Case Study: UK Financial Services Firm Cuts SAP Named User Costs by 28% Through Role-Based Optimization
Industry: Financial Services
Country: United Kingdom
Employees: 12,500
The Challenge
A UK-based financial services organization was dealing with rapidly rising SAP costs.
With 12,500 SAP users, licensing had become one of the company’s largest IT expenses.
A deeper review revealed why: the firm had over-assigned costly SAP “Professional” user licenses to a wide range of employees, even when their usage was minimal.
Many users needed only basic functionality, like viewing records or submitting forms, but they were granted roles that triggered expensive license tiers. There was no process to tie job functions to the correct SAP license type. The default was to grant broad access “just in case,” which drove up costs.
The goal was clear: reduce named-user license costs without affecting business operations or compliance.
The Solution
The company engaged Redress Compliance to lead a full, role-based license optimization initiative.
Key actions included:
- Analyzing actual SAP usage
Each user’s transaction history was reviewed to determine real system usage patterns. - Identifying over-provisioned users
Many users had been given access far beyond their daily tasks. For example, service staff with limited needs had roles that included financial permissions. - Redesigning SAP roles
New job-specific role profiles were created—finance clerks, HR assistants, sales analysts, etc., with access limited to what was required for the role. - Reallocating user licenses
- Hundreds of users were downgraded from “Professional” to “Limited Professional” or “Employee” licenses.
- Unused and duplicate user accounts were eliminated
- License simulation tools were used to validate cost impacts and ensure no access disruption
- Implementing license governance
Security teams were trained to assign appropriate roles moving forward, preventing future license creep.
The Results
The results were significant and measurable.
- 28% reduction in SAP named user license costs
This translated into millions of pounds in annual savings, achieved without impacting business operations. - Improved audit readiness and compliance
Tighter role alignment meant fewer users with broad access, reducing audit risks and improving internal control. - Sustainable license management
With new governance processes in place, the company now has long-term control over SAP licensing and costs.
“We realized we were paying top-tier license costs for users who barely used the system. By redesigning how roles map to licenses, we saved a massive amount—without sacrificing access,” said the IT Asset Management Lead.
“This wasn’t just a savings exercise. It gave us a repeatable way to control license growth and stay audit-ready,” added the Procurement Director.
Why It Worked
This case proves that license waste is preventable—even in complex, highly regulated environments like financial services. By linking SAP access to real job roles and eliminating over-provisioning, the firm avoided paying for unused capabilities.
License optimization doesn’t require compromise.
It requires data, governance, and the right strategy—exactly what Redress Compliance delivered.
