Empowering end users with CAD application licenses using OpenLM
As a global company with a substantial software portfolio, Stoneridge sought comprehensive transparency and visibility into its software assets. They needed to track the engineering software licensed to each division, understand the types of licenses, and identify the locations of the license servers.
About Stoneridge
Stoneridge, Inc. specializes in designing and manufacturing advanced electrical and electronic systems, components, and modules, primarily serving the automotive, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, agricultural, and off-highway vehicle markets.
- Industry: Automotive
- Company Size:60 employees
- Location: United States
- Product: Designing Systems
Since 1965, Stoneridge has been at the forefront of developing innovative, award-winning technologies for vehicle OEMs, including driveline and transmission actuation systems, vision systems, emissions control systems, safety systems, security and monitoring systems, and more.
The Challenge
As a global company with an extensive software portfolio, Stoneridge sought complete transparency and visibility into its software assets. They needed a clear understanding of which engineering software was licensed per division, the types of licenses, and the locations of the license servers.
“Each division had installed engineering licensing tools on separate servers, using different licensing packages without any centralized planning or global coordination. We lacked a central repository to track what software we owned, where the licenses were hosted, or the types of licenses in use,” explains Eric Wines, PLM Architect at Stoneridge.
Consolidating global licenses in a single dashboard
To achieve full control over its software assets, Autoneum implemented OpenLM’s versatile engineering software license monitoring solution. This tool provides precise data on license usage, activity, true denial counts, and the specific features engineers utilize within the applications.
Initially, Eric and his team deployed the OpenLM solution to monitor the FLEXlm license manager. However, after realizing that OpenLM supports over 60 license managers, they quickly expanded the monitoring to include additional license managers.
“My initial need was to monitor FLEXlm services, and while searching for a reliable reporting tool, I discovered OpenLM, which not only addressed this requirement but also fulfilled my broader license management needs,” says Eric.
The results
Optimizing the Stoneridge license inventory
One of the immediate benefits of using OpenLM to monitor license consumption was the discovery of licenses that were either unused or had low usage. “The reporting capabilities reveal which licenses are in high demand and which are underutilized, helping us adjust our licensing and budget accordingly,” Eric explains. This insight allowed Stoneridge to optimize both their software assets and budget.
Return on Investment
OpenLM provided Stoneridge with the opportunity to optimize their license inventory while enhancing access and productivity. The return on investment was nearly immediate, as Eric and his team quickly identified underutilized licenses, inefficiencies, and overspending. A key feature that Stoneridge used to measure ROI was the real-time view of license utilization, allowing them to see whether licenses were active or idle. “For us, ROI is measured by how effectively we keep licenses available for our users through real-time tracking and, most importantly, by knowing in advance when licenses are due for renewal,” Eric concluded.
Start Growing With OpenLM Today
Empower your organisation with OpenLM to maximize software efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure seamless access through comprehensive license management.
