Overlapping usage view

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Overlapping usage view

    The Overlapping usage view in ServiceNow's Software Asset Workspace offers detailed insights into feature-level usage of SaaS and Single Sign-On (SSO) applications. This view helps organizations rationalize software usage and spending by categorizing applications and providing key metrics like spend, usage, subscriptions, and reclamation candidates.

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    Access to this view requires the Software Asset Management - SaaS License Management Integrations application from the ServiceNow Store. The dashboard supports domain separation for organizations using domain-related plugins.

    Key Features

    • Application Categorization: Applications are grouped by category such as video conferencing, project management, email marketing, development, and spend detection.
    • Overlapping Applications Tab: Displays total counts and spend for overlapping software applications by category, with drill-down capability to detailed application lists including subscriptions, spend, and usage.
    • Application Feature Usage Tab: Provides descriptive usage data per application, including total spend, percentage of users with activity, subscription counts, and reclamation candidates.
    • High Usage Activities: Identifies top activities by user count, or shows last login activity for SSO and some SaaS applications.
    • Department Usage Insights: Highlights the five departments with least application usage to guide access reviews and adoption efforts.
    • Spend Trend Visualization: Graphs monthly spend trends per application to monitor cost changes over time.
    • SaaS Feature Usage Page: Displays detailed event data for integrations, including event ID, name, last activity, subscription, and publisher, with data retained for up to one year.
    • Demand Creation for Rationalization: Enables SAM Admins and users to create demands to address redundant software, supporting actions like discontinuation, usage reduction, or migration to approved software. Requires the PPM Standard plugin.

    Key Outcomes

    • Improved Software Spend Management: Gain visibility into overlapping and redundant SaaS and SSO applications to reduce unnecessary expenses.
    • Enhanced Usage Rationalization: Understand user activity and departmental usage to optimize license allocation and drive adoption where needed.
    • Actionable Insights: Use detailed feature and event usage data to make informed decisions on software lifecycle, reclamation candidates, and demand creation.
    • Streamlined Software Governance: Support compliance and governance efforts by identifying redundant applications and managing software demand effectively.

    Access and Roles

    Users with the roles samadmin or samuser can view the Overlapping usage dashboard. To create demands, these users must also have the itdemanduser role.

    Use the Overlapping usage view in Software Asset Workspace to get insights into the feature level usage and rationalize your SaaS and Single sign-on (SSO) applications.

    The Overlapping usage view displays reports showing the spend on your applications based on application category - SaaS or spend detection. You can also view the list of applications grouped by categories based on the main function of the software application, such as video conferencing, project management, and email marketing. This list of applications includes the following details:
    • Spend
    • Usage
    • Total number of subscriptions
    • Reclamation candidates

    Access the Overlapping usage view by navigating to Workspaces > Software Asset Workspace > Overlapping usage.

    Note:
    Request the Software Asset Management - SaaS License Management Integrations application from the ServiceNow Store to view the Overlapping usage view.
    Note:
    The Overlapping usage dashboard supports domain separation when Domain Extension Installer (com.glide.domain.msp_extensions.installer) and Domain Support (com.snc.pa.domain_support) plugins are activated. To filter the data, select a domain from the Domain drop-down list.

    End users and roles

    End user Required role Goal
    SAM Admin/SAM User sam_admin/sam_user View the Overlapping usage dashboard.
    Note:
    A SAM Admin or a SAM user must have the it_demand_user role to create demand. You can create a demand from the Application feature usage page.

    Overlapping applications

    By selecting the Overlapping applications tab, you can view the following information:
    • Total count: Total number of overlapping software applications grouped by application category, such as spend detection or SaaS. Selecting any application category bar navigates you to the list of applications of that type with details on their relevant number of subscriptions, total spend, and overall usage.
    • Total spend: Total spend on overlapping software applications grouped by application category, such as spend detection or SaaS. Selecting any application category bar navigates you to the list of applications of that type with details on their relevant number of subscriptions, total spend, and overall usage.
    • All categories with applications: The list of overlapping software applications grouped by category based on the main function of the software application. The number next to each category indicates the number of applications in that category, such as development and email marketing.
    Overlapping usage view showing the number of applications and their total spend grouped by category

    Application feature usage

    By selecting the Application feature usage tab, you can view the following information:
    • A list view of the application categories.
    • Detailed and descriptive feature usage information of an application. By expanding an application category, you can view the following data for each application within that category.
      Attribute/Chart Description
      Spend Total spend for the application.
      Overall usage The percentage of users who have performed at least one event in the application.
      Subscriptions Total number of subscriptions for the application.
      View reclamation candidates List of reclamation candidates for the application that aren't closed.
      Activities with high usage Top five activities with the highest usage based on the number of users.
      Note:
      • This chart gets replaced by Users with last login activity for SSO applications and the SaaS applications for which only the last login activity is pulled.
      • This chart displays data for all events that have normalized mappings available in the SaaS Event Mapping (samp_saas_event_mapping) table.
      Departments with least usage Five departments with least usage for the application in your organization. The usage is based on the number of users.

      This data helps IT administrators to determine if users within these departments need access and alternatively to help drive adoption for those users.

      Note:
      This chart displays data only for users who are assigned to a specific department.
      Spend trend chart Graphical representation of monthly spending trends on the application.
    Application feature usage in the Overlapping usage view showing a list view of the application categories

    SaaS feature usage

    The SaaS feature usage page includes the event details for each integration, such as the event ID, event name, last activity, subscription, product, subscription profile, and publisher. Navigate to the SaaS feature usage page in the License operations view by selecting the SaaS feature usage link.
    Note:
    The SaaS feature usage page displays event details for up to one year from the current date.
    SaaS feature usage page in the Overlapping usage view showing the event details for each integration.

    Creating demand to rationalize software applications

    Creating demands enables you to take meaningful action against any redundant software you discover. You can discontinue software, reduce software usage, migrate users to approved software, or take other actions.

    Note:
    The PPM Standard plugin (com.snc.financial_planning_pmo) must be installed to create demands.

    Select Create demand to rationalize software applications. For more information, see Create demand to rationalize software applications.