Agricultural giant cuts software costs by 40% in six-country digital overhaul

The Forscope Effect
 

Interview with Ivan Haška, Head of IT for AGRO CS Group

1. What were your biggest concerns before purchasing second-hand software licenses for the first time, and how did they turn out?

„Our main concern was about the legal, licensing, and audit aspects. It was never just about the price. We wanted to ensure we had the correct documentation documenting the license's origin, its transfer, the scope of its usage rights, and that we wouldn't face any problems during a future licensing audit. Our second concern was practical. We needed to know whether the licenses would work smoothly in our environment, if they would fit our planned deployment, and if we would get enough documentation for our internal license records. In the end, none of these worries came true. We successfully deployed the licenses, logged them in our license management system, and had no issues from either an operational or internal compliance standpoint. For us, the key point was that we didn't view the purchase simply as a cheaper option, but as a standard software licensing acquisition that had to be properly documented and fully defensible. Thanks to second-hand licenses, we managed to license an entire company in our group in Romania. We also handled licensing for the entire holding company regarding CAL and RDS CAL licenses. We provided Office licenses that had to run on Remote Desktop Services servers while keeping control over updates, and licensed SQL Server. In the SQL Server case, this approach even allowed us to get a higher edition than would have been financially reasonable if we bought new licenses.“

2. How did your legal or compliance department respond?

„We don’t have a separate compliance department, so our IT team and management managed the issue internally, focusing on licensing and governance. Our main requirement was simple. We had to show exactly what we bought, from whom, under what terms, and what licensing rights we had. The contractual and licensing documents, proof of license transfer, and clear records in our internal license management system were crucial. Once we provided these documents, there were no major concerns internally. We treated it like a regular software license purchase, putting more emphasis on document verification and proper record-keeping.“

3. What was the overall financial impact, and would you recommend this approach to other companies?

„The financial outcome was definitely positive. We saved a significant amount compared to buying new licenses without sacrificing legal compliance, documentation, or operational usability. In some situations, this approach even allowed us to obtain a higher software edition than we would have likely chosen if we had bought new licenses. In one SQL Server licensing project alone, the difference from purchasing new licenses resulted in savings of more than CZK 500,000. I would recommend this approach to other companies, although not as a one-size-fits-all solution for every software purchase. It works best when an organization clearly understands its licensing needs, maintains a well-managed internal license inventory, and collaborates with a supplier who can provide complete, transparent, and well-documented licensing records. In my opinion, it’s essential to look beyond the purchase price and also consider audit preparedness. When licenses are properly documented and correctly recorded internally, buying second-hand software licenses can be a smart way to optimize costs without adding unnecessary risk.“