License Surveys – How to

License surveys are a valuable tool for administrators to manage software licenses more effectively. By sending surveys to users with checked-out licenses in Reftab, administrators can gain insights into license usage, identify underutilized resources, and make informed decisions about renewals or reallocations. This process helps optimize costs and ensure organizations get the most value from their software investments.

In this guide we will cover the following:

Setting up the Survey
Sending Surveys
“Software Needed?” Question & Potential Savings
Viewing Responses

Setting up the Survey

First you will want to configure your survey to have the questions you wish to collect data for. To begin, login to Reftab as an administrator and head into Settings > Loans / Reservations Options > Configure License Surveys.

Here, you’ll find the configuration menu where you can set up your license survey. This menu allows you to customize the survey to collect valuable feedback from users with assigned licenses. In the example below, I’ve provided some sample questions to demonstrate how you can structure your survey and tailor it to your needs. Follow the steps outlined to configure your survey and start gathering insights efficiently.

1. Set the Survey Statement

At the top, there’s a “Statement” field where you can add a notice or brief instruction for users completing the survey. Customize it to provide context or explain the purpose of the survey.

2. Add Questions

Below the statement, you can add individual questions. For each question:

Type in the question text: This is where you enter what you’d like to ask the user.
Mark as required (if necessary): Check the “Required” box if the question must be answered.

3. Choose the question type:

Text: Open-ended responses.
Email: Collects an email address.
Currency: Gathers financial input, such as cost-related feedback.
Date: Requests a specific date.
Multi-choice: Allows you to provide a list of answer options for users to select from.
↳ Configure Answer Options (for Multi-choice questions)

Use the “Add Question” button and repeat the same configuration steps for each new question.

4. Save the Survey:

Once done, click the “Save Survey” button at the bottom to finalize the setup.

Sending Surveys

Navigate to the License Details Page:

  1. Start by going to the Licenses tab in Reftab.
  2. Select the specific license for which you want to send the survey. This will bring you to the License Details Page, where you can manage loaners, track usage, and send surveys.
  3. Select Loanees for Bulk/Individual Survey Distribution:

In the “Current Loans” table on the License Details Page, you can select multiple loanees to send surveys in bulk. Simply check the box next to each loanee’s name to include them in the survey.

After selecting the loanees, click the “Send Survey” button at the top of the table to send the survey to all selected users at once.

Sending a Survey to an Individual Loanee:

If you prefer to send a survey to a single loanee, click the “Send Survey” button in the “Survey” column next to that loanee’s name. This will send the survey directly to that specific user.

“Software Needed?” Question & Potential Savings:

Every survey includes the required “Software Needed?” question, which asks whether the loanee still needs the assigned software. At the top of the License Details Page, the “Potential Savings” section estimates how much could be saved based on the responses to this question.

To configure and learn more on unit cost tracking, read this article: How to Configure and Track Unit Costs

Viewing Responses

To review a response, click on the Yes/No field under the “Software Needed?” tab.

In conclusion, surveying licenses allows you to efficiently assess software usage and identify opportunities for cost savings. By gathering feedback from loanees, you can make informed decisions on license allocation and streamline software management to reduce unnecessary expenses.

For any questions or assistance please email [email protected]