Reduce your SaaS license costs by 30% with these simple strategies

You read that right. 30%!

Reducing your recurring expenditure on tools and applications by almost a third will have a big impact on your IT budget.

Today, software subscriptions (or SaaS) account for a major share of IT spending for businesses.

By analyzing and automating the management of your subscriptions, you can achieve significant savings while boosting the productivity of your teams.

Curious about how to optimize your SaaS spend? Follow the guides!

The following content has been developed by our teams with the support of Corma, the SaaS access and license management platform.

rzilient x Corma: a 2-in-1 offering for all your IT needs

rzilient, the IT asset management platform, and Corma, the access and license management platform, have joined forces to offer you a simple, effortless experience. The collaboration between our technologies allows you to keep control of your IT equipment and software with ease.

To find out more, contact our experts today ->.

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Saas software: a must-have that's out of control?

Today, the majority of companies use SaaS software. This adoption is essential for productivity, but it represents a significant share of IT spending. Did you know that SaaS spending has seen a 450% increase since 2015(Finances Online)? And that on average, a company spends US$8,700 per year per employee on SaaS software(Vertice).

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The rise of SaaS subscriptions

SaaS software now occupies a central position in the enterprise. Almost 70% of companies use between 10 and 99 SaaS applications on a daily basis(Blissfully)-evidencing the growing dependence on online tools, but also the need for an effective management strategy. Without regular monitoring, unused or duplicate licenses can account for up to 30% of SaaS expenditure (Spendesk).

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Unmonitored subscriptions: a hidden money pit

According to one study, over 40% of SaaS licenses are under-used or"blissfully" unused. These "ghost" licenses alone cost thousands of euros every year. By centralizing and optimizing your license management, you can reduce your costs by 15 to 30%.

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The keys to efficient, cost-effective management of your software subscriptions

The first step to saving money? Sort it out! Here are a few ways to identify superfluous subscriptions and maximize the use of each license.

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1. List all SaaS software for which you have an account

The average company uses (or doesn't use) 130 SaaS applications. 130!(Vendr) So, the first step in optimizing your spending will be to detect all the SaaS software and applications on which you have an account.

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2. Analyze the use of each software

Once all the applications have been detected, it's important to analyze how many active licenses within these apps are actually being used by your teams.

At this stage, you may be wondering how to go about analysis. How do you check whether paid subscriptions are actually being used?

It's so simple! Corma has developed the solution.

Corma offers 100% transparency and visibility on the use of all software within the company. How does it work?

Simple! Corma connects different data sources such as Single Sign On or direct application integrations. Combined with data from a simple browser extension, Corma is able to detect any use of professional software applications.

Usage can be detected instantly and will be immediately displayed in the dashboard. Usage must take place in order to be recognized, and it usually takes a few days or weeks for the data to be accurate. Ultimately, not all tools are used on a daily basis, so it's normal for this process to take some time.

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3. Detect and eliminate duplicates

As we've seen, the average company uses over 130 SaaS applications, and several tools often offer similar functionality. The key is to identify overlaps and reduce duplication.

-Step 1: Group your applications by category (e.g. collaboration tools, CRM, project management).

-Step 2: Choose one application per category according to your needs, and cancel the others to avoid unnecessary expenditure.

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4. Consolidate and negotiate subscriptions

Software suppliers are often open to negotiation, especially if you consolidate your licenses. For example, consolidating subscriptions within a company can result in discounts of 10-20%.

And that's exactly what the partnership between rzilient and Corma makes possible. We work hand in hand to offer you the best possible joint price.

By bundling your subscriptions, you increase your bargaining power. Nearly 26% of companies that have centralized their SaaS purchasing have succeeded in obtaining discounts from their suppliers(Flexera).

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Automation for effortless software management

Now that we've streamlined your licenses, it's time to implement automations to manage your subscriptions efficiently and sustainably.

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Automation 1: Continuous SaaS spend tracking

Setting up this automation means you'll be alerted as soon as a subscription increases in price or an automatic renewal is imminent.

These alerts can help you save up to 15% of your SaaS budget by avoiding unnoticed price increases.

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Automation 2: Automatic revocation of unused licenses

The phenomenon of "ghost licenses" (those held by employees who have left the company) can account for up to 40% of unnecessary SaaS expenditure. With the right automation, you can immediately revoke access for departing employees.

With rzilient, this automation is effortless! By creating rules for opening and closing accounts and licenses on your day-to-day SaaS applications, you not only save precious time, but also optimize the use of your licenses-and therefore your budget.

To find out more, book a 30-minute demo ->.

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Automation 3: Reports and alerts

Reports and alerts allow you to monitor your spending effortlessly. For example, a monthly report shows you which software licenses are in decline, enabling you to terminate or reduce the number of licenses before the end of the next billing cycle.

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Real-life examples of companies that have reduced their software costs

Let's take a look at two examples of companies that have successfully reduced their software costs by adopting automated management.

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Case study : 30% reduction in SaaS expenditure in one year

A 500-employee company recently reduced its SaaS expenditure by 30% by optimizing its subscriptions and automating their management. After identifying unused software, eliminating duplication and consolidating subscriptions, the company saved almost 50,000 euros in one year.

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Case in point: The impact of automated license management

An SME set up a system of automatic license revocation for employees leaving the company. As a result, it saved 12% of its SaaS budget by avoiding paying for unused subscriptions. By centralizing and automating the management of its licenses, the company was able to better control its expenditure.

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How can you reduce the cost of your SaaS licenses?

1. Carry out a complete audit: How many applications are you using in total? Are there any duplicates? Are all licenses in use?
2. Set up management automations: An employee leaves your organization? Automatically deactivate their subscriptions.
3. Raise the awareness of your teams and their managers: Do they really need these tools?
4. Negotiate your contracts: Can you group certain tools together to centralize and cut costs? Can you negotiate a fixed price for renewal?
5. And finally, keep track of your expenses.

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Conclusion - Save money with optimized software management

With effective management of your software subscriptions, you can achieve substantial savings and free up resources for other essential projects. A strategy of automation and centralization enables you to keep costs under control and reduce unnecessary expenditure.

Ready to save? Start with an audit of your subscriptions and implement automated management tools to simplify the tracking of your expenses. Optimized software management guarantees long-term savings.

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