Software asset management data quality: what IAM teams need to know

TL;DR: Gartner says 61% of procurement leaders describe their data as disorganized, inaccurate, or needing major quality improvements, and Pathlock’s inclusion in the 2026 Market Guide for SAM Tools reflects how weak asset data still distorts software usage, cost control, and compliance decisions. The real issue is not tool selection alone, but whether governance teams can trust the data model behind licensing decisions.

NHIMG editorial — based on content published by Pathlock: Gartner’s 2026 Market Guide for Software Asset Management Tools and Pathlock’s inclusion as a representative vendor

By the numbers:

• 61% of procurement leaders say their data is disorganized, inaccurate or needs other major quality improvements.
• Only 5.7% of organisations have full visibility into their service accounts.

Questions worth separating out

Q: How should organisations govern software licence data when records are inconsistent?

A: Start by treating licence data as a governed control input, not an administrative output.

Q: Why do role-based licence models fail in complex enterprise applications?

A: They fail when role definitions, user ownership, and usage evidence are not kept in sync.

Q: How can security teams tell whether licence optimisation is actually working?

A: Look for fewer unexplained entitlement exceptions, cleaner ownership records, and a measurable reduction in licence disputes at renewal.

Practitioner guidance

• Map software entitlements to accountable owners Create a governed ownership model for applications, licence classes, and business roles so every entitlement can be traced to a named control owner and reviewed on a defined cadence.
• Separate usage evidence from entitlement evidence Keep discovery, usage telemetry, and contract terms distinct in reporting so licence optimisation does not rely on a single unverified data source.
• Align role reviews with licence renewal cycles Time access recertification, role engineering, and renewal planning together so access drift and licence drift are corrected in the same governance window.

What's in the full analysis

Pathlock's full article covers the operational detail this post intentionally leaves for the source:

• The Gartner framing behind software asset management tool selection and how procurement leaders are expected to use it.
• Pathlock’s role-based licence visibility approach for SAP and other complex licensing environments.
• The specific way different licence types, contract terms, and cost models are combined in the vendor’s reporting.
• How the vendor positions visibility into software usage as a compliance and optimisation input.

👉 Read Pathlock’s analysis of Gartner’s 2026 SAM Tools Market Guide →

Software asset management data quality: what IAM teams need to know?

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