Despite an uptick in the use of software asset management tools by mining houses over the past few years, there still seems to be a reluctance to adopt the technology, says software solutions provider Wipro Africa business development head Marleze van Loggerenberg.

As the mining industry moves towards greater reliance on digital automated technology to drive production processes, mining companies need to ensure that they manage their software assets with the same care and frugality with which they manage their physical assets, she advises.

“It’s just like managing normal assets. If one doesn’t audit and manage them properly, then one doesn’t know what’s on the books and it becomes chaotic,” she warns.

Software asset management is a business practice whereby tools are provided to help companies keep track of the existing software licences that they own, when they expire or automatically renew, how many users require licences and what licences need to be discontinued, as well as the resulting costs and savings.

The mining industry is “famously careful” about reducing operational expenditure, particularly in an age where margins are so low, yet software expenditure is not always treated with the same care by miners, she says.

“Mines need to be very mindful of their costs. They have to be agile and manage their operations at the lowest cost possible. Therefore, the implementation of software asset management tools would be greatly beneficial for them.”

She suggests that the reason for junior miners’ reluctance to use software asset management tools is because they are inclined to focus almost entirely on physical operational costs. Others who seem reluctant are older-generation individuals working in the industry who can be slow to adapt to modernisation or perhaps simply do not fully appreciate the need for software asset management.

“Once a company implements software asset management, however, they immediately see the benefit of not overspending on software,” Van Loggerenberg says.

Wipro offers software asset management tools and services to the mining industry. The solution will be implemented according to the customer requirements and then can either be managed in- house by the mining company’s information technology department or the entire service can be outsourced and run by Wipro.

“There are two questions that must be considered by any mining operation: Is the mine using what it is paying for? And: Is the mine paying for what it is using? Software asset management tools help answer these questions with clarity,” Van Loggerenberg concludes.