Software Procurement Guardian

The Software Procurement Guardian report offers a detailed view of software nearing End of Life (EOL) or Obsolescence (OBS) within the next year. This report aids in proactive procurement decisions, safeguarding deployments from operational risks associated with unsupported software. It consolidates EOL and OBS data into a unified view, providing actionable insights for efficient software lifecycle management.

The key features of the report include:

Risk Identification—Highlights software installs nearing EOL or OBS within the next 12 months.
Support Options—Displays support policy information to evaluate extended support availability.
Lifecycle Awareness—Tracks key EOL and OBS dates for all deployed software, ensuring timely planning.
Strategic Insights—Links EOL/OBS risks to organizational structures like business services, business units and cost centers and Location.
Lifecycle Dates—Displays the following two tabs:
Researched— Displays data based on manufacturer provided lifecycle dates only.
Researched+ Calculated—Displays data based on a combination of manufacturer provided dates and Flexera predicted dates.

Note:The previously used field Calculated Support Lifecycle Stage Name (which combined researched and calculated values) has been deprecated and is hidden for further use. This is replaced with new field Lifecycle Stage Name Researched Calculated.

Clone the reports to leverage the new fields, which now clearly separate researched and combined lifecycle dates.
Hiding this field does not break existing cloned reports, but we strongly recommend to update the reports to align with the new reporting structure and ensure clarity of use.
A new filter called Lifecycle Date has been introduced, offering two options: Researched and Researched + Calculated, which help differentiate between the types of lifecycle dates. This is currently hidden. The default view is the Researched + Calculated view.

The Value of the Software Procurement Guardian Report

This report helps you to:

Act Proactively—Replace or update software before operational disruptions occur.
Leverage Support Options—Evaluate extended support availability for informed procurement decisions.
Optimize Budgets—Focus investments on the most critical EOL/OBS risks.
Streamline Procurement—Leverage manufacturer and product insights for efficient negotiations.
Protect Deployments—Ensure continuous support for deployed assets.

The Software Procurement Guardian report ensures an organization's software landscape remains secure, up-to-date, and aligned with its operational needs.

Software Procurement Guardian Report Pages

This report includes the following pages:

Page Name

Details

Software Procurement Guardian

This page includes the following details:

EOL and OBS Installs in 12 Months—Displays a snapshot of software at risk of becoming unsupported within the year.
Software Installs Distribution by EOL/OBS Days Range
Breaks down installations by proximity to EOL/OBS dates (for example, 0–30 days, 31–60 days, 61-90 days, 91-180 days, 181-365 days).
Helps prioritize procurement and replacement actions.
EOL and OBS Installs by Category and Subcategory—Provides risk distribution by software types.
EOL and OBS Dates for My Deployed Software Installs—Provides a detailed view of each software’s version, release and EOL/OBS dates and current lifecycle stage.
Support Policy Information—Provides detailed information on extended support options for software nearing EOL/OBS.
Software Name—Name of the software.
Software Support Policy—Manufacturer’s defined support policy for the software.
Software Support Policy Stage—Current stage of the software in its support lifecycle.
Software Support Stage Order—Sequential order of the current support stage within the policy.
Software Support Stage Definition—Explanation of the support stage to assist in decision-making.

Software Lifecycle Insights

This page includes the following details:

EOL and OBS Installs by Manufacturer—Identifies vendors associated with the most at-risk software.
EOL and OBS Installs by Product—Helps pinpoint specific software products requiring urgent attention.
EOL and OBS Installs by Releases—Tracks risk at the release/version level for granularity.
EOL and OBS Installs by Domain—Assesses risk by domain to align software procurement with IT infrastructure needs.

Organization Statistics

This page includes the following details:

EOL/OBS Installs by Business Service—Links software lifecycle risks to critical business operations.
EOL/OBS Installs by Business Unit and Cost Center—Identifies organizational segments needing budget and procurement prioritization.
EOL/OBS Installs by Location—Maps risks geographically for localized decision-making.