Implementing SAM tools is very different than end user productivity tools. SAM is a process that involves people, process and tools. It is enabling and automating roles and responsibilities from departments or teams in its roll out. And, many of these groups may not have historically been engaged with each other. This is critical both in implementation and the continued use of the tool.

Here are 10 actions you need to include in your SAM deployment plan to make sure it is a success:

• Identification of requirements: important to have clear success criteria.
• Scoping and design of the system / project: including custom configuration, integrations and identification of potential later phases.
• Phased deployment of the SAM tool: Phased approach allows stability and impact testing before exposing your entire network (Scans or agents).
• Deployment and data quality checks: To check quality and quantity of rollout it is critical to achieve 100% coverage (or at least have the gaps cleared identified).
• Data import: Licence, entitlement, purchase information, location data, should be added to enrich the quality of the data in the system and to provide a full single pane of glass view of your entire estate (In line with your phased project plan).
• User creation and role design: System role design should work in conjunction with process and business role design to ensure roles have the access they need but no more and all tasks are clearly defined via process.
• Report creation: Standard and bespoke reports including designing and scheduling export and delivery.
• Policy and process creation / updating: Update processes to integrate the SAM tool as well as creating new processes.
• Custom configuration: SAM tools should be configured to best suit your organisation; the best tools are platform based and configurable so can be tailored to your specific requirements.
• Training: Admin training, end user training, reporting training, stakeholder trainer including those who need to be involved with the SAM process but may never need to login.

Considering these 10 elements should help you get started on the right track. Remember, people, process and tools must all must work together and getting the initial plan developed is critical to that.

Look out for Part 2, where I will be detailing a number of risks and things which are often overlooked in the deployment process.