How to Become a SaaS Management Superhero

There’s no denying the software-as-a-service (SaaS) landscape is undergoing a period of rapid change. Today, lines of business and employees increasingly purchase new SaaS applications unbeknownst to the guardians of the IT galaxy. On average, most organizations now have more than 269 SaaS applications in their portfolios, and consistently underestimate the number by two to three times.

Not only is your organization wasting spend on duplicate and unmanaged applications, those mysterious SaaS tools likely pose a security threat, putting the entire organization at risk. 

In order to protect the citizens and keep SaaS management in check, we’ve seen a special type of IT professional rise from the shadows — the SaaS Management Superhero. 

What Is a SaaS Superhero?

All superheroes possess their own unique powers. A SaaS Management Superhero might be an expert in slaying automatic renewals, or guarding the organization from duplicative software applications. However, all SaaS Superheroes possess unique powers that enable them to see into the future, revealing deep insights into the ways SaaS fuels innovation and business growth.

Most importantly, SaaS Superheroes embrace the transformational power of SaaS. They serve as the catalyst for organizational change, and understand the strategic power SaaS Management can have on reducing costs and avoiding risks. When SaaS Superheroes see a need or risk in their organization, they take the lead and spring into action.

SaaS Superheroes don’t run away when trouble arises. They bravely face it head on.

How to Become a SaaS Superhero

Every SaaS Superhero must make a pledge to protect and empower their fellow citizens from the ever present dangers of Shadow IT, automatic renewals, and security breaches. 

SaaS Superheroes come in many different forms, but they share some defining superpowers, most notably Z-Ray vision. With this special line of sight, you can more clearly:

• Discover and track your complete SaaS inventory, including usage and spend
• Reveal applications purchased outside of IT — aka Shadow IT
• Build a central system of record to keep track of your applications
• Uncover the more than 51% of SaaS spend that’s not properly tagged as SaaS
• Predict the future and act on it

Now that you know what it takes to be a key defender of your SaaS, it’s time to suit up and begin the next level of your training.

Establish a secure fortress

All SaaS Superheroes begin their training by assessing their current SaaS strategy through a single system of record, such as Zylo. Think of it like a secure fortress for your SaaS inventory, one that shows complete visibility and serves as the ultimate source of truth.

When you lay a solid foundation to build upon, it allows you to see all of your data in a single snapshot, so you can make data-driven decisions to optimize SaaS Management strategies. It allows you to work with other heroes across your organization to coordinate optimization opportunities, and establish new policies and governance. 

Unlock your Z-ray vision

SaaS Superheroes need to put their Z-Ray vision to work in order to see a complete picture of their SaaS inventory, including Shadow IT and improperly tagged software. It’s only through accurate discovery that you can leverage utilization to understand, rationalize, and optimize your SaaS portfolio. 

How Do SaaS Management Superheroes Remain Vigilant?

A SaaS Superhero must always keep a watchful eye over their community, constantly monitoring for new SaaS entrants and potential threats. Today, the average company sees at least eight new applications enter its environment and three applications exit active use every 30 days, so constant vigilance is paramount. Use these battle-tested strategies to stay on top of SaaS management.

Face your fears head-on

A SaaS Superhero is not afraid to move beyond data and spring into action. They take a proactive approach to storing and tracking SaaS data, and set consistent guidelines for software intake and application review. They use their keen superpowers to analyze utilization data to proactively drive significant cost savings. If you consider how the average company wastes $18M annually on unused SaaS licenses, your SaaS Superhero can truly save the day.

Lead with clear direction

Make it easy for your fellow citizens and other heroes to follow in your footsteps as a SaaS agent of change. The best way to empower them includes spotlighting any applications not currently behind single sign-on (SSO) authentication. Establish a plan of action to better manage your security, and enable your teams to choose their preferred SaaS tools via a curated catalog of pre-vetted cloud applications – like Zylo’s App Catalog. 

Don’t go it alone

The strongest SaaS Superheroes understand they need the right team and tools to overcome adversaries and get the job done. Enact real change by forging key relationships with other business units across the organization, including the executive team. Get company-wide buy-in on your SaaS Management strategies, and before long, you’ll have an army of SaaS Superheroes helping to watch over the organization.

Ready to learn additional tips for sharpening your SaaS Superhero skills? Download the ebook to learn more.