Licensing Optimization & SAM | Microsoft License Optimization for an Industrial Group

Optimization of Microsoft Licensing Costs and Governance for a Multi-Site Industrial Group

Licensing

A major industrial group with over 1,000 employees across multiple European sites was operating with a fragmented Microsoft licensing model (CSP, OLP, perpetual licenses) and a mixed stack of Office, Teams, and Dynamics solutions.
This decentralized approach led to uncontrolled costs, unused licenses, and governance complexity.

Lodestar led a structured Software Asset Management (SAM) and licensing optimization program, resulting in significant cost savings and a more scalable, transparent, and efficient management model.

Objective

Ensure efficient, transparent, and sustainable management of Microsoft licenses by optimizing costs and consolidating governance at group level.

Strengths

  • Complete assessment of Microsoft licenses and real usage patterns
  • Analysis of activation methods and contractual compliance
  • User-to-license mapping (E1, E3, E5)
  • Removal of inactive licenses and review of assigned profiles
  • Consolidation of Microsoft contracts under the NCE – CSP model
  • Implementation of reporting and dashboards for continuous monitoring
  • Operational and strategic support through periodic reviews
Benefits
  • –22% annual reduction in Microsoft licensing costs
  • Centralized governance and increased compliance
  • Greater control and visibility for IT and Executive Management
  • More efficient provisioning and deprovisioning processes
  • Optimized integration with Active Directory and Teams

Lodestar delivered a combined approach of SAM, licensing advisory, and digital governance to ensure cost optimization, transparency, and a scalable contractual model.

Ongoing support maintains continuous alignment between business and technology needs, protecting investments and anticipating future requirements.

Use case

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