Ready to Become a SaaS Superhero? We Wrote the Code

It’s easy to forget that SaaS still takes management, oversight, and a not-so-small piece of the budget. 

Unless a hefty piece of enterprise tech is involved, it’s so dang easy to get going with SaaS — there couldn’t be a downside, could there? ​​But the reality is more complicated. Gartner predicts  global SaaS spend will grow up to $195 billion – up from $167 billion in 2022.

Let’s bring it a little closer to home: an average company spends about $4,600 per employee on SaaS software and wastes an annual $17 million on unused SaaS licenses. 

Yes, SaaS seems easy—but it’s also easy to lose a handle on. 

That’s why every organization needs a SaaS superhero to make sure the right management strategies are in place. In the face of increasing costs and complexity, a SaaS superhero embraces the promise of SaaS while still maintaining the best interests of the organization top of mind. 

“SaaS Management is not just about reducing spend, it’s about ensuring governance and creating efficiency.” — Eric Tan, Coupa 

So what makes a SaaS superhero a SaaS superhero? We’ve written a kind of code to get you moving in the right direction:

1. Maintain a commitment to good
2. Protect and empower
3. Know you can’t do it on your own 

Keep Your Commitment to Good

SaaS Management superheroes have a lot on their shoulders: they must protect the entire organization, from the bottom line to individual users. After all, Wonder Woman never shied away from protecting everyone she could, did she? 

Looking for more guidance on how to become an agent of change and save the day in your organization? Check out our full guide below. 

The first piece of guidance in becoming a SaaS superhero is to stay committed to helping your organization reach its goals. That North Star should help you avoid becoming bogged down or, on the other end of the spectrum, making grand plans without taking immediate action. 

We have three recommendations on this front: 

1. Increase cost savings and efficiency by reducing redundant applications. The first step isn’t exactly easy, but it is the most straightforward: take stock of your current applications and reduce those that aren’t being used or are redundant. Cutting out the waste will give you a kind of launching pad for getting strategic. 
2. Consolidate subscriptions and deprovision inactive users. SaaS adoption is like a metropolis that keeps on building without any kind of city planning. We’ve seen that nearly 4 out of 10 SaaS licenses go unused in a 30-day period. Keep your “city” safe and contained over time by taking the time to audit which users are using which tools. 
3. Take care of your fellow citizens. You’re not here to take things away, you’re here to save the day. Part of working for the good of your organization is working for the good of your fellow employees. Start by making sure that employees have access to the apps that they actually use and those that will help them be productive. At the same time, put some guidelines in place so that shadow IT via self-adoption doesn’t start to creep back in (more on that below). 

Protect and Empower

Speaking of your fellow employees… Every SaaS Superhero must make a pledge to protect and empower your fellow citizens. Cheesy or not, you are the friendly neighborhood Spiderman of your organization. 

Instead of just knocking out the “bad guys” (read: shadow IT, overspending, redundant apps), your role is to protect the tools your team uses and empower them to find new tools that will help them and their team. 

• First, enable employees to find the tools they need to work. Two out of three Gen Z and Millennial knowledge workers say autonomy in choosing the apps, services and devices they will use for work is a top priority. Nobody wants to be assigned a task management tool or which video app they should be using. But cutting employees off completely and giving them a carte blanche aren’t the only two options. Instead, show them compliant self-service SaaS via an app catalog. They’ll be able to see approved SaaS tools and request exactly what they need. 

• Second, keep your team safe. Gartner predicts that in just a couple of years, 40% of employees will orchestrate their business application experience the same way they do their music streaming experience. Quick and easy is the name of a dangerous game, but you can reduce shadow IT before it even enters your company by putting formal intake and purchasing policies in place. (That app catalog along with a buying committee will come in handy, too.)

Know They Can’t Do It Alone

Batman had Alfred. Spiderman had Mary Jane. Iron Man had J.A.R.V.I.S. All superheroes need both the right tools and the right team to get the job done. 

For tools…

• Look for a SaaS Management platform that will help you make sense of your data, from SaaS usage to user adoption. Use these insights to drive the right actions at the right time. 
• Use a tool to help you with discovery—most organizations have 650+ applications, so starting a spreadsheet won’t exactly make you into the Flash. Take stock of what you have in place quickly with Zylo. 
• Set up an app catalog to accomplish your bigger vision (setting the organization up for success) while allowing you to put the right controls in place. 

For the team…

• Instead of karate chopping things left and right, start your change management by creating the right relationships across the organization. Team leads, security and legal are all good stakeholders to involve. 
• Take the time to align with your C-suite’s business goals and how your actions can help achieve those goals. 
• Cross business units who are using SaaS to ensure the changes you’re planning will be accepted across the org rather than just within your immediate team. 

SaaS superheroes are like nearly all superheroes: they know what needs to get done, but go about it by building the right relationships, knowing what to focus on first, and getting the right tools in place. What’s stopping you?

Take your superhero powers to the next level by downloading your free guide How to Become a SaaS Management Superhero.