof location.
- Align deployments with entitlements before audits (edition/features vs. licence type).
- Centralise purchases through one account/vendor to reduce record fragmentation.
- Review legacy OEM terms and transfer limits; avoid mixing unmanaged keys.
- Add a renewal calendar with reminders and owner per subscription.
- Write a short licensing policy: who buys, how it’s recorded, how deployments are approved.
Gotchas & limits
- Edition drift can happen silently after upgrades; re‑verify features vs. rights of use.
- OEM licences often have transfer restrictions; document exceptions clearly.
- Partial entitlements across branches create grey areas; centralising helps but takes time.
Next steps
- If licensing visibility is limited or audits are likely, start with a structured IT audit for SMEs to uncover risks and set priorities.
- For ongoing hygiene without hiring, consider Delegated IT leadership to keep records and renewals tidy.
- Related operational example: Server rack cable management case study for physical infrastructure hygiene.