“Do you really need that?“
When an employee requests access to an app license or an entirely new tool, it can be tricky to discern need from want.
Everyone wants access to a tool—even if they don’t really need it. It’s like a party: everyone wants an invitation, even if they have no intention of showing up. Unfortunately, when employees hold on to every tool they request, the company foots the bill for unused tools.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably responsible for improving cost efficiency, so you must separate need from want. The best way to do that is to examine use.
Employees request the tools they want but only use the tools they need.
As we found in our SaaS Benchmark Report, most organizations own too many license seats when compared to license utilization. Some of the most expensive applications (like Salesforce, Zoom, Atlassian, etc) represent massive opportunities to save simply by reducing the number of idle licenses.
With that in mind, here are five steps to help you save 25% or more on your top applications!
1. Spot the Cost
Centralizing and comparing your SaaS contracts is the first (and often most important) step toward identifying unnecessary expenses. By bringing all contracts into one centralized location, you get a clear snapshot of which apps you’re paying for, how much you’re spending, and when renewals are coming up.
How Torii Helps Spot the Cost
Torii’s SaaS Management Platform (SMP) provides cutting-edge insights for contracts and procurement—so you can easily compare what you’re spending versus what you’ve committed to. From contract vs. expense comparisons and AI-powered renewal forecasts to yearly renewal summaries and more, Torii offers a complete view of your SaaS investments in one place.
How to Centralize and Compare Your Contracts
- Gather All Contract Details:
- Pull invoices, agreements, and terms from your procurement or finance systems.
- Don’t forget to include any “unofficial” contracts that departments might have set up on their own.
- Identify Key Data Points:
- Look at cost, renewal dates, contract length, number of licenses, and usage limits.
- Watch out for auto-renew clauses and escalating costs hidden in the fine print.
- Organize & Consolidate:
- Create a single, accessible repository (like a shared drive, spreadsheet, or—ideally—Torii) to store contract PDFs and key info side by side.
- Group contracts by app function or department to quickly spot overlap and redundant tools.
- Compare Costs & Terms:
- Note any discrepancies between the contract price and what’s actually being charged monthly or annually.
- Flag contracts with renewals coming up soon—these are prime opportunities for renegotiation.
- Collaborate with Stakeholders:
- Talk to finance, procurement, and department leads to confirm which contracts are essential and to highlight any unexpected fees or clauses.
- Share the centralized contract overview so everyone has a clear picture of current commitments.
By spotting the true cost of your top tools—and centralizing all contracts for easy comparison—you’ll have a solid foundation for the next steps in cutting unnecessary spending..
2. Evaluate Usage
Understanding actual usage is a powerful way to uncover wasted spend—especially on high-cost apps and licenses. Torii automatically pulls real-time usage data for your top SaaS apps, highlighting active, inactive, and unassigned licenses alongside cost details and industry benchmarks.
How Torii Helps Evaluate Usage
Torii’s license page gives you an instant breakdown of each app’s usage status, letting you see at a glance which licenses are active, inactive, or unassigned. That data pairs seamlessly with cost insights, so you know exactly where your money is going and which apps may be ripe for optimization.