Autodesk license audit consulting – AutoCAD Audit

When a company receives a request for an Autodesk audit (also called an Autodesk license audit), panic often sets in. This is not surprising given the tales making the rounds in license management circles. Autodesk in particular has a reputation for being aggressive when it comes to software audits. Unfortunately, crucial mistakes are then often made at the outset, preventing the companies involved from maneuvering through the audit with little to show for it.

Typically, customers first try to buy time in an Autodesk license audit and make commitments they later regret. For example, customers agree to allow surveying of their systems without further review. Data protection requirements, NDAs and other regulations are ignored. This can be a costly mistake for the company later on.

To successfully pass the Autodesk audit from the customer’s perspective, there are three tips that should definitely be taken to heart:

1. Audit critically
2. Make agreements
3. Get help

“Be critical and question exactly what you are told and what you are asked to do,” reports Christian Grave, software audit expert, at ProLicense. As a rule, Autodesk invokes its rights under the contract when it comes to Autodesk audits. But even here, caution is advised. “Which contract with which T&Cs was legally agreed upon?” asks Grave. “A link to the Autodesk website is certainly not sufficient at this point,” Grave continues. It is important that customers clarify exactly which contracts have been agreed upon at the date of purchase.

To avoid any surprises in the ongoing audit process, details should be clarified in advance. Topics such as data protection and confidentiality are particularly important for companies. Here, a suitable non-disclosure agreement must be agreed upon with the manufacturer. However, a lot of negotiating skill is required here; and companies generally need a lot of experience in software audits. “You have to know what you want to demand and negotiate in the first place. If you haven’t done this many times, chances are that you may forget crucial criteria, that keep you safe in the long run. Once an agreement has been made, it is then valid. You cannot later claim that individual clauses are invalid,” explains Christian Grave, who has already negotiated a large number of Autodesk audits for customers.

An Autodesk audit can be quite lengthy and expensive. To avoid that, getting expert help is the right step here. The experts from ProLicense secure the rights of customers in Autodesk license audits and ensure a safe process for the benefit of their clients. Basically, the aim is to ensure for customers that no unjustified claims are made and that only information that is absolutely necessary for the software audit is transmitted. “We have a lot of experience in software audits and are also the initiators of the Lighthouse Alliance,” clarifies Grave. The Lighthouse Alliance is a customer association against revenue-driven software audits, to which more than 30 corporate and public customers now belong – including many major corporations.

Affected companies may contact the software audit experts via the ProLicense website.

Here you can find an interesting YouTube playlist about autodesk audit.