Five Steps to optimise SaaS costs and deliver rapid savings

18 August 2023
3 minute read
Best practice

Five Steps to optimise SaaS costs and deliver rapid savings

18 August 2023
3 minute read

In this new white paper by AJ Witt and Zluri we look at how organisations can optimise their SaaS costs in light of the significant increases in software prices during 2022/2023 and the continuing challenging economic environment.

Optimising SaaS to deliver Rapid Cost Savings: New white paper

In 2023 we’ve seen software costs rise by over 20% from major vendors such as IBM & Microsoft. These rises are unprecedented and driven by inflationary pressures in the economy such as energy, payroll costs, and interest rate rises. The result is a black hole in your technology budget.

With Software-as-a-Service increasingly forming the bulk of software estates what can you do to reduce this impact? During the last financial crisis in 2008/09 many organisations simply curtailed or postponed technology spending, extending the use of software they already owned licenses for.

In 2023, however, that’s not possible. If your software estate is primarily subscription based, if you don’t renew the subscription you lose access to that software, software which is increasingly critical to your business. So what should you do? In this white paper presented in conjunction with Zluri we present practical techniques for optimising your SaaS estate to reduce costs. The good news is that for reasons we’ll also outline this can be achieved rapidly. With budget rounds starting for the 2024 financial year there’s never been a better time to get control of your SaaS spending.

The paper starts with quantifying the scale of the SaaS optimisation problem, with conservative estimates being that approximately 25% of SaaS subscriptions are unused. This is particularly likely if you don’t have formal SaaS Management policies and tooling in place.

Embedding a SaaS Cost Management culture: Five steps to SaaS optimisation

Delivering rapid SaaS cost savings requires some preparation but once everything is in place it’s possible to continuously optimise SaaS usage, uncovering cost savings on a monthly and even weekly basis. The paper explores the following five steps to achieve SaaS optimisation.

About AJ Witt

A former IT Asset Manager, AJ is Industry Analyst for The ITAM Review. He's interested in hearing from end users of ITAM tools and also vendors. He enjoys writing about the SaaS Management market, practical aspects of ITAM operations, and the strategy of major software publishers. You can connect via email (aj.witt@itassetmanagement.net) or LinkedIn. AJ is based in the New Forest where he enjoys cycling, walking, spending time with his family, and keeping chickens

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

  • news post 1 Resources

    An Introduction to Scope 4 Emissions

    Executive Summary For ITAM teams, sustainability is a core responsibility and opportunity. Managing hardware, software, and cloud resources now comes with the ability to track, reduce, and report carbon emissions. Understanding emission scopes—from direct operational emissions ...
    Read More
  • news post 1 AI

    AI and ITAM: State of Play 2024 Research Report

    In 2024, the ITAM Forum and General Interfaces conducted a global survey (On behalf of the ITAM Forum’s AI+ITAM Working Group) targeting ITAM practitioners, executives, and stakeholders to explore the growing influence of AI on the ...
    Read More
  • news post 1 Resources

    A Strategic Approach to Managing AI as an IT Asset

    Executive Summary AI is not just another passing trend—it’s a transformative force reshaping industries at an unprecedented rate. However, like any new technology, its spread across the enterprise is following a familiar and potentially dangerous pattern. ...
    Read More
  • news post 1 ITAM News & Analysis

    Will 'Sustainable IT' be Caught in the Crossfire?

    In the days immediately following his inauguration, President Trump and his team declared war on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at the federal level. The impact has been felt far and wide. Many government contractors ...
    Read More