Summer Placement, Software Estate Discovery & Cataloguing

Summer Placement Role: Software Estate Discovery & Cataloguing

Overview
We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented summer placement student to support a group-wide initiative to catalogue and better understand our software estate. This project will create a clear, structured view of the applications used across the organisation, supporting improved governance, cost control, and strategic decision-making.

Scope of Work
The student will be responsible for building out a comprehensive inventory of software applications across the business. This includes:

• Validating and enriching an existing list of ~290 known applications
• Identifying additional (previously undocumented) software in use across teams
• Engaging with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation to gather information
• Capturing key data points for each application, such as:
  • Purpose and functionality
  • Business owner and/or key contacts
  • Usage across teams or regions
  • Support and maintenance arrangements
  • Contractual details (where available)
  • System longevity and lifecycle status

Approach & Responsibilities

• Conduct interviews and outreach with business and technical stakeholders
• Work independently to track down information and follow up where needed
• Maintain accurate and well-structured documentation
• Provide regular progress updates and highlight gaps or risks
• Bring curiosity and initiative to uncover unknown or shadow IT systems

Key Skills & Attributes

• Strong communication skills and confidence engaging with a range of stakeholders, including senior colleagues
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and manage their own workload
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail
• Organised and methodical approach to data collection
• Comfortable working with spreadsheets or data capture tools

Duration

• Approx. 8–12 weeks (summer placement)

Outcome
By the end of the placement, the student will deliver a structured, validated software inventory, along with insights into gaps, risks, and opportunities for rationalisation or improvement.