# Site Name
Torii Blog

## URL
https://www.toriihq.com/blog

# Page Title
Torii raises $10M in Series A funding | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/torii-wins-the-g2-crowd-high-performer-for-fall-2020-0

## Page Description

Automated SaaS Management has arrived

## Details

Today, we’re announcing that Torii has closed a $10 million Series A financing round to automate software management in the enterprise. The financing was led by Wing Venture Capital together with the company’s existing investors Entree Capital, Global Founders Capital, Scopus Ventures and Uncork Capital. Wing VC Partner Jake Flomenberg is also joining Torii’s Board of Directors.
With the new funding Torii will expand its engineering and data science teams in Israel and commercial teams in the US.
SaaS adoption has continued to accelerate organizations’ ability to work from anywhere, improved productivity and employee experience. As the number of SaaS tools across the enterprise grow, so does the level of sophistication, connectedness and integration. With companies deploying on average 20-plus new SaaS applications every month, managing SaaS can only be achieved with intelligence-driven automation.
Automate EverythingAutomation is present across every facet of Torii’s platform, helping companies make accurate intelligence-driven decisions relating to software usage, spend and compliance.
Automated, no-code workflows’s Orchestration Engine offers an easy to use no-code engine to create and deploy automation workflows for every SaaS application.
Automated discovery’s Unified Software Graph uses Machine Learning to analyze millions of events and data points across identity management systems, ERPs, collaboration platforms, HR systems, expense management systems, and internet browser extensions.
Automated app management provides a single, aggregated view of all discovered apps to provide complete transparency into enterprise-wide SaaS usage and spend. Torii boasts deep integration with 100+ SaaS applications, 25% of which can be fully managed.
Currently, Torii is developing new intelligence features including automatic software recommendation, compliance readiness and cost allocation.
Customer SuccessUsing Torii, Rock Content, a global leader in content marketing, has automated SaaS applications discovery, spend management, and employee onboarding and offboarding.
According to João Dobbin, Manager of Business Enablement at Rock Content, Torii transformed its employee onboarding and offboarding, and reduced IT hours spent on offboarding by 75%. Using Torii, Rock Content rationalized its SaaS applications usage and saved more than a million dollars.
Across its customer base, Torii is currently monitoring and optimizing more than $1 billion in total software spend and more than $4 billion in total transactions.

# Page Title
Improve Your SOC 2 Controls List: 7 Best Practices For Your Next Audit | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/preparing-your-soc-2-audit-with-torii

## Page Description

Step up your audit preparedness with these best practices for your SOC 2 Controls List. Learn how Torii's efficient solution for accountability, security, and data management, ensures peace of mind.

## Details

Audits aren’t fun. However, they play a critical role in ensuring accountability and compliance across a broad range of important standards. Chief among those is the SOC 2 audit. According to the AICPA:
Oversight of the organization
Vendor management programs
Internal corporate governance and risk management processes
Regulatory oversight  [1]
This report is important to instill security and controls throughout the organization and to give your customers, partners, and vendors peace of mind.

#### The SOC 2 Controls List

Simply put, SOC 2 Controls List refers to a comprehensive set of policies, procedures, and practices put in place to ensure the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of customers’ data.
These controls, which align with the Trust Services Criteria, serve as a basis for evaluating and reporting on the effectiveness of an organization’s information systems in a SOC 2 audit.

#### Control Data For Your SOC 2 Audit

A key ingredient to a SOC 2 certification is proof. Simply promising adherence to controls isn’t enough. When we first underwent our SOC 2 Type II Audit as a small team of just ten employees, we found our own product, Torii, to be immensely useful in helping to gather and store the proof we needed.
There is a lot of preparation that goes into SOC 2 report.  and Torii can help reduce the workload across teams. Here are the best practices for using Torii to help prepare for your SOC 2.

#### 1. Gather Onboarding Data for New Employees

Torii can be used to create and manage the onboarding process of new employees. Not only can you automatically add users to your core tools before their first day, but you can also do the following:
Alert appropriate teams that a new employee is starting automatically
Send a checklist of steps that need to be taken for the employee
Send a checklist of steps that need to be taken by the employee
Send employee responsibilities and company policies to the employee
Add employees to user groups on different systems automatically

#### 2. Conduct Annual Access Review

Torii provides you with a real-time view of what systems employees are using from the moment they join the company until the time they leave. For your core tools, you can use Torii to not only see who is a current and active user but also what access rights they have. This allows you to do the following:
Remove users who no longer need access to the application
Remove admin rights to users who no longer need privileged access
Add users and admins who should have access to the application
Set up an automated workflow to send alerts whenever an employee accesses a retired application
Using our SSO audit report, you can review what method employees are using to sign up for the different systems.

#### 3. Fully Offboard Terminated Employees

Torii can be used to create and manage the offboarding process. In addition to automatically offboarding employees from core tools, you can do the following:
Send automated alerts to remove the employee from all applications
Send automated alerts to employees responsible for none SaaS application tasks
Automatically transfer files from one employee to another as part your onboarding process
Real-time report and audit of the offboarding process of each employee

#### 4. Uplevel Vendor Management

Torii helps with several aspects of vendor management. You can store all relevant information (e.g., contracts, contacts, use cases) and manage the renewal. You will receive notifications when renewals are upcoming so you can begin your security process. If you will be ending a relationship with a vendor, you can close this application within Torii and keep all data for historical and audit purposes.

#### 5. Stash Confidentiality Agreements with Vendors

You will need to ensure that your vendors have the same level of confidentiality commitments as you do. This can include signing NDAs and DPAs.
Store all of these documents, at the application level, for easy storage and access across all teams.

#### 6. Keep an Audit Trail

Having the controls in place is part of the battle. Being able to audit your work and prove the controls are working is just as essential. Any automated work completed by Torii and updates made within the platform is kept for this purpose. You will have access to the following:
Who was onboarded, and what actions were taken
Who was offboarded, and what actions were taken
All applications discovered
All documents stored
All information added, including who changed them and when

#### 7. Store Data for Easy Use and Discovery

Torii can be your Source of Truth for all SaaS applications. Having a one-stop shop for all this information increases visibility across the organization and saves time in finding important documentation. This is incredibly valuable when preparing for your SOC 2.

#### Planning for the Next Annual Review

These reports will be needed every 6 to 12 months. Having the right tool to gather, maintain and share your data is key to completing SOC 2 as efficiently as possible. If you would like to discuss further how Torii can help with your SOC 2 preparation please reach out to your CSM or [email protected]
[1] SOC 2® – SOC for Service Organizations: Trust Services Criteria: https://www.aicpa.org/interestareas/frc/assuranceadvisoryservices/aicpasoc2report.html

# Page Title
New Feature: Agent-less Desktop Discovery without Compromising Security | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/agent-less-desktop-discovery-without-compromising-security

## Page Description

Desktop app discovery—without agents: Learn how Torii revolutionizes IT software management by integrating desktop monitoring apps for a unified, secure view of all software data, from cloud to desktop.

## Details

Applications are everywhere. Whether local or in the cloud, shadow IT or sanctioned, IT is left trying to monitor a multi-environment software stack. As a result, they lack unified insights critical for confident action.
Torii is tackling this visibility problem head-on by integrating with leading desktop monitoring apps you already use in your organization. By utilizing this data and representing it within Torii, IT teams now have a single location to view all data about their software, from desktop to cloud, whether shadow IT or sanctioned, all without compromising your organization’s security posture.
With this single source of truth, organizations take smarter action based on better data to improve license and app management, saving time and money.
Important Note on Security: We are committed to helping you maintain your organization’s security posture. To that end, this discovery is made possible by integrating with your existing systems. Other SaaS Management Platforms try to accomplish this visibility by installing desktop agents onto your organization’s hardware devices. Not only can this introduce performance issues, but it also creates a new attack vector for bad actors and increases risk exposure to data breaches, compliance concerns, and other security threats.

#### How It Works: Integration with Desktop Monitoring Apps

Torii’s approach to capturing desktop-based usage data is both innovative and security-conscious. By partnering with leading desktop monitoring applications, such as Jamf, Intune, Kandji, and Jumpcloud Torii bypasses the need to install additional desktop agents, as these can pose severe security risks. This method allows for seamless data aggregation, providing IT departments with a comprehensive view of how software is used across the organization, regardless of whether the applications are cloud-based or installed locally.
The process is straightforward: once a desktop application is used, the monitoring software captures this activity and feeds the data into Torii’s platform. This integration ensures that the overall usage analysis includes even applications used “offline” or those not typically captured by API data or SSO logs. This holistic insight is critical for IT teams managing a diverse and complex software portfolio.

#### Why It Matters: The Impact on Software Management

The desktop-based usage data feature extends beyond the technical capabilities it introduces. At its core, this feature addresses a fundamental challenge in software management—the gap in monitoring and discovering desktop-based applications. By providing a centralized, comprehensive view of software usage, Torii empowers organizations to:
Optimize Software Licenses: Identify and eliminate underutilized licenses, ensuring resources are allocated to applications that offer real value.
Enhance Decision Making: With more accurate and complete data, organizations can make informed decisions about software purchases, renewals, and reallocations.
Improve Security Posture: The nonintrusive, agent-less data collection method respects privacy and security and aligns with modern IT standards.
In essence, this feature is a step towards perfecting data and discovery within Torii, addressing the previously unmet need for inclusive software management. It acknowledges that many organizations operate in a hybrid environment, with critical applications spread across cloud and desktop platforms. By bridging this gap, Torii not only enhances the efficiency of software management but also supports strategic business decisions, ultimately contributing to cost savings and operational excellence.
As the digital workspace continues to evolve, the ability to manage and optimize software assets becomes increasingly crucial. Torii’s desktop-based usage data feature is a testament to the innovation required to meet these challenges head-on, offering a comprehensive, secure, and efficient solution for today’s complex IT ecosystems.

# Page Title
Are Dashboards Dead in the Age of Chat? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/are-dashboards-dead-in-the-age-of-chat

## Page Description

## Details

How large-language models are transforming analytics from static screens to dynamic conversations
Today, Everyone agrees that data powers progress. It cuts surprises, clarifies choices, and drives alignment—but only if it’s shared.

#### Data Matters, But Access Matters More

Here’s the snag: too often, data sits trapped inside software rather than flowing freely across teams. Fewer than 20% of leaders believe they’ve built a true data culture. When insights hide behind complex tools or a handful of experts, momentum stalls. One team might wait days for answers. Another can’t trust reports, that they barely understand.
In short, data is only valuable when it’s accessible, top of mind, and steering decisions for an aligned team.
But before we can consider the next phase of data analytics, it’s important to understand how we got here.

#### The Hunter-Gatherer Era of Data

Dashboards promised quick answers but delivered a data jungle. They burst onto the scene with shiny charts and drag-and-drop tools. Demos made “instant insight” look easy. But once the software rolled out, people hit a wall. Unless reports came ready-made, getting information meant custom setups and confusing menus. Instead of instant clarity, workers began hunting and gathering data, a task only a few could master after long training.
Today, 84% of frontline staff call dashboards poor or hard to use, and employees spend 1.8 hours a day just chasing basic info.
This gap between flashy tools and real answers shows it’s time to rethink business analytics.

#### Where Dashboards Fall Short

Dashboards were a necessary first step away from static spreadsheets. They centralized metrics and gave analysts new superpowers. But three structural cracks appeared:
The Endless SearchComplex filters and hidden metrics force employees into manual sifting or into analysts’ queues.
Data IslandsDepartments own separate dashboards. Conflicting numbers spread doubt, and disconnected data islands cost businesses $3.1 trillion every year.
Frozen Insights51% of users still can’t interact meaningfully with their data; 37% say insights aren’t actionable; 36% say updates are too slow to act on.⁴ Dashboards become digital wallpaper.
The result? 69% of office workers feel fatigued by workplace systems, sapping both productivity and morale.

#### Opening the Data Front Door

Dashboards aren’t worthless; they’re just not the destination. Power users still need deep dives, trend lines, audit trails, and pixel-perfect charts. Think of dashboards as the analytics back room: crucial for stocking the shelves, but no place for a quick shopper. To serve the rest of the team, we need a bright, hassle-free front door that hands out answers in seconds.
Fortunately, with the advent of LLMs, that shift is not just possible, it’s here.

#### Chat: The Old/New Interface for Data

Large-language models now translate plain speech into precise API calls,  so a question like “Which SaaS contracts renew next quarter?” is compiled, filtered, and answered faster than an analyst could open the first dashboard tab.
This shift replaces layered menus with an interface every employee already knows: language. It frees you to focus on what to ask, rather than how to navigate.
More importantly, this conversational layer creates a shared reality across teams. Too often, siloed teams have siloed realities based on different data threads. With a chat interface, every team can query the same datasets. Alignment will still take work, but it has a better chance of success when working from the same numbers.
Finally, the same thread that delivers insight can queue action: approve a renewal, spin up a workflow, or schedule a follow-up analysis with a single prompt. Insight and execution merge into one continuous loop, turning conversation into the primary control surface for modern analytics.
In short, chat-based interfaces bring three big advantages:
Easy for anyone to use
Better alignment over shared data
Faster transitions from insight to action
Building the Bridge: Three Pillars
A conversational interface feels deceptively simple (type a question, get an answer), but it stands on serious engineering. To move a company from “dashboard-driven” to “dialog-driven,” the platform must excel in three areas that reinforce one another like girders in a bridge. Miss one and the span sags; get all three right and data flows smoothly from raw tables to decisive action.
1. Unified Data LayerA single semantic model beats prettier charts every time. When finance, CRM, and ops data live behind one API, every query draws from the same definitions, joins, and permissions. Analysts stop reconciling “sales” versus “revenue” columns, and business users stop emailing CSVs. The result is fewer trust gaps and faster iteration on metrics that actually matter.
2. Natural-Language GatewayThe interface should conform to the user, not the other way around. Whether the prompt arrives by chat, voice, or an SDK call, the same parsing layer should convert intent into secure SQL, DAX, or Spark without manual babysitting. This lets analysts focus on modeling and optimization while everyone else engages through the channel that feels most natural.
3. Action LoopsInsight without follow-through is shelfware. Each answer should surface contextual “next steps”: trigger a Slack approval, open a JIRA ticket, or launch a renewal workflow, straight from the chat thread. Embedding these automations closes the gap between knowing and doing, turning the interface into a true control plane for business processes.
For example, at Torii, we’ve developed a chat-based interface and AI assistant called Eko. Rather than a simple chatbot, Eko embodies this shift towards democratized access to SaaS insights.

#### Case Study: Why Torii Built Eko

Background & ChallengeTorii’s platform unified SaaS spend and usage data, yet every day, stakeholders like finance, security, and procurement still pinged their IT counterparts for basics like “Who owns Zoom?”
Some organizations didn’t even know that their company had a SaaS Management Platform or that this information had a single source of truth. Torii developed a series of custom dashboards that were powerful, but their adoption was limited to existing users. Essentially, the rest of the company still didn’t feel empowered to get the data.
Solution: Eko, the Chat-Based InterfaceTorii built Eko as the conversational front door to its data set. Powered by large-language models and Torii’s unified semantic layer, Eko interprets any plain-language prompt and routes it to the right AI agent to assist. No menus, no macros.
Today, Eko has five seamless agent modes:
Eko auto-detects intent and switches agents on the fly, so users experience one fluid conversation rather than a menu of tools.
The Results: Complement, Not Replace DashboardsEko hasn’t replaced dashboards; it has widened the doorway. The chat interface draws first-time Torii users, often from finance, security, and procurement, who find plain-language queries less daunting than charts. Meanwhile, veteran IT admins still learn on dashboards for deep dives and trend work. The result is additive: new teams rely on Eko for fast answers, and power users keep their familiar workspace in addition to Eko.
Dashboards helped us on the journey, but they were never the destination. To move faster now, we need a front door everyone can access—one where a plain-language question pulls the right numbers and tees up the next action. Chat-based analytics delivers that doorway, turning conversation into the mechanism to enable a data culture for modern workplaces.

##### Practical Next Steps

Pilot, learn, expand – Start with a single high-value use case, refine based on feedback, then roll out company-wide.
Catalog your data – List every app, database, and file that stores key metrics.
Mark what matters – Highlight the figures that steer daily and quarterly decisions.
Decide buy vs. build – Evaluate whether to assemble your own stack or adopt an off-the-shelf platform.
Choose automation-ready tools – Look at options like Torii’s Eko, which pairs conversational analysis with powerful workflows and automation.

# Page Title
Artificial Intelligence for SaaS: How Torii Leverages AI | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/artificial-intelligence

## Page Description

Explore how Torii's AI features elevate SaaS management. Streamline contract data, get instant Slackbot insights, and boost efficiency.

## Details

At Torii, we are focused on developing thoughtful artificial intelligence experiences within your daily work that provide real value. These are the moments of magic that eliminate busy work, letting you focus on what truly matters, all while reducing costs and risks.
Note: New AI Features ReleaseTorii just released a major update to our AI capabilities. Check out our Master Class Series to learn more.

#### Torii’s Artificial Intelligence Features

##### Never Miss an Auto-Renewal

If you haven’t missed an auto-renewal clause for a SaaS app, then you’re probably still in orientation.
The fact is, SaaS contracts are hard enough to track down, much less manager—add to that the trap-door of auto-renewals, and you’re looking at an uphill battle. Luckily, Torii’s latest feature, Never Miss an Auto-Renewal, automates away all that stress. Every step of the contract lifecycle is improved through a powerful combination of automation and artificial intelligence so you can focus on optimizing the application itself.
This exciting feature utilizes AI-powered intelligent scanning to parse through contract language and extract all the crucial dates and details. You can then use those dates and details to seamlessly integrate notification alerts into your contract workflow to ensure no auto-renewal deadline is missed. This preemptive approach guarantees that users are well-informed and in control of their renewal decisions, supported by a user-friendly interface that showcases renewal statuses at a glance.
Automated Alerts: Stay informed with automated notifications ahead of cancellation deadlines.
AI-Powered Detection: Torii’s AI accurately identifies auto-renewal clauses, reducing manual effort.
Transparent Management: Gain visibility into contract renewal terms with clear, accessible data fields.
Customizable Notifications: Set up personalized alerts that fit your organizational workflow.
Works with Your Contracts: Whether it’s monthly or multi-year, the AI will pull out the critical data.
With “Never Miss an Auto-Renewal,” Torii empowers organizations to take control of their contract renewals, eliminate stress, and save themself uncomfortable conversations with finance.

#### AI Actions: Smarter Workflows, One Prompt at a Time

Automate decisions, generate messages, and enrich your data using natural language
Managing SaaS at scale often means dealing with countless small decisions—checking app features, formatting data, writing renewal reminders. These routine tasks can pile up and slow your team down. That’s where AI Actions come in. Torii’s AI Actions let you embed natural language prompts directly into your workflows, turning everyday manual steps into intelligent automations powered by GPT.
AI Actions integrate OpenAI directly into Torii’s workflow engine, enabling dynamic, context-aware automation through simple prompts. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Add an AI Action
Within Torii’s workflow editor, insert an AI (GPT) Action where intelligence is needed.
Step 2: Write a Natural Language Prompt
Craft a specific prompt like: “Does this app support Okta SSO? Which tier is required?”
Step 3: Define Response Mapping
Extract key values (e.g., “yes”, “Enterprise tier”) into reusable tokens like [@okta-support] and [@required-tier].
Step 4: Reuse Mapped Tokens
Feed these tokens into downstream actions—updating app metadata, alerting security, or notifying app owners.
Whether you’re verifying SSO support, crafting custom reminders, or converting messy dates, AI Actions bring scalable intelligence to every part of your SaaS workflow. And because prompts are customizable, you can tailor the automation to match your processes and policies—no complex scripting required.
Work Smarter: Automate tasks that previously required manual lookup or judgment.
Accelerate Decisions: Deliver enriched, structured data to downstream workflow steps instantly.
Cross-Team Impact: Enable IT, finance, and security teams to act on the same intelligent, up-to-date inputs.
Increase Accuracy: Use AI-generated responses to reduce human error in routine decisions.

##### Learn more about AI Actions:

Explore how you can use AI to power smarter SaaS workflows with Torii’s AI Actions.

##### Map Your Apps: AI-Powered Full SaaS Visibility

Managing a sprawling SaaS ecosystem can be challenging. Torii’s App Mapping feature automates the discovery and categorization of all third-party applications in your organization, giving you an organized, easily customizable view of your digital environment. For the rare cases where an app isn’t automatically detected, we provide the tools to manually add it—ensuring your dashboard is as comprehensive and accurate as possible.
Torii uses advanced AI to scan your organization’s SaaS applications and automatically categorize them for you. This allows you to quickly identify the tools that are most critical to your business while filtering out less relevant applications. The result is an efficient, organized view of your SaaS stack that can be customized to fit your specific needs.

##### How to Use This Feature

All applications identified by Torii can be found in the Review tab on the Applications page. If you can’t find a particular app, it’s most likely because it was categorized as non-business-related or had a naming convention that didn’t align with our database. When this is the case, you can make adjustments within the Refine tab. Here, you can add or remove apps, making the list perfectly tailored to your organizational requirements.
Automated Discovery: Eliminate manual tracking by letting Torii do the heavy lifting in identifying all your third-party applications.
Less Noise on Your Terms: Let Torii filter your non-business apps so you can address them on your terms. Our Discovery engine keeps your data safe and ready for you to make custom adjustments when you see fit.
High Accuracy: Benefit from Torii’s cutting-edge AI that ensures only relevant business apps are displayed.
Tailored Customization: Adjust the categorizations according to your needs, whether it’s to add or remove specific applications.
Wide Compatibility: Torii supports a broad range of platforms, including Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams.
Instant Sync: Any changes you make are updated in real time, ensuring your dashboard is always current.
Data Integrity: Our system is designed to prioritize accuracy, even if that means not automatically displaying an app that’s hard to categorize.
With Torii’s App Mapping, you have a reliable, efficient way to manage your SaaS environment. It’s not just about discovery; it’s about giving you the control and customization that modern IT management demands.

##### AI Contract Ingestion: Removing Busywork and Improving Accuracy

Your contract data is the bedrock of your SaaS insights. Terms, costs, renewal dates; all this critical info is easier than ever to centralize within Torii. Use our AI Contract Ingestion tools to improve data accuracy and save time, all while enhancing your SaaS visibility.
We’re merging precision with ease, here’s how:
Simplified Uploads: Users merely upload their contract PDFs to Torii’s dedicated portal or forward up to ten contracts at once to [email protected]. From there, our AI seamlessly extracts pivotal details like Supplier/Vendor, Contract Value, and Start and End Dates, ensuring each detail is accurately captured.
Comprehensive Data Extraction: Beyond just the basics, our AI dives deep, capturing a wealth of information from each contract. This ensures that every nuance, from individual line items to payment terms is documented, providing a holistic view of every contract within the platform.
Actionable Insights: Torii doesn’t just upload your contracts; it combines this data with user, adoption, and usage insights to reveal cost-saving opportunities. IT and procurement professionals can now rely on cost-saving recommendations, benchmarks, and workflows to right-size their subscriptions and better negotiate renewals.

##### Torii AI Assistant (Ask Torii)

Torii now provides answers to your SaaS queries via a Slackbot. Now, insights are just a slash command away. The assistant can answer questions about users, license counts, contract details, application statuses, and more.
Your daily IT management just got smarter. Here’s how:
Instant Answers: No need to toggle between databases or sift through documents. Ask Torii’s AI Assistant your pressing questions and get instant, accurate answers, right within Slack.
Permission-Sensitive: The AI assistant provides answers based on the user permissions associated with the asker, keeping your data and insight secure.
Focus on What Matters: By minimizing the time spent on repetitive queries, the AI Assistant enables you to allocate more time and attention to strategic initiatives and complex problem-solving.

##### App Identifier and Auto-fill for Custom App Details

Sick of staring at blank fields? With Torii’s Magic Auto-fill, you’ll get auto-generated app details when updating your custom applications within Torii. We’ll auto-add the category, description, and website so you can add more apps in less time.
Make your SaaS inventory management effortless. Here’s how:
Automated Detailing: Simply input the app name and let Torii take care of populating all essential details like website and description. No more manual data entry!
Accuracy Ensured: Automation reduces the risk of human error, ensuring your SaaS inventory is consistently accurate.
Efficiency Boost: This feature significantly cuts down the time you’d spend on manual entries, allowing you to focus on more impactful tasks.

#### Cover Your SaaS With Artificial Intelligence

IT automation is ever-evolving. As AI-powered tools like Torii emerge, they provide a more cohesive and intuitive way to automate your toughest tasks so you get consistent results.
But this is also about transforming your relationship with SaaS. As you harness the capabilities of AI, you stop reacting to the demands of today; and proactively shape your work going forward.
Ready to cut costs, reduce risk, and drive consistent outcomes? Request a free trial of Torii to see for yourself.

# Page Title
Next-Gen Automation: Torii’s Exciting Workflow Experience | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/automation-center

## Page Description

Discover Torii's Automation Center. Design visual workflows, use real-time event triggers, and elevate IT automation

## Details

Torii’s Automation Center lets you bypass complex UI, steep learning curves, and fragile workflows so you can get up and automated fast. Check out the latest features.
Note: New Automation ReleaseWe just announced a major update to our Automation Center. Get the full picture with our Master Class Series.

#### Canvas UI: Automation Visualization

If a picture says a thousand words, a flowchart says a million and now that powerful visualization is at the heart of Torii’s Automation Center.
The Canvas UI isn’t just a feature; it’s a revolution in how you engage with SaaS automation. With Torii’s Canvas UI, visualize and design your workflows in a comprehensive, clear, and cohesive manner. Each step and action is visually represented, ensuring that you don’t merely set up a workflow; you understand it.
Intuitive User Experience: No more fumbling through intricate settings or endless dropdowns. The Canvas UI simplifies the process, ensuring that your workflow designs are as intuitive as your thoughts.
Streamlined Workflow Editing and Revision: With the entire workflow in sight, making changes or tweaking processes becomes a breeze. No second-guessing, just seamless adjustments in real time.
By transforming abstract automation ideas into visible and manageable entities, the Canvas UI reaffirms Torii’s commitment to bridging the divide between aspiration and realization in the world of IT automation.

#### Branching: Intelligent Workflows Tailored to Your Needs

You operate using a series of if/then statements. If it’s raining, then I’ll grab an umbrella (or just sprint to the car). Now, that same basic logic is available in your workflows thanks to Branching within Torii’s Automation Center.
Unlimited Nested Conditions: The ability to craft workflows with limitless nested conditions means you’re not confined by any constraints. The complexity of a task shouldn’t deter its automation.
Consolidation and Organization: Instead of juggling a myriad of disjointed workflows, Torii’s Branching allows for a fusion of multiple processes into a few organized and easily searchable ones. This declutters the workspace and elevates IT’s ability to better manage existing automation.
The beauty of Branching lies not just in its advanced capabilities but in the clarity and control it brings to IT managers. In a realm where every microsecond counts, being able to fine-tune workflows to exact specifications is not just beneficial; it’s transformative.

#### AI Actions: Intelligence Embedded in Every Workflow

Automate with precision using natural language and AI-driven decision-making
Workflows are the backbone of operational efficiency, but traditional automation can only go so far without intelligence. Torii’s AI Actions bridge that gap by embedding the power of GPT directly into your automation flows. With simple prompts, you can now make smarter decisions, update data dynamically, and generate contextual communications—all within the workflows you already rely on.
AI Actions transform static workflows into adaptive, intelligent systems. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Add AI Actions to Workflows
In the workflow editor, insert an AI (GPT) Action where reasoning, messaging, or decision logic is needed.
Step 2: Define a Natural Language Prompt
Write a prompt like: “For the app [Trigger.App.Name], does it support Okta SSO? Which tier is required?”
Step 3: Map AI Responses to Tokens
Structure the AI’s output using custom mappings—like [@okta-support] or [@required-tier]—that feed into subsequent steps.
Step 4: Automate with AI-Enhanced Inputs
Reuse these tokens in Slack messages, app field updates, or conditional logic to drive next steps—intelligently and automatically.
AI Actions extend the power of Torii workflows by allowing you to ask questions, transform data, and personalize communications—all without breaking the flow or introducing complexity. Whether you’re sending reminders, verifying compliance, or enriching app data, AI Actions fit seamlessly into your existing automation logic.
Make Workflows Smarter: Add reasoning and flexibility where static automation falls short.
Save Time on Repetitive Tasks: Offload decisions, messaging, and data checks to AI.
Reduce Manual Errors: AI-generated responses provide structured, consistent output.
Cross-Functional Enablement: Empower IT, finance, and security to work from the same enriched workflows.

#### Custom (Webhook) Trigger: Extend Your Automation Beyond Built-In Integrations

Torii’s Custom (Webhook) Trigger empowers IT teams to automate workflows from any external source, not just native integrations. Use it to streamline tasks such as employee onboarding or offboarding in real-time, sync with project management tools, and dynamically incorporate incoming payload data—all without writing code.
Set Up the TriggerIn the workflow builder, select Custom Trigger (Webhook). Torii generates a unique webhook URL.
Configure and ConnectAdd an optional description, then paste the webhook URL into your external system (e.g., Jira, Freshservice).
Validate the TriggerTest the event to confirm Torii receives and validates the data. Incoming variables become immediately available for workflow actions.
Build Your Workflow ActionsAdd provisioning, notifications, or other actions. Personalize tasks with nested payload variables for truly tailored automation.
Expanded Reach: Integrate with any webhook-supporting tool, surpassing Torii’s native integrations.
Real-Time Response: Trigger immediate actions when events occur.
Dynamic Customization: Personalize workflows based on incoming data.
Scalable Performance: Process up to 1,000 webhook requests per minute.
The Custom (Webhook) Trigger breaks the boundaries of traditional integrations, giving you flexibility and control. With Torii, building and maintaining automated, data-driven workflows becomes straightforward and scalable.

#### Delegate Offboarding Tasks via Slack

Offboarding shouldn’t take a full-time project manager. Now, with Torii plus Slack, you can delegate offboarding tasks with confidence and visibility. Here’s how it works:
Build Your Offboarding Workflows: For apps without a direct integration to Torii, delegate offboarding tasks to app owners and send them the communication via slack.
Send Slack Notifications: When someone leaves the company, the app owner receives a simple message detailing their tasks and associated apps, with a link to a live task list in Torii.
Task Management in Torii: As app owners complete tasks in their respective apps, they can mark them as done through the task list page, giving IT real-time visibility into progress.
By using Slack to delegate offboarding tasks, IT can enforce order, structure, and accountability for the work that’s often left incomplete. The result is increased security, better optimization of available licenses, and faster offboarding workflows.
Easy for App Owners: By using Slack and a simple task list, app owners won’t forget to finish the job. They’ll have all their tasks listed in one place with periodic reminders.
Enhanced Visibility for IT: IT gains full oversight of task status as they’re accomplished by the app owners, ensuring timely and accurate offboarding.
App Owner’s Preferred Tool: For internal communication, most employees are more responsive to Slack than to email. By using Slack, IT will benefit from higher action rates, fewer back-and-forths, and faster success on tasks.
By meeting app owners using their preferred tools and boosting task visibility, we help IT teams maintain security, optimize licenses, and complete offboarding on time—without adding extra work for stakeholders.

#### Scheduling: Harnessing the Power of Time in Automation

Time waits for no one and neither do you. Torii’s Scheduling feature ensures that you can cheat time—just a little. Strategically deploying workflows aligned with the time-sensitive tasks of onboarding and offboarding—this is where precision meets performance.
Adaptable Timezones: Whether your team spans one timezone or straddles the globe, Scheduling adjusts to individual employee timezones, ensuring that tasks are triggered exactly when they’re meant to be.
Collaboration and Strategy: By synchronizing onboarding and offboarding workflows with your HRIS system, IT professionals aren’t just executing tasks—they’re planning and collaborating.
With Torii’s Scheduling, you’re not just managing tasks; you’re orchestrating critical operations. The future of proactive SaaS management is here, and it’s always on time.

#### Wait Action: Execute Workflows With Precisions

Add a “wait action” step to your workflow anytime you want to pause. Choose any length of time from one hour to however many days you need. This innovative capability ensures actions within a workflow can be scheduled within specific time intervals to provide more flexibility within your SaaS Operations.
Precision Offboarding: enables a smooth transition of employee offboarding by suspending users, transferring files, and eventually deleting accounts after a set period.
Ensure Work is Complete: Use the “Wait Action” to confirm prior steps were taken all within the same workflow. Combine with workflow branching to take different actions based on whether or not those steps were completed.

#### Real-Time Event Triggers for Immediate Responses

Torii’s real-time event triggers are a game-changer in HR automation tech, eliminating delays in your offboarding workflows. The moment an employee leaves the company, the system kicks into gear, automatically initiating offboarding processes. This immediate action isn’t just about convenience; it’s also a proactive security measure, ensuring that former employees lose access to sensitive apps and data instantly.
Automated, Immediate Offboarding: No more manual triggers or waiting periods. Real-time event triggers initiate offboarding workflows as soon as an employee exits, giving IT teams peace of mind and freeing up their bandwidth.
Enhanced Security Measures: Instant offboarding isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about security. By removing access to company apps and data in real time, you close potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

#### Slack Approvals: License Management Made Simple

Torii’s new feature elevates Slack to more than just a communication app—it’s now a tool for real-time SaaS management. IT managers can instantly approve or deny access requests to apps directly within Slack, streamlining the administrative process. Additionally, automated workflows in Slack message users with idle app licenses, enabling effortless license reclamation and optimization.
Streamlined Decision-making: Say goodbye to the back-and-forths across multiple platforms. Approve or reject access requests within the familiar environment of Slack, making IT governance more agile and efficient.
Save Costs With Automated License Management: Automated Slack workflows proactively reach out to users with idle licenses, offering you a fast and effective way to reclaim and repurpose software seats, saving both time and budget.

#### External API Triggers: Connecting Your Systems

Your SaaS stack shouldn’t feel like a maze or a Rube Goldberg machine. Torii’s External API Triggers allow you to connect the systems that matter so you can centralize your processes within a single SaaS Management Platform. By seamlessly connecting to external ITSM systems, Torii transcends its own boundaries so you can too.
Seamless Integration: Whether it’s Jira, Freshdesk, Zapier, or other ITSM giants, Torii’s External API Triggers ensure that different platforms aren’t just talking—they’re actively collaborating.
A Single Source of Truth: With Torii at the helm, IT professionals have a consolidated, central hub for SaaS data, insights, and actions. The patchwork of multiple platforms is transformed into a cohesive tapestry of actionable intelligence.
Expanding Workflow Capabilities: Use external systems to trigger your Torii workflows to do more, all from one central location.
External API Triggers aren’t just about integration; they’re about diverse systems, driving insights and efficiencies. Torii’s Automation Center breaks silos and unifies your SaaS Management Efforts.

#### Workflow Tags and Views

Workflows are a crucial part of SaaS management, and as your organization grows, so will the amount and kind of workflows you’ll need. But like the photos from your summer vacation, too much of a good thing can create an overwhelming library. While Torii can’t sort through your photos, it can tag and sort your workflows, making organizing and finding your automations a breeze. Simply categorize your workflows by use case and/or any other custom attribute for easy navigation.
Intuitive Workflow Management: Ease of use matters. From Torii’s canvas workflow builder to our tags and views, we’re committed to streamlining IT professionals’ processes as much as possible. This means making every facet of our platform intuitive and easy-to-use. Now, instead of scrolling through dozens of workflows, simply filter by use case or any custom attribute to quickly find the automation you need.
Pre-Built and Custom Tags: Torii offers six out-of-the-box workflow tags that align with common SaaS management use cases, including onboarding, offboarding, and license management. Customers can also create custom tags tailored to their organization’s specific needs, using them alongside Torii’s pre-built options or on their own. Use as many tags as you want to organize your workflows.

#### Restore Workflow History

Mistakes happen, and sometimes a previous workflow version is simply better. With Torii’s Restore Workflow feature, you can easily revert to any prior version directly from the history list. This powerful tool keeps your workflows flexible, efficient, and stress-free.
Recover Quickly: Instantly return to a proven workflow configuration after changes don’t go as planned.
Save Time and Effort: Eliminate the need to manually rebuild workflows, so you can focus on higher-value tasks.
Ensure Smooth Operations: Quickly resolve issues and maintain business continuity without workflow disruptions.

#### Cover Your SaaS with Automation

IT automation is ever-evolving. As AI-powered tools like Torii emerge, they provide more cohesive and intuitive ways to automate your toughest tasks so you get consistent results in an easy-to-use system.
But this is also about transforming your relationship with SaaS. As you harness the capabilities of Scheduling, Branched Workflows, and External API Triggers, you stop reacting to the demands of today and proactively shape your work going forward.
Ready to cut costs, reduce risk, and drive consistent outcomes? Request a free trial of Torii to see for yourself.

# Page Title
Better Contract Lifecycle Management with Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/contract-lifecycle-management-with-torii

## Page Description

Contract lifecycle management doesn't have to be this bad. Learn how Torii leverages AI and automation to make your vendor relationships and renewal workflows more effective 

## Details

Torii’s Renewal Center gives you all the tools to upgrade your contract lifecycle management and vendor relationships from start to finish. Complete with AI tools, workflows, critical integrations, notifications, and a sharable calendar. Check out the latest features below.

#### Renewals Yearly Summary: Your Key to Contract Management

Show leadership renewal savings with this new report
Contracts often fail to convey the true value of an app, making renewals a complex task. To bridge this gap, the Renewals Yearly Summary provides a comprehensive, top-down view of your annual contract spending, simplifying your renewal preparation process.
How it works:The report uses a waterfall chart to visually represent your annualized SaaS spending. It shows:
Renewed Contracts: Contracts continuing into the next year.
Closed Contracts: Agreements that have ended.
Carryover Contracts: Multi-year agreements not renewing this year.
Cost Changes: Increases or decreases due to new or closed contracts.
A detailed list below the chart provides specific contract details, including app names, cost changes, and links to contracts. You can filter this list and export it as a CSV for broader stakeholder visibility.
Learn more about this exciting report.

#### AI Contract Ingestion and Parsing: Upload or Email—No Manual Data Entry

Tired of entering contract data manually?
Torii’s AI-powered contract ingestion just got even smarter. Now you can automatically extract every critical detail—including line items—from your SaaS contracts by simply uploading or emailing them. No more spreadsheets. No more copy-paste errors.
How it works: Within Torii: From the Renewals tab, select Add Contract from the top right and upload your contract. Torii will upload and parse your contract automatically. You will also be able to review and edit the details before saving it to Torii. Via Email: Simply forward your contracts to “[email protected]”. Our AI will parse and upload them to your Torii platform, with email confirmations for each uploaded contract and its details. From there, you can set up notifications, workflows, or cost-saving processes with ease.
Effortless Uploading: Upload your contracts within Torii or send up to ten contracts via email at once for bulk processing.
AI-Powered Parsing: Our AI efficiently interprets contract details, saving time and reducing manual labor.
Streamlined Contract Management: Easily track and manage contract details within Torii for better organizational efficiency.
With smarter ingestion, precise line-item parsing, and seamless workflow integration, Torii helps you take control of your SaaS contracts—saving time, reducing costs, and minimizing risk.

#### Renewal Forecasting: Proactive License Management Made Simple

Managing software license renewals can be complex and time-intensive. Torii’s Renewal Forecasting feature simplifies the process, so you can forecast renewals based on real usage data. This feature helps you avoid both overspending and under-resourcing your team. By leveraging AI-driven recommendations, you can make informed decisions, right-size commitments, and maximize ROI.
Torii’s Renewal Forecasting simplifies license renewals with a guided process:
Centralize Renewal DataView all key renewal details—user activity, license info, and contract data—in one dashboard.
Audit and Verify Data
Data Check: Confirm that user, license, and activity information is accurate for each app.
Side-by-Side Validation: Compare Torii’s license data with contract PDFs for accuracy.
Viewer License Management: Automatically exclude free viewer licenses since they aren’t tied to contracts.
Get Right-Sizing Recommendations
Usage Analysis: See recommendations for the right number of licenses based on inactivity, license type, and growth buffers.
User-Level Insights: Get detailed suggestions for reclaiming, downgrading, or keeping licenses, with clear reasoning.
Save and ShareCreate shareable reports with renewal recommendations for easy collaboration and future reference.
Streamlined Decision-Making: View all renewal insights in one place for faster, more informed actions.
Cost Efficiency: Align license renewals with real-world usage to eliminate unnecessary expenses.
Scalable Growth: Plan for future growth with customizable buffer recommendations for small, moderate, or high expansion scenarios.
Actionable Insights: Leverage detailed AI-driven recommendations to optimize every renewal cycle.

#### Expenses Compared to Contract Value: Proactive Monitoring for Budget Control

Managing SaaS expenses can be unpredictable. Hidden costs like usage-based pricing often exceed initial contract values, making it difficult to stay on budget. Torii’s Expenses Compared to Contract Value feature solves this by offering real-time tracking and alerts, allowing you to quickly identify when spending exceeds your agreed contract limits and keeping your budget and compliance in check.
Torii continuously monitors your expenses against contract values, enabling proactive budget management:
View Comprehensive SaaS Data: Access a complete list of your applications, including shadow IT and desktop software.
Track Active Contracts: Columns like Active Contract Value and Expenses (Active Contract Duration) let you compare costs throughout the contract’s lifecycle.
Expense Comparison (%): See the percentage of actual spending compared to the contract value, with clear indicators when limits are breached.
Customizable Alerts: Set notifications for when spending exceeds certain thresholds, delivered via Slack, email, or ticketing systems.
Prevent Overspending: Catch budget spikes before they spiral out of control.
Custom Alerts: Tailor notifications to specific budget thresholds.
Contract Compliance: Ensure spending aligns with contractual obligations.
Whether you’re monitoring single-year or multi-year contracts, this feature allows you to adjust your tracking to your specific needs and stay informed. Use Torii’s alerts to discuss budget with vendors during renewal negotiations, ensuring better control over future costs.

#### Procurement Integrations: Automated Contract Ingestion for Zip and Ironclad

Sick of manually entering contracts? Let Torii’s AI handle that via contract ingestion through our integration with Zip or Ironclad. Torii is now the only SMP with this kind of integration—providing you with up-to-date visibility and data for your renewal workflows.
About Zip: Zip focuses on developing an Intake-to-Procure solution for B2B purchasing. Its platform allows for easy procurement request initiation, visibility for all stakeholders, compliance assurance, and seamless integration with existing systems used by departments like Finance, Legal, IT, and Security.About Ironclad: Ironclad is a digital contracting platform that streamlines contract management from creation to execution. It automates workflows, ensures compliance, and provides visibility across legal and procurement teams, helping organizations accelerate approvals and control spend
Now, you can automate the ingestion of contract information and PDFs from your procurement platform into Torii. Whenever a software purchase request is completed, and a contract is generated, Torii will automatically pull and organize that data.
Full visibility: Gain comprehensive insights into app usage, users, costs, and licenses in time for renewal
Future Recommendations: With up-to-date information, Torii can surface license recommendations for immediate cost savings
Contract-Based Workflow Triggers: Create workflows based on contract criteria

#### Share Your Renewal Calendar in Google or Outlook Calendar

Sick of needless back and forths with procurement? Now, with Torii, you can give your team visibility in their calendar of choice. Whether it’s Google or Outlook, you can share an API-powered, always up-to-date calendar that other users can view or subscribe to.
Get on the same page: Silos are real—break them down with easy visibility in the tools users already use
Easy access to further data: The calendar item will also include details such as auto-renewal date and a link to all the contract data within Torii
User-Based Access Control: Each calendar link is unique to the creator, ensuring secure and personalized visibility

#### Never Miss an Auto-Renewal: Eliminate Unpleasant Surprises

Navigating the complex maze of SaaS contracts, especially with the hidden pitfalls of auto-renewals, can feel like a daunting task. Enter Torii’s innovative solution: “Never Miss an Auto-Renewal.” This feature is a game-changer, automating the tedious parts of contract management with a blend of AI and automation so you can concentrate on what’s really important – the effective use of your applications.
This feature leverages cutting-edge AI technology to scan contract language meticulously, extracting key dates and details vital for managing your renewals. It integrates these details into a proactive notification system within your contract management workflow, ensuring you’re always ahead of any auto-renewal dates. This strategic approach keeps you informed and in command, supported by an intuitive interface that clearly displays renewal status at a glance.
Automated Alerts: Receive timely notifications well before any cancellation deadlines.
AI-Powered Detection: Our advanced AI effortlessly pinpoints auto-renewal clauses, minimizing the need for manual checks.
Transparent Management: Enjoy a clear view of your contract renewal terms, all laid out in an easy-to-navigate format.
Customizable Notifications: Tailor your alert system to align perfectly with your organization’s specific workflow needs.
Adaptable to All Contracts: From monthly subscriptions to multi-year agreements, our AI system extracts essential information seamlessly.
With Never Miss an Auto-Renewal, Torii not only simplifies your contract management but also empowers your organization to confidently manage renewal decisions. This means less stress for you and fewer awkward discussions with your finance department.

# Page Title
Spot the Difference: Identify SaaS Contract Value vs. Actual Expenses | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/contract-value-vs-expense

## Page Description

## Details

You did it! After careful research and tough negotiations with the vendor, you signed a contract for an exciting new application.
But fast forward to year-end, and you realize your company spent more than what was outlined in the contract. How did this happen?
Unfortunately, the actual costs of SaaS often go beyond the initial agreement—especially with usage-based pricing or true-ups, which have become more common with SaaS in recent years. That means that surprise expenses have become, well, unsurprising. Vendors will always try to get more revenue from existing clients. So, you must protect your company’s bottom line by identifying these expenses immediately.

##### Now In Torii: Detect Expenses Exceeding Contract Value

In Torii, we’ve made it easier than ever to spot those surprise expenses by providing a clear comparison between contract value and actual expenses. This enhancement allows you to monitor your SaaS spending continuously, giving you a clearer view of where costs might spiral beyond expectations.

##### Why You Should Care

The gap between contracted pricing and actual expenses can quietly drain your company’s budget. Hidden costs—like usage-based pricing—pile up fast, often catching teams off guard. By comparing contract values with actual expenses, Torii allows you to spot potential overspending quickly and take action.
Even if you’re not directly accountable for the budget, catching these expenses early can help you stand out in the workplace. In a busy environment where it’s tough to get noticed, showing that you’ve helped prevent surprise costs is a simple way to earn respect and appreciation. Torii’s alerts make it easy to do just that.
Now that we understand why tracking these costs matters let’s look at how Torii helps you monitor these expenses in real-time.

##### Going Deeper: How It Works

Your SaaS system of record: Torii consolidates all your expense data and contracts using AI-powered tools and integrations, so everything is in one place.
Your complete application list: Complete Application List: Torii provides a full list of applications, including sanctioned SaaS, shadow IT, and desktop software, with data columns for:
Active Contracts Value: The agreed amount for the active contract.
Expenses (Active Contract Duration): The actual costs incurred over the contract duration.
Expenses Compared to Contract Value (%): Shows percentage comparison between expenses and contract value, indicating whether expenses are over or under the contract value.
Drill Down for Each Application: On individual application pages, Torii displays a yellow warning icon when actual costs exceed the contract value. Hover over to see a detailed explanation, with links to both the expense breakdown and the active contract.
Customizable Alerts: Set up a workflow in Torii to send notifications when expenses exceed a defined threshold (e.g., a percentage over contract value). These alerts can be sent via Slack, Email, or ticketing platforms like Jira and Freshdesk.

##### Best Practices for Managing SaaS Costs

Create Workflow-Based Notifications: Set up alerts through your preferred communication channel (slack, email, or ticketing platform) for when expenses reach certain thresholds during active contract periods, ensuring you can stay ahead of potential overspending.
Ensure all relevant stakeholders are alerted, and add branches and conditions to your workflow depending on impacted departments or specific thresholds.
Configure Alerts by Percentage: Customize alerts based on a percentage of contract value (e.g., notify when expenses exceed 10% of the contract) so your team isn’t overwhelmed by small fluctuations but is alerted to significant changes.
Ensure You’re Ready for Renewal: The contract in question might not be up for renewal yet, but ensure you record the details to discuss the expenses with the vendor at renewal negotiations. Perhaps include terms in the contract to protect your organization from unexpected expenses.

##### The Bottom Line

Start using Torii’s new expense tracking feature today to prevent overspending, improve budget forecasting, and protect your company’s bottom line.

# Page Title
Custom Actions further enhance Torii's automated SaaS management | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/custom-actions-further-enhance-toriis-automated-saas-management

## Page Description

With Custom Actions you can connect Torii to any SaaS application with API access, to enrich your automated workflows, or initiate workflows on your other automation systems such as Zapier or Workato.

## Details

With Torii’s workflows you can automate countless IT processes without using a single line of code, saving you as much as one day per week.
Today, for those more advanced IT teams, we are launching Custom Actions that extend the ways in which you can use our SaaS management platform even further.
The complexity of these workflows will only be limited by your creativity and innovation! For instance, Torii can create a ticket in Zendesk for your procurement team before a renewal.
Learn how to send custom HTTP requests and webhooks to any third party software with Torii. And visit us at Oktane21 to see Custom Actions in action!

# Page Title
12 Cybersecurity Trends for 2025: An Expert-Sourced Consensus | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/cybersecurity-trends

## Page Description

## Details

One wrong click can bring entire organizations to their knees.
In an era where data breaches, ransomware, and sophisticated phishing scams grow more rampant by the day, cybersecurity has evolved from a technical concern into a global, multi-trillion-dollar imperative. Worldwide cybercrime costs are estimated to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, underscoring just how high the stakes truly are.
As threats evolve, so must our awareness. Staying on top of trends has never been more important. To that end, we created a meta-analysis of what topics concern cybersecurity experts the most.
What We Did: To guide IT leaders and security professionals, we combed through the predictions and analyses of several top cybersecurity publications, aggregating their findings into clear, thematic trends. While these top results don’t necessarily guarantee which threats will prove the most likely, they do shed light on what a wide range of experts consistently expect to emerge or intensify. For those interested in drilling down into the individual sources we consulted, you’ll find a comprehensive list at the bottom of this piece.

#### 1) AI in Cybersecurity

Times Mentioned: 21
Why It MattersArtificial intelligence is emerging as a common thread linking nearly every major cybersecurity issue. Attackers and defenders alike leverage AI to scale their efforts—attackers employ AI for highly targeted phishing campaigns, malware generation, and deepfake-based social engineering. On the defensive side, security operations centers (SOCs) integrate machine learning (ML) and generative AI to automate threat detection, respond to incidents in real time, and address workforce gaps.
Dual Use: AI improves efficiencies for defenders, but also creates “agentic” AI threats if malicious actors automate entire kill chains.
Generative AI: Deepfakes, synthetic voice or video impersonation, and advanced spam/scam strategies are expanding.
Data Transparency: Trust in AI tools requires clarity on data collection, model training, and security around AI pipelines.
Adopt AI-based threat detection and response platforms to keep pace with automated attacks.
Provide staff training on AI-driven social engineering.
Implement strong governance over internal AI/ML projects to ensure data integrity and compliance.

#### 2) Regulations & Compliance

Times Mentioned: 7
Why It MattersGlobal and fragmented regulations—ranging from general data protection (GDPR-like) to emerging AI governance—challenge organizations to maintain consistency across different jurisdictions. Noncompliance can result in severe financial penalties and reputational harm.
Patchwork Landscape: State-by-state and international regulations vary, making cross-border business difficult.
AI-Specific Rules: Many industry-watchers expect new mandates for AI usage and data protection.
Incident Response Requirements: Regulators increasingly demand swift breach notification and robust crisis management plans.
Maintain an active regulatory watch to remain current on new cybersecurity requirements.
Map data flows to ensure compliance with relevant laws in each jurisdiction of operation.
Develop a formal incident response plan aligned with evolving regulatory frameworks.

#### 3) Supply Chain Attacks

Times Mentioned: 5
Why It MattersRecent high-profile breaches often start with a less-secure vendor or an open-source dependency, allowing attackers to pivot into larger enterprise networks. As organizations bolster their internal defenses, adversaries look for weaker external links.
Third-Party Risks: Outsourced services, SaaS providers, and software libraries can act as critical entry points.
Transparency Gaps: Organizations need clear visibility into the origin and security posture of code and data used by AI.
Impact Amplification: A single compromise in the supply chain can cascade across numerous clients.
Conduct security assessments for all third-party services and vendors, including software Bill of Materials (SBOM).
Implement monitoring systems to detect unusual activity stemming from external connections or dependencies.
Include supply chain breach scenarios in tabletop exercises.

#### 4) Cloud Security

Why It MattersMulti-cloud and hybrid environments compound security complexity. As more data and workloads move to the cloud, attackers see new opportunities for misconfiguration and identity-based exploits.
Converged SOC: Merging cloud security monitoring with traditional SOC operations streamlines threat detection.
CNAPP Trends: Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPPs) that integrate data security, posture management, and runtime defense are rising in popularity.
Visibility Challenges: Decentralized control can lead to missed alerts or blind spots if tools are not unified.
Centralize logging and threat analytics across multi-cloud or hybrid environments.
Adopt configuration management practices (infrastructure-as-code scanning, automated remediation).
Align DevSecOps teams with cloud operations to address vulnerabilities earlier in the development process.
Times Mentioned: 4
Why It MattersRansomware remains a top threat globally, with attackers refining their tactics. Sophisticated gangs use AI to tailor ransom demands and exfiltrate data stealthily.
Shift to “Stealth”: Rather than large-scale system lockouts, attackers may demand smaller, targeted ransoms multiple times.
Data Exfiltration: Threat actors threaten to release sensitive data if companies do not pay.
Post-Quantum Preparation: Some groups are encrypting stolen data now, anticipating future decryption with quantum computing.
Maintain continuous backups that are offline or immutable.
Use advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions that incorporate AI and behavioral analytics.
Develop a clear crisis management protocol, including stakeholder communication.

#### 6) Geopolitical / Nation-State Threats

Why It MattersNation-state actors and politically motivated groups are increasingly active, aligning cyber campaigns with geopolitical agendas. This leads to a rise in hacktivism, targeted espionage, and sabotage.
Targeting Critical Infrastructure: Energy grids, healthcare systems, and supply chains remain prime targets.
Hacktivism Upsurge: Cyber groups may form around geopolitical tensions to deface websites or disrupt public services.
Cross-Border Collaboration: Some states collaborate with criminal gangs to expand the global reach of attacks.
Coordinate with government intelligence and information-sharing centers (ISACs) for sector-specific alerts.
Implement segmented architectures to protect mission-critical systems from external networks.
Train employees on advanced social engineering tactics often employed by nation-state groups.

#### 7) Post-Quantum / Quantum Computing Risks

Why It MattersQuantum computing, while still emerging, presents a looming threat to current encryption standards. Malicious actors may be harvesting encrypted data now, planning to decrypt it once quantum becomes viable.
“Harvest Now, Decrypt Later”: Sensitive data stolen today could be exposed years in the future.
Quantum-Resistant Cryptography: New encryption methods (like lattice-based approaches) will be essential.
Vendor Readiness: Hardware and software providers may begin shipping quantum-safe solutions ahead of demand.
Monitor NIST and similar organizations’ guidance on post-quantum cryptographic standards.
Start inventorying critical data assets that will need quantum-resistant encryption.
Develop long-term migration plans and test post-quantum solutions in pilot environments.

#### 8) IoT / OT / ICS Security

Why It MattersThe proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, along with Operational Technology (OT) in manufacturing, energy, and healthcare, expands the attack surface. Vulnerable endpoints can lead to significant disruptions or physical damage.
Growing Attack Surface: Billions of connected sensors and devices lack robust security controls.
SCADA Risks: Critical infrastructure systems, if compromised, can pose threats to public safety.
Real-Time Constraints: OT environments often cannot afford downtime, limiting patching frequency.
Segment networks separating IT from OT environments.
Regularly test and patch embedded systems despite operational constraints.
Deploy specialized monitoring tools for industrial networks, focusing on anomaly detection.

#### 9) Talent Shortage

Why It MattersRising cybersecurity demands outpace the available workforce, leading to a near-constant shortage of skilled professionals. This gap hampers rapid incident response and strategic security initiatives.
Automation Imperative: Many organizations rely on AI-driven automation to cover basic tasks and free human analysts for advanced work.
Diverse Skill Sets: Beyond technical expertise, business acumen and regulatory knowledge are in high demand.
Retention Challenges: Burnout and competitive salaries lead to high turnover rates in cybersecurity positions.
Invest in continuous training and upskilling, offering certifications and professional development.
Explore automation for repetitive tasks, so analysts can focus on more complex threats.
Expand recruitment pipelines (internships, partnerships with universities, diversity initiatives).

#### 10) Evolving CISO Role

Times Mentioned: 3
Why It MattersCybersecurity is no longer just an IT function; it is a core business risk. CISOs must now engage with executive leadership, boards, and cross-functional teams, adding policy, communication, and strategic planning to their scope.
Risk Partnership: CISOs increasingly partner with CFOs, CEOs, and boards to align cybersecurity with business objectives.
Potential Fragmentation: Some organizations split CISO responsibilities into dedicated roles for data privacy, compliance, etc.
Compensation & Liability: As responsibility grows, so does scrutiny—and with it, the potential for higher pay and personal liability.
Build communication skills to convey cybersecurity issues in business-friendly language.
Develop risk management frameworks that tie cybersecurity strategies to revenue protection and brand reputation.
Advocate for proactive investments in areas like zero trust and threat intelligence.
Why It MattersTraditional perimeter-based security is ill-suited for modern, distributed environments. Zero trust frameworks emphasize strict identity verification and continuous monitoring of both users and devices.
“Never Trust, Always Verify”: Ensures each resource request is validated in real time, mitigating lateral movement.
Micro-Segmentation: Network segmentation plus identity-driven policies reduce the blast radius of breaches.
Adoption Hurdles: Implementation requires significant cultural and infrastructural shifts, from re-architecting networks to training staff.
Develop a phased zero trust roadmap, starting with critical assets and high-risk user groups.
Implement robust identity and access management (IAM) solutions, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and privileged access controls.
Continuously monitor and log access requests for anomaly detection.

#### 12) Data Privacy / PETs (Privacy-Enhancing Technologies)

Why It MattersGrowing consumer awareness and stricter data laws underscore the need for advanced privacy measures. Organizations must protect sensitive data while balancing analytics and innovation.
PET Adoption: Technologies like homomorphic encryption, secure multiparty computation, or differential privacy help secure data in use.
Consumer Trust: Transparent data practices improve brand reputation.
Regulatory Mandates: Data sovereignty regulations require local storage and processing, making privacy engineering more complex.
Classify and label data to apply appropriate privacy controls.
Evaluate privacy-enhancing techniques that align with business needs, such as anonymized analytics.
Communicate privacy commitments to customers, partners, and regulators to build trust.

#### Acknowledgment of Other Notable Topics

Several additional trends appeared but did not crack the top 12 in frequency of mentions. These include:
Unified Security Platforms / Consolidation: The push for streamlined, all-in-one solutions to reduce tool sprawl.
Open-Source Vulnerabilities: Risks inherent in widely used OSS libraries.
Blockchain Security: Exploration of blockchain-based solutions for securing transactions, albeit with potential new exploitation paths.
DDoS Attacks: Ongoing evolution of distributed denial-of-service campaigns.
Cyber Insurance: Rising premiums and stricter underwriting criteria requiring proof of strong security controls.
Innovation vs. Security Tensions: Balancing rapid development cycles with robust security guardrails.
While these did not appear as frequently, they remain critical areas for security professionals to monitor in the broader cybersecurity landscape.

#### References (All URLs Used)

MSSPAlert — 8 Cybersecurity Trends and Opportunities for 2025
Government Technology — The Top 25 Security Predictions for 2025, Part 1
Wire Blog — Top Cybersecurity Trends 2025
Centraleyes — Top Cybersecurity Trends to Watch Out For
Coursera — Cybersecurity Trends
NTT — Cybersecurity 2025
Palo Alto Networks — 2025 Predictions Redefine the Cybersecurity Industry
Dice — 5 Cybersecurity Trends for 2025 That Tech Pros Need to Know
CompTIA — Cybersecurity Trends Research
Proofpoint — AI, Data Security, and CISO Shifts: Top Cybersecurity Trends to Watch for 2025
The Hacker News — 8 Cloud Security Trends

# Page Title
Orchestrate or Obsolete: Democratized Digital Delivery and IT’s Role in the Era of AI | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/democratized-digital-delivery

## Page Description

## Details

IT’s last fortress isn’t a server room; it’s the orchestration layer. In an era where business teams adopt and even build their own applications, gatekeeping is an impossible game of whack-a-mole. IT, sysadmin, ops, their real power comes from democratizing the essential work of streamlining and managing these tools across the organization. Fighting for company-wide alignment.

#### Alex and the Very Bad Day

Once upon a time, Alex was the undisputed ruler of her SaaS kingdom. A master sysadmin, operations guru, and policy architect rolled into one, she had a playbook for every scenario, complete with war stories to match.
One afternoon, while sipping her daily Americano, a message buzzed on her phone:
“Did you know Sales is already using that tool… without IT review?”
Alex stared at the screen. Under her nose, the Sales team had built and launched their own software, so neatly tailored it put every vendor demo to shame. Procurement hadn’t even caught wind of it.
Panic and pride bubbled up in her chest like an overclocked CPU. “How could this happen?” she muttered. As she returned to the office, Alex wrestled with feelings of frustration and fear. One moment, outraged that someone had sidestepped a process built with a purpose. The next moment, she wondered if this was a warning sign that her job was in jeopardy.
Back at the office, Alex replayed the rollout in her mind. A quick check with her supervisor confirmed it: the CRO had signed off. Worse yet, nobody seemed to see the problem.
“They have no idea how to integrate this technology into our processes. No legal review, no RFI paper trail, no security review. This is a disaster waiting to happen!” Alex thought, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she punched out and deleted a flurry of strongly worded emails.
Pausing, Alex realized she was standing at a crossroads. A critical inflection point that would impact the future of her work in the company. Alex saw four paths forward:
Fight it. Double down on approvals, block every unsanctioned rollout, and make shadow IT nearly impossible. But with the CRO championing speed, she’d become the bottleneck to revenue.
Flee it. Jump to a role where every checkbox and policy draft is celebrated. Yet she loved her team, the problem-solving rush, and, let’s be honest, the unlimited company coffee.
Ignore it. Pretend the rogue tool doesn’t exist and hope it blows over, but this was impossible for a high achiever like Alex. Plus, she had a suspicion that this wouldn’t simply blow over.
Embrace it (strategically). Maybe this was actually an opportunity in disguise.
Ultimately, Alex chose to embrace the change whilst pulling together a proposal for how to enable business-led IT delivery in a smart way. By encouraging the democratization of digital delivery, Alex found a route to improve her company’s ability to adopt and build new and exciting technologies while protecting it from downside risks.
Alex’s story could easily be yours. With business-led innovation reshaping the landscape, IT can no longer afford to stay on the sidelines. To preserve and extend your influence, you must step in and establish a clear, repeatable framework that guides self-service projects from sandbox prototypes to enterprise-wide rollout. Below is a six-step orchestration strategy designed to help your team turn every spontaneous app build into a governed, high-impact initiative.

#### How to Build a Plan for Business-Led Innovation

Just like Alex, technical leaders around the world are navigating the complex landscape of shadow IT, rapid AI adoption, and low-code and no-code tools that are disrupting the traditional app adoption process. Their key to survival lies in their ability to drive smart innovation in a sustainable way. Gartner advises a six-step orchestration strategy for IT to lead this effort, rather than being swept up in it and risk their company falling prey to the many pitfalls that exist.

##### Six-Step Orchestration Strategy

1. Prepare IT Staff to Shift Roles
Move from gatekeepers to orchestrators.
Train IT to support app owners, power users, and AI explorers.
Hold workshops on spotting risks in shadow SaaS and shadow AI.
2. Foster Communities of Practice
Create cross-functional spaces for:
App owners to swap tips
Power users to share workflows
IT to clarify standards
Highlight wins where business-led tech saved money or time.
3. Empower with Platforms & Visibility
Provide tools to:
Manage SaaS licenses and usage
Monitor integrations and AI usage
Give app owners tools to monitor and manage their apps
Offer self-service portals that allow teams to safely explore tools without hiding them from IT.
4. Simplify Support & Education
Publish guides on common questions like:
Procurement steps
Security red lines
Run quick trainings for app owners:
Data privacy basics
AI usage rules
Vendor management tips
5. Set Governance Without Killing Speed
Classify tools:
Greenlight: safe, pre-vetted apps
Yellowlight: business-led with IT oversight
Redlight: prohibited tech (e.g. risky AI tools)
Automate policies:
Single sign-on enforcement
Alerts for unsanctioned SaaS or AI use
6. Measure Business Impact
Track:
Shadow IT/AI discovered vs. brought under control
License optimization savings
Time-to-solution
Time savings on manual tasks
Report how democratized tech is fueling real outcomes.
Democratization doesn’t mean chaos; it means giving teams the freedom to operate under clear guardrails. IT’s new superpower is helping the business innovate without putting the company at risk.

#### Going Deeper: How Torii Can Help

At Torii, we believe that SaaS Management is the key to thoughtful, democratized digital delivery. We provide a suite of features designed to give you oversight, track activities, monitor usage, spot anomalies, and empower users, all from one central AI-powered platform.
Task Manager Hub
At the heart of Torii’s orchestration framework is the Task Manager Hub, a built-in collaboration layer that brings accountability and clarity to SaaS management work. By automatically generating tasks (approvals, applications, or contract form fills) at defined workflow stages, it ensures the right person takes the right action at the right time.
Assignees receive contextual prompts, complete with custom instructions and one-click buttons, directly in Slack or email, keeping teams moving without forcing them into another system. As workflows pause for human input and resume only once tasks are completed, Task Hub delivers accountability, traceability, and seamless coordination, transforming shadow IT sparks into governed, high-velocity processes. Learn more about the Task Manager Hub.
In Torii, every application is paired with a dedicated owner, an empowered business technologist who takes the reins on usage, costs, and contracts. Rather than relegating ownership to IT alone, Torii surfaces a holistic, app-centric dashboard the moment an owner logs in: usage trends, license spend, renewal dates, and key contacts all in one place.
This shifts accountability to the people who know the tool best, reduces orphaned licenses, and ensures that IT’s governance framework amplifies rather than obstructs day-to-day management. By leading with the app owner’s view, Task Hub becomes a collaborative cockpit, not just “another ticket queue.” Learn more about application owner roles in Torii.
Visibility for Governance (Not Gatekeeping)
True orchestration demands transparency, not barricades. Torii’s unified visibility gives IT and business leaders a live map of every application in the company.
Best-in-class app discovery, customizable dashboards, Eko (enabling you to chat with your data using natural language), and real-time automated alerts enable you to identify compliance gaps, usage anomalies, or orphaned apps before they escalate into risk or excessive costs. Rather than policing every click, you’re enabling every team to move swiftly within guardrails you define, turning shadow IT into a predictable, governable class of tools.
With these three pillars in place, the Task Manager Hub keeps workflows on track, App Ownership anchors accountability at the right level, and Visibility for Governance strikes a balance between freedom and control. Torii equips organizations to embrace business-led IT at scale.

# Page Title
Open Platform: How Torii is Changing The Narrative For SMPs | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/developers-open-platform

## Page Description

Unlock the full potential of SaaS management with Torii's open platform. Integrate external systems, utilize plugins, and join the developer community

## Details

Sick of platforms that aren’t really platforms? With Torii, you get a SaaS Management Platform that lets you connect with external systems, pull critical insights, and build new capabilities.
Note: New ReleaseWe just released a major update to our Platform. Check out how you can access third-party plugins and join a thriving developer community. Learn more in our Master Class Series.

#### Plugin Marketplace and Plugin Widgets

Torii’s Plugin Marketplace revolutionizes SaaS management by centralizing insights from your external systems, including initial offerings like Ramp, Panorays, and Jamf. The ability to send Audit Logs via email is also available immediately. But the marketplace isn’t static. Rather, it’s designed to evolve with your help. As it grows, developers l can build, install, and share custom plugins through the marketplace. Best of all, you can view data from these plugins directly within Torii, erasing the need to switch between multiple tools. Pair this with Torii’s Open Platform, and you have a SaaS management environment that’s as flexible as you need it to be.
Mold the future of your SaaS operations in a way that propels your organization forward:
Unified Insights: Directly pull data from specialized tools like Ramp, Panorays, and Jamf into Torii, viewing them as integrated widgets for a consolidated perspective.
Plug and Play: Adding a new plugin is as simple as selecting it from the Plugin Marketplace. The data from the added tool will automatically be integrated into Torii.
Expandable Ecosystem: The open architecture allows you to build your own custom plugins or use those designed by our developer community, allowing you to tailor Torii to your evolving needs.
Inform Your Workflows: Take fast action based on insights by creating workflows in Torii.

#### Developer Community

We’re doubling down on our commitment to an open platform by creating a developer community. The community includes guides, recipes, API explorer, discussion forums, and documentation to help you build, share, and benefit alongside others.
Build the Future of SaaS Management: Do you have strong opinions and a penchant for building? Torii’s developer community offers all the tools to tailor your IT experience within the Torii platform and build upon it.
Unparalleled API Access: Make real-time API calls to Torii and see request and response data immediately. Check out our API documentation and generate code samples in different programming languages for each API endpoint.
Join a Quality IT Community: Find a group of like-minded pros, developers, and Torii SMEs. Collaborate, test, iterate, and share innovative ideas within the discussion forums.

#### Cover Your SaaS with Torii’s Open Platform

SaaS is ever-evolving, and as your needs and use cases evolve, trust the only SaaS Management Platform that lets you build and adapt. With Torii, you get a Platform, not another closed system.
Transform your relationship with SaaS and join a growing community of experts building the future of SaaS Management.
Ready to cut costs, reduce risk, and drive consistent outcomes? Request a free trial of Torii to see for yourself.

# Page Title
SaaS-Ops Starter Kit: Five Workflows for IT Operations | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/five-essential-workflows-for-it-operations

## Page Description

Discover five essential SaaS workflows to streamline IT operations, reduce risks, and boost efficiency with smart automation.

## Details

Today, organizations are overwhelmed with a flood of cloud apps. Employees are more savvy and independent than ever—constantly testing and adopting new tools, often leaving your IT team in the dark. This unchecked growth strains resources and introduces risks through manual processes and oversight gaps.
Automation is the lifeline for stretched IT teams.

#### Which Automations Are the Most Important?

If you’re stretched thin and looking for a SaaS Management Platform to give you the edge against a tidal wave of busy work, you need to start with SaaS automation that accomplishes one or more of the following:
Reduce Common Risks: Mitigate vulnerabilities like security gaps, compliance issues, and errors from manual processes.
Eliminate Bottlenecks: Automate repetitive tasks that slow down operations, such as access provisioning or data entry.
Enhance Visibility: Provide comprehensive insights into SaaS usage, employee activity, and application status, ensuring IT has full oversight.
Improve Efficiency: Replace manual, time-intensive processes with automated workflows to free up IT resources and increase productivity.
Deliver Measurable ROI: Demonstrate cost savings, time reduction, and improved resource allocation through optimized license management and contract renewals.
Integrate Seamlessly: Work smoothly with existing tools and platforms like Google Workspace, Slack, Salesforce, and Okta, ensuring minimal disruption to existing systems.
So, while every automation might sound attractive, the priority should be automation, making your company faster, safer, and more efficient.
With that in mind, these are the top workflows essential to IT and SaaS operations when you’re starting.
Note: Torii is the G2 Leader for SaaS Operations—get your copy of the report.

##### 1. New App Discovery

What It Does:
Automates the detection of newly adopted applications, uncovering shadow IT.
Sends notifications and requests for information to ensure visibility and proper vetting.
Who It’s For:
IT departments that aim to manage and control unauthorized or untracked software.
Organizations that need oversight of all SaaS applications used by employees.
Outcomes:
Enhanced Visibility: Gain a complete view of all SaaS applications in use, preventing shadow IT proliferation.
Improved Security: Reduce risks associated with unmanaged applications by ensuring compliance.
Cost Savings: Optimize resource allocation by proactively managing app adoption.
Streamlined Communication: Foster better collaboration between IT and other departments regarding software usage.
Additional Relevant Information:
Utilizes multiple data sources (e.g., Azure, Salesforce, browser extensions) for accurate data.
Customer Story: HiBob discovered 800 shadow IT apps on day one with Torii (4X more than expected).

##### 2. Onboarding and Offboarding

Automates setup for new employees, ensuring they receive necessary tools and access from day one.
Integrates with HR systems to trigger workflows based on hire dates and roles.
HR departments and IT teams are responsible for onboarding.
Organizations aiming to enhance the new hire experience and reduce manual tasks.
Efficiency Gains: Reduce manual labor and save time in employee setup.
Improved Compliance: Ensure appropriate application access based on roles.
Enhanced Employee Satisfaction: Provide a smooth onboarding experience, boosting retention.
Supports scheduling across multiple time zones for global teams.
Integrates with tools like Google Workspace, Slack, and Salesforce.
Customer Story: Productboard Eliminated 1.5 hours of manual onboarding/hiring with zero-touch automation.
Automates removal of access and deprovisioning of accounts when an employee leaves.
Triggers workflows in real-time based on status changes in systems like Google Workspace and Okta.
HR departments and IT teams handling employee exits.
Organizations that prioritize security and efficient offboarding.
Enhanced Security: Promptly remove access to critical applications, reducing unauthorized access risks.
Cost Optimization: Save on software expenses by deprovisioning unused licenses.
Process Transparency: Use dashboards to monitor offboarding status and ensure completeness.
Supports custom actions like HTTP requests and Jira integrations.
Features a dashboard to monitor offboarding processes.
Customer Story: Lunchbox eliminated 40+ hours of manual offboarding with zero-touch automation.

##### 3. Application Access Requests

Provides a centralized catalog where employees can request access to approved tools.
Automates the approval process based on predefined policies and user roles.
IT departments that manage application access.
Employees who need access to specific software tools.
Reduction in Shadow IT: Offer an approved pathway for app requests, minimizing unauthorized software use.
Improved Control: Enhance security and cost management by controlling application usage.
User Satisfaction: Provide an efficient access request system, boosting productivity.
Supports complex approval workflows, including manager approvals.
Integrates with communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

##### 4. License Management (Reclaiming Unused Licenses)

Identifies inactive or underutilized software licenses.
Automates license reclamation to optimize costs.
IT and finance departments focused on software license management.
Organizations aiming to reduce wasted expenditures on software licenses.
Cost Savings: Eliminate unused or redundant licenses, reducing software spend.
Informed Decisions: Gain visibility into software utilization for better resource management.
Operational Efficiency: Streamline license management, freeing up IT resources.
Uses conditional workflows based on user roles to determine actions.
Integrates with communication platforms for notifications and approvals.
Example: hhpbelin saved €40,000 on just five core apps per renewal period through optimized license management.

##### 5. Contract Renewals

Automates monitoring and management of software contract renewals.
Ensures timely actions to avoid unnecessary auto-renewals.
Procurement, finance, and IT departments managing software contracts.
Organizations aiming to optimize contract terms and costs.
Significant Cost Savings: Proactively manage renewals to negotiate better terms or cancel unused services.
Improved Compliance: Ensure adherence to contract terms and avoid unfavorable auto-renewals.
Better Coordination: Enhance decision-making through timely communication between departments.
Features AI-powered tools that parse and extract contract details.
Integrates with calendar systems to visualize renewal dates.
Customer Story: Paxful saved $715,000 in SaaS renewals by optimizing contracts.

# Page Title
Forward G Suite Emails of Past Employees | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/forward-g-suite-emails-of-past-employees

## Page Description

Step by step guide on how to use G-Suite groups to keep email forwarding without keeping the original user account.

## Details

Note: If your company uses Google Workspace (G Suite), you can do a lot more than just forward emails. Learn how Torii’s Google Integration lets you uncover shadow IT, create custom workflows to automate dozens of actions like onboarding, department transfers, and offboarding, automatically track SAML audit activity events, and more. Learn more about Torii’s powerful integration with Google Workspace.
When employees leave, suspending or deleting their G-Suite account will also remove the email address, so received emails could be lost.
You may want to keep an active email inbox of past employees for several reasons:
Customers, prospects and vendors may keep sending emails to this address
You retain the ability to restore passwords to business accounts which only that specific employee had access to
To create email forwarding in G-Suite, you must keep paying for that account.The following guide shows how to use G-Suite groups to keep email forwarding without keeping the original user account.

#### Step 1 – Change the Employee’s Email Address

Go to your G-Suite Google Admin console (admin.google.com)
Find the user you’re off-boarding and whose emails you’d like to keep forwarding.In this example, we’ll use the employee named Tony Stark with the email address [email protected]
Change the employee email to the original email plus a prefix like pastFor example, if the employee email address is [email protected] then the new email address should be [email protected]
When changing an email address, G-Suite automatically creates an alias with the original address.Delete the original email alias [email protected]

#### Step 2 – Create a Group to Catch All Emails Sent to the Original Employee’s Address

In your Google Admin console, navigate to Groups
Create a new group with a name that you can associate with the employee.For example, Tony Stark Email FWD Group
Set the Group Email to the original email of the employee leaving: [email protected]
Enable External with the Publish posts access.This is important as you want to receive emails sent from an employee outside your organization

#### Step 3 – Add Relevant Email Forward Recipients

Once the group is created, add the relevant email addresses of the people who should receive the emails sent to the original employee who has left.In many cases, that would be the manager of the employee or someone from the IT department.

#### Step 4 – Remove the Old Email Account

You can now suspend or delete the old email account [email protected]Emails sent to [email protected] will be sent to the newly created email group. A member of the group will receive the email.

#### Conclusion – Improve Your Offboarding

When an employee leaves, their email is just one of multiple factors to consider. How many applications did they adopt (including Shadow IT)? What shared passwords did they use? What company credit cards did they use?
If you’re not sure about the steps, we have an offboarding checklist to help guide you. And, if you want better insight into your entire SaaS collection, check out Torii; a leading SaaS Management Platform.
Keep constant naming conventions. For example:Email prefix for past employees: pastGroup names:  Email FWD Group
Don’t reuse old email address for new employees.
If your organization uses Google Workspace (G Suite), you’ve only scratched the surface. Learn more about Torii’s powerful Google Workspace integration that gives you full visibility into your SaaS ecosystem and let’s you automate employee and app lifecycle tasks for consistent and fast execution—every time.

# Page Title
Stabilizing Your IT Ecosystem: A Hierarchical Way to Connect Core Systems and SaaS Tools | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/hierarchical-way-to-connect-core-systems-and-saas-tools

## Page Description

## Details

Your company doesn’t lack tools, but it might lack structure.
As the number of applications grows, so does the time and energy to keep those apps in line. Your team struggles to maintain visibility, enforce policies, and ensure quality data. The problem is that your stack feels more like a bucket of apps. You know that some are more critical than others, but the rest of the organization needs that framework. In this article, we’ll introduce a simple, three-layer hierarchy that you can use to bring structure and operational efficiency to your organization.

#### What Are the Three Layers of Your Application Hierarchy?

Your three layers are as follows:
Layer One: Core Enterprise Systems
These are your IdP, your SSO, your HRMS, your Contract Management System, your Financial App, and your CRM. The core systems are the sources of truth for the various departments in the organization. These tools set the policies and data standards for the rest of the tools in your organization.
Layer Two: Aggregation and Execution Hub
Most companies lack this layer, or they cobble together a patchwork of point solutions. But, mature organizations are starting to turn to SaaS management platforms to fill this need.
According to the Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms, an SMP tool will “help organizations discover, manage, optimize, and automate the SaaS application life cycle from one centralized console. ” The report goes on to say that  “through 2027, over 50% of organizations will centralize SaaS application management using an SMP, an increase from less than 10% in 2024.”
Essentially, in today’s complex multi-cloud, digital workspace, organizations need a designated platform to enable governance at scale.
That platform must aggregate data from core systems and automate the permissions and actions of the rest of the apps. Below, we’ll discuss how a SaaS Management Platform makes this possible.
Layer Three: Distributed Applications & Tools
The remaining tools make up 90-95% of your applications. These tools include:
Sanctioned tools for known uses
Sanctioned tools for unknown uses
Unsanctioned tools (shadow IT)
Some of these tools are local, but most are cloud-based. They are also virtually invisible to the IT department (not to mention procurement, finance, or security). Before you can manage these apps in any form, you must discover them.
Note about Application Discovery: App discovery is critical in stabilizing your IT ecosystem. With that data, governance is possible at scale. To learn more about executing a full application discovery process, check out this start-to-finish playbook.
Core apps focus on truth and data. Distributed apps, on the other hand, reflect that data. To control distributed apps, you first need to discover them. Once discovered, you can manage them in alignment with your core systems. For example, you define governance policies or employee lifecycle details in tools like Okta or HiBob. These details are then reflected across all relevant applications in the organization.
The problem is that most companies lack the unified vision and capabilities of an execution hub. This hub takes the details of core apps and, in the words of Jean-Luc Picard, “make it so” throughout all the apps in the organization.

#### How the Execution Hub Works

The execution hub represents the central integration and automation layer. It allows IT teams to manage their SaaS environments with control and precision. Torii, the market leader in SaaS Management, provides the capabilities to ensure every app interaction is governed, streamlined, and aligned with enterprise policies, providing the daily assurance of a hierarchical application ecosystem.
Here’s how Torii helps IT maintain control.
Full Visibility of Cloud Apps: Torii provides complete app discovery for all organizations. It uses leading methods to uncover adoption, usage, costs, and other key details.
MDM Integrations: Torii extends visibility to local apps through direct integrations with leading mobile device management tools (like Kandji, Intune, Jamf, and more). This approach provides a secure, complete view of SaaS and local software without extra device agents impacting security or performance.
Extensive Integration Catalog: Torii includes over 170 built-in connectors for core applications. Many connectors also offer decisive actions and automation.
ITSM Integrations: Service tickets, requests, and incident data flow seamlessly through Torii. It includes bi-directional support for Jira, ensuring IT and end-users interact smoothly.
Webhook Triggers for Custom Actions: Torii lets you automate tasks from external systems. For example, you can trigger onboarding steps directly from a ticketing system.
Custom Integrations via API: Connect on-premise and custom tools to unify license and user management.
Policy Enforcement & Data Normalization: Torii standardizes information from core systems. It also flags anomalies to prevent inaccurate data from spreading to downstream applications.
Open Platform: Build custom connectors and enrich dashboards with external data. This ensures a flexible, future-proof integration strategy.
With these capabilities, Torii bridges your core tools and the rest of your app ecosystem.

#### Security Considerations: Controlling Access and Reducing Risk

Security doesn’t always need complex tools. Sometimes, it’s about limiting how many people and systems interact with critical data. When too many individuals access core systems, errors spread, and unauthorized changes are harder to detect. Fewer touchpoints lower the risk of data mismanagement, operational inefficiencies, and potential breaches. Here are a few ways Torii improves GRC considerations related to your app stack.
Reduced Access Requirements: Torii is an automated intermediary between core and distributed apps. Under the direction of IT, instead of manually managing data in each distributed app, you use core apps to make updates and those changes. This simplifies workflows and improves control. With fewer direct access points, monitoring is more effective, and auditing is easier. Overall, this approach raises security standards without adding unnecessary complexity.
Risk-Based Monitoring: Beyond limiting access, Torii continuously evaluates each connected app’s risk profile. It considers factors like read/write privileges and data access to core systems. This ongoing assessment ensures you understand the
Compliance Certificate Insight: Torii also displays which apps have GDPR, SOC-2, and ISO 27001 certifications. You can use that compliance data as a trigger or a conditional branch in a GRC workflow.

#### Future-Proofing Your IT Ecosystem

As the organization grows and adds new tools, Torii acts as a stable middle layer. Instead of depending on every new app’s ability to connect directly to core systems, Torii maintains a consistent connection framework.
Whether switching financial platforms or adopting new identity providers, Torii’s flexible integration model means that changes at the top or bottom layers don’t disrupt the entire ecosystem.
It’s time to reframe your IT environment. This isn’t a theoretical exercise—it’s a practical way to bring value and stability to your company. High-performing IT teams at companies like HiBob, Heap, and countless others have moved from SaaS sprawl to fully visible and managed SaaS stacks. They do this with the help of Torii in a matter of weeks and months, not years. By recognizing distinct tiers of importance and influence, you empower IT, procurement, Finance, and Security teams to make better decisions and enforce policy.
If you feel stuck in a swirl of apps, you need a structure and an execution layer. A solution like Torii sits at the crossroads of this hierarchy, turning the messy web of connections into a centralized bridge. Thus, you gain a single point of control over the data and orchestration of your app ecosystem.
Now is the time to explore the possibilities and learn how a comprehensive approach to discovery, integration, automation, and oversight can drive long-term stability. You’ll create a more secure, efficient, and future-ready IT environment.
Ready to learn more?
Request a personalized demo. We’ll show you how to build this hierarchy for your organization.
Check out the Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms.

# Page Title
How Custom Application Fields Improve Your SaaS System of Record (SOR) | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-custom-application-fields-improve-your-saas-system-of-record-sor

## Page Description

Do you have a SaaS System of Record? Learn how Torii replaces your spreadsheets with custom application fields for tracking all your SaaS data 

## Details

Designing a SaaS System of Record (SOR) can feel like an impossible choice between limited data that’s actionable or comprehensive data that’s overwhelming.
Torii is a flexible SaaS System of Record that adapts as you change
Start by focusing on core data accuracy through Torii’s automation capabilities and then use custom application fields to replace all other SaaS data tracking methods
The result is a System of Record that scales with your needs
The classic tech tradeoff: deep or broad?
For data, this is a constant tug-of-war. Should you prioritize going deep on select data points—prioritizing accuracy and actionability, or focus on collecting and pulling as many bytes of info as possible—seeking comprehensive data?
Perhaps, the real question is not “which,” but “when?”
The question is not which approach to use but when you need each approach (and it will change with time).
This is why your SaaS System of Record (SOR) is critical. Different tools will enable different philosophies to shine, so it’s essential to understand your expectations and goals with a System of Record from the beginning.
To help you in this decision, Torii is a SaaS System of Record that adapts to your data philosophy.

#### Deep With Accurate Data

Torii will automatically pull critical data, using multiple discovery methods to ensure high-integrity and actionable data for your sanctioned and shadow IT apps. This data is always up to date and surfaced via insight dashboards so you can spot trends and foresee problems relating to spending, usage rates, and security concerns.
You can learn more about Torii’s Insights Dashboards and Shadow IT Discovery.

#### Broad With Comprehensive Data

For those that want a place for every point of data, Torii allows fully custom application fields. You can choose from eight field types: single select, a date picker, number fields, etc. Simply select your field type, choose your group (this is how you organize your fields within the application tabs), give your field a name, and save.
At that point, your custom fields are ready to use within the info tab of every application.
Whatever data you want to record within your System of Record, Torii makes it simple to set your spreadsheets aside and centralize your data. Importantly, those fields all become part of your Torii experience. From custom filters to application forms, your can use these custom fields to find and understand your applications.

#### A System That Let’s You Scale

Your organization’s needs today are different than in the future.
The typical Torii user starts with a focus on critical insights. They’ve just discovered that their SaaS stack is three times the size they expected, and their top priority is reigning in the chaos. However, once they have confidence in their visibility, solid finance insights, and clear processes for dealing with typical headaches, they are ready to go broad and pull more disparate data into their System of Record.
At this stage, comprehensive data is less intimidating because everything has a home within a single system. The fear of data-overwhelm is replaced by a zeal to tackle the beast. Torii makes that scaling process exciting and flexible.

#### SaaS System of Record is Just the Start

Curious about what else Torii can do? Torii lets you operationalize and take action on all your data, from our no-code workflow builder to ticketing system integrations.
Request a demo and discover how Torii turns your SaaS Sprawl into a streamlined stack.

# Page Title
How to Automate the Whole Employee Lifecycle | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-to-automate-the-whole-employee-lifecycle

## Page Description

## Details

Onboarding and offboarding get all the attention, but what about the journey in between? Torii provides options for automating every phase of the employee lifecycle—not just the onboarding and offboarding. For teams that want an effective way to monitor and automate every little change to an employee’s status throughout their career, Torii can help.

#### The overlooked phases of the employee lifecycle

HR might get the attention for on and offboarding, but everyone knows IT makes it happen. With onboarding, IT’s job is to ensure new hires have the credentials, accounts, and tools to get to work as quickly as possible. Similarly, their job with offboarding is to collect the ex-employee’s technology and resources and reallocate those tools to the next hire. But dozens of tiny steps sit between those poles. For example:
Promotion: Automation of app access, group assignments, and system updates.
Name Change: Seamless update of employee information across platforms.
Role and Department Changes: Managing role-based access to apps, groups, and sensitive data when roles or departments change.
Temporary Leave (Paternity/Maternity): Adjusting access and assignments based on leave status.
Contract to Full-Time: Smooth transition from temporary to permanent roles.
These are just a few major milestones that surprise IT along the way. While companies have the beginning and end of an employee’s time figured out, the steps in between are where they tend to trip up.
These steps often require manual intervention and extensive back-and-forths with employees, and they can carry some risks of lost productivity, poor data management, and even poor employee morale. That is why IT should adopt automation for every phase of the employee lifecycle, not simply the beginning and end.

##### Adopt mid-lifecycle automation

IT often lacks automation for mid-lifecycle changes because they are seen as too variable, but that’s not the case. While the changes are numerous, they fall into two categories of criteria:
Employee Status
Full-Time Employed
Part-Time Employed
Contract, Intern, or Freelance
Temporary Leave (e.g., Paternity, Maternity)
Employee Details
Any criteria change should trigger appropriate automation. That way, those little changes during an employee’s time with a company are handled immediately in the background, reducing stress and busy work while allowing IT to focus on strategic work. In fact, IT’s important work is to design the workflows that correspond to the different triggers.

#### Building the workflow for success

Torii’s canvas UI is designed to make automation intuitive, flexible, and effective. With unlimited branching, single workflows can save hundreds of hours of work.
Here are some examples.

##### Use cases and real-world examples

Department changes: marketing to sales transition
Think about an employee moving from Marketing to Sales. A new team means new tools, a new manager, and a new pay structure (but don’t worry about that). With Torii’s automation, this switch is easy. Once the update is made in the HRMS, the change is reflected in all essential systems (like IDP, Slack, Salesforce, Zoom etc.). But, it doesn’t stop there. Torii will also automatically  remove access to marketing tools and give access to sales tools (out with Hubspot, in with Gong). It also updates their group emails and Slack channels, moving them from marketing groups to sales groups. Torii can also update permissions for shared documents and folders in Google Drive too so that they can access the correct files for their new role. This saves time and prevents mistakes.
Temporary leave: managing parental or other extended leaves
When someone goes on leave, like for parental leave, they won’t need access to all their work tools. Once the update is made within the HRMS, the update is made to essential tools that IT designates. Additionally, Torii can suspend access to certain apps and licenses and reassign others to save some money. Torii can also revoke access to important systems to keep things secure for longer leaves. When the employee returns, Torii restores their access so they can jump back into work.
Name changes: seamless updates everywhere
If an employee changes their name, it needs to be updated everywhere, like their email, in Workday, G Suite, and Slack. Fortunately, Torii automates this process, so you don’t have to ask questions. Torii will make the changes based on an update to your workspace or HR app. Ensure the new name shows up in all systems at once. This avoids confusion and makes sure everything is consistent across the company.
Contract to full-time: a smooth transition
When contractors become full-time employees, they need access to new tools, resources, Slack accounts, email, and more. In some cases, organizations may also provide scannable IDs or digital access passes using a QR code, helping streamline entry to physical offices or secure systems. Like with every other HRMS update, Torii will update critical systems with the new employee status and get to work. Torii handles this by provisioning licenses and accounts for the tools they need. It also makes sure they get any important onboarding materials that might get overlooked since they’ve already been with the company. It can also block access to the personal email they might have used as contractors.

##### Automate busywork once and for all

Torii makes it easy to automate every part of the employee lifecycle, not just the beginning and end. While onboarding and offboarding are important, what happens in between is just as crucial. With Torii, IT teams can manage everything from department changes to name updates, temporary leaves, and more without all the manual work. This means fewer mistakes, less stress, and more time for IT to focus on what really matters. If you want a smoother, more efficient way to handle employee changes, it’s time to check out Torii. Automate the whole employee lifecycle and keep your team running smoothly from start to finish.

# Page Title
How To Build a Resilient IT Operations Tech Stack | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-to-build-a-resilient-it-operations-tech-stack

## Page Description

Build a resilient IT operations tech stack for security, performance, and growth. Discover key strategies and why Torii is a G2 Top 50 Best Software for IT Ops.

## Details

A resilient IT operations tech stack supports security, continuity, and performance. It aligns infrastructure with business objectives and empowers teams to innovate with confidence. However, a weak or fragile stack becomes an albatross, actively undermining your success.
This is a major responsibility—which tools belong in your IT ops stack, and how do you identify them? In this piece, we’ll explore how to build a resilient tech stack, including the kind of software to prioritize and the qualities to examine. We’ll also learn how other professionals build their software stacks.

#### What Makes a Tech Stack Strong?

Every company faces challenges. Some configurations crumble, others survive, and the resilient stacks thrive. Here’s what makes a tech stack strong:
Stability and Reliability: A strong tech stack doesn’t break easily. You can measure this by how often systems fail (MTBF) and how quickly you can fix them (MTTR). Less downtime means fewer problems.
Easy to Manage: Powerful technology is useless if it’s too complicated. A good stack fits neatly with other systems, reducing issues and making everything work together smoothly.
Ready to Grow: As your company grows, your tech stack should grow with it. A strong stack can handle more work and integrate new tools without chaos.
Security and Data Protection: Data breaches can shut down operations fast. A resilient stack safeguards data through encryption and strict access controls, meeting compliance requirements and maintaining trust.
Automation for Efficiency: Automation speeds processes and reduces errors. It also frees your IT team to focus on higher-level initiatives, driving more value for the organization.
By addressing these key areas, you can build a robust IT operations tech stack that stands the test of time—and threats—while supporting your company’s growth.

#### 7 Steps to Build a Resilient IT Stack

Building a strong IT stack helps your business stay safe, efficient, and ready for growth.
1. Conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment and Gap AnalysisThe first thing you must do is figure out what you need! Find out what’s working and what’s not. Identify areas that require improvement based on the strategic objectives of your organization. Match these needs to your business goals so you invest in the right technology.
2. Set Clear Evaluation Criteria for Choosing TechHave clear standards for picking new technology. Many of the most important factors are the ones we discussed above:
Maintainability
You may also have important considerations for company goals, industry regulations, or vendor criteria.
3. Build Strong Vendor Relationships Work with vendors who share your goals and have a long-term vision for their product. Good partners give you support, regular updates, and early insights into new technology.
4. Review and Improve Regularly Set regular times to check your tech stack. Look for outdated or duplicate tools. Keep your technology updated and useful. Ensure that you understand how different software changes. It’s not uncommon for distinct software vendors to develop overlapping capabilities over time.
5. Test New Tech FirstBefore you roll out new tools everywhere, run small tests with the right people. This helps you see if the new tech works and fits smoothly into your existing systems and gives you insight into possible risks. Full-scale implementations take time—ensure the software works as expected first.
6. Prioritize Easy IntegrationChoose tools that easily connect to your current systems. Good integration helps you avoid data silos and keeps your workflow smooth.
7. Keep Good Records and Plan AheadDocument everything in your tech stack clearly. Ensure you conduct full app discovery. Make a roadmap to plan future changes. This helps with budgeting and aligning technology with your goals.
These steps help IT leaders create a strong tech stack ready for today’s challenges and future opportunities. One of the biggest questions regarding technology is “how new is too new?”

# Page Title
How Internal IT Earns Buy-in From Operations Leadership and Stakeholders | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-to-earn-buy-in-operations-leadership

## Page Description

## Details

“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” — Peter Drucker
The Operations team is the backbone and nervous system of any company, adding structure and connectivity between different nodes of the organization. Their obsession? Ensuring everything is linked elegantly (if possible) to maximize efficiency and efficacy.
However, today’s list of “things” to connect is miles long, and the extent to which technical debt undermines their progress is equally massive.
So, an IT professional seeking to build a bridge with Operations leadership must know precisely what you are getting yourself into. In Operations, you’ll find some of the organization’s brightest and most innovative people, but you will also find busy professionals who don’t have time to listen to nonsense. That’s where this guide can help. You’ll learn a bit more about their priorities, responsibilities, and how you can get buy-in for your next project—whether that’s SaaS Management or something else.
If that sounds useful, then let’s dive in.

#### Operations Professionals: The Orchestrators

What they care about: Operational efficiency, cost reduction, process optimization, scalability, and alignment.
Every team claims to be data-driven, but only a few consistently are—Operations is one such group. And that’s not an accident; it results from the kind of people who gravitate to ops. Generally, Operations professionals interact in the margins between teams, looking for insights and patterns that reinforce or cut against narratives that different departments might believe and repeat. Often, Ops leaders have a unique amount of power and responsibility to find equitable solutions to problems of process, cost management, scalability, and alignment. That means that they constantly seek numbers that can inform their strategic decisions in an accurate and defensible way.
If you want to build a bridge of trust with an Operations team lead, you’ll need solid data and a strong sense of strategic alignment within the organization. If you prove that you think critically about these things, you’ll be more likely to catch the attention of and build the trust of an operations team leader. Here are some things to remember.
Talk Outcomes—Not Features (yet)
One common pitfall in gaining buy-in is to use the language of capabilities or features rather than outcomes. A feature is something a tool can do; an outcome is how it affects your organization. While the feature might be necessary, it is only valuable within the greater context of your organization’s success. No one understands that better than Operations.
If you want to earn buy-in for a SaaS Management Platform or any other initiative, you must know the following information:
What are the problems this solves?
What are the opportunities this capitalizes on?
How does this fit within the greater structure of our organization?
Will this help us to save money, scale a process, reduce risk, etc?
Operations Leaders are interested in tangible outcomes. Focusing on how an SMP delivers these results will make your proposal more compelling.
Finding the Outcomes that Matter
Not all positive outcomes carry the same weight. Identifying which benefits align with the organization’s operational goals is crucial. An SMP is a powerful tool with a broad spectrum of use cases—but that means you’ll have the most success if you understand which ones are the most important to your organization.

#### Operational Frameworks

One way to do that is to understand the operational frameworks that help your IT team prioritize different business outcomes. Some popular ones include:
Lean and Six Sigma (Often combined as Lean Six Sigma [LSS])
ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems)
Balanced Scorecard
Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)
APQC’s Process Classification Framework (PCF)
The important part is not which framework is used, but what that framework demonstrates about their prioritization. For example, Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen prioritize efficiency and waste reduction while Process Classification Framework focuses on standardizing processes and benchmarking. In each case, the target business outcome will be slightly different and so should your corresponding emphasis on value. For example:
Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Costs: An SMP aligns with Lean principles by identifying and eliminating unused or redundant SaaS applications, reducing waste and optimizing resource utilization.
Improving Quality and Compliance: An SMP provides security and compliance insight into other applications’ certification status while recording and audit trail for workflows. This supports ISO 9001 compliance, ensuring that processes meet quality standards and regulatory requirements.
Strategic Alignment and Performance Monitoring: With real-time data and analytics, an SMP contributes to the Balanced Scorecard approach, allowing Operations leaders to track performance against strategic objectives and make informed decisions.
Fostering Continuous Improvement: An SMP facilitates Kaizen by enabling various automation for ongoing monitoring and providing insights that lead to incremental enhancements in processes and tool usage.
Standardizing Processes and Enabling Benchmarking: By aligning SaaS applications with the APQC’s PCF, an SMP helps standardize processes across departments, making it easier to benchmark performance and identify areas for improvement.
At the end of this piece, we’ll provide more examples for how to tailor your SaaS Management initiative based on the primary framework your operations team uses.

#### What Operational Challenges MUST You Address?

Another tactic for finding the best business outcome to tackle is identifying the urgent operational hurdles. If you can identify the system issues that hinder efficiency, you can talk about the outcomes an SMP can provide that resonate most with operations leadership. These might include:
“We spend too much money on SaaS.”If you’re trying to cut costs, SaaS licenses offer a massive opportunity—organizations often over-provision expensive software by 30% or more. An SMP provides tools and insights to drop costs, help during renewals, and determine which apps matter.
“User app adoption is low.”This might be due to a lack of training or a preference for shadow IT in the company. An SMP can give you insight into which tools they actually use daily. This data can inform strategic decisions to save costs, streamline the SaaS stack, reduce risk, and more.
“We spend too much time on manual processes related to SaaS administration.”This is a common issue for Operations. Manual tasks bog down your work and lead to higher error rates. An SMP can automate tasks around contract management, shadow IT detection, onboarding and offboarding, app lifecycle management, and so much more.
“We don’t have enough data during renewal negotiations.”The best way to save money is to perfect your contract management. Automated notifications, real-time usage data, and benchmarking can provide the data you need for a favorable renewal.
“We struggle with SaaS sprawl and shadow IT adoption.”The average organization has 600 apps, and only a fraction of them are known or used regularly. This causes incredible bloat, security risk, and financial waste. However, to Operations, it also represents missing pieces in the technology puzzle.

##### Putting it all together—sample message:

Ok, you’re now equipped with a better understanding of your Ops team’s priorities and how you might help them achieve their goals. But how do you start the conversation?
First, know your contact.
Figure out who can back up this initiative and who would benefit from its success. An excellent contact would be someone who sees this technology as a way to align IT with Operation’s strategic initiatives better. Some example contacts would be the company’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), Director of Operations, or the VP of Operations.
Existing rapport is best.
If you’ve shown a reputation for commitment to projects and reliability, you will have much more success when asking for support. After all, no one wants to back an erratic project owner.
Structure your message.
You’ve heard it before, but when you write a message to your teammate, you want to get to the point quickly. (They’re busy, remember). Use this template to structure your message:

##### Sample Message to Operations Leadership

#### Breaking Walls—Building Bridges

Operations hate silos. By reaching out in a collaborative spirit, you’ll demonstrate a willingness to work together on an important project that both teams will appreciate. Just remember:
Keep it relevant
Focus on outcomes—not features
Show empathy for their priorities and pains
Encourage dialogue
By building bridges with other teams, you improve, not only your chances of buy-in but also your standing within the company. In time, you’ll be seen as a leader willing to work with others and drive innovative solutions that directly impact company priorities.

#### Bonus Insights: Key Operational Frameworks:

Lean and Six Sigma:
Focus: Eliminating waste (Lean) and reducing process variation to improve quality (Six Sigma).
Business Outcomes: Increased efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced quality.
SMP Alignment: An SMP identifies redundant or underutilized SaaS applications, eliminating waste associated with unnecessary spending. It provides data analytics to monitor usage patterns, helping reduce variability in processes supported by SaaS tools.
ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems):
Focus: Meeting customer and regulatory requirements through a robust quality management system, emphasizing continuous improvement.
Business Outcomes: Improved customer satisfaction, compliance adherence, and consistent quality across processes.
SMP Alignment: An SMP aids in documenting processes and maintaining accurate records of SaaS application usage, configurations, and changes. This supports compliance with ISO 9001 requirements and facilitates audits. Providing insights into application performance fosters continuous improvement in operational processes.
Balanced Scorecard:
Focus: Aligning business activities with the organization’s vision and strategy, and monitoring performance against strategic goals across financial, customer, internal processes, and learning perspectives.
Business Outcomes: Strategic alignment, performance improvement, and better decision-making.
SMP Alignment: An SMP delivers data that feeds into key performance indicators (KPIs), particularly regarding operational efficiency and resource utilization. It helps track SaaS spending (financial perspective), enhances process efficiency (internal processes), improves employee productivity by providing the right tools (learning and growth), and ultimately contributes to better customer service.
Kaizen (Continuous Improvement):
Focus: Continuous, incremental improvement involving all employees.
Business Outcomes: Enhanced efficiency, employee engagement, and sustained operational excellence.
SMP Alignment: By providing transparency into SaaS usage and performance, an SMP empowers employees to identify inefficiencies and suggest improvements. It supports a culture of continuous improvement by enabling quick adjustments and optimizations in SaaS deployments.
APQC’s Process Classification Framework (PCF):
Focus: Providing a standardized taxonomy of business processes for benchmarking and improvement.
Business Outcomes: Process standardization, benchmarking capabilities, and identification of optimization opportunities.
SMP Alignment: An SMP can map SaaS applications to specific business processes within the PCF, highlighting redundancies and gaps. This enables Operations teams to standardize tool usage across the organization and streamline workflows.

# Page Title
How to Get License Management and Cost Savings Recommendations Automatically in Torii | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-to-get-license-management-and-cost-savings-recommendations-automatically-in-torii

## Page Description

Boost ROI with Torii's SaaS management platform—get actionable license management & cost-saving recommendations effortlessly. 

## Details

Adopting SaaS applications is essential for any company. But, unfortunately, so is adopting their costly subscriptions.
With each company managing hundreds of SaaS apps, manually optimizing every license and subscription leads to expensive oversights like unused apps, underutilized and abandoned licenses, redundant tech, and overpriced subscriptions.
That’s why Torii’s complete SaaS management platform makes maximizing your SaaS ROI a breeze with actionable recommended actions for significant license management and cost savings.
This, plus Torii’s advanced discovery, automation, and renewal management capabilities, empowers your organization to manage the entire SaaS lifecycle competently and confidently.

#### How Torii Turns Raw Data into Actionable Recommendations

Torii is designed to serve as your SaaS System of Record. After connecting your applications to Torii, you’ll have an always up-to-date and granular view of their:
Contract details
And so much more
And all that data is put to use for you. Rather than simply sitting in a repository, Torii normalizes and categorizes each data point via our advanced data engine. Once that raw data is converted to atomized building blocks—it’s time to build something valuable!
With this standardized data set, Torii starts combing through your apps, looking for license management opportunities and cost savings.
Those massive ROI opportunities are then unified within your (aptly named) “Recommendations” tab.
From this view, you can quickly visualize each cost-saving action and its associated impact per application.
Torii’s current cost-savings recommendations include:
Reclaiming unused licenses
Reclaiming past user licenses
Downgrading underutilized licenses
Through the recommendations tab, IT Managers can tailor their SaaS costs exactly to your employee’s technological needs while cutting wasted spend.

##### Downgrading Underused Licenses

Most of your expensive apps offer subscription tiers. Think of apps like Salesforce and Zoom.
Different tiers include different functionality that employees might or might not use. For example, every employee needs Zoom—however, not all employees host meetings over 40 minutes.
Before, to save costs based on tiers, you could either:
Send out a questionnaire
But for Torii users, this multiple choice is skipped entirely through the Recommendations tab. Instead, by tracking user engagement with these applications, Torii can identify when an employee isn’t leveraging the full extent of their “pro” license and allow you to downgrade the user to a cheaper or free tier.
But that’s not all. Torii understands the hidden costs of security breaches too.
That’s why Torii also provides security-based recommendations, such as reclaiming a past employee’s license, even when there isn’t an immediate cost-savings impact. This way, you can keep your sensitive data safe with a click of a button.
Note: Learn more about Torii’s streamlined Offboarding Automation that lets you create workflows for when an employee leaves your organization.

##### Application Comparison Recommendations

Torii not only allows you to uncover cost savings, but it also optimizes your SaaS License management and contracts.
In addition to Torii’s dynamic renewal calendar, automated renewal alerts, and license cost-benchmarking, our platform will automatically surface similar applications for comparison, allowing you to quickly and easily rationalize your SaaS stack.
Torii automatically identifies your similar or overlapping applications and lets you compare them—side by side—in one view. Hours of research in seconds so you can find out which apps are popular and which are dead weight.
You can drill down into these app comparisons to reveal:
Overlapping users
App adoption rates
Key application capabilities
For example, many first-time Torii users find out they have too many productivity apps. A common comparison is Asana and Monday.
The comparison recommendation tells you immediately that:
You have 30 overlapping users between the two tools ($$)
Asana has a downward trend in usage and adoption
Simultaneously, Monday is picking up steam as the tool of choice
You also find that both tools have several idle or unclaimed licenses
With these insights, you can choose the best course of action, whether that means cost savings by reclaiming unused, idle, and duplicative licenses or considering removing Asana altogether and driving the adoption of a singular, more popular app—Monday.
This way, you can cut wasted spend associated with redundant tech (app subscription & license costs) while improving operational efficiency and collaboration by ensuring all your employees have access to and are working from the same information.
Note: you can create a workflow based on app adoption and usage with Torii’s no-code workflow engine. Design a workflow to send alerts as different criteria are met for your apps so you see emerging trends within your organization. Learn more here

#### Streamline SaaS Savings

Torii’s complete SaaS management platform unlocks continuous cost savings. Our advanced insights, recommendations, and automation allow you to easily save on SaaS licenses and subscriptions, all in one place.

# Page Title
How to Get Started with Torii SMP | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-to-get-started-with-torii-smp

## Page Description

 Simplify SaaS management and learn how to get started with Torii. Choose the right package for your IT needs.

## Details

Interested in tackling your SaaS Sprawl but not sure where to start? Here, we’ll show you how to get started with Torii, the leading SaaS Management Platform. From there, we’ll show you how to pick from the different packages available, and why Torii stands out from the crowd in a fractured SaaS Management industry.

#### Getting Started—How to Get Access to Torii

Torii is a browser-based SaaS Management SaaS tool (yes, all the meta) that you can access from anywhere.
To get started, you have three options:
Purchase via AWS marketplace
Request a personalized demo
Request a free trial
Purchase Torii via Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace
Torii is now listed on the AWS Marketplace.
AWS offers many advantages over conventional procurement. Purchases made through the Marketplace are directly added to your AWS bill, eliminating extra hurdles. This ensures all charges appear on one consolidated invoice, saving your team from juggling multiple bills each month. Additionally, you can also use your AWS credits when purchasing Torii. Depending on which tier you select (more on Torii package tiers below), you’ll receive credentials and access to your Torii instance.
If you like to get the full picture before getting your hands dirty, Torii offers a personalized demo that gives you the complete tour. With a demo, you see the capabilities tailored to what you need and can ask questions on the fly. It’s the VIP tour of the tool, so you know exactly what you’re getting into. At the conclusion of the demo, you can talk with a member of our team about the right Torii package for your situation. You’ll then receive credentials and access.
Get a free trial
Now, if you’re the type that never reads the manual, you might want to go with a free trial of Torii. Take the wheel and see for yourself, the trial will start off with a guided walkthrough and then you’ll have freedom to test Torii against your list of requirements. Throughout the process, if you need direction or clarity, we’re ready to help at a moment’s notice. If you decide Torii is a good fit for you, let us know.

#### Torii Package Tiers

Torii lets you select one of three different packages based on your unique needs.
Basic: This is the perfect plan for the IT that needs visibility and control to counteract shadow IT and SaaS sprawl. It might be the starter plan—but don’t let that fool you, for most organizations new to SaaS Management, the Basic plan offers some incredible ways to streamline and operationalize your SaaS stack.
Professional: This plan is built for the modern, SaaS-first IT team that’s excited to leverage workflows to bring about better cost-savings and operational efficiency. This plan is the best fit for a majority of IT organizations trying to do more without increasing headcount. If constructing advanced and multivariate workflows sounds like your happy place—this is the perfect plan for you.
Enterprise: For the enterprise organization that’s ready to fully optimize its SaaS environment. This tier allows the organization to build custom integrations, automate license optimization recommendations, and use a suite of AI tools. This is the best plan for the larger organizations ready to make a massive impact fast.

#### After Selecting Your Package

Once you gain access to Torii, you’re ready to start integrating your apps, connecting discovery sources, uncovering your shadow IT, and creating a plan for SaaS Management Success. For Professional and Enterprise users, you will meet your amazing Customer Success Manager. This is your primary partner, not just in getting Torii up and running, but in turning you into a hero within your organization. Our CSMs are all experienced professionals in helping you find operational efficiency and economic return in the shortest time possible.
They’ll help you start discovering shadow IT apps, integrating your SaaS stack, and building the basic set of workflows to see immediate ROI.

#### Why Choose Torii?

SaaS Management is a fractured industry. Some companies prioritize cost savings, while others focus on security. Learn more about this in our 2023 Buyer’s Guide.
Torii takes a unique approach. Rather than focusing on one specific function, Torii gives you the building blocks to use our platform in the way that is best for you—whether that’s cost savings, app visibility, or something unique:
Open Platform Capabilities. We’re the only SMP that gives you unlimited API access. Our developer community includes an API explorer, guides, and code recipes so you can generate code in 15 different programming languages for custom actions, integrations, and apps—connecting it all back to Torii.
Advanced Automation: workflow builder is the leading automation engine in the industry, allowing you to set up branched workflows for all kinds of use cases, both application lifecycle and employee lifecycle.
AI-Infused System: Torii uses state-of-the-art generative AI to handle time-consuming tasks like app discovery and categorization, manual data entry, reading contract PDFs, and more.
With these three components, Torii becomes the most adaptive SaaS Management Platform on the market, letting you decide how to manage your company’s business cloud applications.

# Page Title
How to Increase IT Cost Efficiency: Internal Chargeback and Showback | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/increasing-it-cost-efficient-with-internal-chargebacks

## Page Description

Unravel the complexities of the IT chargeback model, learn to allocate resources, and understand showback. This article simplifies the journey, highlighting how Torii optimizes the process.

## Details

IT chargeback is a strategy used by organizations to allocate the cost of IT services, hardware, or software to the business units that consume them. You can think of it like an internal economic model that IT can use to hold groups accountable for their technology resource usage. These costs are then “charged back” to these business units, often as line items in their budgets.
A showback is similar in that it tracks the costs. However, the difference between a chargeback vs. a showback is in the expectation of “repayment.” A showback is designed to make departments aware but without the requirement of budget impact.
Both systems are an important way to centralize spend visibility for the enterprise. However, implementation has always been a challenge due to the highly manual process required to create the chargeback and the difficulty inherent in ensuring accurate reports.

#### Why Use a Showback or Chargeback Model?

The proliferation of SaaS tools has created new challenges for IT. One of these is how to keep control of all SaaS costs.
In many cases, IT owns and pays for a SaaS tool that is used by many other departments. In other cases, one department buys a core tool that is also used by other departments. Since the departments and business units have no visibility into the cost, it doesn’t create the required cost accountability for the use of the tools, making it seem as though they are free resources.
For example, the company has decided to use Box as its file-sharing solution. This service is bought and budgeted for by the IT department, while all the company employees use the service.
Another example is the use of CRM software. The Sales department uses and pays for Salesforce, its CRM solution. Then the customer support and marketing department decides to use Salesforce as well. Who owns the Salesforce budget now? Should the Sales department pay for the Salesforce seats of other departments?
This is where IT chargeback finds its place. With IT chargeback reports, you get an accurate view of how much each department should be charged for their IT resource consumption. The visibility offered by the chargeback reports creates accountability for the costs of the services. The result is that departments will ensure that all services are utilized properly, reducing the amount of wasted and underutilized licenses and the removal of unnecessary duplicate tools.

#### Challenges to Implement IT Chargeback Methods

There are three main challenges when trying to implement IT chargebacks:
Ensuring Accurate Data
Selecting an Effective Chargeback Strategy
The first challenge most IT teams face is how to gather the data. IT already struggles to understand who uses which tool and to which department or business units they belong. Things are also complicated by the introduction of shadow IT applications with overlapping and redundant capabilities. Trying to create an up-to-date chargeback report often fails as the return on investment for creating such a report doesn’t seem to be worth it.
And this complexity will only get worse. According to Gartner, “Through 2027, organizations that fail to attain centralized visibility and coordinate SaaS life cycles will overspend on SaaS by at least 25% due to incorrect and unnecessary entitlements and not rationalizing overlapping tools and instances.”
[Download the latest Gartner Market Guide for SaaS Management Platforms]
Unless IT uses a SaaS Management Platform, gathering the data for chargeback is a long and manual process that hinders many companies from using the chargeback process.

##### Ensuring Accurate Data

As the data from the chargeback is used to ensure visibility of the cost associated with each department or business unit, this process may result in internal pushback from various stakeholders. If the data created is not accurate, this alone will make the whole process obsolete and will fail due to a lack of trust from other parties.

##### Selecting an Effective Chargeback Strategy

Different tools may require different allocation strategies. Different chargeback strategies should be used with different tools.
Here are the most common strategies we’ve seen our customers use:
Bottom-up (cost per license) – The recommended strategy to apply where different costs apply to different license types
Bottom-up (cost per user) – The recommended strategy to apply where you pay per user regardless of their license type
Top-down: The recommended strategy for apps that are not charged per seat (e.g. Cloud Computing, Firewalls, Network Infrastructure) where you allocate cost to business units by percentage. Use this strategy for applications that are not charged by the seat.

#### IT Chargeback with Torii

With Torii, implementing a chargeback process has never been easier as Torii solves all three challenges with ease.
Automatic Data Gathering: Torii automatically pulls all the license and user data from your SaaS applications, keeping them up to date at all times. Torii also creates a reconciled user and license inventory, pulling together license information alongside user departments and business units.
Data Accuracy: With over 100 direct integrations, Torii can fetch license information directly from the SaaS tools giving you the most accurate and reliable data you can have.
Chargeback Strategy Configuration: Torii offers you a choice of the right chargeback strategy per application, giving you full flexibility and control over your created reports.
IT Chargeback is a proven process creating accountability for software costs across the different departments and business units. While many companies refrain from implementing chargeback due to the complexity and the effort required to create chargeback reports, with Torii, it comes down to the click of a button.

# Page Title
Introducing Model Context Protocol in Torii | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/introducing-model-context-protocol-in-torii

## Page Description

## Details

Every day, you’re stuck copying and pasting between spreadsheets, dashboards, and emails—hoping you didn’t miss something. But now, Torii’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) server cuts through that busywork by streaming your SaaS data directly into your AI tools via a secure API key. Now you can, in seconds, pinpoint expiring contracts, flag compliance issues, uncover cost‑saving opportunities, and more—all without leaving your chat window.
MCP is the open standard that allows your AI tool to talk with systems like Torii. That means that insights that were previously only available through the UI or through custom API work are now at your fingertips in the tools you use the most.
For Torii, this means that users can access their application data directly from the AI tool. Information like:
Contract details
Audit log history
Application details
All this information is accessible to your AI tool.

#### Torii MCP in Action

Below, see how a few chat prompts reveal offboarding status, ownership shifts, and candidate recommendations—instantly.
With just a few prompts into Anthropic’s Claude, the user learns that:
Six employees are currently in an offboarding workflow, and only one—Melba Donnelly—hasn’t been deleted yet.
Melba is still the app owner for Box.
When asked, Claude pulls a list of active Box users, analyzes usage, and suggests four candidates to take over ownership.
A simple but powerful example of how quickly an IT manager can uncover new insights and drive action using Torii data.

#### Get Started with Torii MCP

Getting started with Torii MCP Server is easy—set it up in moments. Visit Torii’s npm.js repository for further instructions.
All you’ll need is:
Your Torii API key
yarn package manager
Torii customers can also contact their Customer Support Representative to learn more.
Torii MCP brings clarity and speed to SaaS management, helping your team make smarter decisions—faster.
With Torii’s MCP Server, your AI tools become significantly more powerful and proactive, providing real-time visibility into your SaaS ecosystem right when you need it. Reduce hours spent on repetitive tasks, minimize risks associated with software management, and enable smarter, faster decision-making. This streamlined approach empowers your organization to operate with greater agility and confidence.

#### How to Get Started Today

Ready to simplify your SaaS management?
Visit Torii’s npm repository.
Want to learn more about MCP? Check out the MCP specifications.
Elevate your SaaS management with Torii’s MCP Server—unlock smarter workflows and gain control today!

# Page Title
The Ultimate SaaS HQ: Torii's Insight Dashboard for Comprehensive IT Management | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/introducing-torii-new-insight-dashboard

## Page Description

 Torii's Insight Dashboard simplifies IT management, empowers stakeholders, and drives data-based decisions for organizational success.  Centralized information when you need it.

## Details

Torii’s Insight Dashboard offers a comprehensive SaaS overview through interactive modules, simplifying IT management.
Designed for all technical backgrounds, the dashboard empowers stakeholders to drive change, reduce spending, and increase digital adoption.
The dashboard provides clarity for informed decision-making, transforming data chaos into organizational success.
In the fast-paced world of IT management, time is a luxury you can’t afford to waste. That’s why Torii’s Insight Dashboard is designed to offer busy IT leaders the SaaS ecosystem overview they crave.
This dashboard serves as your SaaS HQ—the heartbeat of your cloud applications and, by extension, the way in which your company uses those critical tools.
The clean data visualizations offer a wealth of knowledge at a glance, saving your sanity and providing insights served on a silver platter.

##### Comprehensive Yet Intuitive

Juggling a myriad of SaaS applications? Torii’s Insight Dashboard has your back. This intuitive control panel cuts through the noise, offering a bird’s-eye view of your entire SaaS landscape. Rather than going into the weeds to gain insight, this dashboard surfaces insight first and lets you choose which patch of weeds is worth the time.

##### Key Visualizations and Metrics in the Insight Dashboard

The dashboard is divided into modules, each giving you the TL;DR of a different facet of your SaaS ecosystem. Each module is interactive, allowing you to get more details right away.
Most Used Applications
Stay in the loop with the apps your team loves. The dashboard highlights the top performers, showing you which tools are getting the most traction. Now you can prioritize IT efforts on what truly matters.
Underutilized Application Licenses
Discover cost-saving opportunities with ease. Quickly spot underused licenses and trim the fat from your SaaS spending, all while optimizing resource allocation for your team.
Application Category Breakdown
Get the scoop on each department’s digital adoption. Analyze the tools and technologies in use across your organization, and make informed decisions about where to invest or divest in your SaaS portfolio.
Geography meets IT management. Monitor employee digital adoption by location, identifying regional patterns and trends. Use this intel to create targeted strategies for driving SaaS efficiency.
Security and Compliance
Identify potential security risks at a glance. Keep your data fortress secure by staying on top of app vulnerabilities, access permissions, and compliance requirements—all from one convenient dashboard.
Track your spending trends month over month. The dashboard helps you visualize expenses across applications, categories, and teams, making it easier than ever to keep your SaaS budget in check—even for the busiest IT managers.
Empowering All Stakeholders with Data-Driven Insights
The Insight Dashboard isn’t just for IT gurus—it’s designed to make the complexities of your SaaS stack digestible to users of all technical stripes. From top executives to end-users, this powerful tool serves as the entry into your SaaS system of record.
With insights at everyone’s fingertips, the entire organization can rally around shared goals: driving change, reducing spending, increasing digital adoption, and securing your tech stack. In the world of SaaS management. To dive deep on the power of Distributed SaaS Management, check out the Playbook. This guide will help you increase awareness, empower stakeholders, and enlist application owners to scale your IT Management strategy company-wide.

##### Making Informed Decisions with Clarity

The role of IT becomes more important by the day. Technology empowers, augments, guides, and—sometimes—can undermine our organizations. To make the right strategic decision, you need to have the most relevant information at your fingertips at a moment’s notice. Like the captain on the bridge, when decisive action is needed—every second counts.
Enter the Insight Dashboard, your new method of delivering clarity and empathy in the face of data overload. With all your information neatly organized in a unified crystal-clear view, you can help your organization make decisions based on hard facts, not hunches. Torii’s Insight Dashboard is here to empower IT managers, transforming data chaos into a well-oiled machine for organizational success.

# Page Title
Introducing Torii Basic—a Letter From the CEO | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/introducting-torii-basic

## Page Description

Today marks the official launch of Torii Basic, a new and improved way for any organization to get started with SaaS Management.

## Details

To the IT community,
The rapid adoption of cloud apps has become a double-edged sword for many organizations. While offering unmatched efficiency and scalability, it also presents a complex challenge: managing a sprawling landscape of apps—both seen and unseen.
Today, SaaS Management is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Every company, regardless of size or industry, needs some form of visibility and control over their SaaS. It’s not about having the most advanced features or robust automation; it’s about having the right tools to maintain control, optimize spend, and minimize risks associated with SaaS applications.

#### Introducing the Torii Basic Plan

The Torii Basic Plan is designed with this philosophy in mind. It offers a comprehensive solution that caters to the fundamental needs of SaaS management, making it an ideal choice for businesses that are looking to streamline their SaaS operations without the complexity of advanced features.

##### Key Features of the Torii Basic Plan

Full Discovery for Full Control: The Basic Plan provides complete visibility into your SaaS landscape. You’ll be able to identify and track the SaaS applications used within your organization, understanding their utilization, spending, and contracts.
Cost Savings: One of the biggest challenges with SaaS tools is managing costs. The Torii Basic Plan helps you monitor and optimize your SaaS spend, ensuring you get the most out of your investments without unnecessary expenditures.
Risk Reduction: Our plan is designed to help you reduce the risks associated with SaaS tools, such as compliance issues, data breaches, and redundant tools that can clutter your tech stack and drain resources.

##### Who Can Benefit from the Torii Basic Plan?

The Torii Basic Plan is ideal for:
Small to medium-sized businesses seeking a robust yet straightforward SaaS management solution.
Large organizations are taking their first step in SaaS management.
Organizations looking to cut down on SaaS-related expenses and enhance security without the complexity of advanced features.
Join Us on This JourneyWe are excited to bring the Torii Basic Plan to you and believe it will be a valuable asset in managing your SaaS tools effectively. It’s time to take control of your SaaS management, optimize your spending, and safeguard your operations with Torii’s Basic Plan.
If you want to get started, you can visit our pricing page and sign up for a free trial of Torii Basic. With just a few clicks, you’ll have access to an intuitive and powerful SaaS Management Platform.
Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further information.
Sincerely,Uri Haramati

# Page Title
Is Torii Basic Worth the Cost? [Full Review and Recommendation] | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/is-torii-basic-worth-the-cost-full-review

## Page Description

Curious about the price and power of Torii SaaS Management Platform? Look no further, we'll dig in and see how Torii's new Basic tier compares to the competition. 

## Details

SaaS Management: “When” Not “If”
Your company probably uses a lot of cloud apps, and that number will only climb—for both sanctioned and Shadow IT. As a result, SaaS Management is no longer a nice to have—it’s a basic necessity for visibility, security, and monitoring spending.
Historically, quality SaaS Management Platforms (SMP) have felt out of reach for SMBs, both in time and financial costs.
Torii just launched a new license tier—Basic—complete with essential capabilities for SaaS Management.
But is it worth it?
In this article, we’ll go over the costs, capabilities, and limitations of this license. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding if this is a good fit for you and whether you should test Torii’s 14-day free trial of the Basic Plan.
But first, what is Torii?

#### Torii is a SaaS Management Platform Built for IT

Torii is a next-generation SaaS Management Platform (SMP) designed specifically for your IT team. While most SMPs on the market focus on procurement and finance users, Torii’s AI-powered platform focuses on the unique challenges faced by IT teams.
At the core of everything Torii does is shadow IT discovery. Typically, Torii discovers two to three times more apps than IT teams anticipate—including freemium tier apps that get missed by finance-focused SMPs. This powerful discovery and mapping provides your IT team with a central hub that unifies app discovery, cost management, and workflow automation in one intelligent platform.

#### But What About the Basic Plan?

As with any tool, there are tradeoffs with different tiers. Our big question is whether Basic is worth the cost.

##### How Much Does Torii Basic Cost?

Torii’s Basic Plan is priced at $2.75 per employee per month with monthly billing. However, with annual billing, that amount drops to $2.50 per employee per month.
Check out Torii’s pricing page.

##### What Does The Basic Plan Include?

Despite the low entry price, Torii Basic offers uncapped access to the most powerful discovery engine around:
Browser Extension and SSO Visibility: This feature provides a panoramic view of all applications used within the organization. It’s pivotal in identifying and managing shadow IT by ensuring IT departments can see both sanctioned and unsanctioned app usage. This clarity is essential for comprehensive SaaS oversight.
Unlimited Direct Integration: The plan allows for limitless integration with a diverse range of apps. This eliminates additional costs while enhancing the platform’s capability to monitor and manage various SaaS applications. It’s a cornerstone for extensive software application discovery across the organization.
Expense Reports & Insights: Detailed reports and insights are provided on SaaS subscription costs. This feature is invaluable for organizations aiming to track spending meticulously, identify superfluous expenses, and optimize software costs efficiently.
License & Cost Saving Insights: The plan offers actionable insights into license utilization. It highlights underused, unused, or excessively expensive licenses, paving the way for significant cost savings. This feature is key for enterprises looking to enhance their license management and optimization strategies.
The Basic Plan focuses on fundamental discovery and insights, giving your IT team the first real look at what SaaS adoption and purchasing is happening through sanctioned and unsanctioned channels. There are also no gimmicks around license insights. The layout gives you all the critical information you need.
The pricing also stands out for comprehensive coverage. Unlike competitors that will obscure the pricing with add-ons and complications or cap the number of direct integrations, Torii’s structure gives clear options and limits that make sense, letting you easily scale when you’re ready and no sooner.

##### What about Professional and Enterprise?

The Professional and Enterprise tiers expand capabilities significantly. These higher plans include workflow automation, API access, and advanced features like custom integrations and automatic recommendations. You can think of the higher-tier plans as automating your action based on the insights you can gain from the Basic Plan.
In fact, some Torii customers will start with a Basic plan and then upgrade just a month or two later once they see the power of the discovery. This provides a great way to get internal buy-in with less stress.

#### Does Basic Make Sense for You?

It’s clear that Torii Basic is a powerful option at a compelling price—but does it make sense for you?

##### Where it works:

The Startup: Your company has less than 50 employees, and most of your software is in the form of cloud applications.
If your top concern is SaaS visibility, Torii Basic is a great fit. Often an organization of this size will have a small (or nonexistent) IT team. In this case, the Basic plan offers invaluable peace of mind and confidence in the state of your SaaS. With all that information in the open, you can manually take actions around cost control, onboarding and offboarding, approving access requests, etc.
The Mid-size: 50-1000 +/- with little to no experience with SaaS Management or IT teams struggling to gain buy-in for an SMP.
For organizations of this size or larger, SaaS management quickly becomes a must-have—but the buying process can be difficult. In this situation, Torii Basic offers the perfect way to test capabilities and see how much an SMP can help. The power of the Torii Basic plan is that it lets you truly uncover your SaaS stack without withholding any information—so you get a tangible understanding of the state of your SaaS. You’ll see how many apps you have, how much you’re spending, and what your license utilization is for expensive apps. With that information, you can make a real ROI calculation about whether an SMP is worth it and bring hard numbers to management with full confidence in your ability to make it happen.
The Opportunistic Enterprise: Larger organizations that want to test the discovery capabilities of Torii.
Enterprise organizations don’t need to avoid efficiency. For enterprise organizations, SaaS Management can represent a powerful way to reduce risk, save tremendous costs, and inform app adoption processes. But, there can often be resistance to new tooling. Torii’s Basic plan offers a powerful way to test the discovery capabilities of Torii before evaluating the capabilities for automation, AI, renewals, procurement, and more.
If you want more real-world examples of SaaS Management in action, check out our customer stories.

#### User Experience and Interface

Ultimately, a tool’s value comes down to usability. Powerful capabilities buried behind a non-intuitive UI will go unused. Fortunately, Torii’s layout is built with usability in mind, as evidenced by glowing user reviews:
Note: Torii users rate us as the top SMP for SaaS Operations and Spend Management.

##### How Long Does it Take to Start with Torii Basic?

For Torii Basic users, you can learn the ropes with Torii in no time. We typically recommend that during a free trial, customers start with the following steps:
Connect your critical direct integrations such as:
Your SSO (like Google Workspace, Okta, etc.)
Your HRIS (BambooHR, Hibob, etc.)
Your workplace chat (Slack, Teams, etc.)
Your expense reporting app (Netsuite, etc.)
Your other “Power apps” that users will integrate their shadow IT with
Learn more in our introduction to Integrations in Torii
Deploy the Torii browser extension
Wait a few minutes!
In moments, Torii will start pulling in all your app data.
Once your SaaS is discovered and mapped within Torii, it’s time to check out what we’re working with! The places to check are:
Applications list: This gives you a full list of every app in your organization along with costs, discovery sources, and the lifecycle stage (you can start to update the stages to flag the apps you want to investigate in the future).
Licenses tab: Time to find out which apps actually get used. From the licenses tab you can see a license utilization breakdown for each app into:
Active: These are the apps that are used within a given period of 30 days(you can edit this) so if you have 100 active licenses—this means that 100 of your license seats were used within the last 30 days.
Inactive: These are the assigned seats that are idle. If 30 of your seats are Inactive, it means that 30 of your assigned license seats have not been used in the last 30 days. This includes offboarded employees who still have a seat assigned.
Unassigned: These are the license seats unassigned but ready to go when you need them.
With those two tabs, you’ve already found out what apps exist in your organization and whether or not you’re actually using them to their full extent. This basic information is the foundation of your SaaS Management action plan going forward.

#### Limitations For Torii Basic

##### When Torii Basic Might Not Make Sense For You

For on-prem organizations: If your organization has less than 200 employees and your software is mostly on-premise, Torii probably won’t offer the kind of insight you need. However, if you suspect that there’s more SaaS than you know about, a free trial of Torii is a powerful way to test that theory free of charge.
For enterprise organizations: For enterprise organizations, automation of your SaaS management processes is essential and a Professional or Enterprise plan will generally make more sense. However, Torii’s free trial of the Basic Plan can offer a great way to test out the discovery capabilities of Torii before evaluating the higher tier plans.
In conclusion, if you are just embarking on your SaaS management journey, Torii’s Basic Plan is the perfect tool. Priced affordably, it offers a low-risk entry point for businesses of all sizes seeking clarity on SaaS usage and expenses. While it might lack advanced features for complex needs, its strengths in providing comprehensive visibility into app usage, including shadow IT, and delivering expense and license insights make it an invaluable asset for initial SaaS management.
Torii Basic provides an intuitive interface, unrivaled SaaS discovery, and transparent pricing to give you the best route to SaaS management.
Overall, Torii’s Basic Plan is an optimal starting point for your business, prioritizing a straightforward solution to manage and understand your real SaaS landscape, setting the stage for more informed decisions and potentially scaling to comprehensive solutions as your needs grow.
If you’d like to see it for yourself, check out our 14-day free trial of Torii Basic—no credit cards or phone calls.

# Page Title
Lessons from the Gartner® Market Guide for SaaS Management Platforms | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/lessons-from-the-gartner-market-guide-for-saas-management-platforms

## Page Description

Looking for help in the confusing world of SaaS Management? Check out the latest research in the Gartner® Market Guide for SaaS Management Platforms!

## Details

##### Attention: The Latest Gartner® Market Guide for SaaS Management Platforms is out today!

View the new report here
When the pandemic shifted businesses to hybrid and remote work models, it kicked IT spending, SaaS adoption, and overall digital transformation into overdrive. As a leader in the SaaS management space, we at Torii have seen the writing on the wall for years—modern IT requires innovative solutions built for the distributed reality of the cloud-powered business world. Gartner reinforced our vision in the 2021 Market Guide for SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs), asserting that, “Managing SaaS applications with disparate admin controls decreases IT’s ability to track usage, automate management tasks and establish consistent security posture across the portfolio. Scalable SaaS portfolio management requires infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders to adopt SMP tools.”
Intrigued to learn how an SMP could work for your business? Keep reading for more key takeaways, market recommendations, and outcomes from SMP adoption.

#### Gartner insight on the SMP market

According to Gartner, “As SaaS adoption accelerates, many IT leaders are challenged with discovering and supporting SaaS in accordance with company, market or geographic policies and regulations. In addition, the increase in cyberattacks is focusing attention on the protection of identity and data in SaaS.” This is what SMPs address.
Gartner defines SMPs in the following way—“SaaS management platforms (SMPs) provide central admin console capabilities to discover, manage, automate, optimize, govern and enable SaaS used by employees. SMP also enhances protection of identities and data while using SaaS.” In other words, SMPs have the capabilities needed to help IT departments solve their most pressing SaaS challenges.
Gartner anticipates, “Through 2027, organizations that fail to attain centralized visibility and coordinate SaaS life cycles will overspend on SaaS by at least 25% due to incorrect and unnecessary entitlements and not rationalizing overlapping tools and instances.”
But as SaaS stacks grow, organizations would be wise to take advantage of SMP solutions ASAP.

#### How SMPs solve major IT challenges

SaaS applications are often adopted to solve operational inefficiencies by end users. Not IT or Procurement. As a result, the ownership of these applications (along with critical data and insight) is often distributed throughout the organization. Without centralized visibility into those apps and their users, and the ability to easily take action on those apps, SaaS can actually create more inefficiencies and complexity.
It’s time for IT leaders to use tech to manage tech investments. Let’s break down how SMPs do just that.

##### Discovery and action

Advanced discovery is a critical component of any SMP worth its salt. Per the Gartner report, “Common SaaS discovery methods include integration with and ingesting data from:
CASB. Parses data from traffic logs.
Web proxy. Parses data from traffic logs.
Single sign-on (SSO). Parses data from authentication logs.
API. Unique setup for and between SaaS apps; breadth and depth varies by tool and app.
Agent or browser extension. Monitors and logs web activity.
Expenses/accounts payable. Parses data from transactions.
With this information, IT can build a centralized inventory of their SaaS apps, including those tools adopted outside of IT’s purview, i.e., Shadow IT. Gartner found that two of the benefits of SMPs are, “Greater visibility and manageability of SaaS,” and “Less unsanctioned SaaS usage with a curated store experience for employees to find approved SaaS apps.
Discovery and visibility into data around app usage, owners, users, costs, licenses, and more set a strong, must-have foundation for SaaS management. But it is just the baseline. Even the best data has little worth if you’re not easily able to take action on it, without burdening IT. Bi-directional integrations, automation, and the ability to manage third-party tools directly in your SMP are key to this.

##### Automation and centralized controls

Gartner points out at the top of the report that, “Managing multi-SaaS environments with disparate consoles results in sprawl, lack of control and overspending.” Imagine you have 20 new employees all starting the same day and several employees offboarding at the same time. Bouncing from app-to-app to give those new employees access, revoking permissions from those leaving the organization, and completing other repetitive administrative tasks leaves a ton of room for errors.
Outdated, manual processes aren’t just an operational risk; they’re a deterrent to the employee experience. Your IT team is bound to burn out if they aren’t empowered with a tool that makes their jobs easier and them more successful. As Gartner notes, ” If operations and automation is your primary focus, prioritize SMPs that have more robust integrations with the SaaS applications you use. They will provide the ability to do more from the central console and limit how often you need to use the apps’ admin console. This also reduces the number of people with administrative privileges and can offer role-based access for some delegation of rights to IT support or LOB partners.”
Implementing an SMP that automates workflows and administrative processes can lift the burden on IT teams and free them up to work on tasks that add greater business value.

##### Spend optimization and cost control

Organizations with a diverse SaaS portfolio often lack centralized ownership of their applications. Procurement decisions are increasingly made not only by IT, but also by department leaders and even individual employees. While there are benefits to this model, such as accelerated innovation, the realities of distributed app ownership and management often insulate these organizations from feeling inefficiencies and recognizing opportunities for spend optimization.
Gartner highlights this problem, “SaaS spend continues to grow by 15-20% annually, as organizations maintain an average of over 125 different SaaS applications totaling $1,040 per employee annually. IT typically is aware of only a third of those due to decentralized ownership and sourcing.”
The results? Wasted licenses, app redundancies, surprise contract renewals, and other factors undermining ROI.
SMPs ingest and create a central repository of real-time data on all SaaS apps, providing the complete visibility and enhanced control that IT, Finance, and Procurement leaders need to optimize their investments and SaaS vendor relationships.

##### Security and data governance

Adopting SaaS applications adds security and compliance risks, which are top of mind for IT executives these days. Gartner says, “The broad reach of SMPs positions them as ideal choices for broad, operational support of SaaS application portfolio management, including some security functionality.”
Gartner notes both Security and Governance as two of top capabilities for an SMP.
For instance, the report notes that SMPs key security capabilties as, “Analysis, insights, alerting and automation to protect organizational identities and data within SaaS. Also includes ensuring SaaS policies and configurations are compliant with corporate, security or regulatory standards.” They also support governance capabilities such as, “reporting, alerting and measuring SaaS availability, as well as the breadth and depth of integrations with SaaS apps and other IT tools.”
As SaaS adoption continues to explode and ownership continues to fragment throughout the organization, Security and Governance concerns become paramount. While an SMP won’t provide complete security, it does enhance your security and governance efforts, especially by providing comprehensive discovery—a critical first step.

#### The SMP solution: Let software manage software

As Gartner recommends, “IT leaders responsible for managing SaaS and/or the digital workplace must maximize ROI by partnering with procurement, finance, line of business (LOB) and asset management, as well as IT security, digital workplace and application leaders, to cover all phases of the SaaS life cycle.”
While legacy solutions play catch up, IT leaders are looking for the ROI that only SMPs like Torii can provide—now. Torii is built for the distributed workplaces and digital infrastructures that I&O leaders have been strategically constructed.
The Torii platform uniquely enables IT and other key stakeholders to discover and act on every SaaS application in your portfolio. With over 170 direct integrations, and more than 10,000 secondary integrations, Torii enables businesses to gather rich, trustworthy data on everything they need to control spend, optimize ROI, and de-risk SaaS applications.
Our customers’ results speak for themselves. For instance, since adopting Torii, Gorillas, a fast-growing, on-demand delivery company, has:
Reduced license costs by hundreds of thousands of euros
Saved 1000+ hours in onboarding and offboarding
Eliminated 200+ hours on license management and delegation
With Torii, Hired, an AI-driven hiring marketplace, successfully:
Reduced onboarding time by 85%
Eliminated surprise renewals
Saved $1.7 million in SaaS applications
Envious of those results? Explore Torii’s platform and join us in the SaaS management revolution.
Want to take a deeper dive into the Gartner analysis? Access a complimentary copy of the Market Guide for SaaS Management Platforms.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and services mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used here in with permission. All rights reserved.

# Page Title
Manage Licenses for All Apps: Get Granular SaaS Data Control | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/manage-licenses-for-all-apps-get-granular-saas-data-control

## Page Description

## Details

App licenses are like umbrellas. When you don’t need them, they’re everywhere. But when it starts raining (or renewal time rolls around), they’re suddenly all taken, leaving you scrambling.
Now, with Torii, your IT team can manage all app licenses, regardless of API limitations. You get the full power of automation, ensuring your data is always up-to-date while keeping the flexibility to make adjustments when needed.
With centralized visibility and complete control, your data is accurate, unified, and never reliant on other sources or scattered spreadsheets. Update, augment, and manage your license data with confidence.

#### How it works: automated or manual license management

The Torii SaaS Management Platform automates your license management process for most apps, giving you a clear window into usage, costs, and more. But sometimes, other apps don’t allow license data access via API. For those instances, Torii gives you a simple way to import that data quickly and easily so your data stays centralized and accurate.
Here’s how you can accurately import or augment data with confidence.
Upload and map your license data.
Upload a user list to Torii—this is usually a CSV file that you can download from the application. This file will typically contain email addresses, license types, last-used dates etc.
Automatic mapping—Torii automatically maps your file’s columns, matching them to the appropriate fields. This saves time and removes the need for manual mapping.
Preview the data—you’ll have the chance to verify the mapping before adding the user list to Torii.
Import—Once you verify that the information is accurate, import your user list, and the data will automatically populate within Torii.
Automatic license parsing for non-standard files.
Sometimes, apps won’t give you a clean spreadsheet. In those cases, Torii can still handle the heavy lifting. For non-standard files, Torii’s license parser will organize the data from the uploaded file. In these cases, you can still verify the accuracy of the parser before importing the data into Torii.
Augment license data for integrated apps.
Some apps that have integrations with Torii won’t provide all the relevant details. In these instances, you can upload your CSV with the license details, and Torii will automatically fill in the gaps and override incomplete data.
Here’s an example. Some applications will provide Torii with a full user list. That list shows you license usage rates, but it does not distinguish between paid and free users. If you want to do some license cleanup, this is a problem because you only really care about the paid licenses. In this situation, you can import the license data from the app—the user list from that app will have a column distinguishing between free and paid licenses—and Torii will update the information within Torii so you know which licenses to reclaim.
Now, you can run your license cleanup workflows with confidence.
With Torii, you can manage renewals, optimize your licenses, and track SaaS costs in one place.

#### Why it matters: control and trustworthy data

Most SaaS Management Platforms only offer partial control, leaving important apps in a separate spreadsheet. Torii changes that by letting you organize all your SaaS data in one place so you don’t miss anything. You get a clear view of all your users and licenses.
With the ability to manually manage data, Torii ensures you can keep your user management in check—all from one location. No more jumping between multiple systems or spreadsheets. Everything is in one spot and you control how it’s used.
Torii helps you work faster with automation and gives you control when you need it.

# Page Title
Merge Users: How to Combine Your Email Aliases | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/merge-users-combine-email-aliases

## Page Description

 Introducing Merge Users: Say goodbye to juggling multiple email aliases. Combine them all under one user for seamless communication.

## Details

Torii just launched a small but powerful new feature – Merge Users.
Merge Users automates the tedious process of manually matching multiple user aliases to a single user. It searches for all the emails in your organization and links them to individual users. As a result, IT gains a clear picture and improved user management capabilities.
In the past, IT professionals have struggled to reconcile the numbers between users and emails. Multiple domains or department-based emails sometimes have caused doubt about data integrity—mainly related to SaaS utilization and oversight.
With Torii’s Merge Users, there’s a clean 1:1 association between every email and a user. As a result, noise is significantly lessened, efficiency is boosted, and they can take actions with confidence.

#### Why Does Merge Users Matter?

Data Integrity and Enhanced Decision-Making: For IT professionals, clarity in user-data association extends beyond matches to understanding the rationale behind these matches. Torii’s Merge Users settings provide transparency into why matches are established in the first place. This creates higher confidence in the data, empowering IT to take decisive action towards cost optimization, security posture, and more.
Streamlining User Management: Managing users is a continuous task in IT operations. Fortunately, implementing Merge Users acts as a crucial reset. It tackles past issues, like over-allocating user licenses to single users based on multiple emails. The system provides a clear view of how licenses are distributed and enables accurate monitoring of license use.
You Choose Source Authority: The Merge Users feature supports merging users from IDP sources, using specific fields from Azure Active Directory (“proxyAddresses” and “Other emails”) and Google Workspace (“Emails” field, including contact information and email aliases).
Reversible Matching: Unlike other solutions, Torii’s Merge User process is reversible with no risk or loss of data. IT professionals can adapt user management strategies or processes, avoiding irreversible decisions.
Confidence in Offboarding: When the Merge Users feature is active, and you start the offboarding process for a user in Torii, all of the user’s emails and application accounts are automatically deactivated according to your preset offboarding instructions. The system determines whether the merged user is classified as a current or former employee based on the status of the primary email address associated with that user. This kind of cleanup and precision in managing email identities can also positively impact email deliverability, especially for teams relying on consistent communication and campaign performance. Additionally, when a user is offboarded, the process will simultaneously apply to all their email aliases, ensuring a unified update across all accounts.
Note: Struggling with offboarding? Get peace of mind with our IT Offboarding Checklist.

#### How to Get Started

The future of IT is dependent upon simplified yet effective solutions for persistent data integrity problems. At Torii, we focus on solutions that provide IT with transparency, customization, and confidence.
Merge Users is available to all Torii users. Learn more about Torii’s plans and pricing.
About Torii: Are you drowning in a sea of cloud app subscriptions? Torii brings clarity and control to your sprawling SaaS environment. Discover every app, optimize licenses, automate tedious tasks, and unlock hidden savings. Finally, manage your software stack as it was meant to be with Torii, the SaaS Management Platform built for IT.

# Page Title
New Advancements for Distributed SaaS Management: How Torii Empowers the Whole Team | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/new-advancements-for-distributed-saas-management-how-torii-empowers-the-whole-team

## Page Description

Learn how Torii is changing the game with Distributed SaaS Management—a collaboration centric approach to managing SaaS that empowers the whole organization

## Details

Companies today rely on hundreds of SaaS applications to conduct daily work and drive their business forward. But many have no idea of the skyrocketing number of cloud apps in their ecosystem – or the negative impact those apps can have on costs, productivity and security.
That’s because IT and procurement teams no longer control or have insight into who uses what apps. In today’s workplace, employees often know better than anyone which apps are best for their jobs – and they’re likely to subscribe to and adopt new apps themselves without informing IT or procurement.
With employees adding cloud apps at unprecedented rates, and continual changes in apps, users, usage, and costs, it’s impossible for IT to effectively manage the full SaaS lifecycle, which includes everything from adoption, onboarding, and offboarding users, to license management, renewals, and application rationalization. Unless, they collaborate with other SaaS stakeholders to optimize the process, that is. IT needs to work with employees who now “own” the apps they subscribed to, and players in procurement, security, and finance, to take part in managing this new distributed SaaS reality.
Related: What is Distributed SaaS Management?
All stakeholders must be empowered with the right data, insights, automation, and actions to cut spend, boost efficiencies, and do more with less. Torii’s newest advances make it easier than ever to drive the speed, collaboration, and transparency needed for end-to-end Distributed SaaS Management:
Empower app owners as co-managers
Delegate and automate virtually any task
Take actions to reduce costs using Torii’s recommendations, benchmark, and chargeback features

#### Empower App Owners to Manage SaaS

Torii’s new App Owner feature raises the bar for SaaS management by making it easy for people who own apps to manage them. IT teams can assign app owners with real-time visibility into their specific app’s users, usage, license utilization, expenses, and cost-saving opportunities. Equally important, app owners can take actions regarding users (onboarding and offboarding) and licenses (reclaiming, changing tiers, reharvesting), as well as uploading, editing, and archiving contracts, from within Torii.
Combined with Torii’s existing procurement, IT admin, and IT owner roles, the app owner feature sets a new standard in SaaS management best practices, enabling a truly collaborative, empowered team.

#### Drive Collaboration and Accountability

##### Ticketing management and delegation

Using Torii’s automated capabilities and relying on rich Torii data, you can create tickets or tasks in popular collaboration platforms for various scenarios:
App security reviews
Renewal preparation
Employee offboarding
And more, all while enriching these with all data needed for efficient task execution.
Deep integration with tools such as Jira, ServiceNow, Freshservice, Asana, and Monday allows IT admins to easily assign SaaS management tasks to stakeholders through an organizational task management platform. This creates visibility for all stakeholders and makes the tasks easy to monitor.
With Jira, for instance, IT can delegate offboarding tasks by automatically opening Jira tickets and have complete visibility over the tasks’ progress. Torii monitors the Jira issues created and automatically marks users as offboarded based on ticket status updates. This reduces IT’s burden while providing the transparency and accountability they need to oversee SaaS management effectively.
Delegate offboarding issues via Jira:

##### Flexible app catalog

Your employees can see which applications are sanctioned within your organization and request access in a process you define, thereby reducing Shadow IT. Torii’s newest capability gives you the flexibility to create custom automation for individual app access requests, for example, choosing to automatically provide access, sending a survey to determine why an employee wants access or contacting the employee’s manager upon access request via Slack or email.

##### Advanced Data Engine

Torii ingests scattered and unorganized data from all of your applications. It then automatically unifies and standardizes that data into personalization tokens. These tokens serve as no-code “building blocks” for complex automation. With those building blocks, you can:
Create hyper custom workflows for your unique use case
Develop nuanced and personalized communication at scale
Derive better, faster insights for other stakeholders to increase the rate of collaboration
With the Advanced Data Engine, everyone will base decisions from a single source of truth.

#### Enhance Cost Optimization: Torii pays for itself, and more

Gartner says organizations that don’t centralize visibility and manage SaaS life cycles will “overspend on SaaS by at least 25% due to incorrect and unnecessary entitlements and not rationalizing overlapping tools and instances.”
Torii customers routinely save hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars with distributed license management, app rationalization, and renewal management – enabling Torii to quickly pay for itself and continue to deliver significant ongoing savings, and help you meet your budget goals.
New capabilities and insights that make this even easier for IT, procurement, finance and app owners include:

##### Cost-saving license recommendations

For many apps – such as Salesforce, Zoom, Calendy, Asana, Zendesk, Monday, Lastpass, and more’s cost-saving license recommendations enable you to save big. Torii identifies opportunities, suggests and enables you to take actions, and reveals the savings impact. Based on feature-level usage, Torii surfaces recommendations on downgrading specific licenses that aren’t fully utilized and/or reclaiming and reharvesting past user licenses with a touch of a button.

##### License cost benchmarks

With license cost benchmarks; you can compare the price you are paying per license to prices similar companies pay, using anonymized market data. This can be particularly useful at renewal time, as you can use this information to negotiate better terms with vendors and achieve significant savings.

##### Chargebacks (Showbacks)

Chargebacks are valuable for companies that hold departments accountable for their technology usage and resource expenses. They bring visibility to exactly which departments are driving which app costs for budgeting and forecasting.
Different types of strategies are used for different apps and license types. Torii enables you to use:
Bottom up – cost per license when different costs apply to different license types.
Bottom up – cost per user when you pay per user regardless of their license type.
Top down for apps that are not charged per seat (e.g. Cloud Computing, Firewalls, Network Infrastructure), where you allocate cost to business units by percentage.
Torii is continually adding new innovations to our Distributed SaaS Management platform based on customer input and market needs and opportunities.
To hear what we’re up to, bookmark our blog and check out our LinkedIn and Twitter posts.
Check out our demo to see Torii in action.

# Page Title
Node.js and Zero Servers | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/node-js-and-zero-servers

## Page Description

Choosing your tech stack when just starting out is an important task. Here’s why we decided to use Node.js and Serverless computing at Torii.

## Details

At Torii, we’ve been running Node.js + Serverless in production for the past four years. Here’s a summary of why we decided on this stack for our startup and what we’ve learned

#### Deciding on a tech stack

Deciding on the technology stack when founding a new startup is a bit of an art. We decided to list our requirements from a good tech stack and find the most fitting for us:
Full stack friendly. A cross-platform language that will allow our developers to be truly impactful
Ecosystem. A forward-looking stack, one that is on the rise and will be relevant at least for the next few years
Productivity. Minimize operations and let us focus on the product.
With that in mind, JavaScript and Node.js were chosen first. The system allows developers to become JS experts and work on the backend and front end. The Node.js ecosystem is huge and immense talent is available on the market. We also chose React for the front end, but that’s for another post.
For deployments, we decided to leap over the Docker/Kubernetes space and bet on Serverless computing. I say bet because we hadn’t heard of many companies running everything on serverless functions. The promise is a highly available, infinitely scalable and secure environment without the hassle of time-consuming operations.
We’ve chosen AWS as it pioneered the FaaS space (Function as a Service) and provides all the required building blocks: functions (AWS Lambda), HTTP gateway (API Gateway) and background scheduling (Cloudwatch events).

##### Use case 1: Node.js + Serverless for background jobs

Our first use case is running background jobs. We need to run jobs to send scheduled emails, sync with external APIs and run analysis on our data.
For background jobs, Node.js and FaaS make a lot of sense. This allows us to define a function that runs on a schedule or by demand. We use AWS, and can configure any function to run on a cron-like schedule initiated by AWS.
Let’s take an example: we’d like to send emails to customers every day at 10 pm with a digest of what’s new in their account. We define a simple function:
Define a serverless.yml file:
And that’s it. Our function will run every day at 10pm once deployed to AWS (a simple serverless deploy). Quick and easy.

##### Use case 2: Node.js + Serverless for API servers (hapi-front)

Our second use case is providing an API server serving the web app clients.
Building an API server on serverless sounds less intuitive. However, an API server can be seen as a simple function. It gets the HTTP request as input, processes it, and returns the HTTP response as a result.
What we do, is use a regular Node.js server (we use the hapi.js framework, which is similar to express, but we find it to better suit large projects) and package it into a Lambda function.
Instead of running this function on a schedule, we run it every time an HTTP request is sent to our server. We use an AWS API Gateway to listen for HTTP requests and forward them to our API server function which is wrapped by hapi-front, an open-source thin layer on top of hapi.js.

##### Node.js: serverless vs. actual servers

Node.js is based on an event loop running on the main thread with async operations running in the background. Meaning that while the Node.js server sends data to the client in the background, another event can start running on the main thread.
With serverless, we get one “server” per client request. Yes, you get a full Node.js server to handle a single request. When you do async operations, like reading from the database, the event loop might be empty and the server doesn’t accept any more requests from the customer. This seems like we’re losing Node’s advantage as being able to process multiple requests on a single server.
So if we get 500 parallel requests, we’ll have 500 function invocations where each one handles a single request. The scaling is done via the cloud provider’s capabilities and is not based on the ability of Node.js to process many requests in parallel.
Another difference is that with a persistent “regular” server, we can first respond to the request and then handle it:
With serverless, once we return the response, the function stops running. To achieve the same effect, we’ll need to call a background Lambda to complete the work.

##### Myths about serverless

Serverless is only for playing around or “glueing” code paths. While serverless computing is great for bridging the work of other servers, it can definitely be used as the main infrastructure itself. Our product serves 100s of customers with no persistent server. The serverless offering by AWS and other cloud providers is in the front and it keeps improving all the time.
Serverless is slow because of cold-starts. A cold start is when a function is called and there is no serverless container up yet to handle the request. Setting up the container takes a bit of time, but next requests are instant as they would be on a regular server. In practice, cold-starts make up the minority of requests and do not cause a significant slowdown of the product.
Serverless costs more. On one hand, managed infrastructure like serverless costs more, but on the other, you only pay for what you use. If your service requires high availability and the option to scale, the costs may be equal. When considering the reduced devops time, serverless may be cheaper than running and maintaining servers.
Serverless can’t run locally. As serverless is a function, it is simple to run it locally. We just run the function. That’s basically all it takes, you don’t even need a framework as a simple node index.js is equivalent to running the function on AWS.

#### Limits: non-obvious benefits

Beyond the obvious benefits of serverless, such as reduced operation, pay as you go, scaling and high availability, there are additional benefits that result from the limitations.
The Lambda functions have limits: on the amount of data it can consume and respond to, on max run time, on max memory that can be allocated and more. While these boundaries may seem limiting, it actually drives us to write better and more robust code. Here are some examples:
Timeout limit → Time optimization. The functions are limited to 15 minutes (at the moment) and will stop when reaching the timeout. When we see functions reaching the timeout, we opt to inspect and optimize the code. We’ve even seen code reduced by a developer from 10 mins to 5 seconds(!) after examining a non-optimized npm dependency.
Timeout limit → Continuability. Some workloads need more time to run than the function allows. In this case, we made the code “continuable” where we can continue to work from the same place it stopped by running the function again. This virtually removes any limits on run time and has the added benefit of allowing us to continue on errors without losing what was already completed.
Memory limit → Resources optimization. When running into a memory issue, we optimize the code instead of instantly opting for larger machines. Instead of loading all the data into memory for a computation, we load the working set needed and release what’s already been computed.
Data limit → Better utilization of resources. There’s a limit of how much data the Lambda functions can manage and respond to (10MB at the moment). We hit a brick wall when users tried to upload large files or download them. The solution was to have the user work directly with the S3 service which stores files. AWS allows you to do this while keeping security by signing requests to S3. This allows the user to upload and download files faster and have the limits removed.

##### Optimizing for serverless

It is possible to optimize the system to provide a small package that loads fast, even on cold-starts. As we all know, npm dependencies are often quite large and packaging them can increase the size of the package that AWS needs to load when invoking a function.
Our first optimization was to make our functions scope smaller. Each function should handle one thing (and do it well) only requiring necessary dependencies. This can be done by packaging every function individually, without including dependencies used by other functions.
We use webpack to achieve this. Beyond bundling our code and allowing us to use the latest JavaScript features (by using babel), we also get the benefit of webpack analysis of  which dependencies are actually imported into each function. This allows us to package each function individually, and while it takes more time on the build step, we get the benefit of faster loading functions.
Another optimization for the API server is actually having just one function to handle all endpoints. While an option exists to have each endpoint stand alone, a unified function to address all endpoints reduces the number of cold-starts and the users enjoy a faster experience.

##### Future of Node.js API servers on serverless

What would an API server framework look like if it was built entirely for serverless. A future-looking framework could have:
Lazy loading of code. Similar to techniques used in a browser, it could load the code only when it needs it. This will result in reduced cold-start time and quicker responses.
Lightweight. No need for any networking code at all, it is just data passing through. It will handle routing, authentication and validation.
Background jobs. Support running background lambdas for long-running tasks out of the box.
Without a doubt, we suggest every new project starts with serverless computing. You can opt-out if limits are reached. Keeping the code de-coupled from the runtime environment allows for this with close to zero effort.
Starting out is simple, and the ecosystem of tools for serverless helps with all common needs.

# Page Title
How to Proactively Fight SaaS & AI Sprawl | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/proactively-fighting-saas-sprawl

## Page Description

## Details

Last quarter your company added dozens of new apps. Many arrived as shadow IT, outside IT’s oversight. A growing share include generative AI, which multiplies risk and complexity. Hidden costs slip past expense controls. Redundant tools overlap with software you already sanction.
The impact is clear: overspend, low adoption, and poor visibility into unsanctioned usage. IT stays reactive, chasing issues instead of directing the stack.
The good news: that can change. This article shows how IT teams move from firefighting to leadership, with a proactive approach to managing SaaS and AI at the core of the business.
If you want an even punchier version for a landing page, say the word and I’ll trim this further.
Win leadership buy-in by centering your message on three drivers:
Value creation: Link initiatives to business outcomes such as new customer acquisition, faster feature delivery, and net-new revenue.
Cost efficiency: Expose wasted spend from underused licenses. Utilization is often 30 to 40 percent. Quantify savings from reclamation and consolidation.
Risk mitigation: Surface unsanctioned apps, orphaned accounts, and shadow AI. Translate each into data exposure and compliance impact.
Pro tip: Lead with the priority that matches your leadership’s focus right now. If cost control tops the list, open with the projected dollar savings from license reclamation.

#### Cataloging your SaaS management maturity

To plot your path forward, first identify your current maturity level. Are you mostly reacting to issues, or are you already positioned strategically?

#### 5 Steps to Proactively Addressing SaaS & AI Sprawl

##### Stage 1 → 2: Build a Live Repository

Implement Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions like Okta or Azure AD for your key apps.
Use virtual expense cards (Ramp, Brex) to easily track and control SaaS expenditures.
Automate data integration from HR and financial systems to centralize app visibility.
Outcome: Achieve real-time inventory management, freeing IT from tedious, manual spreadsheet updates.

##### Stage 2 → 3: Generate Actionable Insights

Set up intuitive dashboards to proactively manage upcoming renewals and orphaned accounts.
Adopt entry-level SaaS management tools (like Torii’s free tier) to automate insights.
Define explicit workflows around renewals and license reassignment for proactive cost management.
Outcome: Shift your focus from reactive app discovery to strategic decision-making.

##### Stage 3 → 4: Embrace Automation

Integrate ticketing platforms (Jira, ServiceNow) to automatically handle SaaS-related tasks.
Leverage automation tools (Zapier, Tray.io, ToriiWorkflows) to streamline routine IT requests.
Standardize notifications via Slack or email for crucial events such as renewals or audits (these can also be automated through Torii).
Outcome: Significantly reduce manual tasks, errors, and time spent, freeing resources for strategic initiatives.

##### Stage 4 → 5: Become a Strategic IT Leader

Map your entire app portfolio directly to specific business objectives, clearly communicating their value.
Conduct regular “Tech Roadmap” reviews with finance, procurement, and senior leadership.
Use business-centric metrics—cost savings, risk mitigation, and revenue acceleration—to report your impact.
Outcome: Transform IT from a support function into a strategic, revenue-driving partner guiding company growth.

#### Your Official Checklist

Assess Your Current Maturity Stage:
 Stage 1 (Manual)
 Stage 2 (Live Repository)
 Stage 3 (Actionable Insights)
 Stage 4 (Automation)
 Stage 5 (Strategic Leadership)
Select a High-Impact Initiative:
 Renewals Management
 Automated Offboarding
 Expense Visibility and Control
Automate a Specific Workflow:
 Slack channel notifications for renewals
 Automated offboarding tickets in Jira
 Implement a basic SaaS management trial for real-time usage alerts
Frame Your Pitch for Leadership:
Select a primary business driver (Value, Cost, Risk).
Quantify the expected impact (e.g., “Reclaiming 20% of licenses saves $30K annually”).
Schedule a brief “Tech Roadmap” discussion with executives to showcase immediate benefits.

#### The long term vision

Imagine an IT organization that isn’t just managing apps, but strategically driving the company’s future. When IT shifts from merely keeping the lights on to architecting a strategic tech roadmap, your team becomes the indispensable engine fueling organizational growth and innovation. By adopting this structured approach, you’ll move from being reactive gatekeepers to becoming proactive leaders, unlocking sustainable efficiency, innovation, and business growth in today’s dynamic era of SaaS and AI.

# Page Title
Automatic Real-Time Offboarding For Okta, BambooHR, and Google Workspace | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/real-time-offboarding-for-okta-and-google-workspace

## Page Description

Learn how Torii enables real-time offboarding workflows for Okta, BambooHR, and Google Workspace users. Monitor events live, take action fast, automatically

## Details

Exclusive Torii Feature: With Torii, you can now set up real-time offboarding by triggering Torii workflows by your Google Workplace, BambooHR, or Okta instance.

#### Rethinking Real-Time Offboarding

When every task takes priority, where do you start?
IT pros have long faced this problem with employee lifecycle tasks—especially offboarding.
Now, admittedly, offboarding has long been automated for many organizations. However, those workflows often suffer from several shortcomings:
They only apply to apps provisioned via the single sign-on
Someone has to trigger the workflow manually
That workflow can take hours or even days to complete
For today’s fast-paced, hyper-operationalized world, that’s not good enough.
For Okta, BambooHR, and Google Workspace users, Torii allows real-time offboarding for all SaaS apps—even those provisioned outside their single sign-on.

#### A Streamlined Solution For Real-Time Offboarding.

Torii’s advanced automation engine is designed to automate offboarding, making it instantaneous and more secure. By integrating with Google Workspace or Okta as your Identity and Access Management tool (IAM), or BambooHR as your primary HR Management Platform, Torii allows IT departments to instantly trigger offboarding workflows, ensuring that access to essential apps and services is revoked the moment an employee’s status changes. This is important not only for operational efficiency but also for safeguarding sensitive company data and resources.
Torii’s innovative approach to workflows allows users to build simple or elaborate automation based on an extensive set of workflow triggers—all built within an intuitive canvas UI. In moments, IT professionals can construct workflows that will save them hundreds of hours, thousands of dollars, and millions of back-and-forth slack messages dealing with sysadmin tasks.

##### Do You Really Need Real-Time Offboarding?

You want to avoid open loops at all costs when dealing with licenses, employees, or app vulnerabilities. Offboarding is a common task left incomplete until it’s too late. But there are other practical reasons to ensure the loop is closed ASAP:
Immediate Layoffs or Terminations:When an employee is laid off or terminated, revoking access to company resources is crucial. Real-time offboarding ensures that as soon as the employee’s status changes in Google Workspace or Okta, their access to all connected applications and data is terminated, safeguarding sensitive information.
Security Breach Concerns:If there’s a security concern with a specific employee, real-time offboarding allows IT teams to act swiftly, minimizing the risk of data breaches or other security incidents. In fact, we recently surveyed IT professionals and found that 76% of IT leaders agree or strongly agree that “employee offboarding is a significant security threat.”
Streamlining IT Workflows:For IT departments, manually managing offboarding can be time-consuming. Even with a great offboarding checklist in hand, you still want some help. Real-time offboarding automates this process, freeing up IT resources for other critical tasks and enhancing overall productivity.

#### Setting Up Real-Time Offboarding in Torii for Okta, BambooHR, and Google Workspace

The core of Torii’s real-time offboarding functionality hinges on its ability to detect and respond to key Google Workspace, BambooHR, or Okta events. These include scenarios in which a user is:
suspended (by an admin)
assigned to a different organizational unit
When these events occur, Torii immediately updates the user’s lifecycle status to “Past user.” This update triggers a series of predefined offboarding workflows within Torii, which are customized (by you) to your organization’s specific offboarding protocols.
Implementing real-time offboarding with Torii involves a straightforward setup process. This setup is crucial for ensuring that the synchronization between Torii and your systems operates seamlessly, allowing for the immediate initiation of offboarding workflows.

##### Here’s How You Can Get Started:

Note: You can learn more about the real-time offboarding set-up process in this article within our support center
Enable Relevant Scopes in Torii:
Before anything else, enabling the necessary scopes within Torii is important. This step is essential for Torii to access and monitor the relevant events in Okta, BambooHR or Google Workspace. By configuring these scopes, you grant Torii the ability to listen and respond to changes in user statuses within those platforms.
Understand the Sync Process:
Torii performs a routine synchronization of integrated app information every 24 hours. This sync ensures that any changes in user statuses or app usage are accurately reflected in Torii’s system. However, for the purpose of real-time offboarding, Torii goes a step further by continually monitoring certain critical events within Google Workspace, Okta or BambooHR.
Monitor Crucial Events:
The real-time offboarding feature focuses on several key events within these platforms such as:
User deactivation
User suspension (admin-initiated actions) (Google only)
User archiving (Google only)
User assignment to an organizational unit (Google only)
These events are pivotal for Torii in identifying and executing offboarding processes in real time.
Set BambooHR, Google Workspace, or Okta as the Source of Truth:
When your IAM or HRMS tool is selected as the source of truth for user lifecycle management in Torii, the events mentioned above will trigger an update in the user’s lifecycle status. This update marks them as a “Past user” in Torii, initiating offboarding. (Note: this does not apply to User assignment to an organizational unit)
By following these steps, IT administrators can set up a robust, real-time offboarding system that minimizes the window of vulnerability that can occur when an employee leaves the organization. The following section will detail how to use the App Event trigger feature to fully automate the offboarding process.

##### How To Get the Most Out of Your Offboarding Workflows

To make the most out of Torii’s real-time offboarding feature, consider the following tips:
Regularly review and update your offboarding workflows to align with organizational changes and IT policies.
Utilize Torii’s reporting features to analyze your offboarding processes’ efficiency and identify improvement areas.
Track offboarding progress actively via the Pending Tasks view on the Offboarding tab within Torii
Use Torii’s branching capabilities to consolidate many workflows into a few core offboarding workflows (this will reduce possible errors and maintenance time)
Train your IT team on managing and modifying Torii workflows, ensuring they can adapt to changing needs.

#### Time to Get Real About Offboarding

Terrible wordplay aside, offboarding is a serious matter that threatens organizational efficiency and security. As your workplace continues to evolve, your workflows will play an ever-increasing role in the overall effectiveness of your operations. Take control, close loops, and learn how to simplify your offboarding process with Torii.

# Page Title
Renewal Management Requires Visibility and Automation: How Torii's Integration with Zip and Ironclad Helps | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/renewal-management-requires-visibility-and-automation

## Page Description

Centralize your renewal management in one place with Torii. From contract terms to license reclamation workflows—keep your team on the same page

## Details

Note: Improve your renewal process thanks to Torii’s integrations with Zip and Ironclad. Now, all your contracts stay synced between systems, allowing you to automate renewal workflows with contract data that is always up-to-date. Learn more below.
Contract renewals are one of the most powerful ways to save on cloud applications. They offer stakeholders a brief period to ask, “Is this app worth it?” and save significantly.
Unfortunately, renewals often pass without any research, insight, or action for one big reason: the relevant data is scattered across the organization.
Contracts, tacit app knowledge, and utilization rates are spread across multiple people and systems, making the renewal process feel like a scavenger hunt you don’t have time for. Even then, contracts often contain auto-renewal clauses that you forget about until after they are triggered.

#### Bringing Clarity to Contract Management

At Torii, we want to help clarify contract management and prepare everyone for crucial renewals. This requires making it easy or even automatic to get your contract data into the same system of record as your SaaS data. Our goal is to remove manual entry entirely, and one of the most exciting ways to do that is through integrations with your existing contract tools.

##### Torii Exclusive: Integrations for Automated Contract Visibility

Torii is now the only SaaS Management Platform that will automatically stay synced with contracts housed in Zip or Ironclad. With these integrations, Torii automatically ingests the contract information and PDFs directly into the platform. Once a purchase request for software is completed and a contract is generated, the details are automatically fed into Torii without manual data entry. Then, your contract data will be accurately and promptly recorded and always in sync.
About Zip: Zip focuses on developing an Intake-to-Procure solution for B2B purchasing. The company aims to simplify procurement by providing a consumer-grade user experience for employees initiating purchases or vendor requests. Zip’s platform allows for easy initiation of procurement requests, visibility for all stakeholders, compliance assurance, and seamless integration with existing systems used by departments like Finance, Legal, IT, and Security.
About Ironclad: Ironclad specializes in digital contract lifecycle management (CLM) that empowers businesses to manage contracts more efficiently and collaboratively. Ironclad’s platform provides a seamless end-to-end solution for drafting, negotiating, and managing contracts, delivering a streamlined, user-friendly experience for legal teams and business users alike. With Ironclad, stakeholders gain clear visibility into contract status, compliance assurance, and risk management across departments such as Legal, Sales, Procurement, and HR. The platform integrates easily with existing tools and systems, ensuring that contract processes align with organizational needs and regulatory standards, enabling businesses to drive productivity and reduce cycle times.

#### Getting Renewal Ready

Create a workflow that sends a Slack notification any time a renewal is 60 days out
Set up special alerts for auto-renewal clauses
View app license usage data—active, inactive, and unassigned based on custom criteria (30, 60, 90 days, etc.)
Create custom processes based on contract amount, relevant department, and more
Create auto-reclaim workflows for idle apps
All of this and more is possible and easy if you have your contract data within Torii. Now, through our AI Ingestion tool, email-to-contract feature, and procurement integrations, sending those contracts to Torii is easier than ever.
Renewals are critical moments. They impact your software stack, employee satisfaction, and finances for the next year or more. Don’t let them go to waste—transform your renewal processes from overlooked opportunities into strategic assets.
Learn more about Torii’s Renewal and Vendor Management

# Page Title
Renewals Yearly Summary: Your Key to Contract Management | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/renewals-yearly-summary

## Page Description

## Details

Show leadership renewal savings with this new report.
Contracts tell you the terms and costs of an app, but they don’t show whether it’s worth the cost, and that knowledge gap is why renewals are difficult.
To properly  prepare for a renewal, you need more than the cost; you need to go deeper, uncovering information like:
License utilization rates
Security posture of the company
Pricing benchmarks
Comparison with similar tools (that you might also be paying for)
However, uncovering all this information can take days or even weeks of research, all in preparation for a conversation with a vendor. And then, after all that work, it’s on to the next contract renewal. The treadmill of research and negotiations makes it difficult to actually show leadership how important your renewal work really is.
That’s why we launched the Renewals Yearly Summary, a powerful new report that provides a detailed, top-down view of your annual contract spending in one dynamic chart, saving you valuable time and effort.

##### How Renewals Yearly Summary Helps

As the Product Manager for this release, I’m thrilled about its possibilities and how it will transform your understanding of SaaS spending.
This report presents the story of your contract spending in a waterfall graph so you can see:
Which contracts you’re renewing
Which you’re closing
Carryover contracts
A simple spending report won’t show all these factors, so we had to think bigger.
Our customers have repeatedly told us they need one place to get the full story—not just today but also for previous years and even forecast spending into the future.

#### How To Read The Report

The Renewals Yearly Report is represented as a waterfall chart. Waterfall charts are designed to demonstrate the cumulative effect of sequential changes visually. In the case of renewals, that means showing how your actions to increase or decrease annualized contract amounts affect your total spending. This visual representation makes it easier to understand the impact of each contract renewal or closure on your overall spending.
The first bar shows the annualized SaaS spending amount at the beginning of the year, and the last bar shows the annualized spending amount at the end of the year. Each bar in between shows the positive or negative amounts contributing to the change throughout the year. In this case:
Multi-year contracts that are not up for renewal this year
Contracts that have been or will be renewed during that year
Cost decreases (either due to closed apps or paying less on a renewed contract)
Cost increases (due to expansion or new contracts)
The result is a chart that clearly shows leadership how valuable the ongoing license and contract management efforts are.
Below the chart is a detailed list of all the apps contributing to the report. This list includes the apps, which bucket they fall into, the annualized contract cost for the current year and the previous year, the difference in value, and a link to the contract.
You can use a drop-down menu to filter the apps by their categorizations, so you can, for example, view every app with an increased cost this year.
If you want to share the list of apps and contracts with users outside of Torii, you can export it as a CSV to show to other company stakeholders.

#### Going Deeper: How to Get The Most Out of Your Contract Management

Torii isn’t just for generating insightful reports; it’s your hub for contract management.
Here are some powerful ways to get the most out of Torii.
Discovery: Use Torii’s AI-powered app discovery and mapping to uncover every app in your ecosystem (shadow and sanctioned). You’ll discover apps, users, and owners so you know where to start your contract search. Learn more.
Contract Upload: Torii uses AI to parse each contract so it automatically detects details like costs, dates, and auto-renewal clauses. Learn more.
Automatic Notifications: Build workflows for automatic notifications when a renewal date approaches. Learn more.
License Utilization: Before a renewal, check the license utilization rate to rightsize your contract. Learn more.
Check Compliance: Before renewing, make sure you know the app’s security posture. Torii shows you if the app is compliant with SOC 2, GDPR, or ISO 27001. Learn more.
Pricing Benchmarks: Torii shows you pricing benchmarks for many of the most popular apps so you can see if your vendor is offering a fair deal.
Application Comparison: If you have apps with overlapping features, use the app comparison tool to get a side-by-side look before you renew. Learn more.

#### Contract Management for Sustained Savings You Can Show

Pay attention to the power of contract renewals; they offer a unique chance to reassess and potentially save thousands on your app investments.
With Torii, you get a suite of capabilities to change your company’s approach to cost savings. Centralize your contracts, arm yourself with data, negotiate with confidence, and demonstrate ROI in a way that leadership will understand.

# Page Title
Rethinking IT: Transforming Challenges into New Opportunities | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/rethinking-it-bobby-abdullah

## Page Description

## Details

This is from a recent interview with Bobby Abdullah, founder of Lobster Money and the first full-time IT hire at Gorillas, in which he shares how SaaS management and automation helped him scale IT processes and solve big challenges. Discover why his journey from IT to entrepreneurship offers valuable insights for anyone looking to drive growth and innovation. Don’t miss this conversation packed with actionable takeaways!

#### The Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SaaS Management Platforms

John Baker:“Alright. Well, I’m here today with Bobby Abdullah. Bobby is the founder of Lobster Money. They’re on a mission to create the financial infrastructure for creators. He’s based out of Berlin, and we actually have worked together in the past where Bobby was the first full-time IT hire and governance projects for Gorillas. But, Bobby, I wanted to have you on today, first of all, because you’re a really interesting guy. You’re really thoughtful, but also because there’s been some recent changes within the SaaS management landscape. Gartner® just released their Magic Quadrant™. And in light of that, you’re someone who has better context on SaaS management platforms. You’ve dealt with them and worked with them in the past with some previous companies. So I’m wondering if you can tell us a little bit about yourself, and some of the trends that you’ve seen with both SaaS management and IT more broadly.”

##### Early Adoption of SaaS Management Platforms

Bobby Abdullah:“Yeah, sure. Firstly, thank you so much for having me on board, John. Yeah, a bit about me. Bulgarian by nature, based out of Berlin, worked for several different startups, with most recently crossing over with Torii and yourself and the rest of the team at Gorillas, where I led special projects and governance within the IT department.”
“I would like to think I was an early adopter of SaaS management platforms. It was a very interesting time when I stumbled upon it, probably around mid-2020. At that time, I worked for a health tech company in the growth stage, also based out of Berlin. I was really on the IT support side of the operation, so level one, level two types of tickets. The first process of automation for us was actually using Zapier for a lot of license provisioning and information transfer. And that was the click for me and, at that time, my manager, to look into further tools and processes that we could utilize for automating a lot of repetitive and mundane tasks. That’s how we came into Torii and a lot of the other players in the space. I think that was around the end of 2020 when we started discussing adopting this type of technology. We ended up adopting it specifically for shadow IT and really finding out what our employees and colleagues were using daily that we didn’t have an overview of. We realized the power of that.”
 Key Insights:
Manage shadow IT: Bobby used SaaS management to see all unauthorized software, reduce security risks, and control software costs.
Automate tasks: Use tools like Zapier to handle license provisioning and data transfers, cutting manual work and freeing up your IT team.
Stay ahead with SaaS: Adopt SaaS management early to control software sprawl, improve governance, cut costs, and boost security.

##### Scaling Challenges at Gorillas and the Role of SaaS Management

Bobby Abdullah:“Over the period when I joined Gorillas, from 2021 through the end of 2022, that really showed its true power. It was during the pandemic, money was cheap, and scaling for growth was the top priority. We knew we were hiring at a very fast pace. I was the first full-time IT hire there at around number 150 or 200 in HQ, and we scaled it to a total of 15,000 employees in a year and a half, maybe. It was a very interesting period that required the right infrastructure to grow. That’s when I knew we needed SaaS management way before the scale really hit us. It’s what saved us over time when it came to costs and resources.”
Scaling fast: During the pandemic, Gorillas scaled from 150 to 15,000 employees in just 18 months, driven by rapid growth and “cheap money.”
Early SaaS management: Bobby saw the need for SaaS management early, knowing it was essential to handle the fast pace of growth.
Cost savings: SaaS management became crucial, saving money and resources as the company scaled quickly.

##### Evolution of SaaS Management and AI’s Influence

Bobby Abdullah:“So that’s what really got me into SaaS management. I understood the absolute positive implications it brings to a business. After I moved away from my IT life, I’m still very much involved, dipping my fingers in different pies, but I’m more into the entrepreneurship side of things nowadays. I’ve realized that it’s evolved. The way it’s evolved is everyone’s taking a different bet on where they sit in the value chain. You see a lot of consolidations in the space, where there’s a SaaS management aspect to a specific platform, but maybe they’ve paired with mobile device management or device issuing and leasing, or even outsourcing combined with AI. With the AI boom, it hasn’t destabilized the market, but it has changed the playing field for SaaS management. I think it slowed down pure SaaS management as a market, as more AI-integrated solutions emerged for niche projects and products.”
Entry into SaaS management: Bobby got into SaaS management by seeing its clear business benefits and its positive impact on operations.
Shift to entrepreneurship: Though no longer in IT, Bobby remains involved, now focusing on the evolving SaaS landscape as an entrepreneur.
AI impact: AI has changed the SaaS management market, slowing pure SaaS growth but driving innovation with AI-integrated solutions for specific needs.

##### The Role of Data in SaaS Management

John Baker:“Yeah, that’s really interesting. I know we were talking a little bit previously about the role of data, and I think that comes up a lot, especially with SaaS management platforms. Every organization is full of data, but it’s about the aggregation, uncovering, centralization, and normalization of all that data. We’ve found that one of the really valuable things an SMP platform can offer is a place where all that data can actually be housed, specifically related to SaaS. But you’re talking about this AI and how we’ve had these issues with adoption. It’s definitely something we’ve seen, where some early estimates expected massive growth, but it’s just now in 2024 that we’re getting this magic quadrant. Why do you think there was that slowdown? Why has it taken this much time to get to this point?”
Bobby Abdullah:“I think it’s a combination of things. Right? And I’m no economist or AI engineer by any means, either. So take everything with a grain of salt. But I would definitely say it’s, one, the lack of funding after the bubble burst created a very big budget restriction globally. A lot of large enterprises had layoffs, startups took down valuations, and some went bankrupt, which caused everyone to hold their cash and gave themselves time to recover as a business before they could go out and spend again, only prioritizing the most important expenditures. As more and more money accumulated back into the market, the AI boom came around. AI has been around for a very long time, but now it’s the trendy thing. Every second product out there is at least integrated with AI, understandably so. That just threw a whole new wrench into the system, flipping the whole market upside down, because now people had to not only follow the trend and implement this new technology but also do it in a useful manner. You can’t just implement AI and say, ‘Yeah, it works now.’ No, you have to really implement it where it provides direct value. I think that’s why it slowed down, because, one, the budget constraints from some years ago, and now with the implementation of this technology and the severe growth of it, it caused a lot of companies to rethink their business model or their main product proposition.”
Bobby Abdullah:“I think the data aspect of SaaS management is always valuable. What I find interesting is who finds what value in it, right? Some SaaS management platforms like Torii also focus a bit on the finance aspect. You also have the little things of counting how many times a workflow has been executed successfully. That was actually my favorite data, personally, because I got to report internally on how easy it was to deduce the ROI from that platform. Everything else we benefited from, from discovery to security to finance, having a nice little monthly expense report automatically sent and the automated communications, was just like a bonus on top. I think that is going to stay, but it’s going to be magnified by utilizing AI technology. And the ones that hold the most data or have a lot of data to sift through and really understand will benefit from it.”
A slowdown in SaaS growth: Bobby attributes the slowdown in SaaS growth to budget cuts after the bubble burst and the recent AI boom, which forced companies to rethink how they integrate AI effectively.
Role of data in SaaS management: Data centralization and reporting are key in SaaS management, particularly for showing ROI, automating finance reports, and tracking workflow success.
AI’s future impact: Bobby believes AI will magnify the value of data in SaaS management, benefiting companies that can effectively sift through and utilize large amounts of data.

##### Communicating ROI and Overcoming Challenges

John Baker:“Yeah. I think you keyed in on something there that’s really important. I know it’s something that you’ve been talking about for years, and that’s about communicating the value of something. So being able to actually demonstrate that ROI. And I think for a long time, with conventional software buying, a lot of times people don’t adopt a new tool because they don’t want to stick their neck out and advocate for a tool without a clear way of being able to demonstrate value on the other side. Even if they know intellectually, they’ll say, ‘I know that this is valuable. I know this is critical.’ Why do you think for a lot of IT professionals there’s that struggle? Maybe it’s about whether they have the instincts to try to prove ROI, or it’s a lack of confidence. Where do you think that breakdown occurs?”
Bobby Abdullah:“It could be a lack of confidence. For me, it wasn’t confidence as much as understanding your key stakeholders, the person you’re pitching this to. When I wanted to bring Torii into Gorillas, I didn’t have one stakeholder; I had around six. You had a C-level executive, finance, IT, ops, HR, and a few others. I made sure to find the data that they cared most about. Finance would care about money—how much we’re spending and why we’re saving it. IT might care about resources and focusing on different projects. So what I really doubled down on was segregating data to the right person I was pitching to. That usually resulted in a resounding answer. It doesn’t have to be a yes; it could be a yes or a no, but you really get them to understand your point, and they give you a solid answer rather than, ‘Let’s revisit this in X amount of weeks, months, or a year.'”
Bobby Abdullah:“So that’s something I think is very important to look at. But also, maybe this is my bias speaking, I think SaaS management platforms are one of the few types of software products where it’s very easy to communicate the value. It’s also very easy to see the lack of value. I wouldn’t recommend a SaaS management platform to a ten-person startup, for example. It just doesn’t make sense. But if you see hypergrowth, if you see management of cost, if you see all these different things being an issue, then yeah, start looking into adopting it. So I would say it’s a much easier pitch than, say, a project management tool to replace the current one.”
Understanding stakeholders: Bobby emphasized the importance of tailoring data to key stakeholders when pitching SaaS management, focusing on what each decision-maker cares about, like finance focusing on cost savings and IT on resources.
Easier to communicate value: SaaS management platforms offer clear and measurable ROI, making them easier to justify than other tools. However, they may not be suitable for very small startups.
Confidence vs. strategy: The challenge in pitching new tools isn’t just about confidence; it’s about strategically communicating value to different stakeholders to ensure understanding and quicker decision-making.

##### The Diversity of SaaS Management Solutions

John Baker:“Definitely. And I think what you’re talking about there, that’s the blessing and the curse that we’ve found with SaaS management. If you look at old industry reports or market guides that talked about what a SaaS management platform should do, it’s really a couple of core things: governance and some visibility stuff. And now, if you look at the latest Gartner research, the number of things has absolutely exploded.”
Bobby Abdullah:“Yeah, there’s so many different takes on SaaS management. I think one thing that—or two things that stuck to most products is shadow IT discovery, like discovery of apps that you wouldn’t otherwise know about, and just an overview of license management. I think those two things have been key throughout the market, but everything else has shifted all the time. Some take care of MDM and leasing, as I mentioned. Some take care of a very different part of the product, which could be outsourcing IT powered by AI, and you also get to manage your licenses on top of that. So I think that does create some confusion in the market for companies looking to employ that type of tool in the near or foreseeable future. I’d say find your top two problems that most SaaS management platforms can solve and then drill down onto just those problems that those different companies can provide a solution for, rather than looking at the whole market space. I think it’s oversaturated right now, and not in a negative way, but rather just people trying to take market share. We’ve also seen some successful and unsuccessful consolidations of these types of companies, which I think is a very good signal for the market. It shows that, okay, we don’t need that many players, but some of them that are doing it very well are getting eaten up by totally different value propositions, but they want to integrate this part of SaaS management overview. I don’t know if I should name someone, but Deal, for example, acquired a company. What do they have to do with IT per se? But it really fits well within their product stack.”
Core SaaS management focus: Bobby notes that shadow IT discovery and license management have remained key features of SaaS management platforms, while other functions continue to evolve, such as mobile device management (MDM) and AI-powered outsourcing.
Market complexity: The SaaS management market is becoming crowded with varied solutions, which can create confusion for companies. Bobby advises focusing on solving your top two problems rather than navigating the entire market.
Consolidation trend: The market is seeing successful and unsuccessful consolidations, with companies integrating SaaS management features into broader product offerings, as seen with Deal’s acquisition of a SaaS management company.

##### Personal Journey and Entrepreneurial Pursuits

John Baker:“Yeah, absolutely. So I’m gonna shift here and talk more about your personal journey. Like I said, you’re a thoughtful guy. You were doing IT, and then you decided to move on, pursue these entrepreneurial pursuits. What kind of brought you to that place? Why did you make that decision?”
Bobby Abdullah:“Great question. Over the period of me working for different startups, from series B to pre-seed to late series C and D, I realized that to a certain degree, everyone doesn’t know what they’re doing. And I thought there was a magic behind that. I had my own problem that I faced over time, moving across several countries, which was that a financial footprint does not translate from one country to another. And I decided to solve that problem. I think also in IT, on the operational aspect—because that was something I really focused on—was the project and operational aspect. I’m not gonna lie; I saw it diminish over time. Not in terms of jobs per se, although that could happen, but more on the efficiency side of things. So if you’re not utilizing the right tools, you’re not as efficient. And eventually, in the future, what I could predict is one person can now manage two people’s jobs when it comes to, let’s say, L1 and L2 support because of the technology available. So I took all my great learnings in IT and everything I know, and now I try to apply that to my own ventures.”
Shift to entrepreneurship: Bobby moved from IT to entrepreneurship after realizing that many startups, regardless of stage, often operate with uncertainty, which he found intriguing and motivating.
Solving a personal problem: His entrepreneurial pursuit was driven by a personal challenge—solving the issue of a financial footprint not transferring across countries due to his frequent relocations.
Efficiency in IT: Bobby observed that IT operations were becoming more efficient over time, predicting that technology would enable one person to handle the tasks of two, which influenced his decision to apply his IT learnings to his ventures.

##### Advice for IT Professionals

John Baker:“Well, if you’re talking to other people, maybe someone else in IT who is not sure if they want to continue with it, what would you say to them, or what would you ask them?”
Bobby Abdullah:“Are you getting challenged? That was the question I asked myself all the time. Are you getting challenged in a good way? Are you enjoying the challenge of different processes, projects, or problems that you face daily, weekly, or yearly in your career? If so, I would say absolutely continue, but always make sure to stay on top of the game by keeping up with technology, new tools, and processes. I think the one industry that’s so outdated, at least in the space I try to work around, is IT because it’s so decentralized. Recently, we’ve seen so much innovation in the space, especially with SaaS management over the last five years, but it’s not yet globalized. So those who truly want to stay in IT should be aware of all upcoming trends and be early adopters. That’s what I think. It doesn’t hurt to be an early adopter.”
John Baker:“And being an early adopter, part of that comes with a necessity for a level of excitement about the space, right? There’s that balance. You want to be challenged by the work and find some level of joy, but you also want to have excitement about what’s happening in the industry.”
Bobby Abdullah:“Absolutely. Look, by nature, I’m a lazy person. I’m not gonna lie. The last thing I want to do is solve the same type of ticket ten times in a row. So that’s the reason I went into Zapier from the very start. I thought, ‘Okay, I can make a flow that automatically gives away this license for sure.’ And then SaaS management came, and I was like, ‘Great. We can just eradicate thirty percent of the most repetitive tasks that we have in our day-to-day operations.’ That was my real motivator because the more you release in terms of repetitive mundane tasks from your team and yourself, the more you can focus on the cool stuff, the large-scale projects that provide proper impact rather than just keeping the boat afloat.”
John Baker:“Yeah, I love that. Being the strategic lazy guy—lazy not being the one without initiative, but being the guy who’s looking for how to get more done with less effort. That’s efficient at the end of the day.”
Bobby Abdullah:“Exactly. And you just have to iterate. How do you keep getting that person, that individual, that guy, that gal, whoever it is, continuously challenged? Just stick them on something else and be like, ‘Okay, make this more efficient now.'”
John Baker:“Definitely. I think that’s why I also have a bias towards startups, to be honest, because you get to wear many hats and figure out which problem you want to tackle at any given moment.”
Bobby Abdullah:“Definitely.”
Challenge and growth: Bobby advises IT professionals to ask themselves if they are feeling challenged in a positive way. If they enjoy problem-solving and overcoming challenges, they should stay in the field while continuously learning new technologies and trends.
Embrace efficiency: Bobby encourages IT professionals to adopt tools like Zapier and SaaS management to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time to focus on impactful, large-scale projects that drive growth.
Be an early adopter: Staying ahead of the curve in IT means being an early adopter of new tools and innovations. This approach not only increases efficiency but also keeps work interesting and engaging.

##### Closing Remarks

John Baker:“There’s so much there, Bobby. Thank you so much for taking a few minutes. I really appreciate your time. Is there anything else, if anyone’s interested in Lobster Money, where they can learn more about you and your projects?”
Bobby Abdullah:“Well, firstly, John, thank you for having me. It was an absolute pleasure. And yes, if you’re interested, lobstermoney.com. I’m not gonna plug anymore. I think that’s more than enough. If you’re interested, you’ll see the website. Everything is linked there. And thank you again for having me.”
John Baker:“Yeah, absolutely. Take care.”
Bobby Abdullah:“You too.”

# Page Title
Customizable SaaS Dashboards: Software Insights For Your Intelligence Center | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/saas-customizable-dashboards

## Page Description

## Details

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, data can be both a blessing and a curse. When every team member sees every possible metric, important insights get buried, and productivity suffers. Time is precious, and role-specific, concise insights are crucial for making informed decisions fast. That’s where Torii’s Customizable Dashboards come in—transforming scattered data into actionable intelligence tailored to each stakeholder’s unique needs.

#### Introducing Customizable Dashboards

Torii’s industry-leading discovery engine gives you visibility into your SaaS stack like never before, surfacing relevant insights and opportunities for optimization. Now, with fully adjustable widgets and layouts, it’s easier than ever to present data in the exact format your teams need—helping you reduce unnecessary noise, cut costs, and maintain stronger security postures. All of this is housed within Torii’s SaaS Intelligence Center, a single hub designed for clarity, control, and operational simplicity.
Native Torii DashboardsFrom the moment you enable this feature, you gain access to ready-made dashboards that highlight essential metrics—no manual setup is required. You’ll gain immediate insight into application usage, potential risks, and more.
Customizable Widgets & LayoutWant to focus on specific KPIs or uncover hidden trends? Simply enter “Edit Dashboard” mode, apply filters or change groupings, and drag-and-drop widgets until everything is exactly where you want it. Any changes you make will apply system-wide, ensuring every user with the proper permissions sees the same data-story.
Available NowTorii users can enable Customizable Dashboards in Torii Labs today. Under Settings > Labs, toggle on “Torii Dashboards.” Then, look for the new “Dashboards” section under “Insights.”
Note that this feature can only be toggled by Admins, and, for now, only Admins can edit the dashboards.

#### Tailored to Your Organization

Your business is unique, and so is the way you measure success. Customizable Dashboards let you control exactly what data surfaces, who sees it, and how it’s displayed. Admins can rename widgets, adjust calculations, and choose which fields to group by, ensuring every department—from finance to IT—gets the metrics that matter most.

##### Easily Add or Remove Widgets

Customizable Dashboards now make it even simpler to tailor your data views exactly to your needs. When editing your dashboard, you’ll notice a new button labeled “+ Add widget” at the top-left section of the page, just above your editable dashboard area.
Clicking “+ Add widget” opens a dropdown menu, letting you effortlessly select the type of widget you want to add. Once selected, your new widget appears instantly at the bottom of your dashboard, pre-selected and ready for immediate customization. The widget’s editing drawer automatically opens, allowing you to adjust settings and values instantly based on intuitive defaults provided.
Need to streamline further? Every widget now includes a convenient “Delete widget” option accessible directly from the widget menu in edit mode. Selecting this will instantly remove the widget, automatically rearranging the remaining widgets to keep your layout clean and gap-free. Please note, deleted widgets can’t be restored once you save your dashboard. If you remove all widgets, an empty state will clearly communicate that your dashboard is ready for new additions.
With these simple yet powerful updates, Torii puts complete control at your fingertips, ensuring your dashboards always reflect precisely the insights you need—nothing more, nothing less.

#### Customizable Dashboards Available

Stakeholders want to see clear results and ROI. With Torii’s visual, dynamic widgets, you can showcase cost-saving opportunities, security improvements, and key accomplishments in one streamlined view. Highlight outliers, track progress, and validate strategic initiatives with at-a-glance dashboards that communicate impact rather than bury it in spreadsheets.
Torii’s SaaS Portfolio dashboard provides a high-level view of your entire SaaS landscape, helping teams instantly see which applications are in use, who owns them, and where potential risks or unused tools might lie. By highlighting ownership gaps, app usage trends, and potential integration opportunities, this dashboard empowers IT, finance, and security stakeholders alike to streamline management, and reduce redundancies. With easy filtering, grouping, and widget customization, it ensures everyone sees the data most relevant to them—enabling faster, more informed decisions.

#### Cost Optimization

Torii’s dashboard for Cost Optimization delivers clear insights into where your SaaS spend is going and how to keep it in check. It visualizes expense trends over time or by various criteria such as category or department, making it easy to spot patterns and anomalies. This dashboard also highlights immediate action areas, like closed apps still incurring costs or unmatched transactions needing review. Ideal for finance teams, procurement, and IT leaders, it offers quick customization through filters and adjustable widgets, ensuring each stakeholder focuses on the most impactful expense data.

#### Renewal Management

Torii’s dashboard for Renewal Management helps you take control of your SaaS software renewals and stop overspending. Easily track your active contracts, monitor upcoming renewals, and compare year-over-year costs—all in one convenient view. Quickly identify opportunities to optimize licenses, spot under-utilized apps, and catch overspending before it’s too late. Plus, stay effortlessly organized by surfacing contracts without clear owners and apps operating without active contracts, so you’re always ahead of the renewal curve.

#### Security & Compliance

Torii’s Security Dashboard gives you a clear, actionable view into your application risks, helping you proactively tighten your SaaS security and compliance posture. Quickly pinpoint vulnerabilities, remove suspicious or inactive users, and enforce secure access with built-in SSO visibility. Easily ensure every app meets your compliance standards and privacy frameworks so you can address potential security gaps before they become costly incidents. Stay protected, organized, and confidently secure across your entire SaaS ecosystem.

#### More Coming Soon

Torii’s Customizable Dashboards put the power of actionable, role-based intelligence at your fingertips. By delivering precisely the insights you need when you need them, these dashboards save time, reduce complexity, and fuel better decision-making across your organization. For a limited time, professional-tier customers can experience enterprise-level capabilities—so jump in, explore the possibilities, and see how seamless SaaS management can be. If you’re ready to tailor your dashboard experience, simply enable Customizable Dashboards in Torii Labs and start shaping the future of your SaaS intelligence today.

# Page Title
How to Empower Your Organization with an Application Catalog | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/say-hello-to-your-new-application-catalog

## Page Description

Discover the power of an Application Catalog, a centralized platform to streamline SaaS adoption, reduce shadow IT, and improve the employee experience 

## Details

Torii’s Application Catalog saves time, reduces redundancy, empowers employees, and gives IT a comprehensive solution to ad-hoc shadow IT adoption. The application catalog is a filterable, searchable way for employees to find or request the necessary tools all from Torii’s SaaS Management Platform.

#### What’s an Application Catalog?

The Application Catalog is a searchable portfolio of all the software used in your organization. It shows your team what apps they have at their disposal and provides a fast way for them to request sanctioned and unsanctioned apps.

#### Why Use an App Catalog?

Employees are busy and sometimes lack the tools to do their work well. As a result, many employees will resort to finding new apps to help them do the job. Unfortunately, those newly adopted shadow IT apps can cause problems down the road—hurting budgets and efficiency or creating security risks.
The best way to mitigate the emergence of shadow IT is to give employees a clear alternative to Google and Product Hunt—an application catalog.
While simple in concept, Torii’s Application Catalog transforms your organization’s relationship with app adoption by offering a straightforward way for employees to find the tools for them.
Our customers use the application catalog to:
Remove application duplication. When employees have access to the entire applications list, they can choose the best tools without introducing duplicate applications or duplicate accounts in the same application.
Identify owner. Who’s in charge of which application? Application owners are listed next to each application and are more reachable to share their knowledge and take action.
Increase utilization and adoption. Instead of rapidly introducing more and more applications, leverage the ones you have better. With transparency in all applications, employees can easily find and get access to existing and approved solutions.

#### How the Application Catalog Works

Torii’s Application Catalog is designed with simplicity in mind. To make an action habitual for a user, it should be clear and rewarding! The catalog’s user-friendly interface means employees can quickly and intuitively find what they need or have a clear direction for requesting their app of choice.
Organized app categories: On the left side of the catalog are the app categories such as “Customer Success tools,” “Design tools,” and more. This categorization simplifies navigation for your employees, so they find the right tool fast and request access.
Request Access: Torii’s Application Catalog also allows admins to automate the “Request Access” process with custom workflows for different apps. Choose from options like opening an email app, redirecting users to another request portal, or letting users fill out a simple pop-up form. This level of customization gives admins more significant control over access requests, improving efficiency and ensuring that the right people have access to the right tools.
Intelligent search function: You may have a lot of apps or impatient employees. The intelligent search bar lets users find their tool regardless of categorization. If the desired app isn’t in the catalog, Torii’s search function recommends similar apps, guiding users toward the right tools and minimizing software requests.
For example, suppose a user wants a new project management application, and they search for Monday.com. In that case, Torii will show a grayed-out logo image, indicating it is unavailable within the system. It will also provide suitable alternatives like Asana, Wrike, or something else based on what apps are sanctioned and available. If a suitable alternative isn’t found, employees can request a new application directly within the platform.

##### Temporary & License-Based Access

One of the trickiest parts of software access is balancing speed with control. Teams want to move fast—but IT still needs to protect budgets, security, and compliance. Torii’s Application Catalog now makes that balancing act easier by enabling employees to request exactly what they need—no more, no less.
With temporary and license-based access, employees can choose a predefined access duration (like 1 day, 1 week, or 3 months) right from the Request Access form. They can also specify which license tier or permission level they need. That means fewer vague requests and fewer back-and-forth emails.
IT teams benefit too. Structured request inputs power better automation, faster approvals, and personalized workflows. License expiration is automatically tracked, helping your organization reduce shelfware and stay compliant. Whether an employee needs a tool just for onboarding or for a short-term project, the process is seamless, auditable, and fully integrated into your existing app request workflows.
New application requests: Besides streamlining access to existing tools, Torii’s Application Catalog allows employees to request new apps when needed. This centralized process eliminates ad hoc requests and uncontrolled software adoption, giving IT teams greater visibility and control over the organization’s software landscape. Admins choose where the “New Application Request” button sends users. So make app requests fit within your existing process, whether it’s a form on Google or Airtable, ticket creation for Jira or Asana, or something else.

#### Make Your Catalog… Yours

To add comfort and familiarity to your catalog, admins can customize the appearance and behavior of the catalog. These settings enable admins to:
Enable or disable the catalog for employees.
Add a company logo to enhance branding and create a consistent user experience.
Select and configure displayed applications, ensuring the catalog is tailored to the organization’s needs.
Choose visible application fields, allowing employees to view relevant information and make informed decisions about software usage.

#### No SSO? No Problem

The catalog can be accessed with or without Single Sign-On (SSO), accommodating organizations with various IT infrastructure setups. SSO streamlines the login process by allowing employees to use their organization’s SSO platform, making access to the catalog quick and secure. If SSO is not configured, users can sign up using an email and password, ensuring the catalog remains accessible to all employees.

#### Your New Application Adoption Portal

Torii’s Application Catalog is more than just a directory – it’s a powerful asset management tool that changes your organization’s relationship with SaaS adoption. Torii empowers employees to quickly find the necessary tools, improve productivity, and reduce software bloat by providing a centralized, searchable platform for managing your organization’s SaaS apps.
Say goodbye to scattered resources and hello to a world of streamlined, efficient SaaS management!

# Page Title
Torii is SOC 2 Type II Compliant, Are You? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/soc2compliant

## Page Description

Does your company feel too small for SOC 2 compliance? Being small isn't always bad . Learn some factors and how Torii can help you get SOC 2 success 

## Details

Every technology company should heavily consider SOC 2 certification as the gold standard for security
Compliance is the means, not the goal
Let Torii help you get SOC 2 ready
Learn more about how Torii prioritizes security.
From day one, security and compliance have been top of mind for our product and development teams. Since Torii manages mission-critical SaaS applications and the data inside them, there was just no question about it. That being said, undergoing an independent third-party audit, such as SOC 2, is an invaluable way to both test and affirm those values. But is SOC 2 compliance right for you and your organization?
SOC 2 is a certification developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that provides a way to measure the operating effectiveness of a company’s controls as they relate to Security, Availability, and Confidentiality.
Preparing for SOC 2 is a company-wide effort. To succeed, you need the full support of everyone on the team. When we completed our SOC 2 compliance in 2019 as a small team of just 20 employees, it was with that support and dedication that we were able to enter our observation period this year and come out the other side with no exceptions noted.
SOC 2 is the gold standard that technology companies must meet today. It applies to nearly every SaaS company, as well as any company that uses the cloud to store its customers’ information.

#### Why You Should Consider SOC 2 Compliance

For a young company, embarking on the SOC 2 compliance journey may be daunting. It is a time-consuming process that involves almost every aspect of your product and business. Every ongoing internal practice and procedure must be compliant.
But instead of referring to it as a hurdle, your company’s “youth” might be an asset. Being able to craft things ‘as they should be’ at a very early stage is easier than fixing long-lived ill processes; having all the folks on board, and committed to the success of the process, as is the case in young companies, makes the implementation of any necessary change a breeze. So rather than delay a challenge, think of it as an integral part of your top-priority tasks for the year.

##### Compliance is a Means, Not a Goal

Compliance is just one factor of the business, but it is not the end goal. Instead, think of compliance as a way to identify problems or shortcomings. Then, design good controls that can integrate cleanly into existing workflows. Forcing new work methods that don’t “fit” in the name of compliance is a dangerous game and, in many cases, can actually lead to more risk! When you introduce procedural changes do so strategically.

##### Company Culture > Obligation

A SOC 2 audit isn’t a one-time test or an obligatory checklist! Remember, compliance is the means, not the goal. Instead, truly internalize the policies and procedures you commit to, making them a real part of your corporate culture. We like to think of it as a marathon rather than a sprint, and as any experienced marathon athlete knows, you are never really done, not even when you cross the finish line. In the back of your mind, you’re already evaluating what you could have done differently and how you can improve at your next practice and on your future run.

##### Automation is Key

The whole idea behind audits and certifications like SOC 2 is implementing clear procedures and controls. Managing the influx of information your organization produces every day is a task of its own. How you handle that daunting task is critical to the long-term success of your security efforts.
At Torii, we lean heavily on automation to ensure that procedures are kept, efficiency is maintained, and our employees can focus on valuable, customer-centric work.
These principles also form the foundation of the way we run our business as a whole, and they have proved incredibly valuable to the overall process. We built the automation with auditability in mind so that when we have to show what’s going on or prove that a certain procedure is practiced, we have a report ready to go!

##### Ready to Get the SOC 2 Certified?

For tech companies of all sizes, SOC 2 is an important verification of their priorities. Understanding the responsibility of maintaining customer data in a secure way is so important! It’s a responsibility that we don’t take lightly, and neither should you!
If you’re ready to get the SOC 2 stamp of approval, check out this article about how Torii can help get you ready, or request a demo to learn more!

# Page Title
The Evolution of SaaS Management: Torii's Path as a Gartner® Recognized Leader | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/the-evolution-of-saas-management-toriis-path-as-a-gartner-recognized-leader

## Page Description

## Details

Torii CEO and Co-Founder Uri Haramati reflects on the company’s journey from a niche startup to becoming recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant™ for SaaS Management Platforms. Get a complimentary copy of the report today.
Torii was born from a problem. Software was shifting to the cloud, and companies were not ready for the transition. The growth of SaaS meant that employees were adding new apps at record speed without the approval of procurement. These unsanctioned apps (shadow IT) were adding tasks to already overworked IT teams. Onboarding, offboarding, spend management, and more, these legacy processes broke down under the weight of SaaS “busywork.” That’s why Torii was born. To address the problem at the heart of everything—unmanaged applications.
I experienced the headaches firsthand. My background in leadership and entrepreneurship meant that I was always testing new apps and dealing with the consequences, especially with a lean team. The systemic issues were painful, and manual management was impossible. That was when I realized that the only way out of the mess was through a unifying technology, one software designed to allow IT to see, manage, and automate all the software in their ecosystem. That was when I resolved to build Torii.

#### Why “SaaS Management” mattered

In 2016, my co-founders, Tal and Uri, and I spent weeks discussing the symptoms of managing SaaS.
Broken operations
Bad employee experience
The issue was that different teams within an organization had different priorities, and we had to decide if we would focus on a subset of issues or stick to our original vision of “one software to manage all software.” We weren’t the only team working on this either. Many vendors, some which are still around, were also trying to tackle the problem of SaaS Management by addressing specific symptoms.
A Slack exchange between me and my co-founders about how to pitch the idea of Torii to investors. This was when we started to identify SaaS Management as the “north star” of the solution.
After hundreds of conversations with IT leaders, founders, and technologists—we doubled down on SaaS Management. That decision felt risky at the time. We were focusing on unmanaged apps, a problem that many organizations weren’t aware of instead of the more obvious symptoms of spend and security.
I thought about it like this. If I were a doctor and someone came into my office complaining of a series of symptoms that all sprung up at the same time—what would be my duty? I could prescribe a host of medicines to address each individual symptom or I could do the hard work of finding the underlying source of the symptoms. In our mind, this was the only way to proceed. But, this meant that we had to build our platform on a foundation of accurate data and robust automation and in order for that to work, we needed to focus on organizations with a large number of cloud apps.

#### From nice to have to necessity

In 2020, everything turned upside down. The pandemic struck, putting us on lockdown, and challenging companies to rethink what the workplace was. As knowledge workers stayed home, companies started adding more and more SaaS apps to their ecosystem and overnight, cloud apps went from “nice to have” to a necessity. As SaaS became the new default form of software, the management of those apps became necessary as well. Companies pushed legacy processes around budgets, procurement, and security to the side as they focused on survival at any cost. Even today, we are still dealing with the consequences of that era, organizations are still rationalizing their apps, license seats, and contracts.
As these changes rippled through the modern workplace, I&O leaders began to look for insight and guidance about the implementation of a SaaS Management Platform.

#### SaaS Management today

In August of 2025, Gartner® published its Magic Quadrant™ for SaaS Management Platforms which recognized Torii as a Leader. The report encourages I&O leaders to manage SaaS apps to mitigate common problems. From the report:
The average organization has over 600 apps in its organization, most of which are shadow IT. Without a way to centrally manage SaaS, problems will get worse, not better. According to the Report:
“Through 2027, organizations that fail to centrally manage SaaS life cycles will remain fivetimes more susceptible to a cyberincident or data loss, due to incomplete visibility intoSaaS usage and configuration.”
“Through 2027, organizations that fail to attain centralized visibility and coordinate SaaSlife cycles will overspend on SaaS by at least 25%, due to unused entitlements andunnecessary, overlapping tools.”
“Through 2028, over 70% of organizations will centralize SaaS application managementusing a SaaS management platform (SMP), an increase from less than 30% in 2025.”

#### Next Steps: Adopt an SMP that is right for you

The journey of building a SaaS Management Platform like Torii has been both challenging and rewarding. It started as a solution to a hidden problem. But today, Torii is a crucial component of modern IT infrastructure. We believe the recognition of Torii as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms validates our decision eight years ago to address the root cause of issues like overspend, security risks, and lack of visibility—unmanaged SaaS applications.
But for you, the most crucial step is the next one.
SaaS Management is no longer optional. The best time to manage your cloud apps was years ago, but the second best time is now. If you’re ready to take the next step and learn about the SMPs available, you can get a complimentary copy of the Gartner Magic Quadrant. It’s full of excellent analysis and unbiased evaluation of vendors in the space.
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms, Tom Cipolla, et al, 30 July 2025. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Torii.

# Page Title
The Four Step Security Framework | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/the-four-step-security-framework

## Page Description

Security doesn't have to be complicated.  In this article, we share a simple, four-step framework to help you improve the security posture of your organization.

## Details

Note: This article is from John Germain, the founder of Security Moments. Security Moments is a cybersecurity services provider dedicated to guiding small businesses through the complexities of cybersecurity through essential training and expertise to help secure your business without breaking the bank. Visit Security Moments to get a free regulatory compliance checklist.
We overcomplicate cybersecurity.
Yes, there are big threats out there with complex technology at the helm. But some of the most important steps that you can take are pretty easy.
I’ve spent 20+ years as a VP and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). I help companies make simple changes to improve their security. In this article, I’ll share my simple, four-step framework with you.
The basics of cybersecurity don’t need big budgets. They need understanding, commitment, and the right strategies. With some time and effort, any company, including yours, can improve its security posture and gain peace of mind.

#### What Are the Risks of Poor Security?

Poor security can have severe consequences for your business. These risks fall into three main categories: financial, operational, and reputational.
Financial risks are the most immediate and tangible. For example, a data breach can cost a lot, whether through theft, ransom payments, or regulatory fines.
Operational risks arise when a security incident disrupts your business processes. Ransomware can lock you out of critical systems, grinding operations to a halt. Data loss or corruption can lead to downtime, impacting productivity and service delivery. This disruption has a cascading effect that hurts the rest of your business as well.
Reputational risks can be the most damaging risk in the long term. Once you lose the trust of a customer or the public, it causes long term damage to your brand and your bottom line.

#### Where Do Attacks Occur?

Most cyber threats exploit three basic weaknesses: people, identity management, and systems.
People: Well-intentioned people are often the easiest targets. Social engineering, quid pro quo, and phishing attacks are some examples. In each case, an attacker uses someone’s trust, lack of awareness, or emotions to exploit a vulnerability. The most important step is training.
Identity Management: Weak passwords and compromised login information make attacks easy to execute. Enforcing strong password policies and multi-factor sign-ins can prevent these attacks.
Vulnerabilities: Bad actors may exploit software and hardware vulnerabilities. Regular updates and patches are essential to keep your system secure.

#### What Can You Do?

Security technology and tools can be expensive and often require significant overhead to manage and maintain. But there are ways you can control these costs by first focusing on building a strong foundation for your security program. To get started, focus on these four areas:
Training your employees: Educate them on recognizing and responding to threats.
Understanding your risk profile: Know your vulnerabilities to make well-informed security investments.
Preparing for the unexpected: Develop and maintain a robust incident response plan.
Put in place a governance framework: Stay the course and prepare for the long term.

#### Step 1: Training

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.” — Prince Caspian
Training is not exciting, but it works. Small improvements in understanding transform your cybersecurity culture from passive to engaged. But to get there, it starts with education.
Your top concern might be security, but it isn’t for everyone (at least, not yet). Training turns vulnerabilities into strengths. It turns employees who would click on a phishing email into employees who will report and notify colleagues of that very same email.
But not all training programs are the same.

##### What to Look for in a Cybersecurity Training Program

A good cybersecurity training program should cover the following:
How to spot phishing attacks
Why password security is critical
What do do when you suspect a threat
Tips for Success
To make your training program successful, ensure it requires active participation and engagement. Use interactive modules, simulations, and quizzes to reinforce learning. Set clear evaluation metrics to measure the effectiveness of the training.
More Considerations
Buy-in: Training requires commitment from all levels of the organization. Leadership must support and take part in the training to set a positive example. If the leadership doesn’t care, neither will the rest of the company.
Consistency: Training should always reinforce key messages. This helps engrain security into the company’s culture. Avoid one-off sessions; instead, incorporate continuous learning opportunities. Find axioms or phrases to help with memory. Remind people in meetings.
Budget: Keep your training focused and straightforward. Fancy, feature-rich programs can be costly. The key is delivering clear, concise messages that stays front of mind.
Timeline: Long, annual training doesn’t work. Opt for more frequent and faster training to keep the information fresh and relevant.
Note: If you struggle to get a budget or time for training. You might have to start with Step 2 to win leadership’s buy-in.

#### Step 2: Risk Assessment

“One thing that makes it possible to be an optimist is if you have a contingency plan for when all hell breaks loose.” — Randy Pausch
A risk assessment helps you understand your vulnerabilities.
I usually recommend this as a second step since training takes less time to start. But if leadership ignores the need for training, a risk assessment arms you with data to show the risks and ROI of a cybersecurity training program.

##### Steps for a Comprehensive Risk Assessment

Identify Critical Assets: Start by pinpointing your most valuable assets. A valuable asset is anything a hacker might sell, ransom, or otherwise use to help themselves. These can include:
Customer data
Employee data
Financial data
Intellectual property
System credentials
Analyze Threats and Vulnerabilities: A threat or vulnerability is a possible weak point in your defense. This could include both external and internal threats. Some examples include:
Malware
Hackers
Negligence
Insider attack
Don’t worry about identifying every possible threat, but find the most likely sources.
Check Impact: Assess the impact of a security incident on your business. This includes financial losses, operational disruptions, and reputational damage. Ask questions like, “What if a hacker gained access to a core system? How would this impact the organization?”
Involve All Departments: A full risk assessment needs input from all departments. Different teams can provide unique insights into various threats and vulnerabilities they see.
Risk Register and Heat Map: Document and organize risks in a register to keep them visible. Use a heat map to rank threats based on their likelihood and negative impact. This visual tool illustrates risks to senior management so they better understand the risks. This exercise helps to guide security investments.
Communicate in Business Terms: Translate technical threats into business impacts. Discuss the risk’s bottom-line impact or return on investment (ROI). This helps senior management understand the importance of investing in cybersecurity measures.
Cost Analysis: Compare the cost of security incidents against the cost to mitigate them. Make sure to include all costs (not only financial) in your calculation. Reputation, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance are also relevant to senior management.
Budget: sealing every risk may not be possible. Sometimes, the cost of addressing a risk might outweigh the damage it could cause. In such cases, it is ok to “accept” a risk, but this decision should be well thought out.
Risk Transfer: Consider options like cyber insurance to transfer some of the identified risks. This can be a cost-effective way to manage potential losses.
Timeline: Adress the highest risks first. Focus on threats that pose the highest impact and offer the highest return on investment.

#### Step 3: Incident Response and Disaster Recovery

“Even a correct decision is wrong when it was taken too late.” — Lee Iacocca
Breaches happen. I can’t promise anything will ensure 100% security.
That’s why a response plan is so important. You’ll need two kinds of plans.
An Incident Response Plan (IRP)
A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
You will detect, respond to, and recover from any incident with proper preparation.

##### How to Develop an Incident Response Plan (IRP)

An IRP defines the steps to detect an incident and the tasks in response.
Use Your Risk Assessment: Use the insights from your risk assessment. From there, focus your IRP on the highest-risk areas first.
Outline Detection Steps: Define the steps for detecting incidents. This includes monitoring your systems, spotting a breach, and specifying any automated detection tools. This includesThis includes monitoring systems, identifying signs of a breach, and using automated tools for early detection.
Outline Response Steps: Detection is only half of the plan. Outline the response steps. These should include containment procedures and communication protocols to inform relevant stakeholders. Even something as simple as a designated slack channel for incident response is a critical step.
Define Roles and Responsibilities: Assign roles and responsibilities to your response team. Make sure everyone knows their job during an incident. From initial detection to final recovery, ensure everyone understands their tasks. This includes technical staff, communication teams, and senior management.

##### How to Create a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

A DRP outlines the steps to maintain or revive infrastructure or systems after a disaster.
Assess Damage: Assess the damage and focus on critical systems first.
Restore Critical Systems and Data: Use a phase restoration process to lessen downtime. For example:
Phase 1: Essential Services: restore essential services like network connectivity, email systems, and communication tools.
Phase 2: Core Business Applications: Proceed with restoring core business applications, databases, and transaction processing systems.
Phase 3: Secondary Systems: Restore secondary systems, such as internal collaboration tools, non-critical databases, and peripheral services.
System Validation and Testing: Perform tests to ensure systems are in good working order. Test their function, the data integrity, as well as UAT.
Offsite Backups: Maintain regular offsite backups of all critical data.
Preparation and Training: Both the IRP and DRP should be living documents that you test and update regularly. Conduct regular training sessions and simulations to make sure everyone knows their role.
Communication Plans: Effective communication is crucial during a security incident. Develop a communication plan for your different channels. Whether internal employee notification,s customer channels, partners, or even media relations—plan in advance.
Compliance and Legal: Ensure your plans align with regulatory requirements and legal obligations. This includes data breach notification laws and industry-specific regulations.

#### Step 4: Governance

“Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.” — Ban Ki-moon
Governance is the long game of cybersecurity. It’s all about continuous improvement of processes, policies, training, oversight, and more. It ensures that your security measures align with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
Here are some things to help you get started.

##### Develop Security Policies

Develop detailed policies covering all relevant aspects of cybersecurity such as:
Guidelines for data protection
Access controls
Acceptable use policiesYour security policies should help to reduce systemic exposure to risk.
Your policies should align with company goals and relevant regulations. Pay attention to industry standards, data protection laws, and other legal requirements.

##### Put in place Your Governance Framework

Assign Oversight: Pick a dedicated team to oversee your cybersecurity progress. This group should include members from different departments to ensure a holistic approach.
Regular Reviews and Updates: Security policies and procedures must be dynamic. Review and update them regularly to adapt to new threats, technologies, and business changes. Scheduled audits and feedback loops are crucial for maintaining relevance and effectiveness.
Promote a Culture of Security: Security should be a top-down initiative. Leadership must support and advocate for cybersecurity best practices. This, in turn, shows the organization that security is a priority. You’ll know you’ve succeeded when employees talk with their peers about security.
Continuous Improvement: Regular audits and reviews are vital for continuous improvement. These assessments help identify gaps and areas for enhancement. Use the findings from audits to refine policies and practices.
Good cybersecurity is about common sense.
As I mentioned at the start, you don’t need big budgets to get started. What you do need is good training, a thoughtful risk assessment, and a couple of written plans to help you in times of crisis.
Once you have those resources, you can improve your security posture with a governance framework. Gain accountability, direction, and a way to continue your progress toward a secure organization.
John Germain is the Founder of Security Moments. If you’d like to learn more or access their free Regulatory & Data Compliance Checklists, just visit their resources page

# Page Title
The IT Checklist for Employee Offboarding | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/the-it-checklist-for-employee-offboarding

## Page Description

 Check out the 10-step employee offboarding checklist! Full of tips and tricks for HR and IT to stay compliant, reduce risk, and have a seamless process

## Details

End users are testing out apps all the time, which is great for them but bad for the IT when it’s time to offboard
We created a 10-Step Offboarding Checklist to help you fully offboard former employees—Download the checklist here
Learn about Torii’s Employee Offboarding Automation
Like it or not, this is the era of SaaS.
New SaaS applications are introduced every month, claiming to make work more productive and life more comfortable. They are easy to adopt and quick to put to work, so anyone can do it. We no longer have to wait for the expert IT guys to choose, evaluate and install the apps before giving us the green light to use them. We are independent and do what it takes to get the job done.
You then need to figure out which apps that employee signed up for and used. What access permissions do you revoke? What company data sits in those apps? What should be deleted? What should be returned to the safety of the corporate infrastructure?
Unfortunately, it feels like ease for the end user means a headache for IT.
That’s why we’ve put together this Employee Offboarding Checklist for IT. Your simple guide of the must-have steps that need to get done when employees move on.
Download Your Copy of the IT Employee Offboarding Checklist

#### Employee Offboarding Checklist:

Revoke system access from IdP and SSO
Close employee SaaS accounts
Terminate VPN and review any remote access methods
Change/revoke shared account passwords
Change system ownership
Forward employee email address
Recover company equipment and assets
Reclaim employee licenses
Update credit card payments
Schedule account deletion for suspended accounts.
Download the full guide here and cover all your bases.
Pro Tip: Do not reuse an old email address for new employees. For example, if [email protected] has left the company and then another John joins, do not give him the [email protected] address. This may allow him access to unrestricted resources.

##### 5. Change System Ownership

# Page Title
Torii + Rippling: Enhanced Employee  Management  | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/torii-rippling-enhanced-employee-management

## Page Description

Torii and Rippling unite to transform your employee and SaaS management. This partnership tackles Shadow IT, boosts security, ensures compliance, and optimizes costs. It's a game-changer for any business seeking to streamline their tech stack and enhance operational efficiency, all while keeping a tight rein on expenses and risks.

## Details

Torii and Rippling unite to transform your employee and SaaS management. This partnership tackles Shadow IT, boosts security, ensures compliance, and optimizes costs. It’s a game-changer for any business seeking to streamline their tech stack and enhance operational efficiency, all while keeping a tight rein on expenses and risks.

#### Torii + Rippling: Better Together

Rippling’s platform offers companies a quick and easy way to get control over employee management, providing products for everything from employee recruitment to onboarding and offboarding and even single sign-on (SSO) solutions.
This robust breadth of offerings allows small to mid-sized businesses to leverage Rippling’s platform as an employee source of truth, often replacing traditional human resource information systems (HRIS) and Identify Providers (IdP).
Rippling’s IT products also offer companies an entry point to SaaS management, allowing IT pros to secure known applications, automate license provisioning, and onboard and offboard users.
While these capabilities are a great starting point for SaaS management, as companies continue to grow, they must combine Rippling’s employee insights with a more robust SaaS Management Platform (SMP) like Torii to effectively manage their ever-changing SaaS stack.
Companies’ SaaS stacks are fluid—constantly changing based on user count and needs. Unfortunately, over half of a company’s apps and associated costs and risks are never reported to IT, remaining unknown and unmanaged. These unmanaged apps, also known as Shadow IT, accelerate companies’ wasted SaaS spend, leave them vulnerable to security risks, and threaten compliance.
This is where Torii and Rippling’s partnership comes in.
By combining Rippling’s employee and Torii’s SaaS management insights and workflows, companies can easily:
Reveal risky Shadow IT apps
Prove compliance with robust audit logs
Eliminate wasted spend
Better negotiate renewals

#### Uncover and Secure Shadow IT

Rippling’s Single Sign On (SSO) solution helps protect companies’ sensitive data by providing additional security and control for their SaaS login process.
But there’s a catch: SSOs only protect access to sanctioned apps.
Now, with Torii and Rippling’s partnership, you can rest easy knowing no SaaS app is left unsecured.
Torii provides complete visibility into your company’s tech stack, sending immediate alerts whenever an employee uses a new application and automatically triggering review workflows. Not only does this eliminate the risk of Shadow IT, but it also allows your IT team to determine which applications should permanently be added to your company’s tech stack and secure them behind Rippling’s SSO. This way, no app and its sensitive data are left exposed.

#### Easily Prove Compliance

While Rippling’s offboarding workflows are robust, they only work for sanctioned or known applications, exposing Shadow IT apps and their sensitive data after an employee’s departure.
With Torii providing complete visibility into your SaaS stack, IT can ensure users are automatically removed from every application, including Shadow IT.
Whether your company likes to offboard users on a fixed schedule, real-time, or a mixture of both, Torii’s got you covered. Simply leverage Torii’s intuitive workflow builder with unlimited branching to create your ideal automation, no matter how many conditions. Then, sit back and relax as Torii handles the rest.
But, what about proving compliance?
With Torii, send compliance-ready audit trails for offboarded employees across all apps with just a  click of a button. These audit trails cover every SaaS app in your company, even those outside your SSO.
Aside from helping companies reveal their SaaS stack, Torii and Rippling’s partnership also helps them optimize it.

#### Eliminate Wasted Spend

Rippling’s Expense Management product allows you to quickly review and reimburse employees for approved expenses such as transportation to a company event or work-from-home equipment. Employees initially pay these expenses, incentivizing them to report their purchases to be reimbursed.
Shadow IT apps, on the other hand, are often purchased with company credit cards or other financial accounts, remaining unknown (and unreported) to Finance and IT until they’ve found an erroneous charge on a credit statement or bank account.
Torii’s comprehensive discovery instantly detects new SaaS subscriptions, automatically alerting Finance and IT departments even before the expense is posted. These proactive alerts allow IT to determine whether or not a newly adopted app is necessary and provide Finance the foresight it needs to manage its SaaS budget better.
But that’s not all; Torii also provides rich cost-saving insights, recommendations, and workflows to optimize your tech stack continuously.
By combining cost, user, and usage data, Torii reveals once-hidden cost-saving opportunities, allowing IT to act on one-click recommendations or create automated workflows to:
Reclaim unused and past user licenses
Downgrade underutilized licenses
Remove abandoned applications
Consolidate redundant tech
This allows IT to realize continuous cost savings, eliminating surprise subscriptions and unnecessary expenses with little time and effort.
Torii also helps to rationalize your SaaS stack, ensuring you’re only renewing the subscriptions you need, with the right amount of permissions, at the best price.

#### Better Negotiate Renewals

Rippling’s Bill Pay product allows companies to pay SaaS vendors around the world in any currency instantly.
But while Rippling may help companies avoid late payment fees, their platform doesn’t avoid surprise renewals or provide Procurement and IT the insights they need to right-size their SaaS subscriptions and costs.
By combining Rippling and Torii, you’ll not only pay vendors on time but at the best price possible.
Torii’s renewal management insights and workflows ensure you only pay for what they need by:
Proactively alerting IT and Procurement teams of upcoming renewals
Providing license-cost benchmarks from similar businesses
Helping predict license requirements
Automatically detecting duplicative tech with side-by-side comparisons
With these insights, IT and Procurement can lead data-driven negotiations, only paying for what they need at the best market price.

### Conclusion— Enhance employee management with Torii and Rippling

It’s obvious– Torii and Rippling are a winning combination.
Torii provides complete visibility into your company’s entire SaaS stack (sanctioned and Shadow IT), proving compliance and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars. At the same time, Rippling acts as Torii’s employee source of truth, enabling nuanced insights and workflows. Together, Torii and Rippling eliminate Shadow IT and wasted spend, putting your company’s security compliance back where it belongs, in IT’s capable hands.
Learn more about how Torii is protecting hundreds of industry leaders here.

# Page Title
Torii’s Ticketing System Integration: Task Delegation on Autopilot | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/toriis-ticketing-system-integration-task-delegation-on-autopilot

## Page Description

Seamlessly delegate SaaS tasks via Torii's Ticket System Integration! Streamline your workflow, improve response times, and boost productivity. Learn more!

## Details

Torii is IT’s SaaS home base, automating and monitoring cloud-app tasks and processes.
However, when a task needs manual intervention, Torii lets you delegate those tasks from within Torii via a “Ticket Delegation” step in custom workflows.
Ticket Delegation saves time, reduces friction, and improves communication, all while lowering how many apps IT uses.
These tickets use personalization tokens to automatically change details within the ticket depending on the user or application affected.
Torii also offers deep integration with Jira—so when the ticket is marked as complete, Torii can continue its workflow and remove that user from the associated app within Torii itself.
If you want something done—create a ticket.
Emails, slacks, and calls get overlooked, but the subtle psychology of a ticket adds accountability and transparency to the process. That’s why Torii ensures that your SaaS Management tasks receive the visibility they deserve via our ticketing system integration!

#### Why Use Torii for Ticket Delegation?

To understand “why,” it’s worth understanding the purpose of Torii itself!
Torii is a SaaS Management Platform that becomes your cloud-app HQ. You can discover, monitor, act, and automate your entire SaaS portfolio from one place. Torii will simplify or automate numerous everyday IT tasks via API integration for most of your business-critical applications. However, other apps may still need manual action.
In those instances, leaving one app to create a ticket in another might feel “easy,” but we know from psychological research that every time we switch tasks like this, it takes a significant tax on our focus. Jumping from Torii to Asana might feel small, but those moments add up!
To save time, reduce oversight, and lower the tiring tax of task switching, we developed this ticketing integration to centralize your SaaS workflows better. So, for example, instead of administering a series of tickets for different users and apps, you can create workflows that apply to those users and apps. Then, when the workflow is triggered, Torii handles the “busy work” while you maintain visibility of the process.

#### Which Ticketing Tools Does Torii Support?

This system integration currently works with the following:
Atlassian’s Jira

#### How Does The Ticketing System Integration Work?

Usually, within Torii, tickets are just one part of a larger workflow. Torii’s no-code workflow builder makes complex, multi-step tasks simple or even fun! Delegating a ticket for a specific job is just one of the thousands of blocks IT can use to construct their ideal SaaS Ops architecture.
At this point, you might wonder how resilient these workflows are. How much manual adjustment will you need to make for multiple users in different departments using various tools? Torii workflows are incredibly resilient to different contexts thanks to personalization tokens.

##### What are Personalization Tokens?

Personalization tokens are values that resolve through conditional processing. Within a Torii workflow, you can use tokens such as {first name}, {title}, {application}, etc. And when the workflow is triggered, all those values resolve based on the user to which they are applied.
It sounds like magic, but it’s just a ton of normalization. You see, Torii uses something called an Advanced Data Engine. This engine ingests millions of data points from all of your applications. These bits and bytes of data are then normalized and standardized with a unified schema. That standardization is consequential because we need everything in a structure that can be used in the future—particularly for building user profiles!
Connecting one user with all of their apps is complicated because each app will refer to that individual slightly differently. So Torii bundles all that “metadata” about a given person and builds a user profile for them. This user profile means that anytime you refer to that person, you can also reference all that associated data.

#### Ticket Delegation Example

Let’s say we have a user profile built out for Abbey within Torii. She’s a manager on the Finance team, has a license for thirty-three applications totaling $2,186 annually, and Abbey has decided to return to school to follow her dream of becoming an architect! So when Abbey leaves the company, you have a workflow ready to launch. Once Abbey is marked as a “past employee” within bambooHR, it triggers a series of workflows that automatically deprovision Abbey from twenty-four applications via API integrations with Torii. But you need the application owners to act manually on those remaining nine apps.
You could create a ticket for each app and each owner, but that will take time, might have errors, and is not enjoyable work. So instead, the IT admin in Torii can add a step to a workflow so that each app owner receives a Freshservice ticket to reclaim that ex-employee license from the app. The ticket will automatically include all the essential data thanks to that user profile, so you use the personalization tokens (like {first name}, {application name}, etc.). Those details will resolve to the specific individual when the ticket is created.
The beauty is that since you use a personalization token instead of the ex-employee name, title, or impacted app, the next time a different employee leaves the company, you can use the same workflow, and all those tokens will resolve to that new individual as well!

#### What Can I Do With This Ticketing System Integration?

There are many ways to take advantage of delegated ticketing within Torii. Here are just a few examples:
Delegate renewal process.
Open a ticket to procurement 30 days before the contract end date.
Delegate app security review.
Open a ticket when a new app is discovered, and assign it to the security team.
Delegate employee onboarding.
Open tickets and assign them to app owners when onboarding new employees for apps whose provisioning cannot be completed automatically by Torii or SSO.
Delegate employee offboarding.
As we mentioned with Abbey, the future architect.

#### For Jira Power Users: Torii’s Deep Integration

Everyone loves Jira. In fact, we polled IT professionals and found that one in three said Jira was literally their favorite app. Period. So, we decided to go the extra mile with such a beloved and heavily adopted tool.
Torii’s integration with Jira allows a two-way exchange of data. That means that once a ticket has been resolved, that update is then pushed back to Torii. Torii can then continue the workflow without any manual intervention.
So, suppose Abbey leaves the company (different Abbey, she’s from Sales and wants to become a marine biologist). In that case, IT will use their offboarding workflow with all personalization tokens in place. Like before, Torii’s API integration with your major applications will automatically deprovision. And, like before, app owners will receive a Jira ticket for manually reclaiming the license.
However, unlike other ticketing tools, once the application owner marks the ticket as complete, that status is then pushed back to Torii so that the workflow can continue based on that information. Torii will also remove that user profile from the apps’ lists of users.

#### Conclusion: Ticketing is Just the Start

Chances are, you’re busy. For every hour of your day, you have eighty-seven minutes of work. Torii will not automatically fix that. However, Torii can help your sanity by providing a single place—a home base—for your SaaS processes, and establishing that home base is vital! Nothing siphons your mental capital like jumping between different tools.
Ticketing is just one block in the foundation of that home base. To learn more about how Torii is giving IT visibility, insights, and actions—ask for a demo of the entire Torii platform!

# Page Title
Undo Workflow Errors: Restore Version History and Edit With Confidence | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/undo-workflow-errors

## Page Description

## Details

If there are two keys on my keyboard, which I’ve used more than any others, they’re undoubtedly “Command” and “Z.”
After all, to err is to human—and to immediately undo that err is pretty great.
Now, Torii brings that same fail-safe to your IT workflows: Restore Workflow from History, a simple feature that lets you do more than undo an error; it allows you to revert to any previous workflow state from your version history with just a few clicks.

#### Why We Built It

Even the most seasoned IT pros make mistakes, especially when experimenting with new automation. Too often, recovering from a misconfiguration means painstakingly reconstructing the workflow. We wanted to save customers that hassle and encourage them to fine-tune workflows without fear. By giving teams the power to restore any past version, we ensure missteps don’t become roadblocks to efficiency and innovation.
Now, you can access the complete edit history of your workflow without leaving the page. This makes restoration fast and easy.

##### Restoring a Workflow

Switch to History View: Click View Edit History to see past versions. Select one to view.
Review and Navigate: In History View, the chosen version appears in read-only form. You can use the arrows to move between versions.
Restore with One Click: Once you find the desired version, click the Restore button at the top. A confirmation popup will appear—simply confirm by clicking Restore again.
Re-Activate (If Needed): Restored workflows come back as Inactive, ensuring you’re in control of when to run them. Turn the workflow Active if you want it to go live immediately.
By letting you effortlessly revert to any past configuration, Workflow Version Restore eliminates wasted effort and stress, helping you maintain smooth operations even when experiments don’t pan out.

#### Better IT + Operations

In a world where IT teams must continuously adapt to changing business requirements, having the ability to revert quickly is a game-changer. By removing the fear of losing a proven setup, Workflow Version Restore transforms workflows into a safe sandbox for experimentation. You can test bold ideas, try new configurations, and fine-tune automation—all without worrying about downtime or painstaking manual rebuilds.
This level of agility is at the heart of modern IT management. As technology evolves, so must our processes, and having a simple way to backtrack fosters creativity and faster innovation cycles. Whether you’re a small start-up or a global enterprise, restoring past workflow versions gives you both speed and peace of mind—a winning combination for any forward-thinking IT team. And that’s exactly what Torii aims to empower across our entire platform: delivering the freedom to experiment and the reliability to keep your business running smoothly.
Torii is the market-leading SaaS Management Platform (SMP) because we’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in workflow automation. For more about getting started with Torii Workflows, check out the Five Essential Workflows for IT Operations.

# Page Title
User Access Reviews: Say Goodbye to Spreadsheets | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/user-access-reviews-2

## Page Description

## Details

Still tracking user access in spreadsheets? You’re not just wasting time, you’re putting your organization at risk. Manual reviews are tedious, error-prone, and easy to overlook. That’s why we built a fully integrated User Access Review flow right into Torii, so you can verify permissions, leverage usage insights, and take action faster, all in one place.
Every month, IT and security teams repeat the same painful ritual:
Pull whatever data they can from HR and SSO systems, dump it into Excel, and email managers asking, “Does this person still need access?”
Weeks of back-and-forth to chase approvals
Inaccurate user lists that lead to overprovisioning
No clear audit trail for compliance teams
And a looming sense that something’s probably been missed
The truth is, spreadsheets weren’t built for access reviews. But there’s a better way. One that replaces manual guesswork with automation, scattered files with centralized control, and endless emails with instant clarity.
Imagine managing the entire review process, from launch to audit-ready report, all in one place.

#### How Access Reviews Work in Torii

Forget chasing down spreadsheets, emails, and old user lists. Torii gives you a clean, structured way to launch, manage, and complete access reviews without the mess.
Here’s how it works:

##### 1. Launch a User Access Review

Kick things off directly from the new Reviews tab on Torii’s Security page. Admins can initiate reviews for any connected app in just a few clicks, with no manual setup, no data wrangling.

##### 2. Start the Review

Assigned reviewers are notified and can begin the review from the app’s page or the centralized Reviews table, so nothing falls through the cracks.

##### 3. Complete Review Steps

Quickly confirm whether the user list is up to date. Then, for each user, reviewers can approve or reject access and add comments if needed, bringing clarity and accountability to every decision.

##### 4. Submit the Review

Once everything’s been reviewed, submit the access review to lock the results in place and maintain a clear record for future reference.

##### 5. Download the CSV Report

Export the full review, including approvals, rejections, and comments, as a CSV report for documentation, audits, or internal reporting.

#### Why Teams Choose Torii for Access Reviews

Managing user access shouldn’t feel like a chore or a risk. With Torii, you gain a smarter, faster, and more reliable way to conduct reviews that actually support your security and compliance goals. Here are the key benefits our customers appreciate most:
Streamlined security: Access reviews are no longer a guessing game. With clear workflows and real-time visibility, you can ensure only the right people maintain access to critical applications.
Significant time savings: Manual reviews done through spreadsheets are slow and frustrating. Torii eliminates that inefficiency by centralizing data, automating notifications, and simplifying every step of the process.
Confidence in compliance: Audits don’t have to be stressful. Every decision—approval, rejection, comment—is logged and accessible, giving you a defensible, auditable trail whenever you need it.
Data-driven decision-making: Torii pulls in HRMS, SSO, and app usage insights so you’re not making access decisions in the dark. Each reviewer has the context they need to act confidently.
Audit-ready reporting: When reviews are complete, results can be exported in a clean, well-organized CSV format, making documentation and follow-ups simple and consistent.

#### Next Steps: Start Reviewing Smarter

If you’re still relying on spreadsheets and emails to manage user access, it’s time for a better way. With Torii, you can transform your review process in minutes.
Want to see the flow in action? Schedule a live walkthrough with our team and get all your questions answered.

# Page Title
What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?  | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/what-is-model-context-protocol-mcp

## Page Description

Learn how the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is transforming AI integration by replacing complex MxN connections with a universal open standard. Learn how Torii’s MCP Server enables real-time insights, streamlines app connectivity, and empowers scalable AI workflows.

## Details

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a universal standard that lets AI applications easily connect with external data and tools. This article explores why MCP matters, how it works, and where it’s leading the AI industry.
Introducing Torii’s MCP Server – Now on npm!
Unlock direct integration with your application right from Claude or Cursor using our brand-new MCP Server. Get started in seconds—simply install our package from npm and experience seamless connectivity.
Visit our npm page for more details and documentation.

#### The Brick Wall for AI

AI is both amazing and infuriating. You can vibe code a pretty website in minutes, but your phone’s AI assistant still can’t add a task to Todoist.
The fundamental problem for AI is connection.
The first phase of AI tools operated in isolation—able to provide limited capabilities based on training data (i.e., writing a haiku about 90s hip-hop) but incapable of simple tasks between systems, such as answering an email or even searching the web.
The next phase of AI brought some connection. For example, the Open AI Plugin marketplace gave users a glimpse into our agentic future with interesting-but-limited tools. Google’s AI companion was able to assist with knowledge work tasks as long as they stayed within Google’s ecosystem. Since the beginning of this second phase, the number of tools has increased dramatically, and so too has the number of things an AI tool is capable of. But, there is a problem.

##### Why Not Just Build More Tools?

The “brick wall” of AI doing useful things has been the complexity of building connections. Think of it as an equation.
MxN (M = AI Models and N = Tools)
For every new model (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, etc) and every unique tool (Plugins, 3rd party tools, etc), you multiply the number of integrations necessary to connect them all. This is the primary barrier preventing AI from seamlessly fitting into our daily lives and processes.
But with MCP, that equation changes.

#### MCP Breaks the Wall

Open standards matter.
Unless you’re Tim Cook selling power cables in Germany, you recognize that open standards are good. They allow different vendors to contribute to ecosystems for the user.
MCP is an open standard for connecting AI models to service providers and data providers. This allows users to pull in more information and push out more execution, all from their AI tool. Notably, despite being created and announced by the team at Anthropic (makers of Claude), the MCP standard was also adopted by OpenAI.
Returning to our previous equation, the broad adoption of MCP essentially means that the MxN problem becomes an M+N opportunity. Instead of new models and tools multiplying complexity, they will add opportunity.

#### Going Deeper: What is an MCP?

An MCP is an open standard, but how does it work in the real world? The overall process can be broken down into three key roles: Hosts, Clients, and Servers. Understanding each role is essential for learning how an AI application can tap into external tools and data via MCP.

##### Three Components of MCP

Hosts: These are applications people directly interact with—chatbots, IDEs, and custom AI agents. From the user’s perspective, hosts are interfaces through which they interact with data—they ask questions and get answers. Behind the scenes, the Host can load multiple MC P clients to connect to different services but this complexity is hidden.
Clients: The clients act as a middle layer inside of the Host application. Each client manages communication with exactly one MCP server. If your Host needs to talk to multiple servers—one for GitHub, one for Slack, one for Torii—it will spin up three separate Clients. This one-to-one pairing ensures clean connections and simplifies the flow of data.
Servers: Servers are the external programs that expose capabilities to the AI. The server “wraps” the system or service provider  (like GitHub, Slack, or Torii) and translates its functionality into a standardized MCP format. This server is the intermediary between AI and systems that offers a consistent structure so the Host knows exactly how to query the available tools, read data, or prompt the Server regardless of the service that sits behind it.
Note: Importantly, the MCP does not replace an API. Instead, it translates requests so that a Host can access the system without needing to know the exact structure of the underlying API.

#### Is MCP the Guaranteed Future?

Open standards efforts don’t always “stick.”
X.400 Email Standard
All these failed efforts at bringing standardization ran into roadblocks and ultimately failed to create the network effects to succeed.
Often, this results in the company doing the meme.
But if history is any indicator, Anthropic’s MCP has a very good chance of sticking around due to a series of strategic choices, including providing an exceptional spec for MCP, building on existing LSP, and using the capability patterns of existing AI agent development. All of these factors, combined with the backing of AI powerhouses like OpenAI and Anthropic themselves, meant that the initial flywheel of the network effect got off to a strong start.
So, while nothing is guaranteed, few open standards have seen such traction so early.

#### MCP In Practice: A Real World Example

To really understand the power of MCP, let’s look at Torii—a SaaS Management Platform that continuously discovers all of your software (including shadow IT, rogue AI, and sanctioned tools) along with usage data, cost insights, contracts, and potential security gaps.
For many enterprises, Torii is effectively the “central intelligence” for every SaaS application in use.
Traditionally, if you wanted insights about your Salesforce spend, you would access Torii, locate the right application page, and find the information. But now, with MCP, this process becomes frictionless: Any authorized AI application can directly query Torii without a separate login or dashboard. This lets you engage your data where you’re already working and seamlessly incorporate it into the email you’re writing, the slide deck you’re preparing, or the Slack message you’re sending.

##### Why We Embraced MCP First

We recognized a growing demand from customers who want real-time data available immediately. Rather than building complex integrations with each AI tool, by rolling out an MCP server, the data is now yours when and where you need it.
Below is the code you would add to the config file for Claude to invoke Torii:
With that simple update, the user is able to ask questions and make requests like:
Show me all the apps in my Torii instance
List users who have admin access
What contracts are expiring in the next 30 days?
Show me contracts with renewal dates in Q4
List all apps that were added last month
This shift in approach gives users a wealth of actionable data at their fingertips.
Live, Real-Time Insights: Because Torii is constantly scanning your application stack and integrating financial, security, and usage data, the MCP server always reflects the latest state of your ecosystem.
Breaking Down Silos ( People): Not everyone uses Torii, but basically everyone uses AI. The MCP means that users who would benefit from Torii insights but never log in no longer have to. This is especially valuable for finance teams, procurement teams, and executive leadership.
Breaking Down Silos (With Tools): Like people, tools don’t always play nice. Implementing MCP allows these tools to operate more efficiently with one another. As you build out your ecosystem of MCP-enabled apps, your AI tool can pull data and push execution without the mess of copying and pasting data
At Torii, we recognize that as a data provider for your critical application insights, we have a fundamental responsibility to ensure your data is available immediately, securely, and effortlessly. By adopting the MCP, we are one step closer to that goal.

#### MCP Lays the Groundwork

MCP’s adoption and growth lays an exciting groundwork for the future of AI capabilities.
This open standard transforms the complexity of a sprawling MxN equation into a simple M+N solution. Once your AI application is MCP compatible, it can plug into any MCP server, instantly gaining access to tools and resources without additional custom development. Less connecting, more building.
This matters to your organization because the potential for scaling AI-driven solutions without re-engineering each new model or integration saves incredible overhead time and investment, allowing your company to focus on your mission.
Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, integrating AI into your workflows is faster, more cost-effective, and scalable with MCPs. From accessing software usage data in Torii to pulling insights from internal wikis, MCP slashes the integration overhead and futureproofs your AI stack.

#### All Hype, No Bite?

Infrastructure moves like this are not sexy. It’s not a ready-made product, and they don’t drive ROI. Instead, they are a promise of potential that’s yet to be realized. If you’ve reached this point in the article, you might still wonder, “So what?”
The “so what” is up to you.
MCP is infrastructure, and good infrastructure doesn’t deliver ready-made products. Instead, it removes a burden of busywork from the builder, allowing them to focus on finding solutions to problems.
The real question is, what should you do with this knowledge?

#### Conclusion: What You Can Do with MCP

We’re still in the early days of MCP, but there are some important steps you can take today!

##### For Professionals Looking to Streamline Internal AI Integrations

Evaluate your current approach: Take a look at how your organization currently connects AI with data. Which tools, databases, or platforms do you rely upon? Identify pain points where custom integrations eat up resources and time.
Leverage vendors with built-in MCP: If you already work with solutions like Torii or other MCP-enabled platforms, talk to your customer success management about activating MCP features. This can rapidly simplify how you gain insights and actions across your organization.
Create a unified internal AI strategy: Map out a company-wide plan for adding more MCP-compatible servers and hosts. Identify the data or execution bottlenecks and tackle those first with your AI strategy. Work with vendors to replace multiple custom integrations with a single MCP layer.

##### For Companies Ready to Adopt MCP in their Product

If you are a data or a service provider, now’s the time to explore the world of MCPs.
Build your first MCP server: Identify a key feature or data source within your product and design an MCP server around it. This lets AI apps instantly discover and use those capabilities, giving you a unique differentiator.
Offer a standardized plug-in experience: An OOTB MCP integration makes it easy for potential customers to adopt your product’s functionality within their AI workflows. Emphasize how “MCP-ready” shortens onboarding time and reduces friction for your users’ AI strategies.
If you’ve ever found yourself juggling dozens of one-off integrations, MCP could be the welcome relief you’ve been waiting for. It turns chaotic spaghetti-wire AI hookups into a scalable standard that allows you to spend less time connecting systems and more time using them.

# Page Title
What is Shadow IT? [Tactics and Strategies for 2025] | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/what-is-shadow-it

## Page Description

Shadow IT - Friend? Foe? Or something Else? Learn about the reasons, risks, and rationale behind one of the more mysterious threats in the modern company

## Details

The biggest threat to your company’s data isn’t hackers—it’s your own employees. They put your data at risk, not out of malice, but because they want to work faster. Under pressure to do more in less time, employees often turn to shadow IT.
Shadow IT is the use of technology systems, devices, software, apps, and services without the approval of IT.
Today, most of shadow IT is software—more specifically—SaaS. Sometimes, this is called SaaS sprawl, shadow SaaS, or unsanctioned SaaS. The point is, you’ve got a lot of it.
In fact, the average organization has approximately 670 apps in its ecosystem—and they only know about a fraction of them. While these tools might boost productivity, they also pose big risks to your security posture, your financial health, and your operational efficiency.
In this article, we’ll reveal the risks, the role of AI, and steps to regain control.

#### What Is Shadow IT?

Shadow IT happens when employees use tech or software without IT’s approval. These tools can be anything from personal computers to freemium cloud apps. What separates shadow IT from business resources is not the danger but IT’s knowledge that it exists.

##### Why Do People Adopt Shadow IT? (Including IT?)

Shadow IT generally crops up when employees are rushing to get work done. Often, the existing tools are seen as too slow or unable to accomplish a specific task. In 2020, we saw this trend explode as companies tried to adapt to remote and hybrid work.
Companies and employees alike desperately sought productivity above all else. Remarkably, 54% of young office workers worried more about deadlines than exposing the business to a data breach. Even IT felt the squeeze. 91% felt pressured to compromise security for business continuity during the WFH revolution.
While reporting is mixed, most IT professionals say that those trends of SaaS adoption never really went away—they became part of a culture of productivity at all costs. Even IT is not immune to the drive to get more done, with 83% of IT staff admitting to using unsanctioned tools at work.
Here are examples of shadow IT that you’ve probably experienced first-hand.

##### Common (But Costly) Examples of Shadow IT

Marketing Teams Using Unauthorized SaaS Tools: A marketing department might subscribe to a new social media analytics platform without informing IT, aiming to gain real-time insights and outpace competitors.
Personal Cloud Storage in Finance: Employees in a finance firm might use personal cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive to access work documents remotely, unintentionally exposing sensitive financial data.
Healthcare Professionals and Mobile Apps: Doctors or nurses might download unapproved medical apps on their personal devices to manage patient information, potentially violating patient confidentiality and regulatory compliance.
Engineering Teams Deploying Unvetted Software: An engineering group might implement a new code repository or collaboration tool that hasn’t been vetted for security vulnerabilities, putting proprietary information at risk.
Executives Using Unauthorized AI Tools: Leaders are not exempt—many turn to AI to increase output, often bypassing security protocols.
If shadow IT is everywhere, what are the true risks of this pervasive cultural shift?

#### What are the Risks of Shadow IT?

Shadow IT affects security, efficiency, and finances. The impact depends on your policies and tools. These are some of the most common risks:

##### 1. Security Vulnerabilities

Data Breaches: Unauthorized tools may not have robust security features, exposing sensitive data to cyberattacks. For instance, an employee using an unsecured file-sharing service could inadvertently leak confidential information.
Malware and Phishing Attacks: Shadow IT solutions are likelier to introduce malware into the organization’s network. Employees might download apps from untrusted sources, opening doors for phishing attacks and other malicious activities.

##### 2. Compliance and Regulatory Issues

Violation of Data Protection Laws: Many industries are subject to strict regulations regarding data handling and privacy, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS. Using unauthorized applications can lead to non-compliance, resulting in legal penalties and reputational damage.
Auditing Challenges: Shadow IT complicates the auditing process, as undocumented tools and services make it difficult to provide accurate records of data access and processing activities during compliance audits.

##### 3. Operational Inefficiencies

Data Silos: When employees use disparate tools that aren’t integrated with the organization’s systems, it can lead to fragmented data storage, making it difficult to access and analyze information across the company.
Resource Drain: IT teams may have to divert resources to address issues caused by shadow IT, such as resolving security incidents or integrating unsanctioned tools after the fact.

##### 4. Emerging Risks: Shadow AI

Unvetted AI Applications: Shadow AI tools, adopted without IT oversight, bring new risks. These applications may process sensitive data using algorithms that lack transparency, leading to biased outcomes or unintended data exposure.
Data Privacy Concerns: Shadow AI may store data in locations not compliant with data residency requirements, or they may share data with third parties without consent.

##### 5. Third-Party Integrations and API Risks

Unsecured APIs: Shadow IT tools may use application programming interfaces (APIs) that are not secured properly, providing attackers with potential entry points into the organization’s network.
Interoperability Issues: Unapproved applications might not integrate well with existing systems, leading to vulnerabilities when data is transferred between platforms.

##### 6. Financial Risks

Surprise expenses: Often, shadow IT is adopted and even paid for without going through appropriate channels. In fact, Gartner studies have found that shadow IT is 30 to 40 percent of IT spending in large enterprises, and our research at Everest Group finds it comprises 50 percent or more.
Contracts and Technical Debt: Often, teams or individuals will even sign contracts for applications outside of sanctioned procurement channels. Sometimes, these contracts will contain terms that violate regulatory concerns and costs that exceed budgets. Additionally, these sunk costs can force a company to continue using sub-par tools.

##### 7. Operational Inefficiencies

Redundant tech: Sometimes, the shadow IT tech is actually redundant to sanctioned tools. This can confuse and make app admin work more difficult for IT. It also complicates managing app access for employees.

##### 8. Hidden Toll on IT Teams

Shadow IT is demoralizing: when we talk to IT professionals, the real issue is not the risks but the unknown. It is exhausting, demoralizing, and unsettling to know that there are vulnerabilities and problems hiding—and you have no way to truly prepare. Preventative measures are critical but often ignored. Like how insurance covers surgery but not a healthy diet, leadership often prioritizes reactive security over proactive visibility.
And that’s frustrating.
The cumulative effect of these risks is dramatic. An otherwise healthy company can be crushed by the security, operational, regulatory, reputational, and financial costs of shadow IT.
Now, we’ll examine strategies you can use to uncover shadow IT within your organization—especially tools that are SaaS and AI-based.

#### How to Manage Shadow IT in 2025 (and Beyond)

First, it’s important to recognize that you can’t eliminate shadow IT. That cultural shift towards productivity has become ingrained in many organizations and industries. However, that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless; it just means the tactics for managing unsanctioned technology must shift. A company policy and a CASB tool won’t cut it today—you need to think more holistically. Discovery and prioritization based on risk levels must be your focus. Below is your plan from start to finish.

##### 1. Tackle Visibility and Monitoring

Out of sight, out of control.
Visibility is key to controlling shadow IT. Without that insight, you inherit all the risks of shadow IT with none of the control or upside (more on that later).
There are many tools that help with shadow IT discovery that can generally be put into a few groups.
SaaS and AI Discovery
SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs) help detect all SaaS and AI tools in your company. Tools like Torii integrate with your existing tech stack and deploy holistic SaaS discovery. Even something as small as a browser extension can be detected by an SMP. These platforms provide centralized oversight to monitor app discovery, monitor usage, manage contracts and expenses, and even automate the app and employee lifecycle. For most companies today, SaaS Management is no longer optional.
In fact, according to the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SaaS Management Platforms, “Through 2027, organizations that fail to centrally manage SaaS life cycles will remain five times more susceptible to a cyber incident or data loss due to incomplete visibility into SaaS usage and configuration.”
Learn how Article discovered 375+ shadow IT apps immediately with Torii
Additionally, some SMPs, like Torii, integrate with MDMs like Jamf, Kandji, Jumpcloud, and Intune to show local software discovery alongside SaaS discovery to get a complete picture of software use across the company.
Test Torii’s SaaS Discovery engine for 14 days for free; no credit card is needed.
Network Monitoring
Network monitoring tools like SolarWinds, Wireshark, etc, monitor traffic, performance, and anomalies within the network. They ensure that all the devices and applications accessing the network behave as expected. These tools are perfect for anomaly detection. Typically, though, these tools are less associated with conventional discovery and more with security as they specialize in monitoring internal network traffic, which external users will bypass when working outside the office.
Asset Discovery
Asset discovery tools like Lansweeper or Spiceworks focus on identifying and cataloging all IT assets (such as hardware, software, and cloud services) within the organization. These tools are typically most effective at cataloging physical and virtual infrastructure and on-premise software or hardware. Unfortunately, this class of tools often struggles with remote and hybrid environments where on-prem infrastructure is less critical.
Mobile Device Management (MDM)
MDM Platforms like Jamf or Kandji focus on managing mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. They help enforce security policies, deploy apps, and monitor compliance, especially for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies or remote workforces. Often, these tools also monitor for local software used on a device.
Which Tool Discovery Tool is Right for You?
The answer is probably a combination of tools. Today, cloud apps are quickly becoming the dominant form of shadow IT, making SaaS Management a key tool for your discovery stack. If your team is remote, you likely also require a number of mobile devices making an MDM an important tool. If your company still utilizes on-prem, physical infrastructure, and work is done in-office, then asset discovery and network monitoring tools are still important for the security of your workplace.

##### 2. Adopt Zero-Trust Security Frameworks

In a zero-trust model, trust is never implicit; verification is always required.

##### Utilize Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions

Centralized Authentication: Implement IAM and SSO solutions such as Azure Active Directory, AWS IAM, or Okta SSO to authenticate and authorize users across various platforms and applications. This is critical to managing the access controls for these applications.
Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure users have access only to the resources necessary for their roles. This is critical to minimizing someone’s ability to integrate systems containing sensitive data with shadow IT tools. Thus mitigating downside risks.

##### 3. Develop and Enforce Clear Policies

Create policies that are easy to understand, easy to enforce, and consistent with company culture.
Create Shadow IT Policies: Define acceptable technology use and procedures for adopting new tools. Clearly communicate the risks of unauthorized applications and devices.
Establish BYOD Guidelines: Mandate security measures like encryption, VPNs, and mobile device management (MDM) for personal devices used for work. Specify acceptable activities and prohibited actions.
Regular Audits and Compliance Checks: Schedule audits to ensure policy compliance and identify shadow IT instances. Generate compliance reports for management and regulatory bodies.
Establish automated monitoring: to help keep everyone on track, use a tool such as an SMP to automatically notify users when they have breached a shadow IT policy, and to notify IT, Security, and Finance teams when certain criteria are met.
Articulate an Application Rationalization Plan: It’s essentially a process by which you decide which apps to keep, replace, consolidate, or retire, aiming to cut redundancies, save costs, and boost efficiency.

##### 4. Foster Collaboration Between IT and Business Units

Bridging the gap between IT and other departments is crucial for managing shadow IT effectively.
Open Communication Channels: Hold regular meetings between IT and other departments to discuss needs and challenges. Appoint technology liaisons to facilitate communication.
Involve Stakeholders in Decision-Making: Include department representatives in evaluating and procuring new technologies to meet business and security requirements. If an individual wants a new tool, instead of saying “no,” say “why?” You’ll encourage communication and learn something new along the way.
Training and Awareness Programs: Offer regular cybersecurity training on best practices and the risks of shadow IT. Integrate IT policy education into onboarding for new employees.
Want to get leadership on your side for this initiative? Learn how to earn buy-in from leadership within teams like Security and Operations.

##### 5. Streamline IT Approval Processes

Simplifying procedures reduce the incentive for employees to bypass official channels.
Agile Procurement Procedures: Create user-friendly platforms for submitting technology requests with clear response timelines. Establish criteria for fast-tracking low-risk tools. An application catalog is helpful for this.
You can’t eliminate shadow IT, and you can’t prevent risk alone, but with the right tools, the right process, and cross-functional communication, you can turn shadow IT from a threat to an opportunity.
In this next section, we’ll learn why shadow IT represents something important for your organization and how to leverage it.

#### Leveraging Shadow IT’s Potential

Shadow IT has always been seen as a problem. But what if that’s missing the point?
There are massive risks with unmanaged shadow IT, but there are also ways to turn that sprawl into a competitive advantage. As one CIO put it, embracing shadow IT  is how IT goes from the department of “no” to the department of “know.” But that, requires the discovery of your shadow IT.
Here are some tactics to help you leverage shadow IT’s potential!

##### Find the BEST Tools

When employees adopt apps, they’re really adopting solutions to problems. Shadow IT acts as a fast-track testing ground for the best tools employees actually need. You can think of it like Darwin’s survival of the fittest. Employees will test, trial, and quickly identify the tools that are most fit for their work. Sometimes, that will be an established and sanctioned tool, but often it will be a new app ready to disrupt the other players. That being said, this requires IT monitoring (something easily done with an SMP). By speed-running that evaluation, you’ll have a better tech stack than your competitors and a tech stack that employees genuinely love!

##### Optimize Costs and Resource Allocation

Did you know that shadow IT can actually save you money? It’s true! Often, companies pay massive amounts for tools that go unused. As much as 66% of company tools are left idle for months at a time—and that’s because the apps are either unnecessary or redundant. By monitoring app usage through a SaaS Management Platform, you’ll find out which tools people actually use. In fact, among SMBs who created a shadow IT team, 80% said that the effort had had a positive financial impact.

##### Improve Alignment and Collaboration Between IT and Business Units

Often, business units bypass IT and adopt shadow IT because they believe that IT either takes too long or is likely to say no. But what if we flip the script? If IT allows experimentation while monitoring security, it creates a collaborative environment. IT becomes the enablers and can help to align the priorities of different departments throughout the company via the tools they use.

#### What’s Next for Shadow IT?

Management of shadow IT is no longer an option—especially shadow SaaS. According to Gartner, by 2027, organizations that fail to centrally manage cloud applications will:
“Be five times more susceptible to a cyber incident or data loss due to incomplete visibility into SaaS usage and configuration.”
“Overspend on SaaS by at least 25% due to unused entitlements and unnecessary, overlapping tools.”
While that sounds intimidating, it provides an exciting chance for IT professionals to tackle the problem.
What’s next for shadow IT? It’s difficult to say, but here are some things we know for sure:

##### Shadow AI will dominate shadow IT

Our Benchmarks Report found that 7 of the top 9 shadow IT apps were actually shadow AI and that will only continue. More and more employees will increase productivity through the power of LLMs and AI agents. But, this comes with risk. Often, these can result in breaches or AI’s training on your sensitive IP. One way to combat this is to develop a Data Map to find out what data you have, who has access to it, where it flows, and where it’s held.

##### Regulatory Crackdowns Will Continue to Increase

According to IBM,
The global average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.88 million—a 10% increase over last year and the highest total ever.
1 in 3 breaches involved shadow data, showing the proliferation of data makes it harder to track and safeguard.
While shadow IT is here, IT’s active management is more important than ever before.

##### Shadow IT Will Start to Come From Within the Organization

For the most part, we’ve focused on shadow IT as someone bringing in outside resources, but with the proliferation of low-code and no-code platforms, more and more shadow IT will be created by the employees themselves! IT will need to find creative ways to identify internal threats without squashing innovation.
Shadow IT is here. The question isn’t how to stop it, it’s how to maximize the good and minimize the bad? While it poses significant risks—including security vulnerabilities, compliance breaches, and operational inefficiencies—it also highlights a proactive drive among employees to enhance productivity and innovation. By adopting a holistic approach that includes visibility and monitoring, zero-trust security frameworks, clear policies, and collaboration across departments, organizations can effectively manage shadow IT. This not only mitigates potential risks but also leverages the innovative solutions that employees bring to the table, turning shadow IT from a liability into a competitive advantage.
To navigate shadow IT, especially with the surge of SaaS and AI applications, you need the right tools. Torii’s SaaS Management Platform empowers organizations to discover, monitor, and manage all SaaS applications—including those operating in the shadows. With Torii, you gain unparalleled visibility into your software ecosystem, enabling you to mitigate risks, optimize costs, and foster innovation securely. Take control of your shadow IT and transform it into a strategic asset by partnering with Torii today.

#### Frequently Asked Questions

# Page Title
Software Knockout: How App Comparison Consolidates Your Tech Stack | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/why-we-built-toriis-saas-application-comparison

## Page Description

Streamline your SaaS stack by eliminating redundant apps.  Learn how Torii's App Comparison feature helps you cut costs, enhance security, and optimize your tech ecosystem.

## Details

“We’ve got a new hire starting next week. Can you make sure they have access to Notion on day one?”
Wait a minute—we use Notion?
If you’ve ever been blindsided by the discovery of an unsanctioned app in your organization, you’re not alone. Your app count is constantly growing. Teams adopt tools without approval, and new employees bring their own preferences and opinions about your existing stack. While fresh ideas can spark innovation, they often lead to severe tool bloat.
In this article, we’ll show you how to streamline your SaaS stack by cutting redundant tools and managing overlap. You’ll learn how to identify the apps that truly add value, handle tough decisions about what to cut, and achieve a leaner, more efficient tech ecosystem. The payoff? Lower costs, improved security, and the best possible technology for your organization.
Sometimes, being an IT professional feels like parenting—trying to keep up with what “the kids” are into these days. Except in this case, the “kid” is Terrance, the 46-year-old VP of Marketing who keeps testing out the latest AI tools.

#### It Starts With Visibility

Before you can pick your winning app, you need to figure out which apps are competing. Today, there are many ways to uncover shadow IT, but the most successful methods are SaaS Management Platforms (SMP). While other methods might give you partial insight, SMPs are the only tool designed to spot all your apps.
Test Torii’s App Discovery for 14-days. No credit card needed.

##### Identify Your Competing Applications

Every app in your organization should serve a purpose. Some are cornerstone contributors to key business outcomes—think Git or Docker for DevOps, or Expensify or NetSuite for Finance. Others handle business administration, collaboration, or communication, such as Slack, Jira, or Zoom.
While overlaps exist in the first group, most competing apps fall into the second category. This can get messy because these tools often have a long list of features they do somewhat well, typically lumped under the nebulous term “business productivity.”
To simplify your comparison work, you can input lists into an AI language model (like ChatGPT or Claude) and ask it to group tools by primary feature or use. The result won’t be perfect, but it provides a starting point for your research.

#### App Comparison in Torii

If you use Torii for application discovery, you can leverage its app comparison feature to perform side-by-side comparisons of any apps in your ecosystem.
Torii uses AI to automatically pair commonly overlapping apps and allows you to view them side by side. Here’s how it works:
Access the Compare Tab
Log in to Torii and navigate to the “Compare” tab on the Applications page. Here, you’ll find a list of similar applications that Torii has automatically paired based on app similarities, usage patterns, and license overlaps.
Review Recommended Comparisons or Create Your Own
Torii suggests comparisons that deserve your attention. However, you can select your own apps that you would like to compare. You can review up to four apps at a time.
Click the “Compare” button next to any app pair to see a detailed, side-by-side analysis. Alternatively, if you have specific apps in mind, use the “Create custom comparison” button to select up to four apps you’d like to evaluate.
Analyze the Summary Table
At the top of the comparison page, you’ll find a summary table displaying key metrics for each app:
Contracts: Check for any active contracts that might affect your decisions.
Spending: See how much you’ve spent on each app over the last 12 months.
Data Sources: Find out where the app data is sourced from
Security Risks: Identify any potential security concerns, especially for apps connected to platforms like G Suite, Azure AD, or Slack.
Examine Usage Trends
Scroll down to the “Active Users” chart. This visual shows how many employees have been using each app over time. Look for trends to indicate which apps are gaining traction within the company and which are losing ground.
Assess User Overlap
The User Overlap diagram visually represents how many employees use multiple apps simultaneously. Overlapping circles mean overlapping users.
High Overlap: If many users are on both apps, consider consolidating to one and deprovisioning licenses on the other to save costs.
Low or No Overlap: If different teams use different apps for the same purpose, it’s an opportunity to standardize tools across the organization, enhancing collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Click on any overlap area to see a list of affected users. You can sort this list by usage to identify who is most active on which platform. You can also filter overlapping users by department, role, and other key attributes to spot redundancies within the same teams.
Engage with Stakeholders
While data is powerful, it doesn’t tell the whole story. To fully understand how tools are used and whether consolidation is feasible, talk with the people who depend on these apps. Communicate with app owners, team leaders, security teams, and finance teams. These discussions can uncover insights that numbers alone might miss.
Understand Team Needs: Speak with team leaders to learn how their teams utilize specific apps. Are there unique features they rely on? Would switching tools disrupt their workflow?
Assess Security and Compliance: Consult your security team to evaluate each app’s compliance with company policies and industry regulations. Some tools may pose risks that aren’t immediately apparent and might make consolidation a necessity.
Evaluate Financial Implications: Work with the finance team to understand the cost structures, contracts, and any potential penalties for early termination. This helps in making economically sound decisions.
If you’re using Torii, you have all the data you need to initiate these discussions—user lists, security and compliance postures, costs, contracts, and more. Armed with this information, you can have meaningful dialogues that pave the way for effective streamlining.
Make Informed Decisions
With all this data at your fingertips, you’re equipped to:
Deprovision Duplicate Licenses: Save money by eliminating unnecessary subscriptions.
Consolidate Applications: Choose the app that best fits your organization’s needs and move all users to that platform.
Establish Best Practices: Build a plan for future overlap, spot the emerging apps early, and allow a framework to evaluate new tools, which is especially critical when renewing a legacy tool.
Become Ruthless at Contract Renewals: The greatest opportunity for cost savings is during the contract renewal. Identify your winners and cut the fat to avoid paying for multiple tools to fill one need.
Your bloated app stack is unsustainable. But by conducting a ruthless comparison, you can streamline your stack to devise the best possible suite of tools. And, if you want to make data collection automatic, consider implementing a SaaS Management Platform like Torii.

# Page Title
No-Code Workflows in Focus: How Torii Makes Automation Seamless | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/workflows

## Page Description

Discover the power of Torii's No-Code Workflow Builder!  Simplify automation, and streamline processes, all without writing a single line of code 

## Details

In today’s fast-paced, high-stress workplace landscape, efficient automation is essential to remain sane. Augmenting or eliminating hard or mundane work is at the heart of Torii’s No-Code Workflow Builder. It’s specifically designed to give you oversight and orchestration capabilities over your SaaS stack without losing that granular insight.
In this article, we’ll delve into how the workflow works, how Torii’s Advanced Data Engine lets you customize your processes like nothing else, and how Torii customers have saved time, money, and sanity with their workflows.

#### Understanding the No-Code Workflow Builder

Ultimately, every workflow boils down to a trigger and a corresponding action or set of actions. The trigger sets the workflow in motion through defined criteria you specify, and then actions are executed sequentially. So your workflow might be one action or dozens—it’s entirely up to you!
Torii gives you plenty of options for triggering actions by frequently syncing data from other applications and evaluating your workflow criteria. This ensures that the most up-to-date information is used to initiate workflows.
Ultimately, your SaaS Management and Operations will focus on the intersections of people, apps, and business priorities. Or, put another way, employee lifecycle, application lifecycles, and finance. Torii’s triggers match that same philosophy by leveraging triggers that fall into the same three categories. Users, Apps, and Contracts/License Count
User meets criteria: Torii creates a user profile for each employee by pulling data from your other applications. This means that you can set up workflows based on changes in that user’s profile.
User joins: This trigger allows you to save incredible amounts of time during the onboarding process. Your HR software typically initiates this trigger.
User left: IT pros routinely see offboarding as a top security threat. This trigger will let you target that event and delete users from various applications, suspend accounts, so IP is safe, and even create tickets for application owners to take action regarding that user.
App meets criteria: Similar to the “User meets criteria” trigger; this one focuses on applications. Perfect for scenarios like budget management, identifying popular new apps, and keeping your SaaS stack secure.
New app discovered: Launch a workflow when Torii discovers a new app, perfect for initiating application approval procedures, like sending a security questionnaire for new applications.
Closed app in use: Monitor new sign-ups for decommissioned apps and politely remind users about org policies.
Contracts/License Count
License not in use: Identify employees who haven’t used their assigned licenses for a fixed period, optimizing your spending by deactivating inactive licenses.
License Count Threshold: Set up thresholds for the number of licenses to improve license management
Contract meets criteria: Flexibly apply criteria to contracts within Torii for effective renewal management, sending reminders to Procurement for contract renewals when needed.
These workflow triggers offer immense possibilities for efficiency, but Torii’s Advanced Data Engine allows you to personalize your workflows at scale.
Torii integrates with your business-critical applications and provides numerous actions based on the function of the application. To learn more about which actions are available for which applications, request a demo, and we’ll be happy to walk you through all that Torii can automate with your SaaS stack!

#### The Advanced Data Engine—Personalization at Scale

Torii’s Advanced Data Engine expertly handles the complex task of unifying scattered data for personalized automation at scale. The engine normalizes and standardizes them within a unified schema by ingesting millions of data points from various applications. This structured approach is crucial for building user profiles and leveraging data effectively in the future.
The challenge of connecting users to all their apps lies in how each app identifies the individual. Torii addresses this by bundling the metadata about a person and creating a comprehensive user profile. This allows for easy reference to the user and all associated data whenever needed, so your triggers can get much more granular, and your automated communication is personalized based on the recipient. This means any data about a user contained within your workspace or HR app becomes another facet for personalization in the future.

#### Workflow Wins with Torii

Curious to see how other customers leverage Torii’s workflow builder?
Learn how Rock Content saw a 75% reduction in IT hours spent on offboarding.
Check out how Hired was able to eliminate surprise SaaS renewals with automated notifications for upcoming renewals.
Gorillas chose “Torii’s granular and flexible automation”  to save big on license management.
Hear Productboard’s journey to eliminate 1.5 hours of manual onboarding per hire with zero-touch automation.

# Page Title
Worried About Security? Rethink Your Offboarding Process [Infographic] | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/worried-about-security-rethink-your-offboarding-process-infographic

## Page Description

The real threat to your application security? Poor offboarding practices. Learn why most IT pros see this as a major risk and what you can do to address it

## Details

Security is (rightfully) top of mind for IT professionals. But, with public data breaches and tough-to-track threats weighing heavily on their minds, everyday security risks can fall through the cracks.
One looming example? Employee offboarding.
The SaaS era transformed the employee offboarding process. Gone are the days of simply collecting a past employee’s hardware, office keycard, and conducting an exit interview.
Today, IT also has to remove past employees from all of their organization’s applications.
Remote work and decentralized app ownership have put SaaS adoption in the hands of teams and employees, not IT, which is all good (and even great for company ingenuity) unless you’re the IT professional who has to support the offboarding process.
Now, IT also has to…
Figure out what apps have been signed up for and/or used by the employee
Revoke system access from Idp and SSO
Close employee SaaS accounts
Terminate VPN and review remote access methods
Change system’s ownership
And much (much) more
The list goes on and on, but you get the point.
Today, IT spends a lot of time and effort manually offboarding employees. This creates a large margin for error, leaving ex-employees with access to sensitive data and your organization with a huge liability on its hands.
It’s no wonder 76% of employees say that offboarding represents a huge security threat.
But don’t worry, this article isn’t just about the doom and gloom of employee offboarding (well, at least not moving forward). Instead, we offer employee offboarding solutions that minimize error while maximizing security (and efficiency!).

#### Swap Security Threats for Savings

Forgetting to revoke a past employee’s access privileges—especially for cloud applications—is like handing them keys to your company’s office.
Applications are the backbone of organizations. They harbor our sensitive data and critical IPs, and facilitate collaboration and productive work.
While most ex-employees wouldn’t intentionally cause harm, human error and accidental security policy violations can lead to a full-out security breach:
According to Torii’s data, every employee has access to ~30 different SaaS accounts, which should all be closed for security, compliance, and cost-saving reasons.
Even if your ex-employees steer clear of company data, their unused licenses are draining your organization’s SaaS budget (fueling Surprise SaaS Spend).
In fact, Torii found that unused licenses make up roughly 30% of organizations’ total SaaS license costs.
The bottom line is poor offboarding procedures, while avoidable, put your cyber security and budgets at risk.
With this in mind, we must remember a crucial point: Turnover is a natural part of the employee lifecycle. So, as long as your organization is up and running, employee offboarding will always be part of IT’s job description.
That’s why it’s important to implement a secure offboarding process.

#### Act and Automate—A Secure Offboarding Process

The best way to fix your offboarding process is to automate it with a SaaS Management Platform (like Torii).
With Torii, IT can easily define and automate all parts of the offboarding process, including:
How access to an application (or group of applications) should be revoked
Who is responsible for revoking access
What the follow-up process will be
What the confirmation process should look like
Once these offboarding workflows are established, Torii automatically deprovisions ex-employees from all applications.
I know what you’re thinking—All apps? What about Shadow IT?
Torii’s got you covered there too.
While many SaaS Management platforms can only automate (and identify) sanctioned applications, Torii’s discovery process finds all the apps used  within your organization, even the ones never reported to IT:
Torii’s discovery process finds 2-3x more applications than other leading systems.
But that’s not all. With Torii’s One-click offboarding, users can also:
Set up automatic reminders to follow up on different tasks and those of their colleagues
Categorize costly and/or critical applications as crucial ensuring an ex-employee’s access is revoked to these apps before the offboarding process is tagged as complete
Automatically enroll users into the offboarding workflow once they are marked by the HR department as departing or are removed from G-suite or an AD system
Transfer an ex-employee’s data to their manager
Notify an ex-employee’s manager once the offboarding process is complete
Not ready to fully automate the offboarding process just yet?
Within Torii’s offboarding dashboard, you can also configure the process and adjust as you go:
Communicate with each application owner
Delegate tasks and follow up on their status
Gain a holistic view of which apps are revoked, by whom, and which ones still need attention.

#### Fix Your Offboarding Process with Automation

You know you need to fix your offboarding process, but most likely won’t solve the problem overnight.
In the meantime, Torii’s got you covered with a comprehensive IT Employee Offboarding Checklist.
Ready to automate your offboarding process? Read more about how Torii’s SaaS Management Platform accelerates user management while reducing operational risk.

# Page Title
How to Stop Paying for Idle Software Licenses | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/x-ray-view-of-your-software-license-utilization

## Page Description

Optimize your SaaS license utilization with Torii's comprehensive monitoring tool.  Ready to maximize your tech investments?

## Details

How much does it cost to outfit your workforce with all the apps they need to do their work? Hundreds? Thousands? It adds up fast, and the worst part is how much of that money is spent on apps they never even use.
This is called license non-utilization, a big problem among some of your most expensive applications.
In our SaaS Benchmarks report, we found that some of your priciest tools also see the highest average rate of license non-utilization:
Salesforce: 55%
Other frequently overbought applications include 1Password, Adobe, Atlassian products, Calendly, Miro, Office 365, Tableau, Google Workspace, JetBrains, and Slack.

##### How Does This Happen?

The problem is that there’s a misalignment between needs and resources.
This misalignment can come about for a few reasons:
Over-Purchasing: Buying more licenses than necessary due to overestimating needs or fear of shortages.
Organizational Changes: Layoffs or restructuring can leave licenses unused post-contract.
Poor Adoption: Employees may underuse or ignore sanctioned tools due to insufficient training or preference for unsanctioned (shadow IT) tools.
Inflexible Contracts: Long-term, multi-year agreements without options for adjustment can lock organizations into paying for unused licenses.

##### Why Does It Matter?

Unused software licenses are not just wasted money—but they are also an opportunity cost. Those resources are not only going to waste, but they are failing to go to other projects or assets that would be valuable to the organization. Additionally, unused licenses can pose security risks if not properly managed, potentially exposing sensitive data through inactive accounts.

#### Best Practices: How To Spot Non-Utilization and Stop Paying for It with Torii

Step 1: Find Out What You Have
Discover All Apps Automatically: Torii scans your organization to find every software application in use—even ones you didn’t know about, including unauthorized or “shadow IT” apps. Learn more about shadow IT discovery.
See All Your Licenses: Get a clear picture of how many licenses you have for each app, how many are being used, and how many are just sitting idle.
Know Your Costs: Understand how much each license costs annually and see if you’re paying more than others in your industry.
Manage Licenses for All Apps: Even if an app isn’t directly connected to Torii, you can still track and manage its licenses. This way, no app is left out of your optimization efforts.
Step 2: Check How Much They’re Used
Track Real-Time Usage: See which apps your team is actually using and which ones they’re not.
Spot Unused Licenses: Identify licenses that aren’t being used so you can cancel them or give them to someone else.
See Potential Savings: Torii shows you how much money you could save by optimizing your licenses.
Compare Similar Applications Side-by-Side: Get an AI-generated side-by-side comparison of similar apps to consolidate your stack.
Step 3: Improve Cost Visibility and Planning
Upload Contracts with AI: use Torii’s AI contract parsing or procurement integrations (like Zip or Ironclad) to centralize your contract data.
Understand Contract vs. Expense: Torii will identify instances where expenses exceed what you’ve agreed to pay in your contracts.
Cost Benchmarking: Use built-in cost-benchmarking to see if you’re overpaying for critical apps.
Plan for Savings: Use this information to renegotiate contracts and adjust your spending to match actual needs.
Step 4: Automate License Management
Set Up Workflows: Use Torii to automate things like reclaiming unused licenses and managing renewals.
Reclaim Unused Licenses Automatically: After a set period of inactivity, Torii can automatically take back licenses from inactive users.
Streamline Offboarding: When someone leaves the company, Torii automatically frees up their licenses for others to use.
Get Alerts: Set up notifications for when you’re running low on licenses or when renewals are coming up.
Approve Changes in Slack: Managers can approve license actions directly in Slack, making the process quick and easy.
Downgrade underutilized licenses: for some tools (like Salesforce or Zoom) set up workflows to downgrade licenses based on feature utilization.
Step 5: Work with Your Team
Share Insights: Provide clear reports to IT, finance, HR, security, and leadership teams.
Help Security Teams: Identify unauthorized or risky apps that might pose security threats.
Coordinate with HR: Manage licenses during hiring and offboarding to ensure everyone has what they need.
Inform Leadership: Give executives a clear view of software usage and spending.
Offer Finance and Procurement Insight: Provide finance with critical insight about which apps users actually use—critical to forecasting and renewal discussions.
Make Better Decisions Together: Use real data to discuss renewals, new purchases, and budgets.
Gain Leverage: Accurate information helps you negotiate better deals with vendors and make strong business cases internally.
Step 7: Plan Ahead for Renewals
Review Before Renewing: Check usage data before contracts are up to avoid renewing more licenses than you need.
Understand Contract Value vs. Usage: Make sure you’re not paying for more than you use, and adjust contracts accordingly.
Reallocate Savings: Use the money saved from optimizing licenses to fund other important projects or tools.
Step 8: Keep Optimizing
Continuous Monitoring: Keep an eye on license usage with Torii’s real-time updates.
Stay Alert: Set up custom alerts for changes in usage or unexpected costs, so you can act quickly.
Adjust as Needed: Update your workflows and strategies as your organization changes, such as when you hire new people or start using new tools.

#### Only Pay for What You Use

If you’re sick of spending valuable resources on wasted licenses, it’s time to try SaaS Management.
With Torii, you’ll get insights into app usage, costs, and value and powerful automation to scale your processes, consolidate your SaaS stack, and optimize your license management.
Give Torii a try today!

# Page Title
Top 12 Cloud Migration Service Providers (Updated for 2025) | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/software/top-12-cloud-migration-service-providers-updated-for-2025

## Page Description

## Details

### Top 12 Cloud Migration Service Providers (Updated for 2025)

Below is a curated list of 12 leading providers for cloud migration services, split between full-service consulting firms and niche specialists. Each provider is chosen based on customer reviews (G2, Gartner Peer Insights, TrustRadius), industry analyst recognition (Forrester, Gartner, IDC), capabilities (breadth vs. specialization), key strengths (performance, scalability, security, etc.), and global reach. We include why each made the cut, along with notable strengths and weaknesses. These details are updated as of Feb, 2025. If you have corrections or suggestions, please send an email to [email protected] and please include the URL for the page.
Cloud migration is a critical step in digital transformation, enabling organizations to boost agility, reduce costs, and drive innovation. This guide is tailored for IT decision-makers looking to understand the landscape of cloud migration service providers. We base our evaluation on insights from customer reviews, industry analyst reports, and a mix of full-service and niche specialists. This article will help you navigate your options with clear, data-driven insights.

#### What Is Cloud Migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, data, and workloads from on-premises systems or legacy infrastructures to cloud-based environments. This transition not only modernizes IT operations but also unlocks benefits like scalability, cost savings, enhanced security, and improved performance. While the move offers many advantages, organizations must also address challenges such as integration complexities, downtime risks, and ensuring robust data security throughout the transition.
In evaluating cloud migration service companies, we consider a comprehensive set of criteria that addresses both technical and business priorities. We focus on performance and scalability, ensuring providers can handle diverse workloads and large-scale projects; security and compliance, to guarantee robust measures and adherence to regulatory standards; and the quality of support and expertise, which is essential for effective customer service and consulting. Additionally, we assess cost and value, looking for competitive pricing and a strong return on investment, as well as innovation and technology—specifically the use of unique tools, accelerators, and advanced methodologies. A provider’s global footprint is also key, ensuring the capability to support multinational organizations, and we carefully review customer and industry mentions from reputable sources such as G2, Gartner Peer Insights, and leading analyst reports. Finally, we include bonus “surprise picks,” recognizing niche specialists that excel in targeted areas despite lower overall market visibility.

#### Full-Service Cloud Migration Providers

These are large, end-to-end IT service firms with broad cloud expertise across multiple platforms. They typically offer comprehensive migration, modernization, and managed services on a global scale.

##### 1. Accenture – Full-Service Leader

Why Chosen: Accenture is a global consulting giant frequently recognized as a leader in cloud migration solutions. In a recent Forrester Wave, Accenture earned the highest scores in current offering, strategy, and market presence among Asia-Pacific cloud migration providers (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm). Analysts praise Accenture’s “scale, broad capabilities, and deep partnerships [with hyperscalers] that are hard to match.” Accenture’s cloud-first approach and extensive experience across 40+ industries make it a top choice for complex migrations (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm) (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm). Customers in regulated and complex industries value Accenture’s balanced technical and business acumen (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm) (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm), and G2 reviewers highlight its personalized, “surprisingly easy” migration process with strong communication (Accenture Pros and Cons | User Likes & Dislikes). Accenture has a presence in over 120 countries and a vast talent pool, underscoring its global reach (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm).

##### 2. IBM (IBM Consulting & Kyndryl) – Full-Service/Hybrid Cloud Expert

Why Chosen: IBM brings decades of enterprise IT experience and is a leader in hybrid-cloud migration, bolstered by its spin-off Kyndryl for infrastructure services. IBM’s cloud transformation services carry a high 4.7/5 rating on Gartner Peer Insights (based on ~100 reviews) (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), indicating strong customer satisfaction. Clients praise IBM’s organized, 24/7 available teams and “lower project cost” in some engagements (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). IBM’s deep technical R&D (e.g. Red Hat integration) and industry-specific solutions earn it industry recognition – it’s consistently ranked among leaders in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for cloud transformation (IBM Ecosystem & Offerings | HCLTech). IBM operates in 60+ countries, giving it global delivery capability. Its focus on innovation (AI, automation) and robust security/compliance makes IBM a go-to for large enterprises modernizing legacy systems to cloud.

##### 3. Deloitte – Full-Service Consulting & Transformation

Why Chosen: Deloitte is a global professional services network highly regarded for cloud transformation strategy and execution. Gartner’s 2024 Magic Quadrant named Deloitte a Leader with the furthest completeness of vision among public cloud IT transformation providers (Gartner® Magic Quadrant™: Public Cloud IT Transformation …). Deloitte’s cloud practice (often branded as “Deloitte Cloud”) leverages its strengths in business consulting and change management on top of technical migration – an approach noted for delivering transformational outcomes, not just lift-and-shift. On G2, Deloitte’s cloud services are rated ~4.1/5, and comparisons between providers show Deloitte excels in “overall execution ability” (scoring 8.8/10, slightly above peers) (Compare Accenture vs. Deloitte Consulting | G2). Clients frequently cite Deloitte’s strong change management and technology partnerships – it scored a high 9.4/10 in breadth of cloud vendor partnerships (Compare Accenture vs. Deloitte Consulting | G2), indicating an ability to integrate diverse cloud tools. Deloitte’s global presence (150+ countries via member firms) and experience in regulated industries make it a reliable full-service partner.

##### 4. Wipro – Full-Service IT Provider (Cloud Focus)

Why Chosen: Wipro is a leading India-based IT services company that has made cloud modernization a core focus (branded under “Wipro FullStride Cloud”). Wipro was recognized as a Leader in Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services (cloud transformation journey, cloud business transformation, cloud transformation solutions, cloud transformation services – Wipro), highlighting its vision and execution. Gartner noted that Leaders like Wipro have a proven “track record of delivering high-quality, cloud-native modernization and managed services” (cloud transformation journey, cloud business transformation, cloud transformation solutions, cloud transformation services – Wipro). Customers similarly applaud Wipro’s cloud capabilities: on Gartner Peer Insights, Wipro’s cloud transformation services carry a 4.4/5 rating (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), with one customer stating “Wipro’s cloud capabilities are excellent” and that Wipro did “a great job with our Cloud Transformation program.” (Wipro Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews – Gartner) Wipro offers end-to-end migration (strategy, migration, DevOps, cloud management) across AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid environments. With 250,000 employees in over 60 countries (cloud transformation journey, cloud business transformation, cloud transformation solutions, cloud transformation services – Wipro), Wipro combines global scale with cost-effective delivery, making it popular for large migrations and app modernization, especially in banking, retail, and other domains where it has domain expertise.

##### 5. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – Full-Service Global SI

Why Chosen: TCS is one of the world’s largest IT services firms and a pioneer in executing large-scale cloud migrations, especially in complex enterprise environments. TCS is rated 4.5/5 on Gartner Peer Insights for cloud transformation services (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights) and was included among top providers in Gartner’s assessments (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights). Known for its process-driven approach (the “Machine First” delivery model and automation through ignio™, etc.), TCS excels at migrating legacy systems (ERP, mainframes, etc.) to cloud with minimal disruption. It has a strong global footprint across 50+ countries and all major industries. TCS was a Visionary/Leader in earlier Gartner MQs and continues to be shortlisted for large multi-year transformation deals. We include TCS for its sheer scale of capabilities – from cloud advisory and architecture to migration execution and managed services – and for its high volume of positive customer feedback. For example, one enterprise client noted TCS delivered a “least disruptive” migration experience for a complex Oracle system (Capgemini Oracle Cloud Application Services Reviews – Gartner). TCS’s focus on talent development (e.g. thousands of cloud certifications among staff) and frameworks for cloud governance add to its strengths.

##### 6. Capgemini – Full-Service European Leader

Why Chosen: Capgemini is a France-headquartered IT consulting firm with a strong global presence and a robust cloud services portfolio (bolstered by its acquisition of Altran and others). Capgemini has been identified as a leader in various cloud-related services; it scored 4.4/5 on cloud transformation in Gartner Peer Insights (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), and clients highlight its skilled people and smooth migrations. One review noted Capgemini “did a great job providing the right experienced and skilled people to perform the migration of our platform to the cloud.” (Capgemini Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews – Gartner) Capgemini’s strengths lie in cloud strategy, application modernization, and managing hybrid cloud environments. They are known for frameworks like Cloud Assessment 360 and strong partnerships in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and even industry-specific clouds. Capgemini’s global reach (300k+ employees in 50 countries (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights)) and onshore/offshore mix make it a reliable full-service partner, especially for European multinationals and public sector clients. We include Capgemini for its consistently positive customer feedback and industry recognition, including leadership positions in European market evaluations.

#### How a SaaS Management Platform Can Assist Your Cloud Migration Journey

If you’re concerned with visibility over your cloud applications, a SaaS management platform plays a vital role both before and after your cloud migration. Here’s how:

#### Niche & Specialist Cloud Migration Providers

These providers specialize in specific cloud platforms, industries, or service niches (e.g. AWS-focused partners, multi-cloud managed service providers, etc.). They are often smaller than the full-service firms but highly rated for their expertise, agility, or innovative approaches.

##### 7. Rackspace Technology – Multi-Cloud Managed Services Specialist

Why Chosen: Rackspace is a well-known name in cloud services, transitioning from its managed hosting roots to a “multicloud solutions” provider. It is included for its strong customer reviews and broad capabilities focused purely on cloud migration and management. Rackspace is rated 4.5/5 on Gartner Peer Insights with dozens of reviews (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), and was recognized in Gartner’s evaluations (a strong Performer/Visionary). Customers often commend Rackspace’s support and technical know-how: “exceptional customer support” and ease of integration across cloud platforms are highlighted in G2 reviews (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Rackspace offers migration services for AWS, Azure, GCP, and private cloud, making it a full-service cloud specialist (as opposed to a general IT consultant). It also acquired AWS specialists like Onica to deepen its expertise. With global data centers and operations in North America, EMEA, and APAC, Rackspace has a strong international presence catering to mid-market and enterprise clients seeking to move to cloud or optimize their cloud environments.

##### 8. 2nd Watch – AWS & Azure Migration Specialist

Why Chosen: 2nd Watch is a born-in-the-cloud service provider that specializes in migrating workloads to AWS and Azure. As an audited AWS Premier Partner (since 2015) (The 25 Best Cloud Managed Service Providers for 2025), 2nd Watch has handled large “lift-and-shift” migrations as well as cloud-native transformations, primarily for US enterprises. We included 2nd Watch because it garners strong customer feedback for expertise and commitment. On G2, it holds a high rating (around 4.5/5) and clients praise “[2nd Watch’s] expertise in cloud migration and management, particularly in AWS and Azure,” along with great customer commitment to success (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). 2nd Watch has also been featured in industry lists (e.g. “top cloud MSPs”) and was earlier recognized in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant as a notable niche player. Its focused size allows it to be agile and hands-on. With offices in the US and an expanding presence (now part of MSPCompass via merger, if recent news), 2nd Watch primarily serves North America but with multi-region cloud deployments. This provider is an “unexpected” inclusion in the sense that it’s smaller than giants, yet repeatedly cited for high performance in cloud migration projects.

##### 9. Cloudnexa – AWS-Focused Cloud MSP

Why Chosen: Cloudnexa is a niche AWS-centric cloud management and migration provider, one of the early AWS Premier Consulting Partners. We included Cloudnexa for its high-impact performance with smaller clients and its appearance in multiple “top provider” lists (The 25 Best Cloud Managed Service Providers for 2025) (The 25 Best Cloud Managed Service Providers for 2025). Cloudnexa emphasizes automated migration tools and managed services for AWS, making cloud adoption easier for companies with lean IT teams. Customer reviews on G2 are generally positive, with users saying Cloudnexa “stands with us [and] suggests the best AWS services…fine-tuning our workloads and modernizing the cloud architecture.” (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) Small-business clients appreciated improved performance and cost-effectiveness post-migration with Cloudnexa (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Cloudnexa is US-based but serves international AWS regions via the cloud. It’s a strong choice for organizations primarily on AWS seeking a partner to both migrate and provide ongoing cloud management.

##### 10. Navisite – Mid-Market Cloud Migration and Hosting Provider

Why Chosen: Navisite has evolved from a traditional managed hosting company into a cloud services provider focusing on migrations for mid-market and enterprise clients. We selected Navisite as an “almost leader” due to strong customer testimonials about reliability and support. One long-term client on G2 noted Navisite’s facilities and services are “99.9% reliable” with no outages in years, and praised “Navisite’s customer service” responsiveness (Navisite Services Reviews & Provider Details – G2). Navisite offers a wide range of migration services – from cloud readiness assessments to data and application migration – across AWS, Azure, Google, and hybrid environments. It also provides industry-specific cloud solutions (especially in healthcare, life sciences, etc.). With operations in the US, UK, and India, Navisite has a global reach to support multinational clients. It aims to give a more hands-on, customized experience than mega-consultants, which resonates well with clients who “just want the migration done right” with ongoing managed support.

##### 11. Bespin Global – Asia-Pacific Cloud Specialist (Multi-Cloud)

Why Chosen: Bespin Global is a rising star among cloud MSPs, originating in APAC (South Korea) and rapidly expanding to the Middle East and North America. We include Bespin as an unexpected high performer – it has a 4.7/5 rating on Gartner Peer Insights (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights) and has been recognized as a “Visionary” in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for cloud IT transformation services for two years running (Gartner2023 – Bespin Global US) (Bespin Global has been Recognized as a Visionary in the Gartner …). Customers characterize Bespin as “a very committed and trustful partner for [our] cloud transformation journey” (Bespin Global Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews). The company specializes in cloud migration and managed services across AWS, Azure, and Alibaba Cloud, often focusing on cloud cost optimization and DevOps automation as part of the migration. Bespin’s strengths in cloud inventory and cost management are frequently noted (Bespin Global Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews) – important for clients migrating with an eye on controlling expenses. Its global delivery centers and multilingual support give it a broad reach beyond its home market. We chose Bespin Global to represent the new wave of cloud-native providers that combine technical expertise with agile service, and for its accolades in the industry (e.g. “Cloud MSP of the Year” awards in Asia).

##### 12. Persistent Systems – Digital Modernization Specialist (Challenger)

Why Chosen: Persistent Systems is a mid-sized IT services firm (HQ in India and US) that has carved out a niche in application modernization and cloud migrations. We feature Persistent as an unexpected high performer due to stellar customer satisfaction indicators – it is “the most reviewed” vendor in Gartner Peer Insights for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services, with 80+ reviews and an overall 4.5/5 rating (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). Clients are exceedingly positive about Persistent’s outcomes: one client wrote “Persistent… far exceeded mine and the customer’s expectations” on a highly sensitive cloud transformation (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). Another review snippet reads: “Persistent is a great company to help you move to cloud… [they] provide good quality consultants with specialized knowledge.” (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). These testimonies, plus Persistent’s recognition as a Challenger in Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant (Persistent Named a Challenger in the 2023 Gartner® Magic …), underscore why it made our top list. Persistent focuses on cloud migration combined with automation and DevOps – accelerating moves to cloud and then improving them. It has particular strengths in banking and healthcare cloud projects. While smaller than others here, Persistent’s growth (268% since 2020 in cloud services) and client-centric model (they emphasize a “practitioner-led” approach (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023)) make them a high-performing choice for cloud migrations.

#### Honorable Mentions

These providers nearly made the top 12 and are worth noting:
Each of these honorable mentions has strong points – for example, Infosys’s cloud automation (Cobalt) and AI integration, HCL’s legacy modernization expertise, Tech Mahindra’s customer focus, and Cognizant’s breadth of domain solutions – and they would be suitable for consideration in any cloud migration provider shortlist.
When selecting a cloud migration partner, consider the provider’s alignment with your needs: full-service firms bring one-stop breadth and global scale, while specialist firms offer targeted expertise and often higher agility. The top 12 providers above represent a mix of both, all with proven records in customer satisfaction, recognized industry leadership, and the ability to deliver on critical cloud migration success factors (performance, security, cost optimization, support, and innovation). Each has its distinct strengths and minor weaknesses, but all are capable of driving a successful migration with the right engagement model. The “best” choice will depend on the complexity of your environment, the cloud platforms involved, and your organizational culture – but this list includes both the established leaders and a few high-achieving dark horses to cover the spectrum of excellent options available today.

# Page Title
What is Access Review? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/access-review

## Page Description

An essential guide to Access Review  Understand how this process helps manage user access rights efficiently. Don't miss out on this important concept!

## Details

### What is Access Review?

Access Review, also known as Access Control Review, is a crucial process within user access management that systematically assesses user permissions and account privileges, ensuring adherence to identity and access governance.
This process reviews whether the current user privileges align with role-based access control and are up to date, thus effectively mitigating potential internal security breaches and data misuse.
Note: Don’t leave your organization vulnerable to unauthorized access and compliance risks by neglecting access reviews. Stay ahead and safeguard your data with Torii’s SaaS Solution today.
Does your organization have the necessary strategies to perform an access review seamlessly? An Access Review isn’t just about checking boxes off a list; it involves comprehensive steps, such as user provisioning, access request and approval, access policy enforcement, and consistent access monitoring and reporting.
Roles and Duties: To keep tasks in line with the least privilege principle, segregation of duties becomes essential in the review. This ensures users have access rights only as necessary for their job role, helping mitigate risks and maintain compliant workflows. Additionally, any discovered misalignment in privileges during the access rights audit would necessitate access remediation and adjusting roles and permissions as necessary.
Privileged User Management: Privileged user management, another significant aspect of the review, carefully vets and controls users with higher-than-normal privileges, often through an entitlement review. This is crucial to prevent excessive permissions and potential misuse.
Access Review Automation: Access Review Automation has also been a game-changer. By automating repetitive tasks, organizations can maximize efficiency, reduce manual errors, and maintain a robust log of all access changes for audit purposes.
Access Review Policy: A comprehensive access review policy dictates the frequency of such reviews, the personnel involved, and the processes and parameters for user access certification.
As we can see, Access Review is not a monotonal task but rather a multi-dimensional process vital in maintaining a healthy and secure IT infrastructure.

#### Examples of Access Review

Enterprise Setting
A multinational corporation implemented an access review when the company transitioned to remote work due to the pandemic. To ensure data security, they audited their systems to identify who had access to sensitive information. Through the review, they found a few instances of redundant access rights and unexpectedly broad privileges, which were then rectified, enhancing the system’s security.
Small and Medium Businesses
A hospital conducted an access review within its electronic health record system. This routine task enforced by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) ensures that only authorized personnel can access patients’ sensitive health information. Through periodic access reviews, they can ensure necessary changes to access rights, like revoking the rights of a former employee, are promptly effected, preserving patient confidentiality and compliance with regulations.
Real-World Example
An online retail store conducted an access review following a data breach. They looked into the roles and responsibilities of every team member to understand who had access to their customer database using the Torii SaaS Management Tool. This review identified suboptimal access allocation, where multiple employees had unnecessary access to sensitive data. After the review, they appropriately restricted these accesses, reducing potential avenues for future breaches.

#### Best Practices for Access Review

We have listed best practices to equip you with the knowledge to safeguard sensitive data and maintain compliance standards effectively.
Leverage User Access Management
To implement best practices of access review, you need to leverage user access management, which is essential in maintaining security within your organization. This process involves auditing all account privileges to ensure employees only have access to the necessary information. Remember, the “least privilege principle” should be your guide.
Conduct Access Control Review
Access Control Review involves checking who has access to what and why. The review covers employees and extends to consultants, vendors, and partners with access to your systems.
Implement a Role-Based Access Control System
Parallel to this, implement a robust role-based access control system, which assigns user permissions based on predefined roles. This facilitates an effective access rights audit, ensuring those in particular roles have access appropriate to their need and purposes.
Regularly Undergo Entitlement Review
Invest time in entitlement review, scrutinizing each individual’s permissions and ensuring they are necessary for their duties. With the help of solutions like Torii SaaS Management Platform, you can automate this complex process, gaining clear insights into access rights and making it easier to enforce access policies.
Enhance System with Privileged User Management
Privileged user management is an integral part of access review since privileged users generally have more extensive access, often encompassing areas other employees and stakeholders cannot reach.
Invest in Access Certification (AC)
Also, invest in access certification, a method of verifying and validating user accounts and access rights. This goes hand in hand with user provisioning, creating, and managing user accounts.
Maintain Seamless Access Request and Approval Process
Use an automated system to ensure a seamless access request and approval process. Tools like Torii provide automation and offer transparent record-keeping to simplify audits.
Ensure Access Policy Enforcement
Further, access policy enforcement is crucial. This includes monitoring and reporting on access activities and establishing a reliable segregation of duties policy to avoid conflicts of interest and prevent fraud.
Access Remediation
Access remediation, correcting or addressing inappropriate access, is indispensable to access governance. Automating this with Torii’s tool can increase security, save time, and reduce potential errors.
Ensure Policy Compliance
An efficient access review policy helps keep your data secure and ensures compliance. To facilitate the process, consider access review automation, which can help you stay on top of monitoring and ensure any discrepancies are dealt with swiftly.
Incorporating these steps in your approach will enhance your organization’s identity and access governance while evolving with sophisticated security threats.

#### Related Tools for Access Review

#### Related Concepts in Access Review

#### FAQs: Access Review

Q: What is Access Review?
A: An Access Review is a process used to evaluate and manage user access rights to various systems and resources within an organization.
Q: Why are Access Reviews important?
A: Access Reviews help ensure that user permissions are appropriate and aligned with the principle of least privilege, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
Q: How does an Access Review work?
A: Access Reviews typically involve reviewing user access rights, permissions, and roles against predefined criteria, requesting approvals from appropriate stakeholders, and removing or modifying access as necessary.
Q: What are the benefits of conducting Access Reviews?
A: Conducting Access Reviews helps enhance security, comply with regulatory requirements, simplify user access management, and maintain data integrity.
Q: What are the main challenges of conducting Access Reviews?
A: Key challenges include the complexity of larger organizations, managing multiple systems, ensuring regular reviews, and involving appropriate stakeholders in the review process.
Q: What are some best practices for conducting Access Reviews?
A: Best practices include defining access review policies, automating the review process whenever possible, involving different departments, and auditing the review process for accountability.
Q: How often should Access Reviews be conducted?
A: The frequency of Access Reviews varies based on organizational needs, but they are commonly conducted annually or at least regularly.
Q: What happens after completing an Access Review?
A: After completing an Access Review, appropriate actions are taken, such as revoking or modifying access rights and updating documentation as necessary.
Q: How can organizations streamline their Access Review process?
A: Organizations can streamline the Access Review process by using automated tools, establishing clear review policies and guidelines, and leveraging role-based access controls.
Q: What are some commonly used Access Review tools?
A: Popular Access Review tools include Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, like SailPoint, RSA, or Oracle Identity Manager.
Q: Are there any regulatory requirements related to Access Reviews?
A: Yes, organizations in various industries may have specific regulatory requirements, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), that mandate regular Access Reviews.
Q: What is the difference between Access Reviews and Access Certification?
A: Access Reviews evaluate user access rights, while Access Certification is the formal process of validating and documenting those access rights, ensuring compliance with regulations and internal policies.
Q: How are Access Reviews and Access Control related?
A: Access Reviews help validate and manage access rights, while Access Control refers to the techniques and systems used to enforce and control user access to resources.
Q: What are the consequences of not conducting Access Reviews?
A: Failing to conduct Access Reviews can increase security risks, potential data breaches, compliance violations, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Q: What roles are typically involved in an Access Review?
A: Roles in an Access Review include IT administrators, managers, auditors, system owners, and stakeholders responsible for granting or approving access rights.
Q: What are some standard Access Review metrics?
A: Common Access Review metrics include the number and percentage of access rights removed or modified, the number of overdue or incomplete reviews, and the time taken to complete the review process.
Q: Can Access Reviews be conducted manually?
A: Yes, Access Reviews can be conducted manually, but it can be time-consuming, error-prone, and challenging to manage in large organizations without automation tools.
Q: What is the role of automation in Access Reviews?
A: Automation plays a crucial role in Access Reviews by streamlining the process, reducing human error, increasing efficiency, and providing audit trails for accountability.
Q: How can organizations address user resistance to Access Reviews?
A: Organizations can address user resistance to Access Reviews by clearly communicating the importance of security and compliance, providing training and support, and involving users in the review process.
Q: Are there any industry standards or frameworks related to Access Reviews?
A: Yes, industry standards and frameworks, such as the ISO/IEC 27001 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, guide access management and reviews.

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# Page Title
What is a Change Request? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/change-request

## Page Description

 Easily understand the concept of a Change Request with our glossary article. Learn how it influences tech projects and more!

## Details

### What is a Change Request?

A Change Request (CR) is an essential component in IT change management, serving as an organized method to propose, document, and implement changes within a system. This process aims to control and manage proposed changes to a system or product using a change request template or a change request form. Such changes might involve revisions to protocols, metrics, systems, or infrastructures, all meticulously tracked using change request tracking throughout the change request lifecycle.
Note: Tired of manual change request management? Upgrade your workflow with Torii’s SaaS Management Platform. Integrate Torii into your change request process and watch as efficiency soars. Learn more about Torii’s SaaS Management Platform
But what happens when we fail to observe this vital process? Leaving changes unmanaged and uncontrolled, without a well-defined change request workflow, can lead to a total breakdown or a substantial loss in productivity. Clarifying requests for change, having a standardized change request template, and defining the change approval process are quintessential to the success of any change request management.
Review and Evaluate: In approving a change request, the change control team’s primary task is change request review and change request evaluation. They perform a change impact assessment to identify potential consequences for other system regions. This assessment mitigates risk, analyzes possible resource requirements, and ensures optimum system performance and security.
Documentation: The critical role of documentation can’t be overstated in change request management. Change request documentation processes guarantee consistency, maintain and Improve the quality of services, and ensure traceability. Any change request should contain all vital information: the original situation, the proposed change, the reasons behind the change, and any predicted impacts.
Implement: Proper change implementation using a well-defined change request system provides a controlled environment for necessary changes with negligible interruptions to ongoing services. It ensures a systematic approach to managing change, streamlining processes, reducing time delays, and boosting the overall efficiency of the change management framework.
Therefore, the role of a change request in a change process is central to IT change management. It balances the necessity for change and innovation, minimizing unnecessary disruption and risks.

#### Examples of Change Request (CR)

Information Technology Setting
An IT services company recently deployed a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. Post-launch, the sales team observed that the system did not have the functionality to categorize clients based on their purchasing behavior. They filed a change request to incorporate this feature, enhancing the system’s ability to curate personalized marketing strategies.
Healthcare Industry
At a healthcare start-up, the development team rolled out a new patient registration system to simplify patient admissions. However, the billing department discovered the system failed to capture critical billing details. They raised a change request to add fields for capturing these missing data, avoiding potential financial discrepancies in the future.
Software Organization
In a software organization, the quality assurance team found bugs in the new release of their flagship product during final testing. The defects were affecting the product’s performance in different user environments. After discovering this, they promptly implemented a change request to correct these bugs, ensuring the software would function as intended across all platforms.

#### Best Practices for Change Request (CR)

Successful change request management lies at the heart of a smoothly functioning IT department. Central to this is a well-designed and applied change request form. This form standardizes and streamlines the change request workflow, making it easier for IT Managers and Directors to track, analyze, and implement changes.
Create a Change Request Document
A typical change request lifecycle begins with a change request. This request is documented using a change request template and enters the change control system. A change request system reduces errors and confusion by standardizing this initiation process, facilitating efficient change implementation.
Undergo Change Impact Assessment
Change request documentation is then subjected to a rigorous change impact assessment. Here, potential risks and benefits are evaluated, helping IT managers decide whether to proceed, amend, or reject the request. The change request analysis often includes the degree of resource allocation, potential disruptions to ongoing operations, and the projected business impact.
Change Approval Process
The change approval process is the next stage of the change request lifecycle. Decisions from the change impact assessment are reviewed by an authorized panel or individual who either approves, rejects, or requests further analysis. Once approved, the request moves into the change implementation phase, where plans are executed and changes are integrated into the existing IT infrastructure.
Post-implementation, a thorough change request review checks if the changes yield the expected results. This evaluation aids in future change request management, providing essential data for continual improvement. IT change management is thus a cyclical, continuous learning process that needs an effective change request tracking mechanism for best results.
Use of Management Tool
Bringing the Torii SaaS Management Platform into this loop can simplify change request workflow. Automating SaaS operations, it can track change requests from initiation to review, providing insightful metrics at every phase. This platform can identify shadow IT, optimize SaaS licenses, save costs, and offer maximum visibility into SaaS expenditures, providing more insight and control over the change process.
Using Torii can also allow IT professionals to build custom plugins and integrations for their cloud apps, catering to the organization’s unique needs. Simple, intuitive, and adaptable, Torii equips IT departments with the tools they need to handle their SaaS-related work more effectively.
In conclusion, regarding best practices of the Change Request process, a methodological approach coupled with Torii’s technological backing ensures smooth transitions and positively impacts business performance.

#### Related Tools for Change Request (CR)

#### Related Concepts in Change Request (CR)

#### FAQs: Change Request (CR)

Q: What is a change request?
A: A change request is a formal request to modify a system, process, or document.
Q: How do I submit a change request?
A: The process for submitting a change request can vary depending on the organization. Typically, it involves completing a specific form or using a designated system or software.
Q: What information should be included in a change request?
A: A change request should include detailed information about the proposed change, its impact, the reason for the change, and any necessary supporting documentation.
Q: What is the purpose of a change request?
A: The purpose of a change request is to initiate a formal process to evaluate, approve, and implement requested changes, ensuring they are managed in a controlled and systematic manner.
Q: How are change requests evaluated?
A: Change requests are evaluated based on factors like the importance, urgency, impact, feasibility, and cost of the proposed change, as well as its alignment with organizational objectives and strategies.
Q: What is the difference between a change request and a change order?
A: A change request is a formal change request, while a change order is legal documentation that approves and authorizes the change to be implemented.
Q: Who is responsible for reviewing change requests?
A: Depending on the organization, change requests may be reviewed by a change review board, a change advisory board, project managers, or other designated individuals responsible for evaluating and approving changes.
Q: How long does it take to process a change request?
A: The time it takes to process a change request can vary depending on the complexity of the change, the organization’s change management process, and the availability of resources. It could range from a few days to several weeks.
Q: What happens after a change request is approved?
A: Once a change request is approved, it moves into the implementation phase, where the necessary changes are made, tested, and deployed.
Q: How can I track the status of my change request?
A: Organizational change management processes usually include mechanisms to track the status of change requests. This can be through a change management system, project management software, or manual tracking.
Q: What should I do if my change request is rejected?
A: If your change request is rejected, it is essential to understand why. You may need to revise and resubmit your request or seek clarification on why the change was not approved.

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# Page Title
What is a Compliance Tool? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/compliance-tool

## Page Description

Discover what a Compliance Tool is and why it's essential for your business.  Understand compliance with ease!

## Details

### What is a Compliance Tool?

A Compliance Tool is a specialized software that aids organizations in adhering to legal, industry, and operational standards. It streamlines, ensuring corporate practices meet defined regulations, guidelines, and expectations.
Note: Enhance your compliance actions using Torii’s SaaS Management Platform. It offers unmatched shadow IT visibility, automates the entire application lifecycle, simplifies SaaS ops, and streamlines license management. Check more info here.
A techie might wonder, isn’t a compliance tool just another type of compliance management software? A compliance tool goes beyond managing data—it centralizes compliance monitoring, automates tedious tasks, and supports real-time reporting of compliance audits.
It’s a comprehensive solution encompassing everything from compliance risk management to compliance policy enforcement. This handy tool sifts through the complexities of compliance frameworks, standards, and controls, leaving managers free to focus on decision-making. So, by integrating compliance workflows or streamlining compliance incident management, this tool effectively aids an organization in meeting regulatory compliance solutions.

#### Examples of Compliance Tools

#### Best Practices for Compliance Tool

Search for software that adapts well to your operations and complies with the standards and controls relevant to your industry. Evaluate compliance case studies to identify which solutions best address your needs.
Set a clear and consistent framework for compliance activities. Compliance tracking and analytics are used to pinpoint critical focus areas, and tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform are used for comprehensive oversight.
Set up stringent compliance policy enforcement mechanisms. Compliance management software makes identifying violations easy and initiating remedial action quickly.
Use real-time surveillance to detect potential compliance issues early. Compliance automation can make continuous monitoring feasible, enabling quicker resolution of emergent risks.
Periodically assess your compliance risk management system’s efficacy. These audits can uncover gaps that have been missed during routine monitoring, aiming to prevent future non-compliance.
Ensure your applications and processes are following relevant legislation and regulations. Use compliance automation to keep up with ever-changing regulatory landscapes.
Develop streamlined workflows to simplify the compliance process. Use compliance software to automate this typically manual process, optimizing efficiency.
Create a well-defined process to manage any instances of non-compliance. Compliance management software can assist in logging, tracking, and resolving these incidents.
Continuously update and maintain comprehensive compliance documentation. It’s beneficial for internal reviews, audits, and regulatory inspections. Torii’s SaaS Management Platform can help manage and organize your compliance documentation.
Regularly examine your organization’s adherence to internal policies and external regulations. Use analytics features of compliance tools to evaluate your compliance status and performance.
Good governance is essential to maintain continuous compliance. Assign clear responsibilities, establish transparent processes, and implement a robust oversight mechanism using compliance tools.
Standards offer guidance on industry best practices. By adjusting your processes to meet these standards, you secure your position as a trustworthy actor in your sector.

#### Related Tools for Compliance Tool

#### Related Concepts in Compliance Tool

A Compliance tool is a vast topic; diving deeper into its intricacies can be enlightening. To help you on your journey, here are five critical terms related to Compliance Tool:

#### FAQs: Compliance Tool

Q: What is a compliance tool?
A: A compliance tool is software or technology designed to help organizations meet legal, regulatory, and industry-specific requirements.
Q: What are the different types of compliance tools?
A: There are various types of compliance tools available, including governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) software, data encryption tools, identity and access management solutions, and vulnerability scanning tools.
Q: How can a compliance tool benefit my organization?
A: A compliance tool can streamline compliance processes, reduce manual efforts, help identify and address compliance gaps, provide real-time monitoring and reporting capabilities, and mitigate legal risks.
Q: How does a compliance tool help with regulatory compliance?
A: A compliance tool helps organizations align with regulatory requirements by providing frameworks, policies, and controls that ensure adherence, generating audit-ready reports, and facilitating continuous compliance monitoring.
Q: Are compliance tools suitable for small businesses?
A: Yes, compliance tools come in various sizes and complexities, making them suitable for small businesses. There are affordable, user-friendly solutions designed specifically for the unique needs of small organizations.

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# Page Title
What are Discovery Tools? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/discovery-tools

## Page Description

Unlock  the power of discovery tools! From search engines to content aggregators, learn how these tools help you find what you need. 

## Details

### What are Discovery Tools?

Discovery Tools, often known as discovery software or solutions, play a critical role in IT discovery. This subset of information technology aids IT Managers and Directors with essential functions of the network. These tools can help with network, application, data, asset, and even cloud discovery, offering comprehensive discovery and inventory services.
Note: Discover the power of Torii, your ultimate SaaS discovery tool! Say goodbye to Shadow IT and hello to streamlined operations. Torii’s specialized features enable effortless asset and cloud discovery, ensuring compliance and reducing risks. With custom plugins and integrations, scale your SaaS tasks seamlessly. Check Torii’s SaaS Management Platform with AI powered Shadow IT discovery.
Discovery Tools can map your network or application, manage data or assets, and monitor your IT health.
Automation: Discovery Tools can automate complex tasks, making discovery and automation a clear asset in your IT toolbox.
Discovery and Compliance: The focus on automation doesn’t mean they’re hands-off, though. These tools also support discovery and compliance tasks, ensuring your IT operations align with established standards and regulations. Discovery tools comparison becomes essential when choosing the best fit for your organization’s specific needs.
Multiple Discovery Tools for Every Need: Navigating the discovery tool market may feel overwhelming, but fear not! From top-tier to open-source options, there’s a variety of discovery software tailored to every need. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, these tools simplify inventory, mapping, management, monitoring, and compliance tasks.
Maintaining an efficient and compliant IT environment is crucial in the rapidly evolving world of technology. Discovery Tools are an invaluable resource for IT Managers and Directors. So, whether you’re a budding IT professional or a seasoned veteran, understanding discovery solutions and their capabilities is key.

#### Examples of Discovery Tools

ServiceNow Discovery
ServiceNow Discovery is an enterprise discovery software that helps IT managers and directors identify all devices on their company’s IT network. On top of this, it also efficiently captures the configuration data of these devices. As such, ServiceNow Discovery is an all-inclusive network discovery tool that contributes to overall IT discovery – from hardware discovery to application discovery and everything in between.
Tableau is one of the top discovery tools. Its intelligent software algorithm allows for the swift identification of patterns within vast volumes of data. Data managers can easily comprehend and analyze found patterns through visualizations, making Tableau an extremely user-friendly tool. It doesn’t just aid in data discovery but also in management and monitoring, keeping businesses compliant by ensuring their data is in order.
Real-World Example
One discovery tool is the Torii SaaS Management Platform. Torii is exceptional for its SaaS-specific capabilities, paving the way for automated and streamlined SaaS operations. It is an ideal solution for IT professionals seeking to discover Shadow IT, the unauthorized use of technology within an organization.
Through its various features, Torii enables asset discovery, cloud discovery, and even discovery and compliance at once. This makes it largely beneficial for cost and risk management. Apart from its primary functions, Torii offers versatility with its ability to develop custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps. This discovery and automation feature lets IT departments scale their SaaS-related tasks more efficiently.
Finding the best discovery tools depends mainly on your company’s specific needs. From network and application discovery to data and cloud discovery, there’s a solution for every challenge. In the era of high-speed technology and digital transformation, tools like ServiceNow, Tableau, and Torii prove invaluable for IT professionals.

#### Best Practices for Discovery Tools

Navigating the IT landscape means being acquainted with a variety of discovery tools to help you cut through the fog of war in your organization. These tools, while varied, have some standard best practices for optimal utilization and management.
A practical approach often begins with network discovery tools. These tools give an overview of your IT environment and can illuminate areas such as application discovery and data discovery. The primary goal is to identify and map out all devices and software currently used.
Upon initial discovery, the next step is usually asset discovery. This involves detailed cataloging of hardware and other physical assets. Having comprehensive data on assets aids in proactive management and can be amplified by integrating IT discovery with your existing inventory management software.
While IT discovery primarily covers local networks, leveraging cloud discovery for SaaS applications is essential. As companies utilize more cloud services, having oversight is vital for effective management. Platforms such as Torii SaaS Management can discover Shadow IT, automate operations, and offer visibility over expenditures, offering substantial insights for better action.
After identifying and cataloging all resources – whether network, application, data, asset, or cloud-based – the focus should be discovery and monitoring. Appropriate monitoring can prevent most IT issues before they elevate and facilitate troubleshooting if necessary. Discovery and monitoring are continuous processes that ensure your IT landscape stays controlled.
Another dimension of these tools is discovery and compliance. Employing discovery software assists in meeting compliance requirements, as it provides evidence of your resources and how they are manipulated. More so, discovery and automation go hand-in-hand, limiting manual efforts and reducing human errors.
Additionally, open-source discovery tools may benefit smaller businesses or those looking to keep costs low. However, enterprise discovery tools are typically more comprehensive and designed to handle large-scale operations.
Lastly, performing a discovery tools comparison is advisable before selecting the best discovery tools for your needs. Consider using top discovery tools as a benchmark when choosing your solution. Many users have validated these tools and have a track record of delivering good outcomes.
In summary, identify, catalog, monitor, automate, be compliant, and regularly compare tools for efficacy. Torii SaaS Management Platform is a solid example here as it covers most of these practices—it supports effective management and offers scalable solutions for SaaS applications. Your chosen discovery tools should suit your unique business needs and help streamline your organization’s IT management.

#### Related Concepts

#### FAQs: Discovery Tools

Q: What are discovery tools?
A: Discovery tools are software or services that help users find and gather information from various sources, such as websites, databases, and documents.
Q: How do discovery tools work?
A: Discovery tools typically use advanced algorithms and techniques to search, index, and categorize vast amounts of data, allowing users to find relevant information quickly.
Q: What are the benefits of using discovery tools?
A: Discovery tools can save time and effort by quickly locating required information, improving productivity, and enabling informed decision-making.
Q: Are discovery tools useful for businesses?
A: Yes, discovery tools are particularly beneficial for businesses as they can help in market research, competitive analysis, trend identification, and data-driven decision-making.
Q: Can discovery tools be used for legal purposes?
A: Yes, discovery tools are frequently employed in legal proceedings to search and retrieve relevant electronic documents and evidence.
Q: Do discovery tools provide real-time information?
A: Some discovery tools offer real-time data acquisition features, allowing users to access and analyze the most up-to-date information.
Q: Are discovery tools able to search across multiple sources?
A: Yes, most discovery tools are designed to search and access information from various sources, including online databases, websites, internal systems, and more.
Q: Can discovery tools integrate with other software applications?
A: Many discovery tools offer integration capabilities with popular software applications like customer relationship management (CRM) systems or project management tools.
Q: Are discovery tools user-friendly?
A: Discovery tools vary in terms of user-friendliness, but many are designed to be intuitive and easy to use, requiring minimal training or technical expertise.
Q: What types of data can be discovered using these tools?
A: Discovery tools can help find various data types, including text documents, images, videos, audio files, and structured data from databases.
Q: Can discovery tools be customized to specific needs?
A: Some discovery tools offer customization options, allowing users to configure search parameters, filters, and other settings according to their specific requirements.
Q: Are there free discovery tools available?
A: Yes, free and paid discovery tools are available, with varying features and capabilities depending on the specific tool.
Q: How do I choose the right discovery tool for my needs?
A: To choose the right discovery tool, consider your requirements, budget, the scope of data sources you need to access, and user reviews and ratings.
Q: Are discovery tools secure?
A: Discovery tools often offer security features to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data accessed, such as secure connections and user access controls.
Q: Can discovery tools help with data analysis?
A: Yes, many discovery tools provide features for data analysis and visualization, making it easier for users to derive insights and understand trends from the discovered data.
Q: Do discovery tools require an extensive infrastructure?
A: The infrastructure requirements for discovery tools vary depending on the tool and the volume of accessed data. Some tools may require additional hardware or cloud services for optimal performance.

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# Page Title
What is Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/independent-verification-and-validation

## Page Description

Exploring the world of IV&V  Decode the meaning and significance of Independent Verification and Validation in tech.  #IV&V, Unlock the secrets of IV&V  Dive into the realm of Independent Verification and Validation in tech.  #IVandV

## Details

### What is Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)?

Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) is a unique discipline within software testing and quality assurance. This two-pronged approach systematically scrutinizes every stage of the software development lifecycle. Its primary function is to provide an unbiased assessment of software systems to ensure they are built to the highest quality, using tools such as audit and evaluation, risk management, and process improvement.
Note: Effortlessly manage your system’s lifecycle with Torii’s automated Lifecycle Management. From adoption to optimization, ensure security, reduce redundancy, and stay alert to critical metrics for a streamlined and risk-free SaaS environment. Check out App Lifecycle Management
What if you’re already following standard testing methodologies and coding best practices? Software quality assurance isn’t just about defect tracking, test planning, and execution. IV&V takes it a step further.
Independent verification involves comprehensive code review and requirements analysis to confirm the product meets specifications. This is complemented by validation activities that prove that the system fulfills its intended use.
System Integration Testing: The IV&V process emphasizes system integration testing, designed to expose issues arising from the interaction among different system components.
Test Automation: IV&V also takes advantage of test automation, enabling teams to execute more tests faster and more accurately.
Process Improvement: Moreover, good IV&V practice continues beyond objective assessment. It is actively involved in promoting process improvement to help reduce the number of errors reaching the testing stage. This includes thorough test documentation, which is crucial for understanding the testing approach, actions taken, and outcomes.
Usability Testing: Importantly, IV&V also lends itself to usability testing to establish how intuitive and user-friendly the software is. This ensures that software works properly and is coherent and suitable for end-users.
In summary, Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) is a comprehensive strategy that aims to enhance the overall quality of software systems. Emphasizing independence, attention to detail, and conformance to user needs invariably boosts confidence in the software product and raises the bar for quality assurance.

#### Examples of Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

Enterprise Setting
Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) plays a vital role in ensuring product reliability in software development. One instance of its successful use is within a multinational corporation that employed IV&V across numerous successive software development cycles.
The company adopted verification activities, including systematic code review and rigorous requirements analysis, to scrutinize the product syntax and design accuracy.
By pairing this with validation activities like system integration testing, they could evaluate the finished solution’s functional performance proficiently. Through IV&V, the organization also enhanced its risk management approach by identifying potential issues early, significantly lowering defect density.
Moreover, they saw substantial process improvement and quality assurance, validating the importance of thorough testing in software engineering.
Financial Sector
An international bank incorporated the principles of IV&V in their IT audit and assessment procedures with successful results. They utilized extensive software testing methodologies, such as usability testing, to confirm system output quality and resilience. The bank also deployed a robust defect tracking system to accurately record error frequency and effects, paired with effective test planning and execution.
This proved vital in promoting a clean audit while heightening their digital infrastructure’s overall efficacy. Simultaneously, this exercise, centering on quality assurance, strengthened the bank’s position against potential security threats and performance bottlenecks.
Real-World Example
As digital landscapes become more complex, managing software application portfolios effectively becomes challenging for many businesses. This is where SaaS management platforms like Torii can help immensely.
By applying the principles of IV&V, such as test automation and test documentation, Torii helps IT professionals effectively manage their software assets. It allows them to discover Shadow IT, automating SaaS operations like SaaS on/off-boarding, license optimization, and cost savings.
The test execution and system integration testing that Torii conducts imparts IT managers and directors transparency over SaaS expenditures and enables them to make more informed decisions.
With IV&V and Torii, companies can realize process improvement by streamlining their SaaS management, bringing about significant operational efficiencies.

#### Best Practices for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

To leverage Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) effectively, certain best practices govern this intricate process, often used within the software development lifecycle for quality assurance.
The first step is understanding the concept of IV&V itself, where independent agents assess software performance from a third-party viewpoint, shaping a conducive environment for quality and objectivity in software testing.
A robust testing plan detailing the testing methodologies to be adopted is vital. A clear plan specifies the verification activities for the product stages and validation activities for the final output.
Requirements analysis aids in understanding what the software is expected to accomplish. Prioritizing this helps mitigate potential risks, paving the way for better risk management during development.
Subsequently, the importance of code review cannot be overlooked. Regular evaluations keep glitches in check, contributing to the defect-tracking process. This step helps to maintain a high standard of coding practices and reduces the number of detected bugs during the testing phase.
Following this, system integration testing is conducted. Different software modules are tested individually, indirectly providing a combined system’s compliance estimation concerning the specified requirements.
Test automation can save much-needed time in the software testing process. This approach also ensures a higher accuracy level, minimizing human errors associated with repetitive tasks.
Usability testing, another crucial component of IV&V, verifies if the intended audience can easily use the software.
In addition, sticking to recommended procedures and templates for test documentation gives consistency to the testing process, offering a clear picture of testing artifacts.
Lastly, performing an audit and assessment brings accountability to the entire process. This step ensures that all the planned activities and tasks are carried out correctly and effectively, guaranteeing overall process improvement.
One tool that can streamline these processes is the Torii SaaS Management Platform. This platform facilitates these tasks by solving challenges related to Shadow IT and automating SaaS operations like on and offboarding, license optimization, and cost-saving.
Additionally, it ensures clear visibility of SaaS expenditures, an attribute crucial to any software development environment.
Apart from these, its capability to permit IT professionals to construct custom plugins and integrations for cloud applications feeds process improvement, establishing it as a valuable IV&V companion.

#### Related Tools for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

#### Related Concepts in Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

#### FAQs: Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

Q: What is IV&V?
A: IV&V stands for Independent Verification and Validation. It is a process that involves reviewing and evaluating a system or software to ensure its performance, reliability, and compliance with requirements.
Q: Why is IV&V important?
A: IV&V helps identify and address potential issues or defects in a system or software before deployment. It provides an independent perspective and helps to verify that the system or software meets the desired objectives and requirements.
Q: What are the benefits of IV&V?
A: IV&V helps to reduce risks, improve quality, and increase the chances of project success. It provides an unbiased evaluation of the system or software, identifies potential problems early on, and ensures that it meets the needs and expectations of the stakeholders.
Q: What is the difference between Verification and Validation?
A: Verification involves checking if a system or software meets specified requirements, while validation ensures that it meets the intended use and user needs. Verification focuses on “Are we building the system right?” while validation focuses on “Are we building the right system?”
Q: How is IV&V performed?
A: IV&V is performed through activities such as reviewing documentation, conducting inspections, testing functionality, analyzing performance, and evaluating compliance with standards and regulations. It involves independent experts who are separate from the development process.
Q: Who typically performs IV&V?
A: IV&V is typically performed by independent third-party experts evaluating systems or software. These experts have the necessary knowledge, skills, and expertise to complete the verification and validation activities effectively.
Q: When should IV&V be conducted?
A: IV&V should be conducted throughout the development lifecycle of a system or software. It is beneficial to start early to catch potential issues and continue periodically until the system or software is deployed. It can also be performed during maintenance and upgrades.
Q: How long does IV&V take?
A: The duration of IV&V depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the system or software, the size of the project, and the scope of the verification and validation activities. It can range from a few weeks to several months.
Q: How much does IV&V cost?
A: The cost of IV&V varies depending on factors such as the size and complexity of the system or software, the scope of the verification and validation activities, and the expertise of the independent experts. It is best to consult with IV&V service providers for accurate cost estimates.
Q: What is the difference between IV&V and QA testing?
A: IV&V is a broader process that includes activities like documentation review, analysis, compliance evaluation, and testing. On the other hand, it focuses mainly on testing the functionality, performance, and quality of the system or software. SQA testing o, IV&V includes QA testing as a part of its activities.

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# Page Title
What is an IT Administrator? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/it-administrator

## Page Description

 Discover the essential role of an IT Administrator, the go-to expert for managing and maintaining technology systems.

## Details

### What is an IT Administrator?

An IT Administrator or Information Technology Administrator is a technical professional responsible for managing and maintaining an organization’s technological operations and strategies. Spanning a variety of specialist roles like system administrator, database administrator, network administrator, and server administrator, an IT administrator oversees, optimizes, and secures the core IT infrastructure of a business.
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Noise aside, what exactly does an IT Administrator do? An IT Administrator typically includes – but isn’t limited to – roles such as the Security Administrator, responsible for ensuring that the organization’s information systems and data are protected; the Cloud Administrator, who manages and monitors enterprise cloud computing strategies and implementations; and the IT Operations Administrator, focused on maintaining the operations of all user and enterprise IT infrastructure.
Technical Assistance and Support: As an IT Support Administrator, they provide technical assistance and support, resolving software and hardware issues across the organization. As an IT Infrastructure Administrator, these professionals are tasked with designing, installing, and managing a company’s IT systems.
Implement IT Strategies and Policies: We have an IT Governance Administrator who helps formulate and implement the organization’s IT strategies and policies. The IT Project Administrator ensures that IT projects are adequately planned, executed, and monitored, while the IT Service Administrator oversees IT service delivery within an organization.
Review and Update IT Policies: On a broader scale, the IT Policy Administrator creates, reviews, and updates IT policies; the IT Asset Administrator manages all IT assets; and the IT Change Administrator handles changes and developments within an organization’s digital infrastructure. The IT Risk Administrator governs risk factors, whereas the IT Compliance Administrator ensures the company adheres to relevant laws, regulations, and standards.
Manage Response to IT Disruptions: The pivotal roles of the IT Disaster Recovery Administrator, who plans and manages responses to IT disruptions, and the IT Vendor Administrator, who oversees suppliers of IT products and services, should not be overlooked. In summary, an IT Administrator aligns technology systems and operations with the organization’s needs, making a crucial contribution to business success in the digital age.

#### Examples of IT Administrator

Enterprise Setting
One example of an IT Administrator role is at a growing tech startup, where the need for managing IT resources and infrastructure is high. This person designs and oversees local and wide area networks and system installations. They manage servers, install firewalls, and troubleshoot network issues. Even with a small team, they shoulder immense responsibility for the seamless running of the IT systems.
Small and Medium Businesses
In a multi-national corporation, the IT Administrator takes on a strategic role. They focus on big-picture IT strategies while managing a global IT team. Coordinating with third-party vendors, crafting system recovery plans, and ensuring corporate data security are central tasks. They often manage large, complex, and geographically diverse IT infrastructures.
Real-World Example
For institutions like universities, the IT Administrator handles unique challenges. They configure, maintain, and upgrade hardware and software across academic and administrative units. Frequently dealing with high volumes of data and wide server networks, they ensure smooth network functionality for thousands of faculty, staff, and students. Additionally, they strategize about network security and user privacy, prioritizing the sensitivity of research data often generated in academic settings.

#### Best Practices for IT Administrators

Best practices for an IT administrator involve a multi-faceted approach that keeps every department in the IT industry functioning at optimal levels. The role of a system administrator, for instance, heavily consists of installing, supporting, and maintaining servers and other computer systems. Staying abreast of the latest updates and optimizing regularly for maximum system performance is crucial.
Design and Setup of Network
On the other hand, a network administrator focuses on the design, setup, and maintenance of networks. They should consistently monitor network performance, apply necessary security upgrades, and troubleshoot any issue that may arise promptly. Similarly, a database administrator should always ensure that databases are secure, operational, and free from unauthorized access.
Management of Server Hardware and Software
Moving on to the server administrator, their role revolves around managing and maintaining server hardware and software. Here, regular system checkups and prompt problem-solving are crucial in their duties. Meanwhile, a security administrator is paramount in safeguarding an organization’s data from threats. Regular security audits and knowledge of the latest security protocols are imperative.
Manage Cloud-Based Assets and IT Operations
Then, cloud and IT operations administrators manage cloud-based assets and everyday IT operations, respectively. They must keep an eye on simplifying processes for efficiency, whether by automating SaaS operations or managing cloud resources strategically.
Similarly, the IT support and infrastructure administrators focus on providing necessary support to the IT team and ensuring a robust and reliable tech framework. On the governance side, the IT governance administrator has the delicate task of adhering to rules and regulations while ensuring the organization’s IT aligns with business goals.
Policy Implementation and Guidelines
From IT project administration to policy administration, these roles involve effective planning, policy implementation, and ensuring up-to-date guidelines. Other roles like IT service, asset, change, risk, compliance, disaster recovery, and vendor administration further contribute to the aligned functioning of the IT department, each with its unique focus and purpose.
Use of Management Tools
Fundamental in these roles are good planning, risk identification, rule adherence, continuous learning, and embracing change. Also, utilizing platforms like Torii SaaS Management can assist in these roles immensely. Its ability to simplify SaaS operations, discover shadow IT, optimize SaaS license usage, and provide visibility over SaaS expenditures makes it an invaluable tool.
It is particularly beneficial for an IT asset administrator, vendor administrator, and operations administrator who frequently handles these aspects. This platform also allows for the development of custom plugins and integrations, empowering IT professionals to scale their SaaS-related work with better insight, thus leading to better action.

#### Related Tools for IT Administrators

#### Related Concepts in IT Administrators

#### FAQs: IT Administrator

Q: What is an IT Administrator?
A: An IT Administrator is a professional responsible for managing computer networks, systems, and software within an organization.
Q: What are the duties of an IT Administrator?
A: An IT Administrator is typically responsible for network maintenance, software installation and updates, security management, user support, and troubleshooting technical issues.
Q: What skills are required to become an IT Administrator?
A: A successful IT Administrator should have skills in network administration, cybersecurity, systems management, troubleshooting, software installation, and user support.
Q: How can I become an IT Administrator?
A: To become an IT Administrator, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in information technology or a related field, along with relevant certifications such as CompTIA Network+, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), or Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
Q: What is the average salary of an IT Administrator?
A: The average salary of an IT Administrator varies depending on factors such as experience, location, and industry. However, the average national salary in the United States is around $62,000 annually.
Q: What is the career outlook for IT Administrators?
A: The career outlook for IT Administrators is favorable as businesses continue to rely heavily on technology. This field is expected to grow steadily in job opportunities in the coming years.
Q: What are the typical working hours for an IT Administrator?
A: IT Administrators usually work full-time, following regular office hours. However, some organizations may require IT Administrators to be available for on-call or after-hours support.
Q: What are the standard tools used by IT Administrators?
A: IT Administrators use various tools such as network monitoring software, security software, ticketing systems, remote access tools, and configuration management tools to manage and support IT infrastructure effectively.
Q: How can an IT Administrator improve network security?
A: IT Administrators can enhance network security by implementing intense and frequent password policies, regularly updating software and security patches, using firewalls and antivirus software, and educating users about cybersecurity best practices.
Q: What is the difference between IT and Network Administrators?
A: While both roles involve managing computer networks, an IT Administrator has a broader scope that includes operating systems, software, and user support, whereas a Network Administrator primarily focuses on network infrastructure and connectivity.
Q: How can an IT Administrator handle technical issues efficiently?
A: IT Administrators can efficiently handle technical issues by utilizing troubleshooting methodologies, documenting known issues and resolutions, staying updated with the latest technology, and collaborating with other IT professionals for problem-solving.

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# Page Title
What is IT Assessment? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/it-assessment

## Page Description

 Discover the world of IT assessment with our comprehensive glossary! Unravel the complexities of this essential process. #ITassessment #techglossary

## Details

### What is IT Assessment?

An IT Assessment, also known as Information Technology Assessment, is a comprehensive evaluation of an organization’s IT environment to scrutinize its efficiency, security, and overall governance. It encompasses a vast array of distinct yet interconnected elements, including IT audit, IT risk assessment, IT security assessment, and a multitude of other key facets in maintaining a robust and dynamic technological framework.
Note: Looking to simplify your IT assessments? Automate SaaS operations, gain visibility over expenditures and integrate custom plugins for cloud apps with Torii. Take control with Torii’s SaaS Management Platform now!
Have you ever considered if your organization’s IT structure is in accord with its tactical goals? An IT assessment performs an IT compliance assessment and IT governance assessment to ensure that your technological systems meet regulatory demands and align with your organization’s strategic requirements and growth projections. This evaluation sets the stage for essential functions such as an IT controls assessment and an IT vulnerability assessment, both of which work in sync to pinpoint and rectify any potential threats lurking within your IT ecosystem.
Identify IT Gaps: Another crucial aspect of an IT assessment is identifying the gaps present in your IT infrastructure via an IT gap analysis. This, combined with an IT system assessment and an IT maturity assessment, aids in comprehending the continuation and emergence of new technological trends, capitalizing on current IT assets assessed by an IT asset assessment and closing gaps that may be hindering progress or presenting security risks.
Assess Organization’s IT Change Management: Furthermore, assessing your organization’s IT change management, a necessary part of an IT assessment, ensures smooth transitions during infrastructure updates or overhauls, while an IT performance assessment reviews the efficiency of your IT operations. Equally important are IT incident response assessments and IT disaster recovery assessments that guarantee your business can bounce back promptly and effectively from unexpected disruptions or complications.
Determine IT Recovery Time: In the event of a disaster, your IT backup assessment, along with an IT recovery time objective assessment, aids in determining how quickly your business operations can be restored. An IT service management assessment then comes into play to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of IT services across your organization. Lastly, an IT project assessment is fundamental in ensuring that all IT projects are on track, delivering expected outcomes, and serving your business priorities.
In conclusion, an IT assessment is not a standalone procedure; instead, it is an ensemble of numerous assessments, each strategically aligned to provide you with a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of your organization’s overall IT health and performance.

#### Examples of IT Assessment

Education Sector
The State Education Department commissioned an IT assessment to improve information management. The IT team evaluated the current system’s performance, user experience, and data security protocols. The results identified redundant processes, inadequate data protection measures, and outdated software that halted productivity. The department implemented recommendations, boosting efficiency and data security.
Healthcare Industry
A healthcare provider was struggling with its patient data management system. It was slow and prone to errors, undermining overall patient care. An IT assessment identified that the software lacked integration capabilities with modern systems, resulting in slow performance. Based on the assessment, they transitioned to a cloud-based system, enhancing their service delivery and patient satisfaction.
E-Commerce Setting
A retail giant aiming to update its e-commerce platform sought an IT assessment. The scrutiny covered site traffic handling, user-friendly navigation, and transaction safety. Post-assessment, the retailer discovered a sprawling user interface and real-time transaction processing difficulties. Acting on this point, they upgraded to an AI-powered platform that elevated customer experience and increased online sales.

#### Best Practices for IT Assessment

Applying best practices for IT assessment begins with a clear understanding of your organization’s current IT landscape. A comprehensive IT audit is crucial in providing this insight. It involves a detailed evaluation of your IT infrastructure, systems, and controls, from security to governance.
Undergo IT Risk Assessment
Start the process with an IT risk assessment to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure. This includes an IT security assessment, which identifies any weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious entities. This is where the Torii SaaS Management Platform stands out; it helps in detecting Shadow IT, accelerating the vulnerability assessment.
Perform IT Compliance Assessment
In addition to security, it’s important to perform an IT compliance assessment to ensure that your IT processes and systems are in line with applicable laws and regulations. This includes evaluating IT governance to establish whether the organization’s IT strategy aligns with its business objectives.
Conduct IT Control Assessment
Conduct an IT control assessment to determine the effectiveness of your IT control environment in managing risks, maintaining data integrity, and supporting business goals. This should also involve an IT asset assessment to understand the nature and value of your IT assets and how efficiently they are being used.
Measure IT Processes Maturity
Upon identifying gaps through an IT gap analysis, measure your IT processes’ maturity using an IT maturity assessment. Then, implement changes through an IT change management assessment. Part of this evolution is considering IT service management assessment to validate that your IT services are properly aligned with your business needs.
Conduct IT Disaster Recovery Assessment
For a resilient IT system, it’s vital to ascertain your organization’s preparedness for disasters with an IT disaster recovery assessment. Complement this with an IT backup assessment to confirm that important data is safely backed up. Use the IT recovery time objective assessment to measure your IT system’s ability to recover within an acceptable timeframe after a disruptive incident.
Review with IT Performance Assessment
A successful IT assessment should be rounded off with an IT performance assessment to measure your IT delivery performance. Consider also an IT incident response assessment to gauge the effectiveness of your incident response plan. Don’t forget the IT project assessment to check the feasibility and workability of your IT projects.
Use of Management Tools
At each stage, the Torii SaaS Management Platform can streamline and simplify the process. Its ability to automate SaaS operations, provide visibility over SaaS expenditures, and even allow for the development of custom plugins and integrations for their cloud apps provides a robust and comprehensive platform for IT assessment. This way, you gain more insights and are able to take better, more informed action.

#### Related Tools for IT Assessment

#### Related Concepts in IT Assessment

#### FAQs: IT Assessment

Q: What is an IT assessment?
A: An IT assessment is a comprehensive analysis of an organization’s IT systems, infrastructure, and processes to evaluate their efficiency, security, and alignment with business goals.
Q: Why is an IT assessment important?
A: An IT assessment helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement in an organization’s IT environment. It enables informed decision-making, helps prioritize investments, and ensures efficient use of resources.
Q: What does an IT assessment include?
A: An IT assessment typically includes evaluating hardware, software, network infrastructure, data security measures, backup and disaster recovery systems, IT policies and procedures, as well as assessing the organization’s goals, needs, and challenges.
Q: How long does an IT assessment take?
A: The duration of an IT assessment depends on the size and complexity of the organization’s IT environment. It can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to complete a thorough assessment.
Q: Who conducts an IT assessment?
A: IT assessments are usually performed by experienced IT consultants or internal IT teams with expertise in assessing and analyzing IT systems.
Q: What are the benefits of an IT assessment?
A: An IT assessment provides insights into the overall health of an organization’s IT infrastructure, identifies risks and vulnerabilities, improves operational efficiency, optimizes IT spending, and helps align IT with business objectives.
Q: How often should an IT assessment be conducted?
A: The frequency of IT assessments depends on factors such as the organization’s size, industry, and rate of technological change. Generally, assessments are recommended every 1-3 years or when significant changes occur in the business environment.
Q: Can an IT assessment help in cybersecurity?
A: Yes, an IT assessment plays a crucial role in cybersecurity. It helps identify vulnerabilities, assess the effectiveness of security measures, recommend improvements, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
Q: What is the cost of an IT assessment?
A: The cost of an IT assessment varies depending on factors such as the scope of the assessment, the size of the organization, and the expertise of the professionals conducting it. It is best to request a quote from IT consultants or service providers.
Q: How should an organization prepare for an IT assessment?
A: To prepare for an IT assessment, an organization should gather information about its IT systems, inventory hardware and software, document network configurations, and be prepared to provide access to relevant documentation and personnel.

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# Page Title
What is an IT Service Manager? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/it-service-manager

## Page Description

Optimize IT operations and enhance service delivery with effective IT Service Management (ITSM).  Leverage advanced tools for streamlined process automation, improved efficiency, and robust security management.

## Details

### What is an IT Service Manager?

What is an IT Service Manager (ITSM)?
An IT Service Manager (ITSM) is critical to an organization’s IT department. They are responsible for ensuring all operations function optimally to support business objectives. ITSM entails various tasks such as service desk management, service delivery management, and service level management, where service quality and efficiency are essential from a user’s standpoint.
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What is the essence of IT Service Management? The core responsibilities of an ITSM span from managing the service catalog, which details all IT services provisioned by the organization, to overseeing incident and problem management.
These components ensure a rapid, efficient response to any technical issues or hitches experienced within the organization. Asset management and configuration management are also within the purview of an IT Service Manager, focusing on maintaining the integrity, reliability, and value of organizational assets.
Change and Release Management: Change management and release management are also integral to the ITSM role. These processes effectively manage any modifications within the IT infrastructure, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruptions to services. Then there’s service request management, which deals with receiving and cataloging users’ demands for services, and service continuity management, which ensures services are not interrupted even in unprecedented scenarios.
Service Management: An influential ITSM role also anticipates future needs via service reporting, service performance management, and service improvement, enabling an organization to remain adaptive and agile. That means having a solid service strategy in place to guide IT services and a comprehensive service design to outline how services meet tactical and strategic business objectives.
Governance: Finally, service governance is critical to enforce accountability and ensure all IT services align with the business’s strategic goals. An IT Service Manager implements diverse methodologies throughout the company, enabling seamless tech utilization in driving company success.
The goal is to ensure the organization derives maximum value from its technology infrastructure, providing an effective and efficient user experience.
Small and Medium Businesses
David, an IT Service Manager at a mid-size financial company, recognized problems in the consistency and quality of services. David implemented ‘service management’ across the IT department. He rolled out a strategy that made ‘service delivery management’ a critical focal point, aiming to increase efficiency and decrease downtimes. His approach included adding ‘incident management’ and ‘problem management’ to address and resolve any arising issues that arose swiftly. Within a short span, David’s ‘service level management’ saw significant improvement, upholding the department’s success.
Enterprise Setting
Lisa, a seasoned IT Director for a thriving retail chain, faced the challenge of software upgrades across numerous stores. She adopted a ‘change management’ and ‘release management’ approach, coordinating updates centrally to avoid disruption. Lisa also carried out rigorous configuration and asset management to ensure her organization’s vast number of devices, software, and networks were appropriately utilized and managed. With these steps, Lisa ensured her company’s IT infrastructure stayed robust, and the ‘service continuity management’ kept the business running smoothly without technological hiccups.
Real-World Example
Robert is a proactive IT Service Manager at a tech company. Utilizing the Torii SaaS management platform, Robert stepped up ‘service desk management.’ With Torii, he discovered Shadow IT and automated several SaaS operations. His exemplified ‘service request management’ achieved through optimizing SaaS licenses and saving costs. Furthermore, Robert’s company gained vital oversight with ‘service reporting,’ enabling them to evaluate ‘service performance management’ and actively work on ‘service improvement.’ By implementing ‘service governance,’ Robert enhanced the transparency and effectively structured the ‘service strategy’ and ‘service design.’
Each real-world example highlighted the immense utilities the right technical know-how and decision-making could bring to ‘service catalog management,’ transforming how IT operations are handled.

#### Best Practices for IT Service Manager (ITSM)

Utilizing best practices as an IT Service Manager involves focusing on several key management areas.
Service management and IT service management form the foundation for effective performance. This entails handling requests, responding to incidents, and facilitating change, all of which are integral tasks that require a firm grasp of incident management, problem management, and change management skills.
Building on this foundation, service desk management becomes pivotal. It serves as the first point of call when addressing issues and needs keen oversight to handle inflow and escalation effectively. In parallel, service delivery management ensures that the IT services align with business needs and consistently meet the set service level management targets.
Equally important is the role of service catalog management. This process maintains information regarding all the IT services offered to the organization. With a well-orchestrated service catalog, IT managers can streamline service request management and execute effective service continuity management.
The complexity of IT systems today necessitates proactive measures for release management, configuration management, and asset management—critical steps toward ensuring stability and control over IT infrastructure. A platform like Torii can help facilitate these measures, offering comprehensive insights into asset usage and enabling IT professionals to maintain control over their software environment.
Service reporting and service performance management are critical drivers for ongoing improvement. They enable you to measure and track the effectiveness of your IT services and identify improvement areas. Here, Torii’s SaaS Management Platform comes into play, enabling IT professionals to automate operations and optimize service usage, thus driving cost savings.
Service governance, service strategy, and service design form critical elements of successful service management. These areas navigate long-term tactical decisions, align IT services with business strategy, and shape service offerings.
With Torii at the helm, IT managers can bring to life a resilient and adaptable IT ecosystem capable of scaling according to business needs while maintaining stringent oversight to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. This reflects the ultimate goal of IT Service Management best practices leveraging technology to foster business growth and agility.

#### Related Tools for IT Service Manager (ITSM)

#### Related Concepts in IT Service Manager (ITSM) Role

#### FAQs: IT Service Manager (ITSM)

Q: What does an IT service manager do?
A: An IT service manager oversees the delivery and management of IT services within an organization. They ensure that IT services are aligned with business goals, handle technology deployment and maintenance, and manage a team of IT professionals.
Q: What are the critical skills required for an IT service manager?
A: Key skills for an IT service manager include strong technical knowledge, project management abilities, excellent communication and leadership skills, problem-solving capabilities, and a deep understanding of IT service management frameworks such as ITIL.
Q: What qualifications or certifications are needed to become an IT service manager?
A: While specific qualifications vary, most IT service managers have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as computer science or information technology. Popular certifications include ITIL Foundation, ITIL Practitioner, PMP (Project Management Professional), and Six Sigma.
Q: What is ITIL?
A: ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library. It is a widely adopted framework that provides best practices for IT service management. ITIL helps organizations align their IT services with business needs, improve service delivery, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Q: How much does an IT service manager earn?
A: The salary of an IT service manager can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and the organization’s size. On average, IT service managers earn around $80,000 to $120,000 annually.
Q: What are some common challenges faced by IT service managers?
A: Common challenges for IT service managers include managing complex IT environments, ensuring service quality and uptime, handling budget constraints, addressing security and compliance issues, and managing customer expectations.
Q: What tools do IT service managers use?
A: IT service managers often use various tools to support their work, such as IT service management software (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Management), project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Trello), monitoring and incident management tools (e.g., Nagios, Splunk), and collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack).
Q: How can IT service managers improve customer satisfaction?
A: IT service managers can improve customer satisfaction by implementing effective communication channels, defining and meeting service level agreements (SLAs), adopting self-service options, providing timely incident resolutions, and continuously evaluating and improving service quality.
Q: What are the different IT service management frameworks?
A: In addition to ITIL, other popular IT service management frameworks include COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies), ISO/IEC 20000 (International Standard for Service Management), and DevOps (Development and Operations).
Q: What are the career prospects for IT service managers?
A: Career prospects for IT service managers are promising as businesses increasingly rely on technology and IT services. With experience and continuous professional development, IT service managers can progress to higher-level positions such as IT director, IT operations manager, or IT service delivery manager.

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# Page Title
What Are the Best ITSM Products for IT Teams? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/itsm-products

## Page Description

Discover the top ITSM products for IT teams! Explore tactics, best practices, and tips for navigating this crucial question.  Elevate your IT operations! #ITSM #TechTools

## Details

### What Are the Best ITSM Products for IT Teams?

Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of IT Service Management (ITSM) products out there? You’re not alone. Choosing the right ITSM solution for your IT team can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With countless options promising the moon and stars, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. But don’t worry, we’re here to cut through the clutter and provide you with clear, actionable advice on selecting the best ITSM products for your needs. Ready to streamline your IT operations and make a real difference? Keep reading. And if you’re curious to dive deeper into App Lifecycle Automation, visit toriihq.com.

#### Top ITSM Products for IT Teams

When examining the best IT Service Management (ITSM) products for IT teams, it’s essential to look at tools that streamline service processes, automate incident resolution, and elevate service delivery. You want a product that allows central management of IT services, efficient handling of service requests, and self-service options for users. So, which platforms stand out?
ServiceNow often tops the list. Why? It offers a comprehensive suite that includes incident, problem, and change management modules. Users love its automation capabilities, which reduce repetitive tasks. ServiceNow also shines with its configurable dashboards for real-time insights, helping teams monitor performance and optimize service operations.

##### InvGate Service Management

InvGate Service Management is the most flexible, no-code ITSM software in the market for IT teams and beyond. It comes packed with out-of-the box capabilities, ITIL-ready functionalities, AI-powered features, and a drag-and-drop workflow builder that makes it perfect for Enterprise Service Management.
What about BMC Helix ITSM? It’s another heavyweight in the field. It integrates AI for automated incident resolution and predictive service management. BMC Helix also provides a unified interface for managing IT services, which makes it easier for IT teams to track requests and deliver quality services.

##### Jira Service Management by Atlassian

Jira Service Management, from Atlassian, is favored for its simplicity and integration capabilities. If your team uses Jira for software development, this is a natural fit. Jira Service Management helps align IT and development teams by providing seamless incident and change management processes, along with powerful reporting tools.

##### Freshservice by Freshworks

Next, consider Freshservice by Freshworks. It’s particularly user-friendly and great for smaller to mid-sized teams. Freshservice offers robust automation, a clean interface, and comprehensive IT asset management. It includes a powerful self-service portal that helps users resolve issues independently, freeing up your IT team for more critical tasks.

##### Ivanti Neurons for ITSM

Ivanti Neurons for ITSM also merits attention. It utilizes machine learning to optimize service and operational efficiency. Ivanti’s strength lies in its ability to integrate with other tools and provide a centralized platform for various IT workflows. The analytics and reporting features help teams track KPIs and improve service performance continuously.

##### SolarWinds Service Desk

Don’t overlook SolarWinds Service Desk. Known for its affordability and ease of use, it’s a solid choice for SMBs. The platform is cloud-based and offers automated workflows, a user-friendly interface, and clear reporting. It excels at providing quick set-up times, making it a favorite for teams that need a solution up and running fast.
Each of these products has its strengths and complexities, from comprehensive reporting to advanced automation capabilities. Selecting the right ITSM product depends on your team’s specific needs, the size of your organization, and the existing tools you use. Keep in mind, understanding your workflow and key requirements is essential before making a decision.

#### Best Practices for Implementing ITSM Solutions

Investing in the right IT Service Management (ITSM) solution is just the beginning. The true value of these tools comes from how well they are implemented and integrated into your IT workflows. Here are some actionable best practices to ensure a successful deployment and maximize the benefits of your chosen ITSM product.
1. Define Clear Objectives and KPIs
Before you begin the implementation, outline clear, measurable objectives you wish to achieve with your ITSM tool. These could range from reducing resolution times, improving user satisfaction, or achieving higher levels of service availability. Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with these objectives to track progress and measure success over time.
2. Conduct a Thorough Needs Assessment
A needs assessment helps identify the specific requirements that your ITSM solution must address. Engage key stakeholders, including IT staff, end-users, and management, to gather comprehensive input. This will assist in tailoring the ITSM product features to better suit your organization’s needs.
3. Customize and Configure Thoughtfully
While most ITSM tools come with a range of robust features, it’s important to tailor the configuration to your unique workflows. Over-customization can lead to complexity, so focus on aligning the system with your most critical processes first. Set up workflows, notifications, and automation rules that streamline operations without overwhelming the team.
4. Plan for Integration
Integrating your ITSM solution with other tools in your tech stack—such as monitoring systems, communication platforms, and project management tools—can enhance efficiency and provide a more cohesive workflow. For instance, if your organization uses Jira for development, make sure your ITSM tool seamlessly integrates with it. Learn more about this integration capability if you’re considering products like Jira Service Management.
5. Encourage Self-Service Adoption
Many modern ITSM solutions, including Freshservice and Ivanti Neurons for ITSM, offer powerful self-service portals. Encourage users to utilize these portals for common issues and service requests. This can drastically reduce the burden on your IT team, allowing them to focus on higher-priority tasks.
6. Embrace Automation
Automation can take your IT service management to the next level. Tools like ServiceNow and BMC Helix ITSM offer advanced automation capabilities. Utilize these features to automate repetitive tasks such as ticket routing, incident categorization, and standard responses. This allows your team to focus on more complex troubleshooting and strategic initiatives.
7. Train Your Team and End-Users
Proper training is crucial for successful adoption. Conduct comprehensive training sessions for your IT team to ensure they are adept at using the new system. Also, provide resources and training to end-users to familiarize them with self-service options and the new ticketing processes.
8. Monitor and Optimize
After implementation, keep a close eye on system performance and user feedback. Use the analytic and reporting features of your ITSM tool to track KPIs and identify areas of improvement. Whether it’s through configurable dashboards in ServiceNow or predictive analytics in BMC Helix, continuous monitoring will help you fine-tune operations for optimal performance.
9. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement
An effective ITSM strategy is not a one-time setup but an evolving practice. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement within your IT team. Regularly review processes, incorporate user feedback, and stay updated with the latest features and best practices offered by your ITSM tool providers. For instance, if you decide to adopt a SaaS Management Platform (SMP) like Torii, ensure you keep abreast of their ongoing innovations. Learn more about Torii by visiting toriihq.com.

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# Page Title
What is a Log Analysis? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/log-analysis

## Page Description

Unlock insights and enhance system performance with log analysis.  Tap into actionable intelligence, streamline operations, and safeguard against threats with advanced analysis techniques.

## Details

### What is a Log Analysis?

What is Log Analysis?
Log Analysis (LA) is the analytical method through which digital log data from various sources is gathered, classified, and reviewed to extract essential information and insights.
These insights derived from log analysis tools are essential for identifying system errors, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring optimum functionality of IT resources.
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How can you successfully carry out this seemingly intricate process? The answer lies in effective techniques such as data contrasting, pattern recognition, correlation analysis, and trend identification. These techniques ensure an accurate and robust log analysis process, akin to assembling a puzzle and discerning an overall pattern.
Use of Log Analysis Metrics and Software: Common examples include network anomaly detection, system troubleshooting, and cyber-security threat identification. IT managers apply different analysis metrics and use various software to carry out these tasks. Software like Splunk, Datadog, and Sumologic are among the top choices.
Efficient Analysis Process: Adopting log analysis best practices ensures an efficient analysis process. This includes providing steady log management, employing automated tools, and staying up to date with log analysis trends, such as the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Log Analysis Challenges: The process does present some log analysis challenges, such as handling large amounts of data, the varying format of log files, and the need for real-time analysis.
Log Analysis Benefits: Despite these challenges, the benefits are significant. They include improved system performance, enhanced security, efficient troubleshooting, and informed decision-making processes.
Incorporate Log Analysis Framework: Log analysis solutions often employ a structured log analysis framework, which dictates the data gathering, processing, and concluding steps. The framework navigates the application of analytical methods, report generation, and identifying patterns and anomalies.
Adopt Automation Tools: Modern automation tools bring another layer to this process, adding efficiency and speed. With log analysis automation, IT managers can swiftly go through large volumes of log data, identify correlations, and notice security threats in real-time.
In conclusion, log analysis is a critical managerial function for IT departments. Whether for troubleshooting, security, or network anomaly detection, the method is a vanguard of efficient and effective system management.
Security Management
A prominent use of log analysis is within the realm of security management. By leveraging advanced log analysis tools, cybersecurity experts can parse through logs from various systems to identify any suspicious activity.
Log analysis methods may span from simple pattern recognition to more robust correlation analyses that aim to pinpoint intricate threats hidden amidst regular activity. However, devouring enormous amounts of log data can pose significant challenges to analysis.
To make the task manageable, companies often use log analysis automation, the best practice in this space. Automation allows log data processing in real-time, ensuring threats are identified as soon as possible.
Troubleshooting System Issues
IT managers often sort through system logs when resolving application or infrastructure issues. In these scenarios, log analysis examples typically involve deep-diving into the details of system operations to locate abnormal patterns or errors.
Utilizing appropriate log analysis techniques such as time series analysis, IT managers can diagnose a problematic incident’s origin and subsequent ripple effects throughout the system. Effective log analysis solutions streamline this troubleshooting process and reduce system downtime.
SaaS Management Platform
The Torii SaaS Management Platform represents an innovative approach to log analysis within the SaaS environment. This platform allows IT professionals to discover Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and obtain visibility over SaaS expenditures.
Using Torii, IT teams can generate a detailed log analysis report showcasing patterns of SaaS usage throughout the organization. This log data can also feed into the automated SaaS onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure optimized license utilization and cost savings.
By integrating Torii’s log analysis software into their operations, IT managers can decipher the log analysis metrics and utilize them to improve SaaS-related work scalability. Log analysis with the Torii platform underscores the beneficial trend of leveraging log data for strategic decision-making.
This way, IT departments can convert insights from the log analysis process into meaningful actions, underlining the extensive log analysis benefits at play.

#### Best Practices for Log Analysis

Log analysis is a crucial aspect of an effective IT management strategy. Employing rigorous log analysis techniques can help synthesize large volumes of data into actionable insights, identify potential security threats, troubleshoot system issues, and optimize overall IT operations. A structured log analysis process, underpinned by transparency and automation, is the cornerstone of a successful IT strategy.
Begin with the selection of effective log analysis tools. The right software can streamline the process, facilitate sophisticated log analysis methods, and easily handle complex tasks.
Torii SaaS Management Platform, for instance, can simplify log analysis by providing critical insights into your IT operations. It not only helps in discovering Shadow IT but also automates SaaS operations, providing visibility over SaaS expenditures. It amicably bridges the gap between log analysis and practical software management.
Remember, the application of a structured log analysis framework necessitates a well-defined set of log analysis metrics. These help identify patterns, trends, and anomalies within your logged data. Embrace automation in this process. Automating mundane tasks like log collection and aggregation can save countless hours and improve productivity.
Dive deeper into the analysis by applying log correlation. This technique highlights relationships between log entries, enabling efficient problem identification and quicker troubleshooting. Log correlation also plays a vital role in improving your system’s security.
Overcome log analysis challenges by encouraging transparency and promoting a culture of systemic learning among your IT team. Organize regular discussions on log analysis examples to foster a sense of collective knowledge building around potential threats and solutions.
Understandably, the benefits of log analysis extend beyond security. Effective log analysis techniques can also spot inefficiencies in your systems, leading to potential cost savings and optimized resource allocation.
Don’t be complacent. Stay updated with emerging log analysis trends, such as integrating AI and machine learning algorithms, which offer predictive capabilities and enhanced decision-making.
In conclusion, a systematic approach to log analysis, fortified by innovative tools like Torii, can drive your IT operations toward greater efficiency, security, and strength. Remember, the task isn’t merely about analyzing logs. It’s about transforming massive data into meaningful, impactful actions.

#### Related Tools for Log Analysis

#### Related Concepts in Log Analysis

#### FAQs: Log Analysis

Q: What is log analysis?
A: Log analysis is the process of examining and interpreting log files generated by computer systems, applications, or network devices to gain insights into system behavior, troubleshoot issues, identify security threats, and optimize performance.
Q: Why is log analysis critical?
A: Log analysis is essential because it enables IT professionals to understand the overall health and performance of systems, detect anomalies, troubleshoot issues, identify root causes of problems, enhance security, and improve system efficiency.
Q: How does log analysis work?
A: Log analysis involves collecting and analyzing log files. Log files are typically text files that record events and activities, such as errors, warnings, user interactions, and system behavior. Log analysis tools help to extract meaningful information from these files, such as patterns, trends, and anomalies.
Q: What are the benefits of log analysis?
A: Log analysis provides several benefits, including improved system performance, faster troubleshooting and issue resolution, enhanced security through identifying suspicious activity, better compliance with regulatory requirements, and insights for optimizing system resources.
Q: What are the common challenges in log analysis?
A: Common challenges in log analysis include dealing with large volumes of log data, understanding complex log formats, correlating logs from multiple sources, identifying relevant log events, separating standard patterns from anomalies, and interpreting log entries accurately.
Q: What are the popular log analysis tools?
A: Popular log analysis tools include ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Splunk, Sumo Logic, Graylog, Datadog, and Fluentd. These tools offer features like log aggregation, search capabilities, visualization, and real-time monitoring.
Q: How can log analysis improve security?
A: Log analysis can improve security by detecting and identifying suspicious activities, such as unauthorized access attempts, malware infections, or unusual network traffic. By analyzing logs in real-time, security incidents can be promptly identified and mitigated, reducing the risk of data breaches or system compromises.
Q: What is the difference between log analysis and log management?
A: Log analysis focuses on extracting insights and patterns from log files to gain actionable information, while log management involves collecting, storing, and organizing log data in a centralized location for easy access and retrieval. Log management is a broader term that includes log analysis as one of its key components.
Q: How can log analysis help in troubleshooting?
A: Log analysis helps troubleshoot by allowing IT professionals to trace events and activities leading up to an issue. Examining log entries, patterns, and timestamps makes it possible to identify the root cause of a problem and take appropriate actions to resolve it.
Q: What is real-time log analysis?
A: Real-time log analysis analyzes log data as events occur, providing immediate insights into system behavior or security threats. It enables proactive monitoring, alerting, and response, helping to prevent potential issues from escalating and ensuring system availability.

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# Page Title
What is Networking Equipment? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/networking-equipment

## Page Description

A comprehensive glossary of networking equipment terms explained in simple language.  Enhance your tech knowledge and get connected!

## Details

### What is Networking Equipment?

Networking Equipment, commonly called IT networking hardware, encapsulates an extensive range of devices designed to transmit data, connect multiple devices, and facilitate communication within an internal network or across the internet. This comprises routers, switches, and firewalls, the central pillars of any network architecture.
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But what sets apart these various components of networking equipment?
Routers: Network Routers are specialized devices working at the intersection of multiple networks, directing data packets between them, often via the most efficient route. Network Switches function within a distinct network, channeling data to specific devices based on their address, thereby optimizing data flow.
Firewalls: Network Firewalls stand as the sentinels of a network, monitoring incoming and outgoing network traffic and preventing unauthorized access based on pre-set security rules. Network modems blend the digital and analog realms, modulating and demodulating signals to facilitate communication between digital devices and analog phone lines.
Hardware: Diverse hardware like network gateways, which act as the communication intermediary between differing networks and wireless access points, providing wireless connectivity in a local area network, supplement these essential elements. Network load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers, ensuring the network is not overloaded and remains high-performing.
Bridges, Hubs, and Adapters: Additionally, different types of network bridges, hubs, and adapters are used to amplify, divide, or adapt the network signals for effective transmission. Devices like network repeaters and extenders are essential in expanding network coverage and reaching farther corners of a widespread network.
Cables, Connectors, and Transceivers: At the heart of data transmission are network cables, connectors, and transceivers, each playing a vital role in transmitting data between devices. Finally, network power supplies keep the equipment running, while network racks offer organized storage, enabling efficient maintenance and management.
All these components harmoniously contribute to the big picture of Networking Equipment, the backbone of any modern communication system, facilitating seamless and secure data exchange within and outside the network.

#### Examples of Networking Equipment

Cisco Catalyst 2960-XR
Cisco Catalyst 2960-XR switch is a widely utilized networking equipment that delivers enhanced productivity by providing enterprise-class internet access. It supports simultaneous data transfer across multiple devices, providing faster, more reliable, and high-performing network connectivity. An IT manager can save costs as this switch also offers automation and security features, reducing the need for manual tasks and potential security breach incidents.
Ubiquiti Networks Unifi Security Gateway (USG)
The Ubiquiti Networks Unifi Security Gateway (USG) is sophisticated networking hardware that appeals to IT directors who need robust network security without compromising speed. The USG acts as a firewall, provides VPN options, and has deep packet inspection capabilities — all essential features for securing enterprise-level data. It integrates seamlessly with other Unifi Network Management Software, making controlling and managing different network segments easier.
Synology DiskStation DS918+
Presented with a compact, rack-mountable design, the Synology DiskStation DS918+ is an advanced NAS (Network Attached Storage) system that functions as a centralized storage, backup, and sharing solution. IT managers can use this equipment for efficient file management and quick data transfers. Its encrypted data transmission and malware protection abilities make it an excellent choice for data-sensitive environments, ensuring information remains protected and accessible only to relevant personnel.

#### Best Practices for Networking Equipment

An essential task in managing a business’s IT infrastructure involves understanding the best practices of networking equipment for optimal performance and security.
Maintain Robust Security
Firstly, regularly updating and patching your routers and switches is crucial to maintaining robust security. These devices form the backbone of your IT infrastructure, routing data through your network, so ensuring they are always current with the latest firmware is a best practice.
Control Network Traffic
Next, network firewalls play a critical role in your security strategy, controlling the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. Regularly monitoring and updating firewall rules is necessary to prevent potential security breaches.
Install Wireless Access Points
Wireless access points must be strategically placed for optimal coverage and continuously monitored for any unusual traffic that could indicate a security threat.
Maintain and Distribute Network Traffic
Network load balancers, similarly, play a pivotal role in ensuring evenly distributed network traffic across your servers. Ensuring they are well-configured and maintained will improve your network’s overall performance and functionality.
Regularly Update and Test Network Gateways
Your network gateways, the nodes that link two networks with different transmission protocols, also need regular updates and tests to ensure effortless data transmission.
Replace Network Hubs with Advanced Network Switches
Moving on, it’s best practice to replace old network hubs with more advanced network switches for better speed and efficiency and to decommission any unused equipment like bridges, modems, or adapters.
Organize and Store Hardware
Organize and label everything clearly when working with hardware like network repeaters, extenders, transceivers, cables, connectors, power supplies, or racks. This practice helps in easier troubleshooting and allows for smooth replacements if necessary.
Use of SaaS Management Tool
Moreover, continual monitoring of these devices and swift response to any faults or issues is also recommended. Automation tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform can simplify these tasks.
Torii can discover Shadow IT in your network, automate SaaS operations like onboarding and offboarding, optimize SaaS licenses, track expenditures, and even build custom plugins and integrations for your cloud apps. With Torii, IT managers and directors gain the essential tools to scale their SaaS-related work, providing them with more insights for better action.
In conclusion, understanding and implementing these networking equipment best practices will result in a secure, smooth, and efficient network, keeping your business operationally sound.

#### Related Tools for Networking Equipment

#### Related Concepts in Networking Equipment

#### FAQs: Networking Equipment

Q: What is networking equipment?
A: Networking equipment refers to the hardware and devices that establish and maintain computer networks. It includes routers, switches, modems, network cables, wireless access points, and network adapters.
Q: What is the purpose of networking equipment?
A: The purpose of networking equipment is to enable communication and data transfer between devices within a network. It helps create a network infrastructure that allows devices to connect, share resources, and access the internet or other networks.
Q: What are the types of networking equipment?
A: The types of networking equipment include routers, switches, modems, network cables, wireless access points, network adapters, firewalls, network load balancers, and network storage devices.
Q: What is a router?
A: A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. It acts as a central hub, directing network traffic and managing data flow between devices within or between multiple networks.
Q: What is a switch?
A: A switch is a networking device that connects multiple devices within a local area network (LAN). It only receives and forwards data packets to the intended destination device, ensuring efficient data transmission and network performance.
Q: What is a modem?
A: A modem is a device that converts digital signals from a computer into analog signals suitable for transmission over communication lines. It allows computers to connect to the internet via a telephone line, cable, or fiber optic network.
Q: What is a wireless access point?
A: A wireless access point, also known as a WAP or AP, is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network. It acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, enabling wireless communication within a designated area.
Q: What is a network cable?
A: A network cable, often called an Ethernet cable, is a physical medium used to connect networking devices, such as computers, routers, and switches, in a network. It allows for the transmission of data between connected devices.
Q: What is a network adapter?
A: A network adapter, also called a network interface card (NIC), is a hardware device that enables a computer to connect to a network. It provides the necessary interface between the computer’s internal system and the network cables or wireless signals.
Q: What is the function of a firewall in networking?
A: A firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined security rules. It helps protect a network from unauthorized access, malicious attacks, and unwanted data transfer.
Q: What is a network load balancer?
A: A network load balancer is a device or software that distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers or network resources to ensure efficient resource utilization and improved performance. It helps prevent server overload and enhances scalability.
Q: What is network storage?
A: Network storage refers to the storage capacity provided by storage devices connected to a network, such as Network-Attached Storage (NAS) or Storage Area Networks (SANs). It allows multiple devices to access and share data stored centrally.
Q: How do you choose networking equipment for a business?
A: When choosing networking equipment for a business, consider factors such as the size and requirements of the network, the anticipated traffic volume and growth, security needs, budget constraints, and compatibility with existing infrastructure. Consulting with IT professionals can help make informed decisions.

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# Page Title
What is Policy Compliance? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/policy-compliance

## Page Description

 Understand Policy Compliance – A comprehensive glossary explaining essential terms of maintaining regulatory standards.

## Details

### What is Policy Compliance?

Policy Compliance, often referenced as PC in the tech industry, ensures an organization aligns with established internal policy adherence and adheres to external regulatory compliance standards. It involves systematically identifying, assessing, controlling, and monitoring activities to comply with these standards. This encompasses a robust governance and compliance framework and various monitoring and reporting tools.
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What happens when the adherence to these rules comes into question? This is where the practice of compliance audit and risk assessment plays a pivotal role.
Audit Procedures: Audit procedures help identify potential risk areas, while compliance training programs equip staff to determine and mitigate risks promptly. These evaluations are documented per compliance documentation requirements, and any discovered contraventions are treated as compliance violations, carrying appropriate penalties.
Compliance Policy: However, ensuring policy compliance isn’t just about ‘fire-fighting’; it’s equally vital to strategize and enforce a comprehensive compliance policy. Vigilant compliance management software can streamline these processes, offering the ability to conduct compliance reviews and assessments frequently. Reviews typically include a compliance audit checklist and implement controls and measures to eliminate identified compliance gaps.
Builds Compliance Culture: To create a robust compliance culture, organizations must emphasize ethics and prioritization of policy compliance in their operations. Compliance training programs reinforce this culture and commitment, while a compliance certification process can confirm staff competencies. Remember, a robust compliance culture isn’t solely reactive; it is proactive and prevents violations before they occur.
Risk Management: Finally, introducing advanced compliance monitoring tools and systems can provide real-time compliance risk management insights. Such tools offer automated compliance reporting systems that ensure conformity with policy compliance.
However, to maximize effectiveness, every compliance program needs periodic evaluation. Tools for compliance program evaluation help identify areas for further improvement, thus ensuring continual growth in an organization’s compliance journey.

#### Examples of Policy Compliance

In IT, adhering to policy compliance is not just about ticking boxes; it’s about safeguarding the integrity and security of data systems.
Financial Institution
One notable example is a financial institution’s adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). They protect sensitive financial information by implementing strict access control measures, encrypting cardholder data, and maintaining a vulnerability management program, mitigating the risk of data breaches and fraud.
Healthcare Setting
Another example involves healthcare organizations complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These organizations protect patient privacy and trust through rigorous data protection strategies, such as securing patient records and ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive health information. This compliance is crucial not only for ethical reasons but also to avoid hefty fines and legal ramifications that can arise from data mishandling.
Technology Sector
Lastly, in the technology sector, companies often adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when dealing with EU citizens’ data. This includes implementing transparent data processing procedures, ensuring data subject rights, and reporting breaches within 72 hours. By doing so, these companies comply with stringent European privacy laws and build trust with their users, demonstrating a commitment to privacy and security in the digital age.

#### Best Practices for Policy Compliance

Policy compliance is essential to any thriving IT organization’s recipe for success. It ensures adherence to industry regulatory compliance standards while mandating internal policy adherence within the business.
Establish a Governance and Compliance Framework
The first step in a robust compliance program is to establish a sound governance and compliance framework. This framework helps provide a roadmap for meeting expectations and following laws, regulations, guidelines, and specifications relevant to your business.
Regular Monitoring and Reporting
Once the framework is in place, consistent compliance monitoring and reporting become critical. Regular audits and risk assessments drive this process. They help identify deviations and loopholes in the current system, which could lead to violations and penalties. In these instances, a comprehensive compliance audit checklist becomes invaluable, outlining everything needed for a thorough compliance review and assessment.
Cultivate a Compliance Culture
However, compliance doesn’t solely hinge on checks and control measures. It would be best if you cultivated a vibrant compliance culture and ethics. The bedrock of this culture lies in a comprehensive compliance training program, ensuring that every employee understands the responsibilities, risks, and practices inherent within compliance.
Create Documentation
Compliance documentation requirements are a critical element. Ensure all essential documents, from policies and procedures to compliance certification process evidence, are readily available and stored securely. This collection feeds into the broader compliance reporting system, bolstering its reliability while ensuring transparency.
Use of SaaS Management Tool
While all these steps are crucial, it can be complex to manage the myriad elements of policy compliance. Tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform can significantly simplify matters for IT managers and directors.
Torii provides a single, intuitive platform for managing all aspects of your SaaS portfolio, supporting best practices in compliance management software. It aids in discovering Shadow IT and automates various SaaS operations such as on/offboarding, license optimization, and cost savings.
Ensure Risk Management
Additionally, Torii is adept at compliance risk management, offering an avenue to promptly identify, assess, and respond to compliance risks. Its ability to build custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps can supplement existing compliance controls and measures within your organization.
Regular Compliance Evaluation
Lastly, a regular compliance program evaluation is necessary to ensure continued policy compliance. This evaluation often includes a compliance gap analysis to identify improvement areas while validating the effectiveness of current measures. With these best practices, your organization’s policy compliance is set on a sound footing.

#### Related Tools for Policy Compliance

#### Related Concepts in Policy Compliance

#### FAQs: Policy Compliance

Q: What is policy compliance?
A: Policy compliance refers to the adherence to rules, regulations, and guidelines set by an organization or governing body to ensure that specific guidelines and standards are met.
Q: Why is policy compliance substantial?
A: Policy compliance is crucial as it helps organizations maintain security, control risks, and meet legal and regulatory requirements. It also promotes consistency, transparency, and ethical conduct within an organization.
Q: What are the benefits of policy compliance?
A: Policy compliance provides several benefits, including improved data security, reduced legal and financial risks, increased customer trust, enhanced productivity, and better alignment with industry standards.
Q: How can policy compliance be achieved?
A: Policy compliance can be achieved by implementing comprehensive policies and procedures, providing employee training and awareness programs, conducting regular audits, enforcing consequences for non-compliance, and using technology solutions for monitoring and enforcing compliance.
Q: What is policy enforcement?
A: Policy enforcement refers to ensuring that policies and guidelines are followed and any violations or non-compliance are promptly addressed.
Q: How can policy enforcement be improved?
A: Policy enforcement can be enhanced by establishing clear and concise policies, creating a culture of compliance, providing ongoing training and education, implementing automated policy compliance tools, conducting regular audits, and enforcing consequences for non-compliance.
Q: What is policy non-compliance?
A: Policy non-compliance refers to instances where individuals or organizations fail to adhere to the prescribed policies, regulations, or guidelines.
Q: What are the consequences of policy non-compliance?
A: Consequences of policy non-compliance may include legal penalties, financial losses, reputational damage, loss of customer trust, decreased employee morale, and regulatory sanctions.
Q: How can policy compliance be measured?
A: Policy compliance can be measured through various metrics, such as the number of policy violations, completion rates of compliance training, audit findings, incident reports, and feedback from stakeholders.
Q: What is the role of technology in policy compliance?
A: Technology plays a crucial role in policy compliance by automating processes, monitoring activities, identifying non-compliance, providing alerts, enforcing policies, generating compliance reports, and increasing efficiency in compliance management.
Q: How can policy compliance be maintained in a remote work environment?
A: Maintaining policy compliance in a remote work environment requires clear communication, updated remote work policies, secure technology infrastructure, employee training on remote work security protocols, regular check-ins, and the use of collaboration tools with built-in security features.

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# Page Title
What are RFI, RFP, and RFQ, and how do they differ? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/rfi-rfp-and-rfq-and-how-do-they-differ

## Page Description

 Understanding RFI, RFP, and RFQ: A tech glossary  Clear up any confusion around these terms and how they impact procurement.

## Details

### What are RFI, RFP, and RFQ, and how do they differ?

In the world of technology procurement, RFI (Request for Information), RFP (Request for Proposal), and RFQ (Request for Quotation) are terms that IT managers and directors frequently encounter. These procurement tools are designed to streamline the process of vendor selection, negotiation, and contract finalization, allowing businesses to make the best choices for their IT needs.
Note: Enhance your RFI, RFP, and RFQ processes with Torii’s all-in-one SaaS management platform. Elevate vendor selection, negotiation, and contract finalization with Torii’s advanced capabilities. Check out Torii’s AI-powered SaaS Management
But what happens if you’re not proficient in understanding these tools? Well, no worries, let’s break them down.
RFI: An RFI, or Request for Information, is usually the initial step in the procurement process. It gathers data and insights such as vendor capabilities, specialization, and RFI responses to queries, usually distributed via an RFI template. It serves primarily as an RFI analysis tool for identifying potential suppliers, understanding RFI requirements, and gauging the landscape of the available solutions.
RFP: An RFP, or Request for Proposal, comes into play when you shortlist your potential suppliers from the RFI process. The RFP template outlines precisely what you need from your vendors and opens the forum for them to propose how to meet these needs. The RFP process includes RFP submission, RFP evaluation based on set criteria, and an RFP scoring system. It also consists of a detailed RFP timeline, specific RFP documentation requirements, and a careful RFP selection procedure. Then comes the RFP pricing analysis, negotiation, and finalizing of the RFP contract with the selected vendor.
RFQ: An RFQ, or Request for Quotation, is your instrument for nitty-gritty pricing details. Using an RFQ template, vendors are asked to provide a comprehensive price layout for the services or goods they’d like to procure. The RFQ process also involves scrutinizing the RFQ responses from vendors, clarifying RFQ requirements, analyzing the RFQ documentation, and understanding the RFQ pricing. It is crucial for RFQ negotiation and helps your final RFQ vendor selection.
These tools (RFI, RFP, RFQ) can significantly streamline the procurement process and help IT Managers and Directors efficiently handle software or hardware acquisition, setting clear goals and expectations and generating competition among potential vendors for better pricing and service quality.

#### Examples of RFI, RFP, and RFQ

A multinational corporation seeks to overhaul its global IT infrastructure to enhance efficiency and security. It issues an RFI to gather detailed information on the latest technologies and service providers capable of managing such a large-scale operation. The RFI process allows the corporation to understand various vendors’ capabilities, experience, and innovative approaches, setting the stage for a more targeted RFP.
After evaluating responses to the RFI, the same corporation releases an RFP for the specific design and implementation of a new IT system. This RFP includes precise requirements for cybersecurity measures, data management, cloud integration, and user support services. Vendors respond with customized proposals outlining their solutions, implementation methodologies, timelines, and costs. The RFP process enables the corporation to compare these detailed proposals and select a vendor that offers the best value and alignment with the corporation’s objectives.
Following selecting a vendor based on the RFP responses, the corporation issues an RFQ to procure the necessary hardware components for the IT overhaul. The RFQ specifies quantities, specifications, and delivery timelines for servers, network devices, and storage solutions. Vendors submit quotes with pricing for the requested quantities and specifications. The RFQ allows the corporation to secure competitive pricing for high-quality hardware, ensuring the project stays within budget while meeting all technical requirements.
These steps illustrate a comprehensive approach to procuring IT services and products, starting from broad information gathering with an RFI, moving to detailed proposals through an RFP, and concluding with specific pricing for goods via an RFQ, ensuring that every aspect of the project is optimized for success.

#### Best Practices for RFI, RFP, and RFQ

The Request for information (RFI), Request for proposal (RFP), and Request for quotation (RFQ) processes are critical stages in the procurement workflow, uniquely designed to fulfill distinctive needs in vendor selection, contract negotiation, and price determination.
Create a Request for Information (RFI)
RFI is the first step, aiding in formulating a comprehensive vendor list. Utilize an RFI template to streamline your RFI requirements and accessible collection of essential data. Emphasize the RFI questionnaire to filter out suitable vendors based on your needs. Conduct thorough RFI analysis for an in-depth understanding of the vendor landscape.
Draft the Request for Proposal (RFP) Template
Next comes the RFP process, which necessitates a well-structured RFP template to lay down project scope, budget, timeline, and technical specifications. An effective RFP submission articulates your strategies, manages the RFP timeline, and keeps the RFP documentation clear and comprehensive. Use RFP scoring during the RFP evaluation to objectively base your RFP selection, laying the groundwork for RFP negotiation.
Research and Produce the Request for Quotation (RFQ)
Lastly, the RFQ process focuses on pricing. Generate an RFQ template stating your RFQ requirements for the project cost. RFQ bid submission, RFQ documentation, RFQ pricing, and RFQ negotiation are all core components in deciding the RFQ vendor and final RFQ selection.
Use of SaaS Management Tool
While managing these processes, a platform like Torii can be instrumental. It can handle SaaS-related tasks, discover Shadow IT, automate operations, and provide visibility over expenditures, effectively scaling your SaaS. Use it to your advantage in the RFP and RFQ processes, particularly in project timeline scheduling and documentation management. It boosts efficiency and optimizes cost in the RFP procurement and contract phase, making the process more effective and beneficial.
Remember, each step in the RFI, RFP, and RFQ processes requires meticulous attention to detail and strategic planning to ensure successful procurement. Using the right blend of tools and best practices can simplify the journey, bringing more efficiency, transparency, and informed decision-making to your procurement process.

#### Related Tools for RFI, RFP, and RFQ

#### Related Concepts in RFI, RFP, and RFQ

#### FAQs: RFI, RFP, and RFQ

Q: What is an RFI, RFP, or RFQ?
A: RFI stands for “Request for Information,” RFP stands for “Request for Proposal,” and RFQ stands for “Request for Quotation.” These are formal documents used in various industries to invite suppliers or vendors to provide information, proposals, or quotes for products or services.
Q: What is the purpose of an RFI?
A: An RFI aims to gather information from potential vendors or suppliers about their capabilities, products, or services. It helps organizations assess the market and identify suitable vendors before procuring.
Q: When is an RFI used?
A: An RFI is used early in a procurement process when an organization needs to gather information about available products, services, or potential suppliers. It is typically conducted before issuing an RFP or RFQ.
Q: What is the purpose of an RFP?
A: The purpose of an RFP is to solicit detailed proposals from potential vendors or suppliers. It outlines the organization’s requirements evaluation criteria and allows vendors to propose solutions, pricing, and other relevant details.
Q: When is an RFP used?
A: An RFP is used when an organization has clearly defined requirements and wants potential vendors or suppliers to submit detailed proposals that address those requirements. It is typically used after the RFI stage and before issuing an RFQ.
Q: What is the purpose of an RFQ?
A: The purpose of an RFQ is to request price quotes from potential vendors or suppliers for specific products or services. It focuses on cost and allows organizations to compare prices and select the most suitable supplier.
Q: When is an RFQ used?
A: An RFQ is used when an organization knows exactly what products or services it needs and wants to obtain competitive price quotes from potential vendors or suppliers. It is used after the RFI and RFP stages when the organization has narrowed its options.
Q: What are the main differences between RFI, RFP, and RFQ?
A: An RFI is used to gather information about available vendors or suppliers, an RFP is used to solicit detailed proposals from vendors and an RFQ is used to request price quotes for specific products or services. They are used at different stages of the procurement process and serve other purposes.
Q: Is using all three (RFI, RFP, and RFQ) necessary?
A: It depends on the organization’s needs and the complexity of the procurement process. Using only one or two of these documents may be sufficient in some cases. It’s essential to determine the specific requirements and objectives before deciding which documents to use.
Q: How should I evaluate RFI, RFP, and RFQ responses?
A: Evaluating responses to these documents involves considering factors such as compliance with requirements, vendor experience, pricing, delivery timelines, support capabilities, and any other specific evaluation criteria defined in the documents. The evaluation process should be fair, consistent, and aligned with organizational objectives.
Q: How can I ensure a successful RFI, RFP, or RFQ process?
A: To ensure a successful process, clearly define your requirements, objectives, and evaluation criteria before issuing the documents. Engage with potential vendors or suppliers, provide them with the necessary information, and allow sufficient time to respond. Ensure transparency, fairness, and effective communication throughout the process.
Q: Are there any best practices for creating RFI, RFP, and RFQ documents?
A: Some best practices include providing clear instructions, defining comprehensive evaluation criteria, allowing vendors or suppliers to ask questions, incorporating timelines and deliverables, using standardized templates, and providing a well-defined process for submission, evaluation, and selection.
Q: Can I use RFI, RFP, or RFQ document templates?
A: Yes, using templates can help create consistent and well-structured documents. Many organizations and online resources offer template options specific to RFI, RFP, or RFQ. However, it’s essential to customize the templates to align with your organization’s particular requirements.
Q: How long does the RFI, RFP, or RFQ process typically take?
A: The duration of the process can vary depending on factors such as the complexity of requirements, the number of potential vendors or suppliers, response deadlines, and internal evaluation procedures. Typically, the RFI stage may take a few weeks. An RFP process can span several months, while an RFQ process may be shorter.
Q: How many vendors or suppliers should I invite to participate in the RFI, RFP, or RFQ process?
A: The number of vendors or suppliers to invite depends on various factors, such as the market, the complexity of requirements, the organization’s capacity to vet responses, and the desired level of competition. Having a sufficient number to ensure competition while avoiding an overwhelming response is good.
Q: Can I issue an RFI, RFP, or RFQ electronically?
A: Yes, you can issue RFI, RFP, or RFQ documents electronically. Many organizations now use online platforms, emails, or procurement software to distribute and manage these processes electronically.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

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# Page Title
What is a Saas Integration? Examples and Best Practice | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/saas-integration

## Page Description

Learn how to seamlessly integrate your SaaS applications.  Discover the benefits of Saas Integration today!

## Details

### What is a Saas Integration? Examples and Best Practice

SaaS Integration, or Software as a Service integration, simply refers to the process where different cloud-based software applications are made to effectively communicate and share data with each other.
Now one may ask, isn’t combining multiple SaaS application as easy as simply connecting the dots? The nuanced answer lies in the complexity of integrating SaaS applications. Think of it as conducting an orchestra, where your SaaS integration platform directs various cloud instruments. However, the hands directing this symphony needs an understanding of SaaS Integration architecture to ensure harmony and avoid cacophonies, hence the need for meticulous SaaS integration strategy. Various tools, such as SaaS integration APIs, assist in this performance but mastering their use requires insight into SaaS integration best practices and vigilance for potential integration challenges. In essence, a well-orchestrated SaaS integration can translate to greater efficiency and productivity, truly a symphony to behold!
Note: Torii’s SaaS Management Platform optimizes IT operations. It provides complete shadow IT visibility, automates onboarding/offboarding processes, streamlines application lifecycle, and manages SaaS contracts effectively, saving costs. Learn more.

#### What Are Some Examples of SaaS Integration?

#### Best Practices for SaaS Integration

##### Identify Integration Points

##### Leverage SaaS Integration Platforms

##### Choose Integration Strategy for SaaS

##### Implement SaaS Integration Architecture

##### Use App Integration for SaaS

##### Incorporate SaaS Integration Tools

##### Deploy Integration Solutions for SaaS

##### Consider SaaS Integration Challenges

##### Opt for Cloud Integration for SaaS

##### Implement SaaS Integration Services

##### Enjoy SaaS Integration Benefits

##### Utilize Torii for SaaS Management

##### Documentation & Maintenance

#### Tools for Success: SaaS Integration

#### Going Deeper: Related Terms

Here are 5 critical terms that are related to Saas Integration:
Remember, Saas Integration is a complex topic, and these terms provide a starting point to learn more. To explore further, check out our full glossary directory at https://www.toriihq.com/glossary.

#### Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is SaaS integration?
A: SaaS integration is the process of syncing and connecting software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications with other systems to function seamlessly together.
Q: How does SaaS integration work?
A: SaaS integration works by leveraging APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to establish connections between different SaaS applications, enabling data exchange and interoperability.
Q: Why is SaaS integration important?
A: SaaS integration is essential as it allows businesses to streamline workflows, eliminate data silos, improve collaboration, and achieve a unified view of their data across multiple applications.
Q: What are the benefits of SaaS integration?
A: Some benefits of SaaS integration include increased efficiency, better data accuracy, improved decision-making, enhanced customer experience, and reduced manual effort in managing disparate systems.
Q: What challenges can arise during SaaS integration?
A: Challenges in SaaS integration may include data security concerns, dealing with varying data formats and APIs, system compatibility issues, potential downtime during integration, and ensuring seamless user experience.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

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# Page Title
What is Saas Security? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/saas-security

## Page Description

Understand and enhance your SaaS security: Gain best practices about responsibilities, standards like ISO 27001, and training.

## Details

### What is Saas Security?

SaaS Security, or Software-as-a-Service Security, speaks to the robust practice of protecting and ensuring cloud-based applications’ safe and secure use. As an inherently multi-tenant concept, SaaS Security is essential to running applications over the internet.
SaaS Security includes various practices, solutions, risks, measures, frameworks, assessments, controls, compliance requirements, architectural considerations, guidelines, policies, standards, audits, certifications, monitoring systems, incident responses, awareness campaigns, training programs, encryption methods, and vulnerability checks.
Note: You can’t prevent what you can’t detect. Check out Torii’s AI-powered SaaS Management Platform. Your best defense against shadow IT, incomplete offboarding, SaaS operations, and more. Discover how Torii transforms SaaS security management.
What if you are just dipping your toes into the SaaS waters as an IT manager or director? Navigating the labyrinth of SaaS Security best practices may seem daunting at first. Here’s where a comprehensive understanding of SaaS security solutions comes into play.
SaaS Security can help you address potential security risks and safeguard your applications from cyber threats. These solutions include SaaS security measures and SaaS security frameworks, essentially the bread and butter of maintaining your SaaS’s security blanket.
SaaS Security Assessment: A well-planned SaaS security assessment is invaluable in this arena, providing a detailed analysis of your existing security posture and allowing you to implement necessary security controls. These controls bring in SaaS security compliance, ensuring alignment with SaaS security architecture and adherence to aplomb SaaS security guidelines and policies.
Audit and Certification: To keep the ship sailing smoothly, one requires steadfast SaaS security standards, bolstered through regular SaaS security audits and recognized SaaS security certifications. This process enables continuous security improvement by pinpointing the loopholes in the system.
SaaS Security Monitoring: Now, let’s not forget SaaS security monitoring. It involves real-time tracking and defense against potential cyber threats, complemented with an efficient SaaS security incident response mechanism to counter any security breach—awareness of potential threats catalyzes SaaS security awareness, fostering a culture of SaaS security within the organization.
Training: Awareness alone isn’t enough without proper SaaS security training and widespread encryption practices. This facilitates better understanding and adherence to practices to mitigate SaaS security vulnerabilities.
In conclusion, SaaS Security is an encompassing framework vital to offering robust protection to your cloud-based software services. Its vast spectrum, involving everything from best practices to vulnerability checks, is an essential guide for IT managers and directors in navigating the dynamic landscape of cloud-based application security.

#### Examples of SaaS Security

Enterprise Setting
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is a testament to the importance of robust SaaS security. Google enforces several rigorous SaaS security measures, including data encryption, regular security audits, vulnerability detection, and incident responses.
Moreover, Google provides comprehensive SaaS security training and publishes clear guidelines on best practices, helping elevate security within their architecture and foster a broader awareness and understanding of SaaS security risks.
Small and Medium Businesses
One prime example of SaaS security implementation is with Salesforce, a leading cloud-based CRM platform. As part of its extensive SaaS security architecture, Salesforce utilizes a variety of measures such as encryption, activity auditing, and robust user authentication standards to protect its customer data.
Salesforce also complies with several SaaS security standards and certifications to ensure robust security. This rigorous approach towards SaaS security compliance and scrutiny underlines Salesforce’s commitment to creating a safe and reliable user environment.
Real-World Example
Torii SaaS Management Platform is designed to streamline and automate SaaS operations and greatly emphasizes SaaS security measures. The platform provides IT professionals with insights into Shadow IT and the ability to monitor SaaS spend, critical components of SaaS security awareness.
Torii’s emphasis on customizability also allows businesses to create bespoke SaaS security controls, tailoring their security strategies to fit their unique requirements better.
These three examples, each in their unique way, exemplify the importance of taking a comprehensive approach towards SaaS security, focusing on proactive measures like implementing a solid security architecture and monitoring and reactive measures such as effective incident response strategies. They also highlight the value that third-party platforms like Torii can bring in bolstering the security posture of SaaS-focused businesses.

#### Best Practices for SaaS Security

The first best practice of SaaS security is understanding the shared responsibility model. Understanding the provider and user roles can mitigate SaaS security risks. SaaS security solutions may also involve third parties who manage data, adding another dimension to the responsibility matrix. Ensuring clarity on these roles is critical and can be facilitated with tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform.
SaaS security measures should include following industry standards and complying with certifications like ISO 27001. Regular SaaS security audits are crucial to identifying vulnerabilities. The Torii platform can help IT managers uncover hidden Shadow IT and optimize licenses and costs, an often overlooked facet of SaaS security.
Investing in your team’s SaaS security awareness and training is another best practice. You can prepare your team to respond effectively to potential security incidents through simulation exercises. Developing a SaaS security incident response plan to contain and control such situations is essential.
Systems should incorporate robust SaaS security controls, including encryption, access control, and activity monitoring. Automatic encryption for data in transit and at rest is a baseline SaaS security measure. Using multi-factor authentication and strict access controls minimizes the risk of unauthorized access.
In terms of architecture, SaaS security frameworks should be flexible and scalable. The cloud environment should allow for easy integration of defenses such as intrusion prevention systems, firewalls, and secure gateways. Torii’s ability to build custom plugins allows for such flexibility.
SaaS security compliance involves meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring data privacy and protection. SaaS security policies should align with GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant regulations.
Addressing SaaS security vulnerabilities requires a regular security assessment. Vulnerability scanning can identify potential weak points before they are exploited. Establishing alerts and integrating them into your SaaS security monitoring function can allow for a swift response to mitigate risks.
Finally, it’s essential to review and adapt your SaaS security guidelines regularly. As the technology and threat landscape evolve, so should your strategies. Leveraging platforms like Torii can provide insights to guide this continuous improvement process.
In summary, effective SaaS security is a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach that combines technical measures, employee training, and regular reviews, all supported and enabled by platforms like Torii.

#### Related Concepts for SaaS Security

Q: What is SaaS Security?
A: SaaS security refers to the measures to protect data and applications in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environment.
Q: Why is SaaS Security important?
A: SaaS security is vital as it ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and applications hosted in the cloud.
Q: What are the main risks and challenges of SaaS security?
A: The principal risks and challenges of SaaS security include data breaches, unauthorized access, lack of control over security measures, and compliance issues.
Q: How can I secure my SaaS applications?
A: You can secure your SaaS applications by implementing strong authentication, data encryption, regular monitoring of access logs, and staying up-to-date with security patches.
Q: What are the best practices for SaaS security?
A: Best practices for SaaS security include regularly assessing and monitoring security controls, educating users about security policies, using multi-factor authentication, and implementing data loss prevention measures.
Q: What should I consider when selecting a SaaS provider?
A: When selecting a SaaS provider, it is essential to consider their security certifications, data protection policies, encryption practices, access controls, and ability to meet compliance requirements.
Q: How does SaaS security differ from traditional on-premises security?
A: SaaS security differs from traditional on-premises security as it relies on the provider’s infrastructure and security measures. In contrast, on-premises security involves the organization’s infrastructure and control over security measures.
Q: What is encrypting data in SaaS?
A: Encrypting data in SaaS involves converting data into a coded form to protect it from unauthorized access or breaches while it is being stored or transmitted.
Q: What is multi-factor authentication in SaaS?
A: Multi-factor authentication in SaaS is a security measure that requires users to provide multiple forms of verification (e.g., password, biometrics, security token) to access their accounts, adding a layer of protection.
Q: How can I ensure compliance with SaaS security?
A: To ensure compliance with SaaS security, it is crucial to assess the provider’s compliance certifications, review their security policies, and ensure they meet the specific regulatory requirements relevant to your industry.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

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# Page Title
Who are Sailpoint's Competitors? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/sailpoints-competitors

## Page Description

Discover the top Sailpoint competitors  Learn about the leading rivals in the identity governance market in our comprehensive glossary.

## Details

### Who are Sailpoint’s Competitors?

Sailpoint competitors, or the various alternatives, rivals, or replacement software options in the Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) market, offer several solutions similar to Sailpoint. These alternative software tools provide a choice beyond Sailpoint, with potentially distinctive features, functionalities, or pricing models that may better fit specific organizations.
Note: Effortlessly handle your software licenses, monitor utilization, and stay ahead of contract renewals. Take control today with Torii’s intuitive platform. Discover why it’s one of the top alternatives to SailPoint. Explore Torii now!
Who are the notable Sailpoint competitors? Suppose you are looking for a Sailpoint alternative or replacement. In that case, it’s worth exploring comparable companies in the IGA space that have garnered a significant market share due to their distinctive offerings.
CyberArk, Saviynt, Oracle Identity Management, and Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory are prominent Sailpoint rivals offering unique identity management solutions.
Regarding a direct Sailpoint comparison, each competitor offers critical functions like access management, identity governance, and user lifecycle management. However, the differences lie in the intricate details like system architecture, integration capabilities, user interface, support services, or cost structure. An IT Manager or Director should consider these elements when exploring Sailpoint and similar tools.
In conclusion, Sailpoint competitors offer a range of alternative software options in the identity governance and administration market. Regardless of whether the focus is on a Sailpoint rival with more advanced integration capabilities or a lower-cost Sailpoint replacement, the choice ultimately depends on your organization’s unique needs and constraints.

#### Examples of Sailpoint Competitors

Regarding identity governance and administration, SailPoint is undoubtedly an industry leader. However, a few SailPoint competitors with similar tools are making a significant mark in the tech ecosystem with their unique offerings. Let’s delve into these prominent SailPoint rivals.
Oracle Identity Governance
Oracle Identity Governance is a SailPoint alternative that offers a robust, scalable, and feature-rich platform that streamlines user access privileges across the entire IT landscape. Like SailPoint, it offers comprehensive provisioning, helps enforce compliance, and provides analytics for better decision-making. However, it extends its features to advanced role management capabilities, a paramount attribute in reducing enterprise risk and improving efficiency.
OneLogin is a preferred choice since this SailPoint replacement offers unified access management. It excellently combines simplicity, class-leading integration, and the ability to secure all apps with one click. They’ve charted a user-friendly course with their intuitive interfaces and effective automation, which IT managers find essential to save time and simplify workflows.
Torii SaaS Management Platform
However, the Torii SaaS Management Platform stands out in the realm of SaaS management. This unique SailPoint alternative focuses on managing cloud-based apps, shedding light on shadow IT, and contributing dramatically to SaaS cost savings. IT professionals can scale their work, automate operations, and optimize their software licenses. Its capacity to develop custom plugins and integrations offers more insights and better action, making it an excellent SailPoint replacement for SaaS-centric firms.
These SailPoint competitors, while distinct in their offerings, all contribute to enhancing identity governance and administration. Each potential replacement offers unique advantages and capabilities. Choosing SailPoint or an alternative will be driven by specific business needs, complexities, and the IT landscape. Either way, a vibrant SailPoint competitor landscape means more options, better services, and further advancements in the tech industry.

#### Best Practices for Sailpoint Competitors

If you’re an IT manager or director seeking alternatives to SailPoint software or comparing various SailPoint similar tools, a tactical understanding of SailPoint competitors can assist in making the right choice for your organization.
Identify Your Organization’s Needs
Identify your organization’s needs. Every business has unique requirements, which can impact the choice of SailPoint alternative software. You may be after advanced features or simplicity and ease of use, which are key for your team. Knowing your goals upfront can streamline the selection process.
Just as essential is performing a comprehensive SailPoint comparison. This step should cover pricing, integration capabilities, scalability, and customer support of different software providers. This way, you’re choosing a SailPoint rival based on price and what fits your needs.
Check Reviews and Ratings
Look into user experiences. Before choosing a SailPoint replacement, consider reviews and ratings from users. Experiences can offer valuable insights into system performance, reliability, and user-friendliness.
Use Reliable SaaS Management Tool
Let’s discuss how the Torii SaaS Management Platform fits this landscape. As a SailPoint alternative, Torii offers a comprehensive set of features designed to facilitate SaaS operations. Whether it’s discovering Shadow IT, automating SaaS operations like on/offboarding, or optimizing SaaS licenses, Torii can be an attractive alternative.
Torii also stands out as a SailPoint competitor when providing visibility over SaaS expenditures. It allows for tracking and evaluation of costs effectively, enabling IT managers to make data-driven decisions.
Moreover, the ability to create custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps allows flexibility to grow with your business needs. This scalability makes Torii a SailPoint rival and a robust and versatile SailPoint alternative software.
Engage in Product Demonstrations or Trials
The last best practice we recommend is engaging in product demonstrations or trials when possible. Seeing firsthand how a SailPoint replacement performs can lend a thorough understanding of how it integrates into your work environment.
Following the suggested framework will ensure a strategic comparison of SailPoint competitors, enabling you to choose a SailPoint alternative software that is right for your needs today and well into the future.

#### Related Tools for Sailpoint Competitors

#### Related Concepts in Sailpoint Competitors

#### FAQs: Sailpoint Competitors

Q: Who are Sailpoint’s main competitors?
A: Some of Sailpoint’s main competitors include Okta, CyberArk, OneLogin, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, and IBM Security Identity and Access Management.
Q: Is Sailpoint better than Okta?
A: It depends on specific requirements and preferences. Sailpoint and Okta are leaders in the identity and access management space, but the right choice will depend on an organization’s particular needs and priorities.
Q: What are the critical features of CyberArk?
A: CyberArk offers privileged access management, session isolation, threat analytics, application identity management, and secure credentials sharing.
Q: How does OneLogin compare to Sailpoint?
A: OneLogin and Sailpoint are prominent players in identity management. While Sailpoint focuses on providing comprehensive identity governance solutions, OneLogin offers a cloud-based identity and access management solution with a strong emphasis on user experience.
Q: What is Microsoft Azure Active Directory used for?
A: Microsoft Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based identity and access management service primarily used to manage user identities, enforce security policies, and enable single sign-on across various applications and services in the Microsoft Azure ecosystem.
Q: What does IBM Security Identity and Access Management offer?
A: IBM Security Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions provide features like user lifecycle management, access control, identity governance, privileged access management, and strong authentication to help organizations protect sensitive data and mitigate security risks.
Q: Is Sailpoint a cloud-based solution?
A: Sailpoint offers on-premises and cloud-based identity governance solutions to cater to different deployment preferences.
Q: What are some alternatives to Sailpoint?
A: Some alternatives to Sailpoint include Okta, CyberArk, OneLogin, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle, ForgeRock, Omada, and Oracle Identity Governance.
Q: Does Sailpoint integrate with other software?
A: Yes, Sailpoint provides integrations with various software applications, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, human resources management systems (HRMS), and other critical business applications.
Q: How does Sailpoint handle identity governance?
A: Sailpoint’s identity governance solution helps organizations manage user identities, control access to critical applications and data, ensure compliance with regulations, streamline user onboarding and offboarding processes, and provide detailed audit and reporting capabilities.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

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# Page Title
What is a Secure Server (SS)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/secure-server

## Page Description

Learn what makes a server secure in this comprehensive guide to secure server protocols, best practices, tools, and concepts. Discover how encryption, firewalls, authentication and more protect data to ensure safe data storage and transmission.

## Details

### What is a Secure Server (SS)?

A Secure Server (SS) is a server that implements security protocols and best practices to handle communications and data transfers over a network, providing enhanced safety against unauthorized access and data breaches. The central pillar of secure server management includes components like secure server hosting, certificates, and secure web servers, constituting a solid security counterpart.
Note: Discover and address potential security risks in your SaaS landscape early with Torii’s advanced AI-powered IT. Gain complete visibility into your applications, user behavior, and expenses. Check out Torii’s Shadow IT Discovery
Is a regular server enough? Why should you integrate a secure server? From an IT Manager or Director’s perspective, the importance of server security far outweighs the convenience of a non-secure setup.
Use of Encryption
A secure server configuration means your data is stored and transferred via a secure FTP or file server using secure protocols and encryption. Utilizing a secure server certificate enhances the server security by verifying the server’s identity and enabling encrypted connections.
Protects Stored Data
When you use secure server hosting, your stored data is shielded through server security best practices, a secure server firewall, and continuous secure server monitoring. These strategies collectively identify, deflect, and mitigate specific server vulnerabilities, thus keeping your data safe.
Secure Data Transmission
Your organization can also benefit from a secure email server where confidential data can be securely transmitted via email. In addition, secure server authentication increases the level of security by ensuring only authorized users have access to your server.
A secure server setup, therefore, goes beyond simple data storage. It encompasses a secure server network designed to keep your internal communications private and safe, ensuring a secure server connection for external communications.
In conclusion, integrating secure server hosting, configuration, and robust, secure server protocols into your IT infrastructure sets a strong defense against potential breaches. Secure server encryption, firewalls, and vigilant server security best practices collectively turn your system into an impenetrable fortress.

#### Examples of Secure Server

Using a Secure FTP server like FileZilla is a pristine example of secure server hosting. FileZilla employs secure server protocols like FTPS and SFTP, providing secure server encryption for transferring data. It’s known for its robust server security, bolstered by a secure server configuration that includes robust authentication features and a server firewall. This platform allows you to manage your data securely even in the face of potential safe server vulnerability.
Google’s Gmail Service is a sterling example of a secure email server. Gmail employs secure server encryption for all emails and attachments, reducing the risk of them being intercepted and read by unauthorized parties. It uses a secure server certificate to validate its identity while offering a secure server connection with HTTPS. Google also uses server security best practices, such as undergoing regular server security audits, deploying the latest secure server protocols, and always being alert for new secure server vulnerabilities.
Torii SaaS Management Platform
The Torii SaaS Management Platform is an excellent application for secure server management. It allows IT Managers to discover and manage Shadow IT, offering secure server hosting for all SaaS operations. With Torii, SaaS license optimization and cost savings become automated, reducing manual tasks and enhancing efficiency. Moreover, it enables secure server setup and configuration, incorporating server security best practices and secure server monitoring. It can build custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps using secure server authentication. This strengthens the secure server network and ensures a secure server connection. Torii is truly the epitome of ‘more insights, better action’ in server security.

#### Best Practices for Secure Server

Establishing secure server protocols is foundational to minimizing security vulnerabilities.
This includes choosing the right level of secure server hosting that provides an excellent balance of cost, performance, and security. Essentially, you want a hosting solution that enhances server security and always enables secure server connection. This process commences with a fast server setup and configuration in line with server security best practices.
Your setup should be customized to your requirements, but ensure you deploy a robust firewall at the minimum. The firewall is a defense mechanism that thwarts malicious traffic and potential intruders, bolstering secure server operation.
Next, focus on secure server authentication, which emphasizes the identification of users’ saturation levels. Implement a system that requires robust passwords and supports multi-factor authentication. This goes a long way in protecting against unverified access and enhancing server security.
One of the most essential components is secure server encryption, which protects sensitive data. It ensures maximum security during data transfer between servers. A secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server for file transfers should be considered alongside a secure email server for communication to guarantee data privacy.
Moving forward, invest in secure server monitoring to closely monitor server activity. Regular monitoring fends off potential security threats and aids in detecting anomalies in data traffic, thereby preventing unauthorized access. Additionally, it helps identify where there’s a need for server upgrades or improvements.
Torii SaaS Management Platform can be especially beneficial in situations like these. Torii automates multiple SaaS operations, helps to track SaaS expenditures, and maximizes visibility over the secure server network, serving as a one-stop solution to all your server management requirements. This allows IT professionals to scale their SaaS work with more insights and better action.
The techniques mentioned above can be further fortified using a secure server certificate, which is crucial in reassuring users that your server is secured by validating your credentials and the server’s identity.

#### Related Tools for Secure Server

#### Related Concepts in Secure Server

#### FAQs: Secure Server

Q: What is a secure server?
A: A secure server is a server that has implemented measures to protect data and prevent unauthorized access. It uses encryption and other security protocols to secure communication and sensitive information.
Q: How does a secure server work?
A: A secure server uses encryption to protect data transmitted between the server and the client. It ensures that data is securely encrypted and inaccessible to unauthorized parties.
Q: What is SSL?
A: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol that encrypts data during transmission over the internet. It ensures that the information exchanged between a web server and a client is secure and cannot be intercepted by attackers.
Q: What is TLS?
A: TLS (Transport Layer Security) is the successor to SSL and also provides encryption for secure communication between a client and a server. It establishes a secure connection and ensures data privacy and integrity.
Q: How does SSL/TLS secure a server?
A: SSL/TLS secures a server by encrypting the data transmitted between the server and the client, preventing unauthorized access and ensuring data integrity.
Q: What is HTTPS?
A: HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the secure version of HTTP. SSL/TLS encryption is used to establish a secure connection, ensuring that data exchanged between a client and server is secure.
Q: Why is it essential to have a secure server?
A: A secure server is essential to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, ensure privacy and confidentiality, and maintain user trust and credibility.
Q: What are the benefits of a secure server?
A: The benefits of a secure server include enhanced data security, protection against data breaches, improved trust from users, and compliance with security standards and regulations.
Q: Can a secure server be hacked?
A: While no server is entirely immune to hacking, implementing robust security measures significantly reduces the risk of a secure server being hacked. Regular security updates and monitoring help maintain a strong defense.
Q: How can I secure my server?
A: Securing a server involves strong authentication, encryption, firewalls, regularly updating software, monitoring for vulnerabilities, and following best practices for server hardening.
Q: How much does a secure server cost?
A: The cost of a secure server varies depending on factors such as the level of security required, the server’s specifications, and additional security features. It is best to consult a trusted IT professional or hosting provider to determine the appropriate cost.
Q: Where can I get a secure server?
A: Secure servers can be obtained from reputable, cloud, or dedicated hosting providers. Choosing a reliable provider with a strong reputation for security is essential.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

The 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Annual Report is out! Get an exclusive look at real insights based on hundreds of real software ecosystems.

# Page Title
What is Security & Compliance? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/security-compliance

## Page Description

  Curious about security and compliance (S&C)? Learn how to keep your org safe with frameworks, assessments, policies, and trainings.

## Details

### What is Security & Compliance?

What is Security and Compliance (S&C)?
Security and Compliance (S&C) is the backbone of any organization’s IT infrastructure. It refers to standards and regulations that ensure information systems, processes, and behaviors comply with relevant laws, policies, and regulations.
Note: Streamline your IT security and compliance with Torii SaaS Management. Effortlessly manage Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and strengthen security with tailored cloud app integrations. Check out Torii’s Shadow IT Discovery
How does a company know whether they’re hitting the mark regarding Security and Compliance (S&C)?
Framework: This is where the Security Compliance Framework comes in. It provides a clear outline of the best practices, guidelines, and controls required for achieving and maintaining the desired level of security. To adhere to regulations, organizations must conduct regular security compliance assessments to identify vulnerabilities and gaps in their security setup.
Management: Security Compliance Management is an ongoing process that involves maintaining security and compliance requirements and proactively improving the overall security posture by implementing efficient controls. These controls are meticulously designed, implemented, and maintained through a series of procedures and protocols known as Security Compliance Policies.
Training: To ensure smooth execution and adherence to these policies, Security Compliance Training is essential. These regular trainings equip employees with the knowledge and skills to maintain a secure IT environment. Monitoring is another crucial aspect of this process. Security Compliance Monitoring involves examining IT systems and operations to detect and mitigate potential security threats.
Documentation and Reporting: Organizations perform regular Security Compliance Audits to document the efficiency and effectiveness of security policies and practices. Following the audit, thorough security compliance reporting occurs, highlighting potential issues and providing recommendations for improvement.
Certification: Security Compliance Certification signifies that an organization’s security practices meet the criteria defined by a third-party auditor based on globally recognized security compliance requirements. To achieve certification, organizations must commit to systematic maturity, establishing robust security compliance governance, ensuring thorough documentation, and employing strict enforcement.
Risk Assessment: Among the essential aspects of S&C is a detailed security compliance risk assessment, ensuring that businesses can identify potential threats and take necessary actions to manage these risks effectively.
Implementing best practices, proper documentation, maintaining governance, and consistent enforcement can pave the way for greater security compliance maturity and, ultimately, a more secure and compliant organization.
Healthcare Organization Setting
The application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in healthcare organizations is one of the best examples of security and compliance. Healthcare technology platforms must comply with HIPAA’s security compliance regulations and standards, ensuring patient data is adequately protected.
Regular security compliance assessments and audits are carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the security measures. Also, healthcare organizations must have proper security compliance training for their staff and efficient security compliance management systems, reinforcing a culture of compliance and security.
Financial Institution
Major financial institutions are another prime example of robust security and compliance. Regulatory bodies keep a tight watch on such entities to ensure they adhere to rigorous security compliance requirements.
Therefore, financial institutions regularly conduct security compliance controls, audits, and risk assessments, documenting these in detailed security compliance reports. Security compliance certifications, like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), provide a security compliance framework to follow. Banks also must regularly provide security compliance training to their employees, ensuring they understand the importance of financial and personal data protection.
Information Technology Industry
The use of the Torii SaaS Management Platform encapsulates the importance of security and compliance in a digital-first era. Torii helps discover Shadow IT and the automation of SaaS operations. This tool primarily ensures enterprises have a complete overview of their SaaS expenditures, which is becoming a critical component of security compliance management. It also offers custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps, which are crucial for enforcing security compliance controls and requirements.
Torii further assists in security compliance monitoring, reporting, and documentation, bolstering the enterprises’ security compliance maturity. With Torii, IT professionals can scale their SaaS-related work, follow security compliance best practices, and mitigate risks through automated security compliance governance.
In all these examples, the foundational framework of every good security and compliance strategy comprises regular assessments, continuous training, robust management systems, and adherence to the latest standards and regulations.

#### Best Practices for Security and Compliance (S&C)

Seizing control of your organization’s security and compliance begins with a detailed security compliance framework. This framework serves as a blueprint that contains established security compliance standards and details necessary security compliance requirements.
To begin with, you need to understand the security compliance regulations pertinent to your industry. These vary widely and range from general data protection regulations to specific industry-centric regulations like HIPAA for healthcare or SOX for financial services.
Subsequently, you need to identify the areas that require mandatory compliance controls and those amenable to elective controls based on your risk appetite and exposure. This is called the security compliance assessment. The next step is developing security compliance policies tailored to these identified areas. These policies should also include steps for efficient security compliance management.
To certify the effectiveness of these policies, conduct regular security compliance audits. Remember, these audits aren’t just systematic reviews of compliance but opportunities to evaluate the organization’s security posture and inform future policy-making decisions.
Equally important is ensuring that all stakeholders are privy to these policies and the repercussions of non-adherence. Regular security compliance training serves this purpose. Additionally, monitoring these stakeholders can help identify anomalies and potential risk areas in time to take corrective action.
To maintain a steady state of compliance, implement a robust security compliance governance. This can be achieved by establishing a compliance council to oversee enforcement, reviewing existing policies, providing updates on regulatory changes, and addressing compliance concerns.
The whole process should also involve consistent security compliance reporting. Detailed reports can shed light on compliance maturity, help identify potential risk areas, and drive decision-making about controls and policies.
Last but most certainly not least is choosing the right tools, like Torii SaaS Management Platform, to help streamline the entire process. From monitoring Shadow IT and automating SaaS operations like onboarding and offboarding to optimizing SaaS licenses and providing visibility over SaaS expenses, Torii can significantly enhance your organization’s compliance profile.
Torii not only proffers a detailed security compliance risk assessment but also allows you to build custom plugins and integrations for your cloud apps seamlessly. By providing insights into your compliance posture, Torii enables you to act decisively and ensure your organization remains robust and resilient in the face of ever-evolving security challenges.
Remember, focusing on security compliance best practices isn’t optional. It’s pivotal to the long-term success of your organization. By following this comprehensive guide, you’ll be well on your way to embracing a robust, future-proof, and enforceable security compliance regime.

#### Related Tools for Security and Compliance (S&C)

#### Related Concepts in Security and Compliance (S&C)

#### FAQs: Security and Compliance (S&C)

Q: What is Security and Compliance (S&C)?
A: Security and Compliance (S&C) refers to the measures and regulations to protect sensitive information and ensure adherence to laws and guidelines. It involves safeguarding data from unauthorized access, mitigating risks, and meeting industry standards.
Q: Why is security and compliance important?
A: Security and compliance are crucial for businesses to protect their data, maintain customer trust, and avoid legal consequences. It helps prevent cyberattacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access, ensuring smooth operations and adherence to regulations.
Q: What are some common security and compliance regulations?
A: Common security and compliance regulations include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).
Q: What are the main challenges in security and compliance?
A: Some main challenges in security and compliance include keeping up with evolving cyber threats, implementing robust security measures, maintaining regulatory compliance, data privacy concerns, and employee training and awareness.
Q: How can businesses ensure security and compliance?
A: Businesses can ensure security and compliance by implementing strong access controls, regular security audits, data encryption, employee training, incident response plans, and staying updated with regulations and industry best practices.
Q: How does security and compliance impact cloud services?
A: Security and compliance are vital considerations for cloud services. Providers must ensure robust data protection, access controls, and compliance with industry-specific regulations. Businesses using cloud services must also ensure that their data is handled securely and meets compliance requirements.
Q: What are the consequences of non-compliance?
A: Non-compliance can lead to severe consequences, including financial penalties, legal actions, damage to reputation, loss of customer trust, and business disruption. Organizations need to comply with regulations to avoid these potential outcomes.
Q: How can businesses assess their security and compliance posture?
A: Businesses can assess their security and compliance posture through regular risk assessments, vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and audits. They should also review security policies, processes, and controls to identify potential gaps and areas for improvement.
Q: What is a security incident response plan?
A: A security incident response plan outlines an organization’s steps and actions in case of a security breach or incident. It helps minimize the impact, mitigate risks, and ensure a coordinated and timely response to security incidents.
Q: Can security and compliance be outsourced?
A: Yes, businesses can outsource security and compliance tasks to specialized service providers. This can include managed security services, compliance consulting, risk assessments, and incident response services. However, businesses remain responsible for ensuring the security and compliance of their operations.

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# Page Title
What is Security Management (SM)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/security-management

## Page Description

Learn the fundamentals of security management including what it is, best practices, tools, and examples. SM protects systems from threats through frameworks, policies, training and more. Discover how a platform like Torii enhances security management in organizations.

## Details

### What is Security Management (SM)?

Security Management (SM) is a broad discipline that protects an organization’s information systems and assets. This process employs various security management systems, tools, and software to enhance organizational safety. It includes the implementation of a comprehensive security management framework, which outlines the policies, standards, controls, and best practices to protect physical and digital assets.
Note: Security starts with cutting down undue risks, and often, your biggest threat are the unsanctioned cloud apps your coworkers adopt. Stay one step ahead and check out Torii’s shadow IT discovery tool.
What happens when your organization lacks a security management program? The absence of a structured process can leave your organization vulnerable to numerous cybersecurity threats. You’d expose invaluable assets such as sensitive data and proprietary information to potential security breaches. It is the goal of security management to prevent such scenarios via systematic and efficient methods.
Security management encompasses several specific domains, including network security management, information security management, and cybersecurity management.
In a holistic security management approach, physical and cybersecurity aspects are integral to an organization’s protection.
Security incident and risk management are other vital aspects of this discipline. While security incident management protocol focuses on the swift identification and management of security incidents, security risk management targets the prediction and prevention of inherent security risks.
Integral to the successful execution of an SM is security management training and certification, which ensure that team members have up-to-date knowledge and skills. This training may extend to emergency procedures, auditing, risk assessments, and understanding of regulations.
To ensure compliance, robust security management includes audit processes, assessments, and constant revision of security management policies and standards. These measures provide a roadmap for adhering to industry regulations and maintaining a high-security posture. Adopting such security management best practices is beneficial in preventing security gaps and instrumental in driving business growth.

#### Examples of Security Management (SM)

Enhancing your company’s security management can seem like a daunting task amidst a myriad of looming cyber threats. However, implementing a robust security management system, fine-tuning your security management process, and leveraging the correct security management tools can substantially mitigate risks. Here are three real-world examples of effective security management.
Physical Security Management
An international data center took a multi-layered approach to safeguard its vulnerable physical infrastructure. They verified the identities of all individuals accessing the server rooms using security cameras, biometric verification, and electronic key access. Their approach to physical security also included procedures for security management training to ensure all personnel were aware of the company’s security management policies, standards, and controls, thereby enhancing their whole security management framework.
Cybersecurity Management
A national bank implemented a sophisticated network security management system to safeguard its clients’ confidential financial information. By leveraging modern security management software with real-time threat detection and response, they optimized their security incident management, thereby reducing instances of fraud and data breaches. Moreover, through regular security management audits and assessments, they could continually strengthen their cybersecurity measures.
Torii SaaS Management Platform
Torii SaaS Management Platform showcases effective information security management. In a fast-growing tech company, the platform was used to automate SaaS operations, giving IT professionals a comprehensive view of all their SaaS tools, identifying Shadow IT, and optimizing SaaS licenses. It provided a seamless, one-stop solution for SaaS-related work, enhancing the company’s security risk management by providing actionable insights on potential vulnerabilities. The company created a robust security management process using Torii, showcasing best practices in managing software as a service.
These examples demonstrate the importance of a comprehensive security management framework encompassing physical, network, and information security. Emphasizing training and audits and using platforms like Torii can ensure continuous improvement and security adaptations to emerging threats.

#### Best Practices for Security Management (SM)

Emphasizing best practices for security management can be transformative in protecting your network, bolstering physical security management, and enhancing data integrity within your enterprise. A robust security management system must be comprehensive, encompassing every facet from information security management to cybersecurity management.
Begin with an ultra-clear understanding of the security management process. A thorough security management assessment encompassing your network security management, physical security, and information security management areas should be the first step. This assessment will shed light on weaknesses and provide a benchmark for future improvements.
Up next is establishing a solid security management framework. This framework should outline your security management policies, standards, and controls. It forms part of your organization’s security culture. Therefore, getting buy-in from every employee at every level is critical.
Ensure the effectiveness of your security management system through robust security management tools and software. Efficient tools enable real-time monitoring, swift security incident management, and proactive response to potential threats. Your selection should offer visibility, control, and automation.
Invest in regular security management training for your IT specialists. Training equips them with the latest knowledge on security threats and ensures they stay abreast of the best cybersecurity and security risk management practices.
Consider obtaining a security management certification to demonstrate commitment to premium security standards. This is a mark of quality and trust for clients, stakeholders, and regulators. It also establishes your company as a leader in the security domain.
A well-executed security management audit assures that your operations align with your established security management process and principles. Regular audits help identify potential loopholes and offer an opportunity to revise strategies and rectify weaknesses.
Ultimately, effective security management best practices go beyond having a solid system. It requires a continuous commitment to improvement and adaptation to evolving threats. Incorporating a solution like Torii SaaS Management Platform can enhance your security management. Offering vital features like shadow IT discovery, SaaS cost tracking, SaaS on/offboarding, and license optimization, it helps manage, secure, and identify cost savings in your SaaS environment. It’s a powerful tool for scaling your SaaS operations, providing more insights, and enabling better action.

#### Related Tools for Security Management

#### Related Concepts in Security Management

#### FAQs: Security Management

Q: What is security management?
A: Security management protects information and resources to prevent unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.
Q: Why is security management critical?
A: Security management is crucial as it helps organizations safeguard confidential data, prevent security breaches, mitigate risks, and maintain business continuity.
Q: What are the key components of security management?
A: The critical security management components include risk assessment, security policies and procedures, access controls, incident response, business continuity planning, and employee awareness training.
Q: How does security management differ from risk management?
A: While risk management identifies and assesses potential threats and vulnerabilities, security management focuses on implementing controls and measures to prevent, detect, and respond to those risks.
Q: What are some best practices for security management?
A: Best practices for security management include regular security audits, implementing strong access controls, utilizing encryption, regularly updating software and systems, educating employees about security risks, and having an incident response plan in place.
Q: What is the role of a security manager?
A: A security manager is responsible for developing and implementing security policies and procedures, managing security incidents, conducting risk assessments, overseeing access controls, and promoting employee awareness about security practices.
Q: What are some common security management tools?
A: Common security management tools include security information and event management (SIEM) systems, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), antivirus software, firewall solutions, and vulnerability scanners.
Q: What are the challenges of security management?
A: Some security management challenges include keeping up with evolving threats, balancing security with user convenience, managing employee compliance, allocating sufficient resources, and integrating security into organizational processes.
Q: How can security management help with regulatory compliance?
A: Proper security management helps organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements by implementing controls and procedures that align with industry regulations and standards.
Q: What is the future of security management?
A: The future of security management will likely involve advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation to detect and respond to security threats in real time, as well as increased focus on securing cloud-based environments and IoT devices.

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# Page Title
What is a Service Owner? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/service-owner

## Page Description

Manage and optimize services as a Service Owner and learn about the impact, risks, and strategic solutions to ensure you thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. #ServiceOwner #DataManagement

## Details

### What is a Service Owner?

A Service Owner (SO) plays a pivotal role in the IT sphere, shoulder to shoulder with the immense variety of titles in modern corporate organizations. Steering away from perplexity, a service owner resides precisely at the crossroads of IT domain expertise and tetra-directional communication. The balancing act between juggling technical depth and managerial breadth ensures their indispensable role within any thriving tech enterprise.
Note: Optimize your role in incident and problem management, change and release management, and service-owner training with Torii’s comprehensive SaaS Management Platform. Take control of your SaaS landscape now
But what happens when this dynamism gets muddled? Unpacking the service owner’s responsibilities, we find a canvas of several tasks contextualized within a different phase of a service’s lifecycle. Service owner tasks may vary but are typically embedded within the incident, problem, change, and release management.
Services Aligned with User and Business Objectives: An essential part of the service owner’s role is to ensure that the deployed services align with the expectations of the users and the overarching business objectives. This requirement necessitates rigorous service owner training to master technology and various soft skills like governance, communication, and collaboration.
Team Collaboration and Communication: Armed with a potent palette of service owner skills, SOs become responsible for fostering collaboration within and across teams, encapsulating a collective vision for the service. They also facilitate communication channels between stakeholders, ensuring transparent dissemination of information and constructive feedback.
Accountability: Accountability forms the backbone of the service owner definition. An SO is responsible for a service’s delivery, performance, and continual improvement, underpinned by metrics for monitoring and assessments. They’re also entrusted with managing service level agreements, undergirding the organization’s compliance with expected service quality and performance.
Governance: Governance involves developing and implementing service policies and procedures. It also includes handling the escalation process when unprecedented incidents occur, or the service fails to meet specific established metrics.
A service owner’s performance affects the viability of the service and the organization’s ultimate success. Navigating the frontier between the technology and business world, SOs play an integral part in shaping the corporate journey into the future.

#### Examples of A Service Owner (SO)

Service owners are critical players in the tech world, taking on diverse responsibilities and roles to ensure efficient, effective, and optimal operations. The service owner definition is similar to a captain who steers the ship through stormy waters, manages risks, promotes collaboration, and leads teams to deliver high-quality services.
Enterprise Setting
A service owner at a digital marketing agency manages different online platforms to enhance collaboration among creative teams. Their role is to ensure smooth service delivery by addressing any emerging incidents promptly and responsibly, understanding service owner escalation as a critical mechanism for handling unforeseen challenges. Governing the usage of resources and receiving and implementing feedback from team members and clients upholds their accountability.
Small and Medium Businesses
An Information Systems Service Owner at an educational institution maintains and enhances the institution’s technological infrastructure. Part of their tasks consists of managing databases, maintaining servers, and dealing with any technical issues that might impact the learning process. Skillful communication to handle service owner involvement with stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and students, and carefully managing service level agreements define their role.
Real-World Example
A service owner is the Lead of SaaS Management at a Fortune 500 company, and their daily tasks involve using the Torii SaaS Management Platform, which facilitates the discovery of Shadow IT, automates SaaS operations, and offers a clear view of SaaS expenditures. This service owner’s role involves incident and problem management, change and release management, and service-owner training to optimize SaaS license usage and ensure cost savings. They handle service owner responsibilities conscientiously, with a keen eye on metrics to gauge service owner performance.
Thus, service owners constitute the backbone of operational effectiveness across various sectors and roles, addressing incidents, managing improvements, and ensuring fruitful, seamless interactions between teams and stakeholders in different configurations. Their varied tasks, underlined by consistent profiles of accountability, problem management, and insightful governance, ensure services constantly adapt, grow, and deliver their remit effectively.

#### Best Practices for A Service Owner (SO)

In the ever-evolving tech landscape, the service owner role has become pivotal, with responsibilities encompassing more than just overseeing a service’s lifecycle. The service owner is the end-to-end authority for a specific service, ensuring its alignment with business objectives while managing governance and performance metrics. To understand this role better, let’s articulate a practical step-by-step guide.
Define the Service Owner (SO) Role
Start by defining the service owner’s role in your organization. This includes setting clear responsibilities like managing service level agreements (SLAs) and overseeing change, incidents, problem management, and escalations. Good service owner training should include these aspects to equip them with the required skills and knowledge.
Conduct Feedback Sessions
The key to success in the service owner role is effective communication. Regular feedback sessions with the IT team and stakeholders from the wider business can help foster collaboration and ensure everyone understands their tasks and responsibilities.
Review Performance Metrics
The role also takes on a strategic dimension, with service owners accountable for the successful delivery and maintenance of their service. They’ll regularly review performance metrics to identify areas for improvement, keeping an eye out for recurring incidents.
Align with IT Governance Policies
Service owners must align their role with IT governance policies. Strong governance helps ensure operational integrity while addressing compliance and security risks.
Understand Problem, Release, and Change Management
Fundamentally, service owners understand problems and change management. They should be aware of any potential service disruptions that may arise from changes and have a plan to manage these risks.
Release management is another critical task for service owners. They must plan and manage service versions, coordinating deployment activities across different teams.
Use Advanced Tools
The Torii SaaS Management Platform can be a vital tool in a service owner’s arsenal. Its ability to discover Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and provide visibility over SaaS expenditures reduces the complexity of managing varied tasks. Customizable to your needs, it offers the flexibility to build custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps, making it a valuable asset for any service owner.
Incorporate Feedback
Incorporating regular feedback into your service management process is crucial. This helps identify areas for improvement and fosters trust and transparency with your team. Lastly, always stay agile and willing to adapt as technology advances, the true mark of a dynamic service owner.

#### Related Tools for Service Owners (SO)

#### Related Concepts in the Service Owner (SO) Role

#### FAQs: Service Owner (SO)

Q: What is a Service Owner?
A: A Service Owner is an individual or a team responsible for managing and delivering a specific service within an organization.
Q: What are the critical responsibilities of a Service Owner?
A: The key responsibilities of a Service Owner include defining the service strategy, ensuring its alignment with business needs, managing the service lifecycle, overseeing service design and implementation, and maintaining overall service performance and customer satisfaction.
Q: What skills are required to be a Service Owner?
A: To be a successful Service Owner, one needs technical knowledge, project management skills, expertise in service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL), strong communication and leadership skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders.
Q: What is the role of a Service Owner in IT Service Management (ITSM)?
A: In IT Service Management, a Service Owner plays a crucial role in defining and managing service offerings, ensuring service quality, and supporting the overall delivery of IT services. They act as a single point of accountability for their assigned services.
Q: How does a Service Owner interact with other IT roles?
A: A Service Owner collaborates closely with other IT roles, such as IT managers, service desk staff, business analysts, and technical teams, to ensure the smooth delivery and continuous improvement of the service. They provide guidance, support, and feedback to these teams as necessary.
Q: How is a Service Owner different from a Service Manager?
A: While both roles are essential in IT service delivery, a Service Owner typically focuses on the specific service itself, ensuring its effectiveness, value, and customer satisfaction. On the other hand, a Service Manager is responsible for managing multiple services and the overall service management processes and functions within an organization.
Q: What are the challenges faced by a Service Owner?
A: Some common challenges Service Owners face include balancing competing demands, managing service risks and incidents, staying updated on evolving technologies, aligning services with changing business needs, and effectively communicating with various stakeholders.
Q: What metrics are used to measure a Service Owner’s performance?
A: The performance of a Service Owner is typically measured using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as service availability, service level agreement (SLA) compliance, customer satisfaction, service cost-effectiveness, and the successful implementation of service improvements or innovations.

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# Page Title
What is a Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/software-asset-management-sam-tool

## Page Description

Do you need a SAM Tool? It's a powerful software solution for monitoring and managing all your software assets.

## Details

### What is a Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool?

A Software Asset Management (SAM) tool is a specialized software solution that oversees and optimizes all aspects of an organization’s software assets. It handles everything from software inventory management to license compliance, helping businesses maximize their software investments.
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Is a SAM tool a software audit and license renewal management tool? Not. A robust SAM software does so much more than ensuring license compliance.
This software asset management solution takes charge of software deployment, software usage tracking, and software procurement. It dives into software entitlement, discovery, and asset lifecycle management. A SAM tool is a holistic approach to software optimization and cost management—providing vital SAM analytics, facilitating vendor management, and driving asset tracking rooted in SAM best practices.

#### Examples of Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

Remember, choosing the right SAM tool depends on your IT environment’s specific needs and circumstances.

#### Best Practices for Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

The tool should offer features like easy integration, a user-friendly UI, software inventory management capabilities, and software audit functions. Torii’s SaaS Management Platform can be a solid choice, capable of discovering Shadow IT and automating SaaS operations.
Implement a SAM solution that aligns with them. Prioritize functions like software deployment, software tracking, and license compliance.
Monitor and manage your software licenses to avoid violations of licensing contracts, enable timely license renewal management, and better predict software procurement needs.
Maintain an accurate, real-time inventory of all your software assets to track usage, facilitate asset lifecycle management, and ensure license compliance.
Discover and document all software used within the organization with tools like Torii that can find unknown or Shadow IT in your infrastructure.
Have a centralized, standardized software procurement process to ensure consistency, better pricing, and better software entitlement management.
Planned and executed software deployment meticulously, considering the user requirements and the organizational IT infrastructure to optimize software usage.
Build strong relationships with your software vendors for more streamlined software procurement, better pricing, and improved license renewal management.
Regular audits and an accurate inventory will keep your company in license compliance, preventing costly legal disputes and showing areas of software optimization.
Leverage analytics and reports generated from your SAM software to assess software usage, calculate cost savings, and gauge the need for software procurement.
Manage the entire lifecycle of your software assets, from procurement to disposal, to optimize efficiency and reduce costs.
Continual review and implementation of updated SAM best practices is a must. This can help businesses manage their software assets, improve their software cost management, and boost their software optimization efforts.
Using Torii’s SaaS Management Platform, IT professionals can automate these processes, save on costs, optimize license usage, offer a clear picture of software expenditures, and scale their SaaS-related work efficiently.

#### Related Tools for Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

#### Related Concepts in Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

SAM Tool is a vast topic with endless possibilities. If you’re ready to dive deeper, here are five critical terms related to SAM Tool that can expand your knowledge:

#### FAQs: Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

Q: What is the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool?
A: SAM Tool is a software solution used for Software Asset Management (SAM), which helps organizations manage and optimize their software assets.
Q: How does the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool work?
A: SAM Tool collects and analyzes data about software installations, usage, and licensing. It helps organizations track licenses, maintain compliance, and identify areas for cost savings.
Q: What are the benefits of using the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool?
A: Using the SAM Tool offers several benefits, including improved software license visibility, reduced compliance risks, optimized software usage, increased cost savings, and improved vendor management.
Q: Is the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool easy to implement?
A: Yes, SAM Tool is designed to be user-friendly and easy to implement. It offers automated data discovery and integration capabilities, making the implementation process more efficient.
Q: Can a Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool be integrated with other IT management systems?
A: Yes, SAM Tool can be integrated with other IT management systems, such as IT asset management, service desk, and procurement systems, to provide a comprehensive view of software assets and streamline processes.

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# Page Title
What is a Software Reseller? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/software-reseller

## Page Description

Learn about the role of a Software Reseller  and how they help distribute and sell software products. Discover the ins and outs of this tech concept!

## Details

### What is a Software Reseller?

A Software Reseller (SR) is your renowned bridge between the software providers, software vendors, and the end users or businesses that require these technology solutions. SRs are IT resellers in this intricate dance of technology distribution, often interacting directly with authorized software partners and vendors to ensure their customers access the required software quickly. Through this critical role, they strengthen the software distribution channel, making them an integral cog in the vast machinery of the IT distribution system.
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But what does it entail to be a value-added reseller apart from being merely a link in the chain? By definition, an SR is more than a software sales point; they dive deeper into the realm of software consultation, implementation, and support. This means that as an SR, you have skilled professionals aboard who can guide businesses through their software procurement process and navigate the various aspects of software training, customization, and implementation.
Streamline Software Generation: In simpler terms, software resellers engage with various software programs, obtain their software licensing credentials, and then offer these solutions to businesses. Essentially, they are software solutions providers who streamline the process between software generation and its eventual use.
Structure System: A cornerstone for SRs is the reseller program, a structured system where software distributors provide authorized resellers the rights to sell their products. It’s worth noting that these authorized resellers often acquire products at a lower cost, adding a competitive edge to their software sales.
A software reseller is your go-to technology reseller for comprehensive software services. They do not only sell. They act as consultants, trainers, implementers, and supporters to help businesses get the most out of the plethora of software solutions.

#### Examples of Software Resellers

A software reseller acts as an intermediary between software vendors and customers, offering value-added services such as customization, integration, and support. Here are three real-world examples of software resellers operating within different industry contexts.
Manufacturing and Retail Industries
In the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software market, a reseller specializes in providing solutions to manufacturing and retail businesses. This reseller sells licenses for leading ERP software and installation services, staff training, and ongoing technical support. They tailor the ERP system to fit the unique processes of each business, ensuring seamless integration with existing workflows and systems, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and data management for their clients.
Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
A cloud services reseller focuses on small and medium-sized businesses looking to transition to cloud computing. This reseller partners with major cloud platform providers to offer bundled services, including cloud storage, software as a service (SaaS) applications, and cloud-based infrastructure. By providing a single point of contact for multiple cloud services, the reseller simplifies businesses’ purchasing and management process, helping them leverage cloud technology to improve scalability and flexibility while reducing IT overhead costs.
Cybersecurity Sector
In the cybersecurity sector, a software reseller specializes in offering comprehensive security solutions to organizations of all sizes. This reseller combines various cybersecurity software products from different vendors into custom packages that address specific security needs, such as threat detection, data protection, and compliance management. In addition to selling software, the reseller conducts vulnerability assessments and implements security measures, providing a holistic approach to protect businesses against cyber threats and ensuring data integrity.
These examples illustrate the diverse roles that software resellers play in facilitating access to technology solutions, customizing offerings to meet specific industry needs, and providing added value through specialized services and support.

#### Best Practices for Software Resellers

As a software reseller, your success hinges on choosing the right software vendor and maintaining robust best practices. Managing relationships with software partners, becoming an authorized reseller, and understanding software licensing are all critical steps in this process.
Choose a Reputable Software Distributor
Software procurement should be approached with an eye for quality and partnership. Working with a reputable software distributor can provide access to a more extensive software distribution channel, impacting your value as an authorized reseller.
Enhance IT Distribution Strategy
Once the ideal software vendor is secured, consider your IT distribution strategy, particularly the role software training, consulting, and support play in providing a comprehensive software solutions package. These components add significant value to your software sales and are especially important if customization is involved in your reseller program offering.
Understand the Software License Agreement
An IT reseller must also understand the terms, benefits, and obligations to provide accurate guidance to clients. Employing software licensing agreements and a system for software implementation tracking can smooth out this process.
Use of SaaS Management Tool
This tracking system should be integrated with a technology to manage SaaS solutions like the Torii SaaS Management Platform. This platform helps you discover Shadow IT, automate operations, and optimize SaaS license usage. It contributes to SaaS cost savings for your clients and reshapes your role from mere technology reseller to an indispensably value-added reseller.
Furthermore, Torii can add a layer of transparency by providing detailed visibility over SaaS expenditures and performance. This can help you scale your efforts and solidify your place as a trusted software solutions provider.
Learn Key Trends
Lastly, constant learning and adaptation are essential. Stay updated with the latest in technology distribution, revisit your software procurement strategies often, and be open to pivoting your approach based on what works best in your market. Over time, your reputation as a reliable software reseller will flourish, and you will succeed in carving out your niche in the vast software sales arena.

#### Related Tools for Software Resellers

#### Related Concepts for Software Resellers

#### FAQs: Software Reseller

Q: What is a software reseller?
A: A software reseller is a company or individual that buys software licenses in bulk from software vendors and then resells them to end-users or other businesses.
Q: How does software reselling work?
A: Software resellers purchase software licenses at a discounted rate from software vendors and then sell them to customers at a retail price. They act as intermediaries between the software vendor and the end-user.
Q: Why would someone buy software from a reseller?
A: Buying software from a reseller often provides benefits such as discounted prices, dedicated support, customization options, and one-stop shopping for multiple software products.
Q: Can software resellers provide technical support?
A: Yes, many software resellers offer technical support services to their customers. This can include assistance with installation, troubleshooting, and general software usage.
Q: Do software vendors authorize software resellers?
A: Yes, software resellers are usually authorized by software vendors to sell their software licenses. They have an agreement with the software vendor to distribute their products.
Q: What are the advantages of becoming a software reseller?
A: Becoming a software reseller can provide advantages such as earning profit margins from software sales, access to a wide range of software products, and the ability to build relationships with customers.
Q: Can anyone become a software reseller?
A: Generally, anyone can become a software reseller. However, specific requirements might vary among software vendors, such as meeting particular sales volume targets or completing authorization processes.
Q: How do software resellers make money?
A: Software resellers make money by purchasing software licenses at a discounted rate from the software vendor and then selling them at a higher price to customers, earning a profit margin on each sale.
Q: Can software resellers offer volume licensing?
A: Yes, software resellers often offer volume licensing options, which allow businesses to purchase many software licenses at a discounted price.
Q: Are there any risks in buying from a software reseller?
A: While buying from a reputable software reseller is generally safe, there is some risk involved with unauthorized resellers. Ensuring the reseller is authorized and trustworthy is crucial to avoid counterfeit or illegal software licenses.

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# Page Title
What is Tugboat Logic (TBL)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/tugboat-logic

## Page Description

Discover the importance of Tugboat Logic in simplifying and automating your security compliance  Stay protected and compliant effortlessly!

## Details

### What is Tugboat Logic (TBL)?

Tugboat Logic (TBL) exemplifies a leading-edge solution in cybersecurity risk management, providing a systematic approach toward control assessment, compliance management, and incident response. Seamlessly integrated within its security framework, TBL’s robust set of security controls allows IT managers and directors to handle risk assessments and implement security policies effectively.
Note: Gain comprehensive control assessment, compliance management, and incident response capabilities seamlessly integrated into your security framework. Take charge of your organization’s cybersecurity with Tugboat Logic’s cutting-edge risk management solution, fortified with Torii’s SaaS Management Platform today.
But what does Tugboat Logic mean for those who are already adept at handling security incidents and maintaining the sanctity of their security frameworks?
Automation: At its core, Tugboat Logic is an invaluable tool engineered to simplify and automate complex processes. Are you grappling with security controls and the associated complexity? TBL has your back. Its targeted vulnerability management feature streamlines the necessary security measures while facilitating security monitoring. The platform’s security best practices are founded on proactive detection and prompt rectification, ensuring maximum safety on all fronts.
Compliance Management: Compliance management is another key offering of Tugboat Logic, with capabilities ranging from security audits to third-party risk management. TBL ensures a solid foundation for data protection and privacy practices across the organization. The compliance framework adheres to the highest industry standards while incorporating business continuity planning into its overall strategy.
Security Governance: Moreover, with Tugboat Logic, security governance is no longer an overwhelming. Instead, TBL makes it an achievable target via comprehensive security awareness training sessions, converting complex theory into practical, everyday procedures. Whether streamlining processes, optimizing controls, or managing cybersecurity risks effectively, TBL is a game-changer in IT security.
Tugboat Logic offers a holistic cybersecurity risk management and compliance approach. Whether addressing the everyday incident response or laying the groundwork for security governance, TBL equips IT leaders with the tools, know-how, and confidence to navigate the constantly evolving landscape of security challenges. With Tugboat Logic, you’re not just managing risks but controlling them.

#### Examples of Tugboat Logic

Tugboat Logic, a security assurance and compliance automation platform, aids businesses in demystifying the complex processes of achieving and maintaining security compliance standards. Providing frameworks, automated evidence collection, and policy management enables companies to bolster their security posture efficiently. Here are three real-world examples of how different organizations utilize Tugboat Logic.
Small Businesses
A small fintech startup leverages Tugboat Logic to streamline its SOC 2 compliance process. The startup uses Tugboat Logic’s automated evidence collection and readiness assessments to prove its security measures to potential banking partners and customers. This automation accelerates their compliance timeline and identifies real-time security gaps, enabling them to address issues promptly and maintain a robust security framework.
Medium Businesses
A healthcare technology provider adopts Tugboat Logic to navigate the complexities of HIPAA compliance. Given the sensitive nature of patient data, the company must adhere to stringent security and privacy regulations. Through Tugboat Logic, they automate the process of evidence collection, policy enforcement, and risk assessment. This helps them ensure that patient data is protected according to HIPAA guidelines and builds trust with healthcare partners and patients by demonstrating their commitment to data security.
Enterprise Setting
In the tech sector, a software development company utilizes Tugboat Logic to manage its ISO 27001 certification lifecycle. The company efficiently establishes and documents its information security management system (ISMS) with the platform’s policy templates and control frameworks. Tugboat Logic’s continuous monitoring and reporting features allow the company to maintain its compliance status, making annual audits smoother and less resource-intensive and ensuring that security practices always align with international standards.
These examples showcase Tugboat Logic’s versatility in assisting organizations across various industries to achieve and maintain critical security compliance standards, enhancing their security posture while simplifying complex compliance processes.

#### Best Practices for Tugboat Logic

Tugboat Logic presents a strategic solution for eliminating cybersecurity risk management inefficiencies. It streamlines control assessments and compliance management, reinforcing security measures and ensuring the application of security best practices. Adding Torii SaaS Management Platform into the mix pushes seamless integration to the next level, as it provides a bird’s eye view of SaaS operations, enhancing productivity and accountability.
Understand Tugboat Logic (TBL)
Understanding how Tugboat Logic works begins with leveraging its capabilities in risk assessments. The platform underscores the importance of complete knowledge about potential threats and vulnerabilities, providing ample data to create relevant security measures and governance. It strengthens your security framework by giving clear insights into areas of vulnerability.
Define Security Controls
Solution selection is another key aspect. Tugboat Logic simplifies this process by defining specific security controls to address identified risks. Each control forms part of a detailed security incident response plan, helping to ensure the team remains alert and ready.
Compliance Management
Tugboat Logic also excels at compliance management. It aligns with globally accepted regulations, ensuring data protection and privacy and fortifying against third-party risk management concerns. With cybersecurity being a dynamic field, updating security policies regularly is a well-entrenched practice here.
Enhance Cybersecurity Awareness
Being integral to building a culture of cybersecurity awareness is also part of Tugboat Logic’s armor. By offering security awareness training, Tugboat Logic ensures that stakeholders are equipped with the knowledge and reflexes to swiftly detect and handle security incidents.
Create a Detailed Incident Response Plan
Incident response with Tugboat Logic follows a detailed plan. This includes real-time security monitoring and swift action to breach attempts, ensuring that business continuity planning remains unhindered even during crises.
Use of SaaS Management Tool
On top of these, Tugboat Logic’s collaboration with the Torii SaaS Management Platform manifests in seamless operational advantages. Torii offers unmatched visibility over SaaS expenditures and can streamline SaaS functions like on/offboarding, license optimization, and cost savings. This mutual functionality provides IT professionals with an elaborate canvas to build custom plugins and integrations for their cloud apps.
In essence, combining Tugboat Logic’s vibrant security suite with Torii’s scaled-up SaaS management reigns supreme in delivering a robust framework that fosters a secure cyber ecosystem. This tactical and practical blend ensures a simplified yet comprehensive approach to incident response, vulnerability management, and security audits. It embarks on a journey towards cybersecurity excellence, making risk management less tug and more logical.

#### Related Tools for Tugboat Logic (TBL)

#### Related Concepts in Tugboat Logic (TBL)

#### FAQs: Tugboat Logic (TBL)

Q: What is Tugboat Logic?
A: Tugboat Logic is a compliance automation company that simplifies achieving and maintaining security certifications.
Q: How does Tugboat Logic work?
A: Tugboat Logic’s platform allows organizations to assess, manage, and communicate their security and compliance posture. It streamlines compliance processes by providing automation and intuitive workflows.
Q: What security certifications does Tugboat Logic support?
A: Tugboat Logic supports certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and more.
Q: How does Tugboat Logic help with compliance assessments?
A: Tugboat Logic provides step-by-step guidance for assessing compliance readiness, automates evidence collection, and generates audit-ready reports. It simplifies the complex compliance assessment process.
Q: Can Tugboat Logic be integrated with existing security tools?
A: Yes, Tugboat Logic can integrate with other security tools, such as vulnerability scanners and identity providers, to consolidate and streamline security operations.
Q: Is Tugboat Logic suitable for small businesses?
A: Tugboat Logic caters to organizations of all sizes, including small and medium-sized businesses. It offers an affordable solution for achieving and maintaining compliance.
Q: How does Tugboat Logic ensure data security?
A: Tugboat Logic uses industry-standard security practices to protect customer data. It encrypts data, follows strict access controls, and undergoes regular security audits.
Q: What are the critical features of Tugboat Logic?
A: Tugboat Logic offers features like compliance assessment workflows, evidence collection automation, risk management, policy management, vendor management, and reporting capabilities.
Q: Can Tugboat Logic help with ongoing compliance management?
A: Tugboat Logic provides continuous monitoring and alerts for compliance gaps, helping organizations manage and maintain their compliance posture over time.
Q: Does Tugboat Logic offer customer support?
A: Yes, Tugboat Logic offers customer support through various channels, including e-mail, phone, and online chat. They are responsive to customer queries and assist as needed.

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# Page Title
What is Usage Monitoring? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/usage-monitoring

## Page Description

 Discover the importance of Usage Monitoring in tech! Learn how it helps improve efficiency and optimize resources. #tech #monitoring

## Details

### What is Usage Monitoring?

Usage Monitoring (UM), often referred to as usage tracking or activity monitoring, is a comprehensive process that involves the continuous measurement and recording of the use of resources within an IT system. This practice leverages usage analytics and usage data analysis to create an in-depth understanding of the performance and efficiency of a given system.
Note: Access invaluable insights into your software usage, pinpoint cost-saving opportunities, and effortlessly ensure compliance. Seize control of your software assets and amplify your ROI. Begin your Torii journey today!
How can you make the most of usage monitoring? Usage monitoring tools, whether in the form of usage monitoring software, systems, or platforms, offer real-time usage monitoring that gathers vital data for swift and effective decision-making processes. A well-designed usage monitoring dashboard allows IT Managers and Directors to generate usage monitoring reports conveniently and accurately.
These tools help identify usage monitoring metrics, critical indicators of system performance, and resource consumption.
Alerts: One common feature often offered is usage monitoring alerts; these are proactive notifications designed with usage monitoring best practices to inform stakeholders about deviations from established benchmarks or potential issues.
Compliance and Optimization: Usage monitoring is more than data gathering and analysis; it extends to essential aspects such as usage monitoring compliance and usage monitoring optimization.
Trends: IT professionals need to stay updated on usage monitoring trends. Incorporating this intelligence into the broader IT strategy will allow them to respond to evolving complexities and find novel ways to enhance system efficiency.
Therein lies the actual value of usage monitoring, not just in the raw data it provides but in the actionable insights that drive proactive management and optimization of an IT system.

#### Examples of Usage Monitoring (UM)

Enterprise Setting
Real-time usage monitoring shines in a scenario such as monitoring network usage in a managed IT service provider. By implementing a robust usage monitoring tool, IT Directors can monitor the bandwidth usage of their clients. Alerts can be set for certain usage thresholds, which trigger automatic responses or notifications to the involved parties. Additionally, usage monitoring reports provide managers with detailed analysis and insights for decision-making and service improvement.
Small and Medium Businesses
In the context of compliance, consider a pharmaceutical company holding sensitive patient data. A usage monitoring platform can be highly beneficial here. These platforms enable activity monitoring and usage tracking, ensuring all data access is logged and authorized. Implementing a usage monitoring dashboard allows for easy visualization of data access patterns, maintaining a solid stance on usage monitoring privacy and security. This aids in adhering to stringent compliance regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), thereby protecting the company from potential data breaches and costly fines.
Real-World Example
In a large enterprise, usage monitoring software such as Torii SaaS Management Platform comes highly recommended. Torii’s usage monitoring system provides a clear and comprehensive view of all cloud-based software applications across diverse teams. By leveraging usage data analysis, IT Managers gain detailed insights into the usage trends of each application. They can identify underutilized software licenses and unnecessary subscription costs and track activity monitoring, optimizing the company’s investments in SaaS solutions.
These examples show the broad applicability and benefits of usage monitoring, from cost-saving measures to ensuring optimum service provision and maintaining strict compliance standards. The best practices involve a detailed understanding of the organization’s specific needs, selecting the proper usage monitoring tool, and using its features to the maximum.

#### Best Practices for Usage Monitoring

Effective usage monitoring is critical in managing modern networks and applications, providing vital insights into performance, user behavior, and potential vulnerabilities. Implementing best practices for usage monitoring can drive operational efficiency, ensuring compliance, strong continuity, and reliability.
Start with defining clear usage monitoring metrics. These metrics should include usage trends, session durations, the number of active users, and any other relevant metrics specific to your operations. Regular usage data analysis is crucial to identify any deviations or unusual patterns that may indicate problems or opportunities for optimization.
Establish Monitoring Process
Establish activity monitoring on your networks. This should be done in real time. Real-time usage monitoring allows immediate response to emerging issues, reducing downtime and optimizing performance. Usage monitoring software, such as the Torii SaaS Management Platform, can automate this process, streamlining IT operations.
Create a Comprehensive Usage Monitoring System
It’s vitally important to have a comprehensive usage monitoring system, which includes using the right tools. A usage monitoring tool like Torii can assist by providing a complete overview of SaaS licenses, expenditures, and the ability to automate SaaS operations. It can discover unauthorized software (Shadow IT) and drive cost savings and efficiency.
Invest in a Reliable Usage Monitoring Dashboard
Investing in a usage monitoring dashboard can further enhance your monitoring efforts. The dashboard visually represents usage data for ease of interpretation, convenience, and transparency, empowering IT Managers and Directors to make quick and informed decisions. Usage monitoring reports generated by these dashboards should be regularly assessed for updates and improvements.
Create usage monitoring alerts, notifying relevant personnel when significant metric deviations or security threats occur. When coupled with a robust usage monitoring platform like Torii, this feature can offer profound security advantages.
Ensure Compliance
Compliance with privacy and security standards is not just a legal necessity but also guarantees trust with the users. Ensure your usage monitoring practices comply with data privacy laws and that all sensitive data is adequately safeguarded.
Assess and Adapt Strategies
Continuously assess and adapt your usage monitoring strategies per the latest trends and organizational requirements. Rigorous usage monitoring optimization ensures that your IT infrastructure remains robust, scalable, and ahead of evolving challenges.
By implementing these best practices, you can extract valuable insights from usage monitoring and utilize those to empower a more efficient, secure, and optimized IT ecosystem.
Remember, at the heart of all this activity is the need for a robust usage monitoring platform like Torii, which supports compliance, facilitates the discovery of Shadow IT, automates SaaS operations, and provides better insights for more productive actions.

#### Related Tools for Usage Monitoring (UM)

#### Related Concepts in Usage Monitoring (UM)

#### FAQs: Usage Monitoring (UM)

Q: What is usage monitoring?
A: Usage monitoring is tracking and analyzing the use of technology or services to gather information about usage patterns, performance, and potential issues.
Q: Why is usage monitoring critical?
A: Usage monitoring helps organizations optimize resources, identify trends and patterns, detect anomalies or unauthorized activities, troubleshoot problems, and make informed decisions.
Q: What can be monitored in usage monitoring?
A: Usage monitoring can involve monitoring various aspects, such as network traffic, system performance, application usage, user behavior, device activity, and data usage.
Q: What are the benefits of usage monitoring?
A: Benefits of usage monitoring include enhanced security, improved performance, increased productivity, optimized resource allocation, better decision-making, and cost savings.
Q: How does usage monitoring work?
A: Usage monitoring typically involves collecting data through monitoring tools or software, analyzing the data, and presenting the findings meaningfully and actionable.
Q: What are the different methods of usage monitoring?
A: Common methods of usage monitoring include network monitoring, log analysis, application performance monitoring (APM), user activity monitoring (UAM), and data usage tracking.
Q: What tools are available for usage monitoring?
A: There are various tools available for usage monitoring, such as network monitoring tools like Wireshark, log analysis tools like Splunk, APM tools like New Relic, UAM tools like Veriato, and data tracking tools like Google Analytics.
Q: How can usage monitoring improve security?
A: Usage monitoring helps detect and prevent security breaches by identifying suspicious activities, monitoring user access privileges, identifying vulnerabilities, and proactively responding to threats.
Q: How can usage monitoring improve performance?
A: By monitoring system performance and identifying bottlenecks or inefficiencies, usage monitoring allows organizations to optimize their systems, improve response times, and enhance overall performance.
Q: How can usage monitoring help with compliance?
A: Usage monitoring helps organizations ensure compliance with industry regulations and internal policies by monitoring and tracking user activities, validating data integrity, and generating audit trails.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

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# Page Title
What are User Access Reviews? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/user-access-reviews

## Page Description

 Understand the importance of User Access Reviews in managing digital security and user permissions effectively. 

## Details

### What are User Access Reviews?

User Access Reviews (UARs) are effective strategies designed for IT managers and directors to gauge the appropriateness of a user’s access rights within an organization. This robust procedure, a key part of User Access Management, ensures the optimal balance between employee productivity and data security by evaluating significant aspects such as account privileges, user permissions, and access control review.
Note: Say goodbye to manual processes and hello to streamlined access management. Automate access reviews and ensure optimal access rights with Torii’s SaaS Management Platform. Check out Saas Management
But what about those intricacies that tend to fall between the cracks? For instance, how does one deal with the entitlement review or manage the complex domain of role-based access control? That’s where comprehensive systems of identity and access governance come into play, boosting your UAR by adding dimensions such as access certification, privileged user management, and user provisioning.
Access Policy Enforcement: Imagine dispatching your organization’s access request and approval. Does it follow a structured protocol? Effective UARs streamline this process while enforcing a robust access policy and consistent access monitoring and reporting. It keeps a tab on the segregation of duties and upholds the least privilege principle, all contributing to robust access remediation.
Automation: Now, as IT Directors, doesn’t this sound too labor-intensive? Fret not. Modern UARs have expedient access review automation, which remarkably lightens the load. It systematically handles the review process and adheres strictly to the access review policy.
Data Access: Hence, user access reviews not only provide a secure shield against unwarranted data access but also enhance organizational efficiency by eliminating redundancy, monitoring access, and curtailing privilege abuse. An effective UAR process will, without a doubt, navigate your organization’s user access landscape with finesse and precision.
Remember, an enlightened and empathetic insight into the intricacies of User Access Reviews can make your IT management more secure and efficient. Implementing and managing it effectively should be a priority rather than an option.

#### Examples of User Access Reviews

User Access Reviews (UAR) are essential for organizations to ensure employees have the appropriate access levels to systems and data, aligning with their roles and responsibilities. This process is crucial for maintaining security, compliance, and efficient operations. Below are three real-world examples of how different sectors implement User Access Reviews.
Financial Sector
In the financial sector, a multinational bank conducts quarterly User Access Reviews to comply with regulations like SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act). During these reviews, IT teams and department heads audit the access rights of all employees, from tellers to senior managers. They verify that each individual’s access to financial records, customer data, and transaction systems matches their job requirements. Any discrepancies or excessive access rights are immediately revoked to mitigate data breaches or fraud risks.
Information Technology Industry
A technology company specializing in cloud services performs continuous User Access Reviews using automated tools. These tools monitor user activities and real-time access patterns, flagging unauthorized attempts to access sensitive information or critical infrastructure. The IT security team reviews these alerts, investigates anomalies, and adjusts access rights. This proactive approach ensures that only authorized users can access vital assets crucial for protecting intellectual property and customer data.
Healthcare Organization
User Access Reviews are conducted semi-annually in a healthcare organization to comply with HIPAA regulations. This process thoroughly reviews employees’ access to electronic health records (EHR), billing systems, and patient databases. The review team, comprising IT, human resources, and clinical managers, ensures that healthcare professionals have access only to the patient information necessary for their roles. Any unauthorized access or outdated permissions are revoked, reinforcing the privacy and security of patient data.
These examples illustrate the diversity in implementing User Access Reviews across sectors, highlighting their importance in safeguarding sensitive information, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a secure and efficient work environment.

#### Best Practices for User Access Reviews

Entitlement Review
Initiating regular user access reviews ensures an organization maintains a secure and accountable IT environment. This practice, also known as entitlement review, is essential to user access management, and it all starts with identifying every user’s account privileges. Managers must reflect on whether user permissions align with business requirements and security protocols.
Ensure the Right Role-Based Access Control
In such reviews, role-based access control plays a significant part, ensuring that users only have access to information required for their job functions. By following the least privilege principle, an organization can ensure that users aren’t exceeding their necessary access, enhancing identity and access governance. The process may initially sound complicated, but implementing an access control review is hardly arduous, particularly when you have tools like Torii to ease the process.
Use of SaaS Management Platform
Torii’s SaaS Management Platform helps automate the access review process. Its unique features, like user provisioning, simplify providing and managing access rights to users. Managers can use it to enforce access policy and streamline an organization’s access request and approval protocol.
Track Changes and Updates
While conducting an access review, tracking changes in user access rights over time becomes vital. Torii provides the user-friendly advantage of access monitoring and reporting, letting IT professionals maintain meticulous records of user access changes and flag irregular patterns. Normalizing these practices ensures robust privileged user management within an organization.
Maintain Access Certification
Access certification is another vital part of the review process. Torii assists in certifying that the given access to users is necessary and justifiable, helping your organization comply with today’s strict regulatory standards. After certification comes the phase of access remediation. IT professionals perform this to fix inappropriate access rights using Torii’s automated solutions.
Correctly Segregate Duties
Torii also assists in enforcing segregation of duties – an essential access control policy. It helps prevent fraudulent activities within your system by ensuring no single user can perform conflicting tasks, thus minimizing risks.
Conduct User Access Reviews
One crucial step in efficiently conducting user access reviews is automating the process. Access review automation eliminates routine manual tasks, ensuring more accurate and timely reviews with no room for human error – something Torii has taken significant strides in providing.
Update Access Review Policy
Every organization should have a robust access review policy as it forms the backbone of a successful review process. Torii helps create and enforce these policies while providing the flexibility to change them per evolving business needs.
Therefore, best practices for user access reviews are not just a compliance checkbox but a vital security measure. Intelligent solutions like Torii equip IT managers to scale and simplify their SaaS-related tasks while maintaining high levels of security and compliance.

#### Related Tools for User Access Reviews

#### Related Concepts in User Access Reviews

#### FAQs: User Access Reviews

Q: What is a user access review?
A: A user access review is a process that allows organizations to evaluate and validate the access privileges of their employees or system users.
Q: Why is a user access review critical?
A: User access reviews ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information and help organizations comply with security regulations.
Q: How often should user access reviews be conducted?
A: The frequency of user access reviews may vary depending on the organization’s size and security requirements. However, they are typically done at least annually or whenever significant changes occur.
Q: What is the purpose of a user access review?
A: The primary purpose of a user access review is to confirm that users still require their existing access privileges and identify any unauthorized or outdated permissions.
Q: How are user access reviews performed?
A: User access reviews involve evaluating user accounts and their access rights to identify discrepancies, such as excessive privileges or unused accounts.
Q: Who typically conducts user access reviews?
A: IT administrators, security teams, or designated personnel responsible for access control usually conduct user access reviews.
Q: What are the benefits of user access reviews?
A: User access reviews help organizations enhance security, prevent data breaches, reduce the risk of insider threats, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
Q: What challenges can arise during user access reviews?
A: Some challenges during user access reviews include accurately identifying user roles and permissions, managing large user bases, and efficiently documenting the review process.
Q: What are the best practices for performing user access reviews?
A: Best practices for user access reviews include having a standardized process, involving business stakeholders, conducting regular reviews, and utilizing automated tools to streamline the process.
Q: What is the difference between user access reviews and access certification?
A: User access reviews evaluate user privileges, while access certification involves users verifying and confirming their access rights, usually through an online interface.
Q: Are user access reviews required for compliance with data protection regulations?
A: Many data protection regulations, such as GDPR in the European Union, require organizations to regularly review and validate user access to ensure privacy and security.
Q: Can user access reviews be automated?
A: Yes, user access reviews can be automated using specialized software or identity and access management (IAM) platforms to simplify the process and ensure accuracy.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

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# Page Title
What is User Provisioning? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/user-provisioning

## Page Description

Discover what User Provisioning is and how it simplifies access management!  Learn the basics and key terms in our glossary.

## Details

### What is User Provisioning?

User Provisioning (UP), in the broad sense, is a cornerstone of identity and access management; it encapsulates the suite of enterprise-level processes needed to create, manage, modify, and terminate user accounts and access rights across IT systems. This extensive process involves account provisioning, user management, authentication routines, and user onboarding and offboarding processes often guided by role-based access control principles.
Note: Struggling with cumbersome user provisioning processes? Take charge and streamline account creation, management, and access control effortlessly, all while maintaining top-notch security. Check out how Torii can transform your workflows.
What if you’re not struggling with Access Management?
User provisioning tools automate the critical and complex processes of granting, changing, and revoking access rights involving user directory and privileged access management.
Imagine being able to provide a new hire with a set of keys (access rights) that opens only specific doors (systems) in your company based on their role (role-based access control). That’s the essence of user provisioning!
Efficient Framework: An efficiently designed UP framework encompasses user lifecycle management, from onboarding to offboarding, taking the duty of synchronizing user data across several systems off your plate. It offers capabilities such as self-service user provisioning, which allows users to request additional access autonomously, and automated user provisioning, which speeds up access delivery and reduces manual workload.
Identity Governance: A role in identity governance must be balanced. With user access review as part of it, you can perform frequent checks to ensure that the right users have the proper access at the right time. This significantly reduces unauthorized and redundant access, a prevalent issue in unmanaged IT landscapes.
Workflow Automation: Built on workflow automation, UP enables seamless and rapid account provisioning and de-provisioning, vital during employee onboarding and offboarding. This way, organizations can ensure that ex-employees can no longer access sensitive company information.
Detailed Record Activities: The process also leaves behind audit trails that provide a detailed record of all user provisioning activities. During internal or external audits, these logs are invaluable to demonstrate to assessors that the organization has been competently managing access to its systems and data.
In conclusion, User Provisioning is vital to effective and efficient user and access management, given its role in guaranteeing that every user has the access they require and nothing more. It’s a crucial enabler of security, compliance, and operational effectiveness in today’s digital era.

#### Examples of User Provisioning (UP)

In IT management, the seamless integration of new users into an organization’s ecosystem is paramount. User provisioning, creating, managing, and deactivating user accounts and access rights in systems, applications, and networks is critical for IT departments. Here are real-world examples showcasing the importance and implementation of user provisioning in various sectors.
Enterprise Business
Salesforce, a leading CRM platform, offers a vivid example of user provisioning in action. When new employees join a sales team, their accounts are automatically created in Salesforce. This process includes setting up their profile with appropriate access levels to customer data, sales records, and collaboration tools. The automation ensures that the new team member can start contributing without delay, fostering efficiency and data security from day one.
Educational Sector
In the education sector, universities often employ user provisioning to manage student and faculty access to resources. At the start of a new semester, IT systems automatically create accounts for new students in the university’s learning management system (LMS), library databases, and e-mail services.
This automated process ensures that students have immediate access to necessary educational resources, enhancing their learning experience. As students graduate or staff contracts end, access is automatically revoked, maintaining system security and data integrity.
Healthcare Setting
Healthcare provides a critical context for user provisioning, where access to patient information must be meticulously controlled. When a new healthcare professional joins a hospital, their access to electronic health records (EHR) is provisioned based on their role.
For example, a nurse might receive access to patient care plans and medication schedules, while a billing specialist would have access to insurance and billing information. This role-based access ensures that sensitive patient data is only accessible to authorized personnel, safeguarding patient privacy and complying with regulations like HIPAA.
These examples underscore the value of user provisioning in maintaining operational efficiency, data security, and regulatory compliance across diverse industries. Organizations can ensure that their resources are used effectively and safely by automating granting and revoking access.

#### Best Practices for User Provisioning (UP)

Effective user provisioning is critical in any organization, encompassing access management, identity management, account provisioning, and user management. It balances providing necessary access for productive work, enhancing security, and minimizing the human error factor.
Initiate with User Onboarding
Initiating with user onboarding, an automated user provisioning process is recommended, which can help synchronize user data from all connected systems. Automation standardizes the onboarding process, saving time and minimizing possible errors.
Setup Role-Based Access Control
Role-based access control is another best practice, allowing defined roles and specific access privileges depending on job requirements. Privileged access management ensures that users with high-level privileges are correctly managed, mitigating potential risks.
Empower Users with Self-Service User Provisioning
A complement to automated user provisioning, self-service user provisioning empowers users to manage requests for access and updates to their profiles. This user-friendly aspect reduces administrative workload while granting users more control.
Efficient User lifecycle management
Another essential element is user lifecycle management. Supervising an account from the point of onboarding to offboarding ensures efficient access management throughout the working contract. User offboarding is equally crucial as user onboarding. All assigned access should be correctly and timely revoked, minimizing security risks.
Implement Policies
Identity governance goes hand in hand with user lifecycle management, providing a framework for defining and implementing policies for ensuring correct user access. Regular user access reviews are suggested, ensuring access privileges remain updated and secure.
Enable Audit Trail Function
Integrated within the process, an audit trail function is critical, providing accountability and tracking of all activities related to user provisioning. These records are invaluable, particularly for compliance purposes.
Automate Workflow
Workflow automation in user provisioning offers several benefits, such as speed, efficiency, and accuracy. Having software to manage end-to-end user access provides a systematic and disciplined approach, facilitating processes without manual intervention.
Use of Management Tool
Finally, utilizing platforms like Torii SaaS Management Platform for user provisioning can significantly streamline practices, providing visibility over SaaS expenditures, identifying shadow IT, and automating operations like SaaS on/offboarding, among other features. Torii’s software provides the means to scale their SaaS-related work by allowing IT professionals to build custom integrations and plugins for their cloud apps.
Empathetic insights make it clear that effective user provisioning is not merely about tight controls but also about fostering secure and productive working environments. As companies continue to evolve and grow, their approach to user provisioning should keep pace, ensuring that the process is as intuitive and hassle-free as possible without compromising security.

#### Related Tools for User Provisioning (UP)

#### Related Concepts in User Provisioning (UP)

#### FAQs: User Provisioning (UP)

Q: What is user provisioning?
A: User provisioning refers to creating, managing, and deactivating user accounts and access rights within an organization’s IT systems.
Q: Why is user provisioning critical?
A: User provisioning helps organizations efficiently manage user access to various systems, applications, and resources, ensuring the right level of access for each user based on their role and responsibilities.
Q: What are the benefits of user provisioning?
A: User provisioning offers several benefits, including enhanced security by granting appropriate access, improved compliance with industry regulations, streamlined user management, increased productivity, and reduced administrative burden.
Q: How does user provisioning work?
A: User provisioning typically involves automating the user creation, modification, and deactivation process through specialized software or identity management solutions. It integrates with HR systems to ensure employees’ access aligns with their employment status and responsibilities.
Q: What is the difference between user provisioning and user management?
A: User provisioning focuses on the automatic creation and allocation of user accounts and access rights, whereas user management involves ongoing administration, maintenance, and monitoring of user accounts, including access reviews and role changes.
Q: What are the standard user provisioning challenges?
A: Challenges with user provisioning include accurately defining user roles and access levels, managing access lifecycle (hiring, transfers, and terminations), maintaining data integrity, and ensuring timely and consistent access provisioning.
Q: What is the role of identity governance in user provisioning?
A: Identity governance encompasses the policies, processes, and technologies that govern user access and role management. It helps organizations align user access with business policies, regulations, and compliance requirements, reducing security risks.
Q: What is self-service user provisioning?
A: Self-service user provisioning allows end users to request and manage their access privileges within defined boundaries. It reduces IT workload by empowering users to initiate access requests and simplifies provisioning.
Q: What is single sign-on (SSO) in user provisioning?
A: Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication process that enables users to access multiple applications or systems with a single login credentials. User provisioning integrated with SSO ensures that users have the appropriate access permissions across various applications.
Q: How can automated user provisioning improve efficiency?
A: Automated user provisioning reduces manual efforts and associated errors by automating the account creation, modification, and disabling processes. It ensures timely provisioning of access rights, improves productivity, and minimizes the risk of unauthorized access.

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# Page Title
What is Vendor Evaluation (Supplier Evaluation)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/vendor-evaluation

## Page Description

Optimize your procurement with an effective vendor evaluation . Set criteria, involve key departments, and use data for informed decisions.

## Details

### What is Vendor Evaluation (Supplier Evaluation)?

Vendor evaluation (or supplier evaluation) is the process of assessing and scrutinizing a supplier to ensure they meet specified criteria for delivering products or services. This is crucial in procurement to manage risk, ensure quality, and achieve cost-effectiveness. The vendor evaluation criteria might include factors such as performance, reliability, and compliance with regulatory standards.

#### The SaaS Management Connection

For SaaS Management Platforms like Torii, vendor evaluation is a cornerstone activity. It ensures that third-party services integrate seamlessly, meet security standards, and offer a reliable customer journey. By streamlining this process, organizations can make informed decisions on vendor selection, enabling a more robust supply chain. Learn more about how SaaS Management Platforms can streamline your Vendor evaluation and renewal process.

#### Examples of Vendor Evaluation

Real-life example: Imagine a company looking to integrate a new customer service software. They shortlist three potential vendors. The procurement team creates a vendor evaluation form listing criteria like product quality, price rating, and customer service ratings. Based on the evaluation process, they score each potential vendor. This systematic vendor assessment enables them to select the vendor that best matches the business need.

#### Vendor Evaluation Best Practice

Supplier evaluation best practices are crucial for optimizing procurement processes, managing risk, and ensuring quality. Here’s how to ace it:
Define Clear Criteria: Establish clear, objective criteria for vendor performance. Consider factors such as delivery time, compliance, and quality control.
Multi-Departmental Input: Involve stakeholders from procurement, risk management, and quality control to gain a comprehensive view. This ensures an informed decision that aligns with overall business needs.
Use Standardized Forms: Employ standardized vendor evaluation forms to streamline the evaluation process. This ensures uniformity and minimizes subjective judgments.
Ongoing Assessment: This isn’t a one-off task. Regularly review vendor performance indicators to track adherence to agreed-upon standards.
Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage analytics to assess performance. Data-driven insights enable targeted improvements and help in identifying issues before they escalate.
Compliance Checks: Always verify that the vendor complies with industry and legal standards. Non-compliance can lead to financial and reputational damage.
Pilot Testing: Before full integration, run a small-scale test to validate if the vendor meets your performance and quality benchmarks.
Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback mechanism for continuous improvement. Update your evaluation criteria based on real-world performance and changing organizational needs.
Adopting these best practices helps in refining your vendor evaluation process, making it more aligned with your strategic goals and operational requirements.

##### Related Terms You Should Understand

By understanding these terms and incorporating best practices, organizations can improve their vendor relationships and achieve continuous improvement in their procurement processes.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

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# Page Title
What is a Vendor Manager? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/vendor-manager

## Page Description

Learn the ins and outs of the vendor manager. This critical role can save you headaches and cash with a few critical skills.

## Details

### What is a Vendor Manager?

A Vendor Manager (VM) is a crucial role in any IT department, primarily for maintaining and nurturing the relationships between an organization and its system of vendors. Following a disciplined vendor management process, they handle everything from vendor selection to contract negotiations.
The role requires high-degree skills in vendor relationship management, which essentially means understanding vendors at multiple levels to ensure superior vendor performance management.
Note: Elevate your vendor management strategy with Torii’s SaaS Management Platform. Gain invaluable insights to enhance vendor integration, streamline onboarding, and mitigate risks effectively.  Maximize your vendor governance, performance management, and strategy alignment today. Check Torii’s Vendor Management Solution
What happens when a vendor fails to meet performance expectations? A vendor manager steps in, carefully assessing and monitoring the work executed by vendors against predefined benchmarks and scorecards.
Vendor Assessments: Vendor Managers frequently conduct vendor assessments and audits to ensure the performance aligns with the organization’s goals. Essentially, they balance vendor compliance with the contract and the growth of an advantageous relationship.
Vendor Selection: Vendor selection is another high-stakes task the vendor manager performs. They use their knowledge of the vendor landscape to bring on board the best available resources, following a meticulous vendor onboarding process. This process includes integrating the vendors into company systems and strategizing for future collaboration and growth.
Contract Negotiation: Negotiating vendor contracts is an everyday task in the life of a vendor manager. Here, their role expands beyond paperwork as they manage vendor negotiations with a tact that secures reasonable pricing and fortifies the relationship for future collaboration.
Portfolio Management: A vendor manager is also responsible for vendor portfolio management, managing a diverse chorus of vendors to deliver a harmonious output. This often involves a degree of complex vendor governance to ensure each vendor’s operation is in the organization’s best interest.
Risk Management: Beyond this, vendor managers also shoulder the task of vendor risk management. They devise strategies to mitigate potential risks, ensuring the organization’s interests are always safeguarded. They succeed in this through regular vendor reporting, providing comprehensive reviews on vendor performance and risk areas.
In conclusion, a vendor manager is a crucial pivot around the relationship between an organization and its vendors. From contract negotiation to strategic collaboration, the role extends beyond essential vendor management, acting as a linchpin in the complex, interlocking relationship between an organization and its vendors.

#### Examples of A Vendor Manager

In the realm of IT Management, Vendor Managers play a significant role. One such example is a Vendor Manager who is responsible for vendor selection and vendor assessment. This professional even uses a vendor scorecard to provide a quantifiable measure of each vendor’s performance.
Enterprise Setting
In a large software development company, vendor managers will monitor and evaluate their software vendors to ensure they meet the quality and service requirements of vendor contracts.
Small and Medium Businesses
In the retail industry, Vendor Managers utilize vendor relationship management and vendor evaluation techniques to optimize their vendors’ performance. A Vendor Manager in a multi-national retail chain uses vendor negotiations and vendor collaboration to foster healthy relationships with suppliers. They also perform regular vendor audits, monitor compliance, and manage the vendor portfolio to ensure all contractual terms are met.
Real-World Example
Lastly, notable in the tech sector, a Vendor Manager can use advanced software like the Torii SaaS Management Platform to streamline vendor management. This individual, perhaps in a fast-growing tech startup, can discover Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and optimize SaaS licenses. By using Torii, the manager ensures vendor integration and improves vendor onboarding processes. It becomes possible to gain visibility over SaaS expenditures, and the vendor risk management is significantly boosted through this system’s insights. Custom plugins and integrations for their cloud apps, as provided by Torii, pave the way for more effective vendor reporting and, thus, more strategic decisions.
Thus, the role of the Vendor Manager, irrespective of the industry, is integral in maintaining vendor governance, enhancing vendor performance management, and crafting a sound vendor strategy that aligns with business goals. These real-world examples demonstrate a unique aspect of vendor management that can drive positive business outcomes.

#### Best Practices for A Vendor Manager

Mastering the art of vendor management is crucial in the IT world. Start by establishing an effective vendor strategy that defines your organization’s vendor-related objectives, whether cost-saving, quality improvement, or risk management. A strategic map can guide vendor selection processes and ensure decisions align with your business goals.
Evaluate Vendor Performance
Use a Vendor Scorecard when evaluating vendor performance. This tool allows you to monitor whether vendors meet your expectations regarding quality, cost, delivery, and service. Regular vendor assessments and audits also go a long way in revealing any discrepancies or pain points in the vendor’s operations.
Build Vendor Relationship
Invest time in vendor relationship management. Clear, consistent communication fosters a strong partnership and makes vendor negotiations smoother. You’ll get more collaboration and better results in short- and long-term projects with solid relationships.
Assess Vendor Risks
Take into account vendor risk management, too. This involves assessing the potential risks associated with a vendor, ranging from financial stability to compliance with regulations. A well-rounded risk management strategy ensures service continuity.
Create Detailed Vendor Contracts
Remember to include vendor contracts in your strategy. These legal instruments protect you and the vendor, defining the expectations, responsibilities, and recourse for disputes. Stay on top of changes in terms and conditions, ensuring they meet your organization’s current needs.
Monitor Performance and Progress
Regular vendor monitoring is vital, like checking if the service you are receiving matches the agreed terms. It acts as a preventive measure, alerting you to any issues before they escalate into serious problems.
Improve Vendor Integration Process
When onboarding a new vendor, following a structured vendor integration process is recommended. It’ll help avoid future miscommunication about roles and responsibilities.
Create and Improve Vendor Governance
Vendor governance is crucial in managing the dynamics of your vendor portfolio. This involves defining the roles, responsibilities, and interactions between vendors and your organization. It requires regular reporting to measure vendor performance along predetermined criteria.
Utilize Management Platforms
Utilizing useful platforms like the Torii SaaS Management Platform can automate tasks such as SaaS on/offboarding, license optimization, and cost savings. This cutting-edge platform ensures you maintain order and control over your vendor environment.
With Torii, you can discover Shadow IT, gain visibility over SaaS expenditures, and build custom integrations for your cloud apps, increasing efficiency for IT professionals.
Remember, adapting and following these best practices is a continuous process. As business needs evolve, so should your vendor management practices. Adjust, refine, and innovate to get the most out of these partnerships.

#### Related Tools for a Vendor Manager

#### Related Concepts in Vendor Management

#### FAQs: Vendor Manager

Q: What is a vendor manager?
A: A vendor manager is responsible for managing relationships with external suppliers or vendors on behalf of an organization.
Q: What are the critical responsibilities of a vendor manager?
A: Key responsibilities of a vendor manager include sourcing and selecting vendors, negotiating contracts, monitoring vendor performance, resolving issues, and ensuring compliance with contracts and agreements.
Q: What skills are required for a vendor manager?
A: Skills required for a vendor manager include strong negotiation and communication skills, the ability to build and maintain relationships, analytical skills, and knowledge of vendor management best practices.
Q: What are the qualifications for a vendor manager?
A: Qualifications for a vendor manager may vary but typically include a bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, relevant work experience in procurement or vendor management, and knowledge of industry regulations and standards.
Q: How does a vendor manager help a company?
A: A vendor manager helps a company by ensuring that the organization has reliable and cost-effective suppliers. They also enable maintaining good relationships with vendors, resolving issues, and securing favorable contracts and pricing for the company.
Q: What is the difference between vendor and procurement managers?
A: A vendor manager is responsible for managing relationships with specific vendors, while a procurement manager focuses on the overall procurement process and strategy of acquiring goods and services for the organization.
Q: What are some vendor management best practices?
A: Some vendor management best practices include conducting due diligence in vendor selection, regularly monitoring vendor performance, fostering open communication with vendors, and periodically reviewing and renegotiating contracts.
Q: What are the challenges of vendor management?
A: Vendor management challenges may include finding reliable vendors, negotiating favorable contracts, managing vendor relationships, ensuring compliance, and handling vendor-related issues or disputes.
Q: What is vendor performance management?
A: Vendor performance management is the process of monitoring and evaluating vendors based on predefined performance metrics, such as quality, delivery, responsiveness, and cost. It helps ensure that vendors meet the organization’s expectations and requirements.
Q: What software or tools can be used for vendor management?
A: There are various software and tools available for vendor management, including vendor management systems (VMS), contract management software, supplier relationship management (SRM) software, and procurement platforms. These tools help streamline vendor management processes and enhance efficiency.

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# Page Title
What is IT Governance? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/glossary/what-is-it-governance

## Page Description

Uncover the essentials of IT Governance . How it aligns with business goals, the role of SaaS management, and more

## Details

### What is IT Governance?

IT Governance is the framework that aligns an organization’s information technology strategy with its business objectives. It provides a structure for decision-making and accountability, emphasizing efficiency, risk management, and compliance. Effective IT Governance ensures the optimal use of technology resources to meet business goals.

#### The SaaS Management Connection

In the era of Software as a Service (SaaS), IT Governance becomes even more crucial. A robust governance structure is required to manage numerous SaaS applications and ensure they align with the organization’s strategic objectives. SaaS Management Platforms can facilitate this alignment by offering centralized control over software assets, usage metrics, and compliance data. Learn more about Torii’s complete SaaS Management Platform, empowering modern IT with visibility and control.

#### Examples of IT Governance

While some might simply associate information technology governance with the word “no”—as in, “can I download this application?”—IT governance is actually a wide set of strategies that ensure an organization is effective in their technology usage.
Real-Life Example: In a financial institution, a governance board oversees IT projects to ensure they align with organizational goals and compliance standards. The governance process involves risk assessments, stakeholder engagement, and a rigorous review by the Chief Information Officer (CIO). When a new SaaS tool is considered for customer service management, the governance framework ensures it fits into the existing enterprise architecture and complies with data protection regulations.

#### IT Governance Best Practices

For organizations seeking to optimize their IT strategies, following IT Governance best practices is crucial. A well-defined governance framework can serve as a roadmap for strategic alignment between IT and business objectives, facilitating informed decision-making and stakeholder engagement.
Strategic Alignment: Ensure that IT initiatives align with organizational goals and business strategy. Create a governance board that includes senior executives and key stakeholders for periodic reviews.
Risk Management: Continuously assess IT-related risks. From data breaches to project failures, comprehensive risk assessments help prioritize resources and actions.
Compliance and Regulations: Stay up-to-date on local, national, and international regulations that could impact your IT structure. Regular audits and reviews are necessary for maintaining compliance.
Resource Optimization: Maximize the utility of both human and technological resources. Implement tools and frameworks that allow for efficient asset management, including SaaS applications.
Performance Metrics: Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of IT governance. Metrics could include system uptime, project completion rates, and user satisfaction scores.
Stakeholder Communication: Create open channels for stakeholder feedback and communication. Transparency builds trust and ensures alignment with business objectives.
Adaptability: The technology landscape is ever-changing. A good governance framework should be flexible enough to adapt to new technologies, methodologies, and business requirements.
By adhering to these best practices, organizations can achieve effective governance, resulting in operational excellence, reduced risks, and a higher return on IT investments.

#### Related Terms You Should Understand

IT Management: The day-to-day administration and maintenance of IT resources.
Corporate Governance: The broader system of rules and practices by which a corporation is directed and controlled.
IT Project Management: The planning and execution of IT projects, often involving software development and infrastructure upgrades.
Framework: A basic structure underlying a system or concept, in this case, IT Governance.
Stakeholders: Individuals or groups who are impacted by or have an interest in the organization’s IT decisions.
Compliance: Adherence to laws, regulations, and organizational policies.
IT Risk Management: The identification and mitigation of IT-related risks that could negatively impact the organization.
By understanding these related terms, you’ll gain a comprehensive grasp of how IT Governance functions within an organization, especially in the context of SaaS management.
IT governance is the structure, framework, and strategy to ensure that an organization’s IT infrastructure is safe, efficient, and effective as it works towards its mission.
Often a combination of procedures, rules, and processes, IT governance provides a framework for how an organization utilizes technology to achieve their mission.
Once formulated and introduced to an organization, IT governance establishes how to use software, hardware, and other IT-related assets—now and in the future.

#### What are the four 4 focus areas of IT governance?

While not always just these four areas, IT governance typically focuses on these four areas for effective management:

#### How can you create an IT governance structure?

Creating a successful and productive IT governance structure involves four important steps:
One easy win when activating IT governance is getting a handle on SaaS management. For enterprise organizations, SaaS management can quickly enable cost savings, security improvements, and greater efficiency.

#### Real Data, Real Insights

The 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Annual Report is out! Get an exclusive look at real insights based on hundreds of real software ecosystems.

# Page Title
Application Rationalization: The Complete Guide | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/guides/application-rationalization-the-complete-guide

## Page Description

Learn the process of application rationalization, an evaluation method to optimize your technology stack. Understand your SaaS and save more!

## Details

### Application Rationalization: The Complete Guide

“You know my methods, Watson.”
Have you ever wanted to be a detective? Dreamed of being Sherlock Holmes?
The closest some of us will ever get will be a game of Clue, but IT leaders have a rare opportunity in their own field: application rationalization.
Application rationalization, put simply, is an evaluation process for applications. It helps IT understand what apps to keep, cease, or expand in usage.
But how is application rationalization like a mystery to crack?
Note: App rationalization is only possible with discovery. If you’re not sure about your shadow IT, check out Torii Basic—the easiest way to uncover all of your shadow apps instantly. Learn more.
Here’s the case: Technology is integral in the operations of every operation. New applications are created for every function imaginable. This has led to increasing SaaS spend and complexity. How can organizations optimize the sprawling landscape of applications?
It might not be “The Hound of Baskervilles,” but IT is the only team up for the case, and their version of Sherlock’s infamous magnifying glass is application rationalization.
The most effective IT leaders must regularly undergo the process of application rationalization to optimize their tech spend and contribute towards their organization’s mission. By leveraging their understanding of technology, the questions of “why?” and “how?” become that much easier.
Are you ready for your briefing? Let’s gather clues on how your organization uses applications and crack the case of SaaS complexity and cost.

#### Why Undergo Application Rationalization?

Applications are the new digital workplace.
No different than how employees had passionate opinions on the office chair they were sitting on, they also hold viewpoints about what applications they use on a daily basis. When an employee is unhappy with the applications at their disposal, they often find their own solutions—Shadow IT. The cloud has made that easier than it’s ever been before.
If SaaS applications are the new norm, then their unmonitored adoption is the new symptom of that normalcy. Just as the old saying goes “everything is good in moderation,” — the ease of onboarding for SaaS applications has also enabled bloated budgets, frustrated employees, and new security vulnerabilities.
The good news for IT leaders is that every employee is working daily with a barrage of applications, producing key data for what applications are successful in their purpose (making rationalization easier for IT leaders that go looking for those clues).
Let’s consider those clues.
Clue #1: Shadow IT. Shadow IT is no longer a rare occurrence, it’s the norm at most organizations. Employees have stopped asking IT for permission to utilize applications they believe will help them level-up their productivity. Like a foggy looking glass, this has led to large portions of spend being invisible to IT leaders and creates information vulnerability after offboarding. Any productive application rationalization process should include identifying Shadow IT (more on that later).
Clue #2: Employee Experience. As of a recent study, 49% of workers say they’re likely to leave their current job if they’re unhappy or frustrated with workplace tech. The technology an organization utilizes is more than a tool, it actually shapes their culture. Interviews now commonly include conversations about what applications an organization uses day-to-day. Applications have almost assumed their own persona and personality at an organization, and can affect culture in a similar way to that of a toxic co-worker. After all, how many times have you dreaded doing a task, simply because of the application you have to utilize to get it done? Suddenly, IT leaders are working alongside their HR cohorts towards improving employee experience.
Clue #3: The Cost. As organizations scrambled to go remote due to the pandemic, IT put cost on the backburner to focus on action (or rather ensure that action didn’t cease). The mission was clear: make sure employees could do their jobs no matter where they were, and deploy whatever applications made that productivity possible. Now as the world slowly starts emerging from the pandemic, it’s time to move from “survival” to “sustainable”.
All of these clues create a case of complexity for IT leaders—optimize your SaaS stack, or let it continue to cause havoc to the detriment of your organization. Application rationalization is necessary, but it doesn’t need to be difficult.

#### Getting Started

So what is application rationalization?
As a reminder, application rationalization is an evaluation process for applications. It helps IT understand what apps to keep, cease, or expand in usage.
But, in order for IT to understand what to do with new apps, they need to gather certain information such as:
It’s also not a one-time task. Application rationalization is a cyclical process that organizations should continuously undergo in order to ensure that their tech stack isn’t bloating. Especially in the world of easy-to-utilize SaaS applications, organizations can quickly begin overspending and overcomplicating without realizing it. Think of SaaS overspending and complexity as your Professor Moriarty—the story is never quite over.
By making it part of your workflow, rather than a yearly or bi-yearly action, you’ll continue to optimize with each new application.
The good part is that most of the application rationalization process is intuitive for most IT leaders. It’s all about transforming those instincts into consistent, data-backed habits.
With that in mind, let’s first consider what the steps of application rationalization are:
Each of these steps also become easier each time you accomplish them, especially as your historical data improves. Let’s dive into each one, and discuss ways to make them easier

#### Step 1: Take Inventory

It’s impossible to solve the case of SaaS sprawl without knowing the suspects in question.
This could be the most difficult part for organizations that haven’t gained greater visibility on all the applications, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, utilized at their organization.
After all, how can you evaluate applications you can’t see?
Application visibility is simple enough for sanctioned applications—as most IT teams have a full view of applications they’ve helped deploy. The difficulty comes in the form of Shadow IT. Shadow IT are applications or services utilized by employees that weren’t directly sanctioned by IT.
Legacy methods of application inventory struggle with accounting for Shadow IT. It’s time to put away the spreadsheet.
Utilize a SaaS Management Platform (SMP) that enables you to discover all applications in your organization, including Shadow IT.
The Torii Platform, for example, has real-time monitoring through various data sources (including a browser extension) that instantly make IT aware of a new application’s use.
With this level of discovery, you can easily view a full inventory of all applications currently in use at your organization and be sure you’re not missing any unsanctioned outliers.
By the completion of this step, you should be able to answer:

#### Step 2: Identify the “How?”, “Why?” and “Who?”

You know all the applications in existence at your organization; now it’s time to understand:
This part is integral, as without understanding the usage of applications—it’s easy to cut value without realizing it. In the words of Sherlock, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”
How do you identify the value of an application? Without a system in place to empirically evaluate, it’s tough to measure success, and thus ROI.
At a quantitative level, you need insights into the real-time usage of each application. While you can learn about usage data by sending out surveys, that leaves your data-integrity in the hands of distraction coworkers guesstimating their app usage before their next meeting. This method of data gathering is unscalable and inaccurate at its best, and can waste some serious time at its worst.
With this data, you should compare usage across multiple applications, identify trends in usage, find wasted licenses, and determine cross functional redundancy.
Quantitative data will only get you so far, though. Questionnaires and interviews with power-users and macro-level teams on why they’re using an application can be extremely useful. For example, Asking questions such as, “Why are you using this X application vs. Y alternative?” can shed light on what functionality or UX friction leads to employee selections.
The decentralization of SaaS application adoption has motivated every knowledge worker to add a little bit of “IT” to their toolbelt. Each employee considers and values different parts of each application. By hearing and understanding from all levels of users, the rationalization of applications becomes cooperative. It removes the air of “IT made me do this” from the decision-making process and democratizes the manner in which your organization leverages technology.

#### Step 3: Calculate the Cost

As with most crimes, money is almost always a factor. So it’s time to figure out the cost of each application.
Calculating cost quickly becomes complex when you consider the varying pricing models for applications. Traditionally, this involved going from contract to contract and gathering that information within a spreadsheet.
For applications not being actively managed by IT? Good luck tracking down that information from finance or individual account holders. Without proper tools to congregate all this information into one place, it becomes a terrible game of hide-and-seek.
Today, tools like SaaS Management Platforms pull this information from various data sources and sort it alongside your application inventory. For example, Torii integrates with NetSuite to automatically sync transactions and match them to the associated application.
Cost isn’t only monetary, either. Some applications cost very little from a financial perspective but can cost significant time and cause frustration.
To find these hidden time-costs, It’s time to find patterns in the data (a detective’s greatest tool towards conclusion). Utilizing your data from the last step, look for trends involving massive drops or increases in application adoption. These trends could indicate workflow changes due to frustration that weren’t communicated with your team.

#### Step 4: Analyze the Value

This step involves leveraging the data from the previous steps to make conscious determinations for each application. In the words of Holmes himself, “Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”
If you’ve been using a SaaS Management Platform until now, all of your data should be accessible and accurate.
Once you have all of your data, consider possibly creating a scoring system that will help you systematically distinguish value. If you’re looking to keep things simple, just compare the outcomes of each application with their cost and usage to determine whether or not it can be classified as “ROT” (Redundant, Outdated, Trivial).

#### Step 5: Act on the data

No great detective story is complete without a final chase. Once the case is cracked, it’s time to bring the culprit(s) to justice. In that same way, our work is not done until we’ve acted upon our newfound insight.
We recommend creating buckets of actions and determining where each application fits into them.
This could include three buckets such as:
Review: Applications with medium value and medium-cost that should be maintained at the current usage level in the organization’s tech stack
Reward: Applications providing high value at low cost that could benefit from greater adoption or investment
Remove: Applications providing minimum value at a high cost and should be removed from the organization’s tech stack
Once determining where applications land in these buckets of action, take those actions and communicate clearly with stakeholders to accomplish them.

#### Step 6: Evaluate & review results

Think of this as the epilogue that teases the next adventure. The last step of this cyclical process involves understanding ways to improve your process and actively communicating with other employees to help them also understand it.
The application rationalization process is relevant to the entire organization. If non-IT employees understand your decisions, it encourages them to consider your value-based strategy when they’re adopting technology.
To make the process more transparent, consider sending a communication why certain apps were eliminated and sending a survey after each cycle that asks for opinions based on the decisions.

#### What IT Leaders Can Learn From Application Rationalization

At face value, the application rationalization process enables IT leaders to learn how to save costs and optimize their tech stack by reducing redundancies. At a more strategic level, it enables them to become the single source of technology truth for their organization.
Shadow IT isn’t going anywhere, but when IT is actively going through a cyclical application rationalization process, it enables them to be the subject area experts on all things “app.” The same ingenuity that develops into Shadow IT can also educate IT leaders on current app trends, help them better understand which applications deliver on promised value, and bring that information to the executive table.
Applications are no longer just “tools”; they are a core part of strategy.
Once you get into the groove of actively performing application rationalization, the process will become easier than ever—some would even say, “elementary!”
Interested in learning more about application rationalization? Reach out today, and we’ll guide you through building the best process for your organization. We promise to keep our detective puns and Sherlock Holmes references to the minimum.
Application rationalization is an evaluation process for applications to help IT understand which apps to keep, cease, or expand in usage, optimizing tech spend and aligning with organizational goals.
It’s crucial for optimizing SaaS spend and complexity, preventing bloated budgets, frustrated employees, and new security vulnerabilities by managing the sprawling landscape of applications effectively.
The process includes taking inventory of apps, understanding their usage and cost, analyzing their value, deciding on actions (keep, cease, expand), and continuously evaluating and reviewing the process for improvements.
By identifying unused licenses, redundant apps, and optimizing the software portfolio, application rationalization helps in cutting unnecessary expenses and reallocating resources efficiently.
Challenges include dealing with Shadow IT, ensuring accurate and comprehensive application inventory, understanding the real usage and value of each app, and managing the change within the organization.
SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs) like Torii are used for discovering all applications, including Shadow IT, by providing real-time monitoring and data analysis to support the rationalization process.
It’s a cyclical process that should be continuously undergone to ensure the tech stack remains optimized and doesn’t become bloated, especially in the fast-evolving landscape of SaaS applications.

##### Get your demo today

Now you can control, manage, and save money on the SaaS used by your company. Let us show you what Torii can do for you.

# Page Title
Buyer's Guide for SaaS Management Platforms | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/guides/buyers-guide-for-saas-management-platforms

## Page Description

## Details

### Buyer’s Guide for SaaS Management Platforms

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Software as a Service (SaaS) has emerged as the go-to model for businesses of all sizes. Gone are the days when companies had to purchase, install, and maintain bulky software. Now, it’s all about subscriptions, cloud-based services, and—let’s be honest—a smorgasbord of apps that promise to solve every business challenge under the sun.
And while much of that promise is true, an unforeseen consequence has emerged—SaaS sprawl. While cloud apps are easier to adopt and implement, they are also more difficult to detect, manage, and optimize. As a result, a new industry has emerged—SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs).
Here are some data points about the importance of SaaS Management. According to Gartner, by 2027, organizations that fail to find some form of SaaS Management solution for visibility and management will:
In the last five years, the market for SaaS Management Platforms has increased significantly as more and more organizations recognize the need to oversee, de-risk, operationalize, and optimize their cloud apps. Today, SMPs are becoming essential for IT professionals trying to keep up with daily work.
However, not all SMPs are cut from the same cloth. Different tools offer different advantages. Top analysts predict that as the market for SMPs continues to fragment, there is an ever-increasing risk that I&O leaders will invest in tools that do not address all their requirements.
With time and continued market fragmentation, the choice of which SMP becomes critical to long-term budgetary, security, and operational efficiency across your SaaS.
The purpose of this guide is to help you navigate this complex buying process, identify priority capabilities for your team, and equip you with the tools to make the best decision possible.

#### Methods of SaaS Management

Let’s talk strategy. Different tools have different strengths. When considering which SMP is right for you, consider what your primary use case(s) are. Here are the primary approaches that different SMPs take towards optimizing your SaaS stack:
Spending management
These tools are a godsend for those under pressure to trim budgets. Designed with cost-efficiency in mind, they employ automation to optimize license use and identify savings opportunities across your app portfolio. Beyond just monitoring your outlays, they shine a light on hidden “shadow” expenses and allocate them appropriately. This Spend Management approach doesn’t just win over IT—it also earns appreciation from Finance teams by offering crystal-clear spend visibility and robust cost control.
Did you know? 73% of CIOs feel like their company lacks a strategic framework for app rationalization, causing a full 75% of CIOs to consider “wasted SaaS spend” a top threat to long term success.
However, While Spend Management-focused SMPs excel at cost control, they often come with trade-offs that could impact other critical areas. For instance, they often lack other features such as security or employee lifecycle automation. Additionally, they often cater to Finance teams with metrics that may not provide the full picture for IT managers who are looking at long-term strategy and operational efficiency.
Security-Centric
If you’re the type who double, no, triple-checks the locks, this one’s for you. Security-centric platforms prioritize data protection, compliance, and risk mitigation. They heavily rely upon shadow IT detection, risk assessments based on integration access, and ensuring user privilege is strictly enforced.
Did you know? 92% of IT pros believe their organization understands modern cybersecurity threats. However, only 16% believe that their training and education are their primary strength and only 7% have strong confidence in their standard operating procedures.
SaaS Management platforms, while able to contribute to security, struggle to provide a holistic solution. Outside of monitoring and shadow IT discovery, most organizations find that a SaaS Management Platform is not a complete security solution. So, while it is important to have baseline governance and discovery capabilities, Security-centric platforms often struggle against dedicated security solutions (such as cloud access security broker [CASB], security service edge [SSE] and SaaS security posture management [SSPM]).
Vendor Management
Managing multiple vendors can feel like herding cats. This approach aims to streamline vendor relationships, from contract negotiations to performance evaluations. It’s the diplomat in your software stack, keeping all parties in harmony.
Did you know? Only 36% of IT professionals reported collaborating with Procurement teams on surfacing important app data in preparation of contract negotiations.
However, these platforms often focus so much on vendor relations that they may overlook other critical aspects like security, cost management, and employee lifecycle. These tools often provide capabilities ideal for procurement teams but lacking for most IT professionals. They might offer excellent metrics on vendor performance but lack comprehensive data on internal usage or security compliance. For IT managers, this could mean a gap in understanding the full impact of their SaaS portfolio.
Employee Lifecycle
From onboarding to offboarding, this approach manages the employee experience with your SaaS tools. Ensuring your employees have all their apps on day one is just as important as ensuring your IP is secure on their last day. These tools specialize in maintaining the appropriate access privileges based on the user’s status.
Did you know? 59% of IT pros consider offboarding employees from applications a top security threat.
However, while these platforms are great at managing the employee experience, they often fall short in other areas like cost management. Additionally, their metrics are usually employee-centric but lack critical visibility into the utilization of applications during an employee’s tenure. This may not provide a complete picture for IT managers focused on broader operational or financial goals.
While different SMPs might offer different focuses, there is one critical difference that is often overlooked—whether or not the SaaS Management Platform is truly a platform or if it is a closed system with many integrations.

#### Open Architecture vs. Closed Systems

As the SaaS management industry matures, it’s not just about what these platforms can do today; it’s about what they’ll be able to do tomorrow. Sure, different focuses like Spend Management or Security are important, but let’s zoom out for a moment. The real issue at hand is the architecture of these platforms. Are they open systems that allow for growth and adaptability, or are they closed systems that box you in?
Closed systems often lack API access or frameworks for building custom integrations and apps. They’re like a pre-furnished apartment—what you see is what you get. While they may excel in their specific focus areas, their lack of flexibility can be a significant drawback as your organization evolves. Imagine your needs suddenly change, your security requirements shift, or you try to adopt a new SaaS tool that doesn’t cooperate with your current SMP. With a closed system, you’re stuck trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
On the flip side, platforms that offer resources for customizing your experience allow you to adapt and grow. They allow you to build custom integrations or even develop bespoke apps tailored to your unique needs. This adaptability can be a game-changer, especially for IT managers who need to think long-term and consider the ever-changing tech landscape.
So, as you evaluate different SaaS Management Platforms, consider whether you want an app to solve a specific problem today or a platform that offers potential for future adaptability.

#### Critical Capabilities for SaaS Management

Now that we’ve covered the primary approaches let’s talk about the non-negotiables. These are the features that should be on your SMP shopping list, no matter what your primary focus is. Consider this your “must-haves vs. nice-to-haves” cheat sheet.
Visibility: If you can’t see it, you can’t manage it. Your SMP should offer a comprehensive dashboard that shows all your SaaS subscriptions, usage, and costs. Ensure that your tool has multiple methods of discovery, not just a few, and consider the methods of discovery. For example, does it require a desktop agent or access to emails? Tools like this often compromise endpoint device performance or security measures.
Security Compliance: GDPR, CCPA, SOC2, HIPAA—these aren’t just alphabet soup. They’re regulations your SMP should help you comply with. Ensure your vendor offers the security requirements that matter such as audit logs or security reports, and that they are compliant themselves!
Cost/License Tracking: Knowing what you’re spending and where is crucial. Look for real-time budget tracking and alerts, as well as tools for license utilization rates and automation for reclamation.
User Management: The ability to add or remove users, set permissions, and automate onboarding and offboarding processes, preferably with the ability to schedule events and react to triggers in real time.
User-Friendly Automation Engine: Most success stories with SMPs depend on custom workflows. If you want to see long-term success, ensure your tool has an automation layout that you will actually enjoy using.
Open Platform Capabilities: The easiest way to know if a system has open platform capabilities is to ask about an integration or action with an external app that the SMP doesn’t currently offer. If the only way to add that action/integration is through their internal product development, then it is a closed system. However, if there is a route to building it yourself, this indicates a more flexible system. Ask about
Integration with Key Systems: If the SMP can play nice with your existing tech stack, that’s a cherry on top. Especially your key workplace apps like your IdP, HR management, etc.
24/7 Support: Because problems don’t always occur between 9 and 5.
Artificial Intelligence: While not essential, AI tools will accelerate the efficiency of IT teams and you’ll want to ensure your vendor is already implementing strategic AI features where they matter most.

##### Pitfalls to Avoid

Overbuying: Don’t get dazzled by features you don’t need.
Ignoring Scalability: Your SMP should grow with you, not become a bottleneck.
Neglecting User Experience: If it’s not user-friendly, it won’t get used. Simple as that.
Indecisive Approach: High-regret buyers usually start without a clear objective and get caught overanalyzing and delaying the buying process.
Elongating the Process: Longer buying cycles often correlate with higher regret.

#### How to Select Your SMP

Alright, you’ve got your compass points—now, how do you navigate through the options to find your perfect SMP match? Let’s break it down.
Step 1—Establish Goals: What pushed you to this point? Security breach via an unsanctioned app? Budget KPIs you need to hit yesterday? Are offboarding processes taking too long? Identify the goals, both short-term and long term for your organization.
Step 2—Identify Requirements: These requirements fit into three categories:
Step 3—Vendor Shortlist: Based on those key features and goals, evaluate the vendors. Use industry reports to hear from analysts, but also check user reviews from places like G2. Also, use case studies and documentation to validate your evaluation of these vendors.
Step 4—Demo Time: Have vendors walk you through scenarios based on your tech specs. For example, don’t ask if they have a feature, give them a real scenario that you currently face and ask them to demonstrate how to resolve a problem or uncover the data. This will help manage expectations and ensure that you know exactly what you are buying. Debrief with your team post-demo.
Step 5—Decision Matrix: Create a weighted matrix to evaluate vendors. During each debrief, have your team go through and rate the vendors. This will help ensure you have a clear method of remembering which vendor shined in each area. We’ve got a template for you, ready to go. Remember to adjust the weighting based on your goals.
Step 6—Seal the Deal: Whether it’s signing on the dotted line or running a pilot, make sure you test the platform end-to-end based on your unique use case.
Remember, this isn’t one-size-fits-all. Adapt these steps to fit your unique needs.

#### Secure Buy-in From Other Stakeholders

Depending on your situation, you might need to secure buy-in from different groups within the organization. Navigating the complex maze of gaining approval can be a challenging step when implementing a SaaS Management Platform (SMP). Each department has its unique focus and objectives, which makes securing buy-in a multi-dimensional task.
Here’s how to approach it, broken down by department.
Key Points to Address:
Highlight the cost-saving potential of an SMP, particularly in automating license optimization and contract renewal processes. For procurement, emphasize how an SMP can eliminate nasty surprises and give them visibility. Procurement teams are often frustrated by going into negotiations without adequate preparation—talk about how data like license utilization rates will finally give them a leg up in contract renewal discussions.
Starting the Conversation:
Kick-off discussions with a straightforward question: “How can we optimize our current vendor contracts and software licenses for cost-efficiency?” This primes them for the solution you’re about to introduce.

##### Human Resources

One of HR professional’s greatest concerns is ensuring new hires have the right tools right away. Slow downs can generate a less pleasant first impression with new hires, this friction reduces employee retention. Focus on the efficiency an SMP can bring to employee lifecycle management. Immediate license access on day one—no squabbling or contacting IT for logins. Show how automating access privileges can both expedite the onboarding process and safeguard company data when employees leave. Discuss compliance metrics that are directly relevant to HR responsibilities.
Initiate dialogue by identifying mutual challenges in employee onboarding and offboarding, such as, “How can we ensure that new hires have immediate access to the tools they need?”

##### Security/Compliance

Underline the security and compliance features inherent in an SMP. Talk about shadow IT detection, risk assessments based on app integrations, and the automated enforcement of user privileges. Highlight how an SMP complements existing security measures by adding another layer of defense and visibility, helping the organization maintain compliance with data protection laws.
At the heart of an SMP’s security offering is visibility, especially over shadow IT. Start the conversation there, “What measures do we currently have in place to ensure employees only use sanctioned applications?”
Speak to the Finance team’s bottom-line orientation by demonstrating the cost efficiencies that an SMP can deliver. Elaborate on features like automated expense allocation, chargebacks, and license optimization, which directly contribute to more effective budget management. Use metrics to show how these efficiencies translate to dollars saved, making sure to relate this back to overall business objectives.
Get the ball rolling by focusing on a shared concern: “How effective are we in tracking our SaaS spend against ROI?”
Here, the focus should be on the strategic alignment between an SMP and the company’s long-term goals. C-Suite is typically concerned about SaaS in two specific ways—security and spending. Discuss how risk mitigation measures in the SMP can safeguard company data and assets and how the SMP also provides increased spend visibility, including a better understanding of the utilization rate (value) and expense of the app.
Start high-level, asking something like, “Are we fully aware of the long-term operational risks associated with our current SaaS usage?”

##### Common Thread: Data-Driven Insights That Relate

Regardless of the department, data and relevance are your greatest assets for securing buy-in. Real, actionable data that directly pertain to their specific pain not only gives weight to your argument but also offers each department specific insights into how an SMP can solve its unique challenges. Whether it’s a detailed cost analysis for Procurement, compliance rates for HR, or risk assessment metrics for the C-suite, data bridges the gap between the SMP’s capabilities and each department’s needs.
By tailoring your approach and speaking directly to the unique needs and languages of each department, you stand a much better chance of securing the cross-organizational buy-in needed to successfully implement an SMP.

#### Decision Matrix Template

A decision matrix is a simple but useful tool to help you maintain focus throughout the vendor evaluation period.
Simply create your list of criteria. Assign a weight to each criterion (for the easiest calculation, the total of all the weights should equal 100%), and then score each vendor on a scale of 1-10.
Tip: You might want to include a disqualification threshold for different criteria. For example, “vendors must have at least a 4/10 in App Discovery.”
When it’s time to calculate the final score, you can use the formula =AVERAGE.WEIGHTED in Google Sheets or Excel to get a weighted average of each vendor based on your evaluation criteria.
Here’s a sample decision-making matrix:

#### More to Consider: Integration Capabilities

So, you’ve got your eye on an SMP. But wait, how well does it play with others? Integration capabilities are the unsung heroes of effective SaaS management. If you want a platform and not just another tool, it is essential that your SMP be able to augment and improve your work across multiple tools.
Importance and Benefits
Integrations aren’t just a nice-to-have; they’re a must. A well-integrated SMP can talk to your HR system, your accounting software, your IdP, and more. This is where the future of SaaS Management is made, it’s not just about collecting data but about the capabilities to take action with those insights.
Ultimately, saves time, reduces errors, and makes life easier for everyone involved.
Depth vs. Breadth
Integrations can vary tremendously in terms of efficacy. You can think of it like breadth vs depth. Many vendors will provide a massive list of integrations, but the majority of those tools only pull data. While this is good, it can offer a false sense of coverage. Other vendors will focus more on providing depth, meaning powerful capabilities with core apps. Again, this is a balance because you will want the right amount of coverage and usefulness.
Make sure to ask not just if the integration exists but also what the integration does.
So, when you’re evaluating an SMP, don’t just look at what it can do—look at what it can do in concert with your existing tools. Because in the orchestra of your organization, the SMP isn’t just a player; it’s the conductor.

#### Security Considerations

As mentioned previously, SaaS Management Platforms are not generally security experts, but they can provide significant coverage and added visibility for your security team! If you want to double down on security, here are some important capabilities that your SMP should include:
Discovery as Key
Your first line of defense is knowing what you have. An effective SMP should be able to discover and catalog all SaaS applications in use, authorized or not. It’s like a security camera for your software; if it’s in your network, you should know about it. Ensure that the tool uses multiple methods of discovery and that those methods do not undermine your existing security.
Data Access Control:
When evaluating a SaaS Management Platform (SMP) for your organization, understanding its security capabilities is crucial. Here’s what to look for:
Gathering Control Data
You need to collect proof of control data essential for compliance audits, like SOC 2.
Onboarding New Employees
Ensure you are able to automate the onboarding process to ensure that the team is alerted, appropriate access is provisioned, they are assigned to the correct user group, and they automatically receive all the procedural checklists and policy guidelines.
Annual Access Review
Gain real-time visibility into user activity and access rights for your crucial applications. This should allow you to streamline user management by removing outdated access, adjusting admin privileges as needed, and issuing alerts for unauthorized or risky application use.
Offboarding Terminated Employees
Look for automated offboarding capabilities that take care of multiple tasks at once: sending automated alerts to remove the employee from all applications and providing real-time reporting and auditing of the entire offboarding process.
Opt for comprehensive vendor management features that store all relevant details like contracts, contacts, and use cases. The system should also notify you of upcoming renewals and have archiving capabilities for audit and historical reference.
Confidentiality Agreements with Vendors
The platform should enable you to store and manage all confidentiality documents, such as NDAs and DPAs, at the application level, ensuring that vendor relationships adhere to your organization’s confidentiality standards.
Keeping an Audit Trail
Invest in a platform that includes robust audit capabilities. This should cover onboarding and offboarding actions, application discovery, document storage, and change logs to make auditing a breeze rather than a battle.
Storing Data for Easy Use and Discovery
Your chosen SMP should act as a centralized repository for all SaaS applications, becoming the Source of Truth across your organization and increasing operational visibility.
Planning for the Next Annual Review
Ensure your SMP has tools for efficient data collection, maintenance, and sharing, enabling you to prepare for periodic reviews like SOC 2 with the least amount of friction.
By focusing on these requirements, you’ll set the stage for a SaaS Management Platform that aligns with your security objectives rather than just checking off boxes. Choose wisely to establish a foundation for ongoing success.

#### Understanding Pricing Models

Pricing models can vary. Here’s how to make sense of it all.

##### Common Pricing Models

##### Factors Influencing Cost: The Add-ons and Ifs

The ability of the platform to expand its capacity as you grow is invaluable. But remember, extra seats at the table aren’t free.
Does the platform allow you to move the furniture around? Tailoring to fit your unique needs is usually a premium service. Involve stakeholders to determine what’s a need-to-have versus nice-to-have.
Support and Training
Ah, the concierge service of the software world. Some SMPs provide basic support within the initial pricing, but the white-glove variety? That’s often an extra line item.
Big data comes with its own price tag. The more data you need to store, the steeper the potential costs. Plan your storage needs meticulously.
Integration Costs
The SMP has to fit into your existing ecosystem, which could involve third-party apps and APIs. Sometimes this seamless fit requires a bit of tailoring, adding to your overall investment.
Always Consider the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
When sizing up the pricing models, think marathon, not sprint. TCO includes not just the immediate costs but also long-term investments like scaling, support, and potential add-ons like advanced analytics or enhanced security features.

#### Implementation and Support

You’ve made the savvy choice, toasted to the future, and now it’s time for the operational magic to happen. Implementation and ongoing support are the pivotal stages that transition you from decision to action.

##### The Typical Process

First impressions matter, even for software. Here is where you ensure your SMP integrates seamlessly with your existing infrastructure. You’re setting permissions, configuring workflows, and building the stage for all subsequent acts.
Discovery System Implementation
Once you’ve got the basics squared away, your next job is to enable the discovery system. This is your SMP’s eye in the sky, collecting data about application usage, license renewals, and much more. It’s the reconnaissance phase where you arm yourself with valuable intel.
Old systems might hold crucial data. Transferring this without loss of integrity or security is paramount. You’ll be moving configurations, user data, and perhaps years of accumulated knowledge. Your SaaS Management Platform should become your SaaS System of Record.
Adding Expense Data
Import expense data to set up for monitoring, analysis, and ultimately, cost-saving strategies. Make sure your finance team is involved at this juncture; their input is invaluable.
Uploading Contract Information
Contracts hold not just legal protection but also critical data. Ensure that both are safely uploaded within your SMP. This helps to track renewals, ensure compliance, and negotiate future deals. Remember, legal oversight is key here.
A tool is only as good as the craftsman who wields it. Staff training ensures your team is empowered to make the most of the new system. This includes not just navigating the platform but also understanding its strategic applications.
You’ve made it to the end of this guide, and if you’ve been taking notes, you’re now armed with a wealth of knowledge to make an informed SMP choice. But remember, knowledge isn’t just power; it’s a tool. And like any tool, it’s only as good as the hands that wield it.
So, what’s next? Take this information, apply it to your unique situation, and start the journey toward better SaaS management. Whether you’re an IT manager looking to tighten the ship or a director aiming for strategic growth, the right SMP can be a game-changer.
Know Your Needs: Different strokes for different folks—or, in this case, different SMPs for different needs.
Do Your Homework: Research, compare, and then research some more. Your due diligence will pay off.
Think Long-Term: Your choice of an SMP isn’t just for today; it’s a long-term relationship. Choose wisely.
The landscape is ever-changing, and staying updated is key. So, keep learning, keep adapting, and most importantly, keep pushing the boundaries of what your SaaS stack can do for you.

##### Get your demo today

Now you can control, manage, and save money on the SaaS used by your company. Let us show you what Torii can do for you.

# Page Title
27 Tips for Software Cost Savings [Ultimate Guide] | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/guides/cost-savings-checklist

## Page Description

Discover actionable steps to find software cost savings , clean up subscriptions , and bring visibility to your spend management!

## Details

### 27 Tips for Software Cost Savings [Ultimate Guide]

Finding cost savings is hard. It often results in uncomfortable conversations, tiring negotiations, or difficult decisions without enough data. Frankly, it’s not fun!
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of strategies, tactics, and tips for controlling your app spending. For each tip, we’ve included a simple rating system based on its value, the amount of technical knowledge or new tooling it requires, and whether or not it could include an awkward conversation.
For example, the following rating would indicate high value, low technical difficulty, and the potential for moderate social discomfort!
Take every rating with a grain of salt. An extroverted IT Director will have different struggles than an introverted Database Admin!
Most of these tips can be simplified or fully automated through Torii’s SaaS Management Platform. For those tips, we’ll include a little note providing insight into how an SMP might help your execution of this tip.Learn how you can get started with Torii with a 14-day free trial today (no credit card required )!

#### Getting Started

##### 1. Communicate the importance

Let’s start with arguably the most important action—communication. Changing company culture is really difficult, but once the communication is out there, it empowers you to take more action with more clarity. Explain to your entire organization why cost optimization matters—platitudes are nice, but data is better. Emphasize that these strategies aim to ensure resources are well-spent and the right tools are in place.
While Torii won’t help you craft the perfect email or magically give you public speaking skills, it will arm you with critical data such as; license utilization rates, usage trends, contract data, and more.

##### 2. Schedule regular audits

Proactive reviews are crucial as usage patterns and SaaS options change rapidly. Quarterly or semi-annual audits are a good baseline. Without the right tools, the audit process can feel tedious, and follow-up actions often slip through the cracks.
With Torii, audits won’t need to be scheduled, you can have them run continuously in the background and take automatic actions like sending you usage notifications, shadow IT alerts, or automated license reclamation workflows.

#### Consolidation & Optimization

##### 3. Identify redundant tools

Redundant tools are those that accomplish more or less the same task. The difficulty with this is that it relies on a lot of digging to uncover. Often, there will be a sanctioned solution and a shadow IT solution—the trouble comes with identifying those shadow apps (something that only SaaS Management Platforms are designed to do). Simple consolidation can produce some significant cost savings as well as simplify training, support, and integration efforts across the organization.
Not only does Torii uncover shadow IT and sanctioned technology, it also includes a powerful Compare tool which generates side by side comparison reports of your redundant tools so you can identify the overpriced deadwood or the unsung heros

##### 4. Right-size Licenses

One of the greatest sources of cost savings, your contracts probably include a number of unused license seats. If you can identify those seats, you’re well on your way to massive cost savings via negotiation for contracts to match your needs.
Torii’s license optimization puts you in the driver’s seat with license breakdowns by active, inactive, and unassigned. You can also create auto-reclaim workflows to keep your licenses right-sized continuously

##### 5. Optimize feature adoption

When companies are searching for a “silver bullet,” the knee-jerk reaction is to purchase a shiny new tool. Sometimes, the new tool is absolutely worth the purchase. However, those capabilities are often already available as an unutilized feature in your existing tech stack. Train users well on the full capabilities of your existing tools to avoid unnecessary new purchases.
With Torii, you get a comprehensive list of every app in your company. When someone requests a new tool, search for tools with that capability and compare it against your app list.

##### 6. Cancel unused subscriptions

In terms of value against effort—this is one of the best ways to trim fat from the tech budget—proactively canceling any subscriptions your team isn’t actively using anymore. Make this a regular habit instead of letting zombie subscriptions haunt your finances indefinitely.
Note: This tip is entirely dependent upon accurate usage data for the applications involved.
Torii let’s you automate this entire process, from app discovery, to usage monitoring, to contract ingestion, to renewal notifications.

##### 7. Explore tiered pricing

You know those fancy, full-featured versions of software you’ve been paying top dollar for? Time for a reality check—does every single team actually need all those bells and whistles? Don’t be afraid to open a dialog with the vendor and negotiate your way down to the tier that works best.

#### Strategic Procurement & Negotiation

##### 8. Centralize purchasing

Bringing all your software purchases under one roof can be a game-changer. It ensures everyone’s on the same page and that your buys truly make sense for the business. Depending on the purchase’s cost, you might find it necessary to implement different approval processes.
Note: Implementing this solution will require strong support from leadership.
In Torii, you can turn that procurement form into a workflow so employees can proactively request new technology and different approval flows will be triggered based on the request. You can also send this form automatically any time Torii detects someone signing up for a new tool without approval.

##### 9. Implement approval workflows

In many ways, this goes hand in hand with the previous step. Centralized purchasing will only work if employees sense that there’s a clear process in place. Otherwise, they will become dissatisfied or work to work around the process. That’s why clarity is king.
Torii’s workflow builder, app catalog, notification and alerts, and powerful integrations can automate each step of the approval workflow, ensuring nothing gets stuck.

##### 10. Benchmark pricing

Sometimes, ignorance is just ignorance (not bliss). Compare prices with market averages to ensure you’re getting competitive deals.
Torii includes price benchmarks to let you know if you’re paying the market average for you applications.

##### 11. Negotiate Renewals Proactively

If you want to save big, you have to master the renewal process. The first step to mastery is preparation. Ensure that you have full visibility and a proactive plan for engaging with vendors before the date. The more you can set expectations in advance and back up your positions with data, the better you’ll fare. A little practice at negotiation can save your company big.
Torii makes renewals easy. From initial contract ingestion to automatic renewal alerts, you’ll never miss a negotiation and with in-depth usage data, you’ll have insights into the product to keep your vendors honest.

##### 12. Negotiate Payment Terms

Aiming for discounts with annual payments or seeking extended payment periods can be a surprising boost IT budgets. While it requires a good understanding of your company’s software needs and some negotiation skills, the financial benefits can be substantial.

##### 13. Seek Volume Discounts

Securing lower pricing when purchasing licenses for multiple teams or departments is a straightforward way to reduce software costs. However, this technique won’t offer a lot of value unless you’re working with large contracts. On the plus side, though, it can also be an effective way to consolidate multiple contracts, making future cost savings exercises more focused.
Directly Ask Vendors: Initiate conversations with your vendors about volume discounts. These discounts are often available but may not be publicly advertised.
Torii can help you spot duplicate instances of the same application within you ecosystem and gives you the amo to take to a vendor discussion.

##### 14. Leverage Long-Term Contracts

Thanks to multi-year contracts, committing to a tool for the long term can net you better pricing. This approach is best suited for software that’s core to your operations and where you’re confident in its long-term value.
Calculate Trade-Offs: It’s crucial to consider the potential cost savings against the loss of flexibility. Evaluate how much you’re likely to save over the contract period versus the potential costs if your needs shift and you’re locked into a less-than-ideal contract.
Torii’s usage insight allows you to spot the tools that truly are core to your operations, not simply which tools different stakeholders claim are critical.

##### 15. Consider Usage-Based Billing

For tools that see fluctuating levels of use, switching to a usage-based billing model could lead to substantial cost savings. This approach aligns costs directly with consumption, potentially offering cost savings during lower usage periods.
Usage Analysis: Conduct a thorough analysis of past usage patterns to determine if your current payment model is cost-effective. If you notice significant variability in tool usage, it might be time to negotiate a usage-based billing plan with your provider. This model can be particularly beneficial for businesses with seasonal fluctuations or those in the process of scaling operations.
Get all your usage insights through Torii’s discovery.

#### Visibility & Data-Driven Decisions

##### 16. Track and Find Shadow Spend

Like it or not, someone in your company is purchasing software via unsanctioned channels. Often, these purchases are small and insignificant via a company card. However, sometimes, these purchases can bloat and grow, adding new license seats and zeros to the final figure in the process.
Torii conducts comprehensive shadow IT discovery along with spend analysis. Identifying sanctioned and shadow apps as well as corresponding contracts and credit card payments. With its AI powered discovery and mapping, shadow IT is fully illuminated.

##### 17. Measure ROI

Ok, don’t roll your eyes. Discussions of ROI are easy to initiate, but doing the analysis can feel frustratingly futile. In order to truly calculate ROI, you need to start with some basic details and some pass/fail criteria.
After analyzing these basic starting points, you should know whether or not the product is even worth measuring ROI (of if it’s time to say “au revoir”). If you believe it is worth the measurement, create a formula looking at time saved, cost savings, and other relevant metrics (like security enhancements, customer satisfaction, etc.). Make sure you consult other teams to create a report that is fair and honest.
Torii won’t tell you if a tool is good, but it will tell you if people use it. Sometimes, the ROI discussion can start and end with “do people use it?”

##### 18. Centralize Data For Insights

Data in isolation is interesting, but data in context tells a story. To read that story, your data needs to be stored in a central location so you can interrogate the numbers. Identify trends, patterns, problems, and opportunities.
Centralized data is only as good as its currency.Out of date data can be deceptive and manual updates can be time consuming. Fortunately, Torii offers a centralized System of Record based on your connected systems. Stay on top of your app catalog (both desktop and cloud), view all spending, contracts, workflows, and more all within one centralized system.

##### 19. Make Software offboarding a Priority

Offboarding is a top way to ensure better cost control and better security. Ensure subscriptions tied to departing employees are canceled. When you fail to deprovision software to a former employee, you are literally paying money to expose yourself to more threats.
Torii is the only SaaS Management Platform that automatically and immediately initiates the offboarding process in real time based on changes in your Google Workspace or Okta. From reassigning calendar events to resetting email passwords, to suspending licenses in sensitive apps, Torii turns offboarding into a fast, efficient, zero-touch process.

##### 20. Tackle Shadow IT

More than any other item on this list, shadow IT is highly dependent upon your tooling. Currently, a SaaS Management Platform is the only way to identify all your shadow IT, and even then, many platforms only show partial visibility. But, if you want to see cost savings and reduce headaches, shadow IT is a top culprit. Identify duplicate or redundant apps, identify shadow spend, and find out which tools the company truly uses.
Torii uses multiple discovery methods such as cost analysis, unsanctioned email signups, and even integrates with MDMs such as Jamf to monitor locally installed software. Torii also has shadow IT workflows that will automatically contact the user of a shadow app requesting that they fill out a form providing details about the application so nothing gets overlooked.

#### Additional Tips

##### 21. Explore freemium/open-source alternatives

Consider if these options could cover basic needs.

##### 22. Improve Your Software Evaluation Process

Evaluate tools thoroughly and avoid purchasing before you’re certain they’re the right fit. Come up with a checklist complete with stories about how your company currently tries to accomplish certain actions and compare this with the process with the new tools. Be through and use trials whenever possible.

##### 23. Promote internal collaboration

Encourage departments to share tools to minimize redundancy.

##### 24. Consider managed service providers (MSPs)

MSPs can help manage complex SaaS landscapes.

##### 25. Renegotiate existing contracts

Aim for better terms even outside of renewal periods, if circumstances warrant it.

##### 26. Review App Exchanges

For platforms like Salesforce, consider cost-effective add-ons to avoid extra standalone tools.

##### 27. Ask About these Discounts

Believe it or not, you have a lot of leverage in negotiations. Be sure to ask about the following discounts and see if one of them might apply to your organization:

#### Software Cost Savings Made Simple

While this list is long, most of it comes down to some core principles:
If you have those ingredients, you’ll save big in no time. If you need an ally in your cost savings efforts, check out how Torii might be the tool for you.

##### See Similar Success Stories

##### Get your demo today

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# Page Title
GigaOm Radar for SaaS Management Platforms: Insights From the Report | Torii

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Learn about GigaOm's Radar for SaaS Management Platforms. Get insights and considerations before reading the report for yourself.

## Details

### GigaOm Radar for SaaS Management Platforms: Insights From the Report

Are you searching for a signal in the noise? If you are just starting your SaaS Management Platform (SMP) search, one of the best resources can be analyst research if you know what data is relevant.
The GigaOm Radar for SaaS Management Platforms has recently launched, providing a comprehensive analysis of the evolving SaaS management landscape today, the top vendors, how professionals can order their selection criteria, and the strengths and limitations of different vendors. This report is a crucial resource that will keep you informed and up-to-date in your SaaS Management Platform search.
Market Context: SaaS application adoption is (still) increasing as companies strive to achieve their digital transformation goals. SaaS applications now represent a significant portion of many organizations’ application inventories, much like what we’ve seen from Gartner’s Market Guide. This growth demands an integrated, data-driven operations model to effectively manage SaaS application spend, vendor sourcing, IT operations, and security compliance.
While research is valuable, the most empowering thing is understanding the SaaS Management offerings today and how they compare to your organization’s needs. This understanding will guide you in making the right decision for your organization.

#### Key Findings From the Report

##### 1. Evolution of Full-Featured SMPs:

SMPs are rapidly evolving to combine SaaS Discovery, SaaS financial operations (SaaSFinOps), and SaaS operations (SaaSOps). These integrated capabilities allow platforms to deliver comprehensive visibility and functionalities and thus gain broader adoption than SMPs of the past.
The evolution also reflects more judicious app rationalization among IT teams as they consolidate their tech stack. As a result, SMPs that do not evolve into full-featured platforms risk becoming obsolete niche providers and point solutions.

##### 2. Importance of Comprehensive SMPs:

Building on this theme, SMPs must provide comprehensive visibility and capabilities. At Torii, we have long championed the theme of the SMP as “software to manage software” without constraints. Now, this vision is becoming a reality with more powerful integrations and actions.
As SaaS dominates our software and cloud apps define our workspaces, managing those apps becomes more critical than ever while simultaneously requiring more nuanced and multi-dimensional tools.
Key Takeaway Summary: IT’s role is rapidly evolving, and so must the tools it uses to manage its tech stack. The SMPs that provide comprehensive visibility and actions will be well-positioned to support and enable organizations, while niche and point solutions will struggle to make the leap.

#### Decision Criteria Comparison

The report advises potential buyers to view SMPs based on their capabilities divided into three categories:
Application discovery: The SMP identifies all SaaS applications used within the organization, providing a comprehensive view of the software landscape, including shadow IT, organized within a live repository. Typically, this insight is pulled from multiple sources, including expense information, IDP, SSO, primary integrations, etc. The breadth and depth of discovery are critical, as all automation and strategic decision-making are dependent on a solid foundation of discovery.
Application catalog: The SMP maintains an organized list of sanctioned applications from which employees can select or request access.
Usage tracking and analytics: Monitors and analyzes SaaS application usage, offering insights to optimize resource allocation and user engagement.
Application license management: Manages the allocation and usage of software licenses, ensuring compliance and cost efficiency.
Alerts: Provides real-time notifications for important events such as contract renewals, unauthorized access, license thresholds, and usage anomalies.

##### Key Features (Differentiators)

The report advises carefully considering the essential features made available by the vendor. Different platforms will have different strengths.
While a comprehensive solution is essential, so is a platform with the same priorities as your organization.
Integrations: pulls data from applications to provide insight and enables workflow actions to automate the SaaS lifecycle.
Sensitive data management: Monitors sensitive data storage and access, ensuring proper controls.
Spend management: Identifies cost-saving opportunities by optimizing license usage, comparing redundant apps, recommending the closure of unused apps, and consolidating capabilities. The platform enables streamlined coordination between finance and IT through these spend management capabilities.
Contract renewal management: Provides visibility into contract terms, alerts for upcoming renewals, usage data for critical insight for contract negotiations, and workflows to enable smoother cross-functional work between IT and Procurement.
User access and license management: Automates user lifecycle events like access requests, approvals, onboarding, and offboarding. Some systems will also offer more nuanced capabilities around events such as parental leave, job transitions, etc.
Insights and predictive analytics: Offers insights and future trend predictions based on usage data.
Governance support: Ensures compliance with internal policies and external regulations for SaaS usage.
User engagement capabilities: Provides intuitive methods for users to request access and perform tasks using familiar tools.

##### Emerging Features (Vision-setting)

The emerging features are just now entering the fray for most platforms and represent the direction of SaaS Management going forward. Features include AI features leveraging natural language processing (NLP, often through an LLM), security operations, and even MDM support as SaaS also starts to encompass local software.
Summary of Decision Criteria
Features are fickle. Different vendors offer different features to different degrees. The most important thing is to understand the “must-haves” and the key features that matter most. From there, the emerging features can further indicate whether the SMP is trending in the right direction.
You can view GigaOm’s Radar on their research site, but here is a quick guide to help you interpret the findings within the report.

#### Vendor Insights

For prospective SMP buyers, the Radar Report provides excellent insights and criteria for consideration.
Ultimately, SMPs should be assessed based on their ability to optimize for the user’s desired outcome, whether to improve spending, manage security, enhance operational efficiency, or provide comprehensive integration coverage.
Another consideration is the level of vendor support. Check case studies and implementations, ask for references, and pay attention to the platform’s maturity.
The report also offers advice for enterprises, such as deciding if a full-featured SMP provides enough value compared to extending existing IT systems. Consider readiness and growth to avoid managerial debt during rapid expansion. SMBs should justify SMP investment by assessing spending volume, user engagement, and operational efficiencies while keeping future growth in mind.
Ultimately, selecting the right SaaS Management Platform (SMP) hinges on aligning it with your organization’s needs, ensuring comprehensive feature sets, and preparing for future growth. The GigaOm Radar Report offers valuable insights to guide this process, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach and continuous market vigilance. Prioritize platforms that support digital transformation, scalability, and evolving operational demands to maximize long-term benefits.
The Radar for SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs) is available now.
GigaOm provides technical, operational, and business advice for IT’s strategic digital enterprise initiatives. Their research helps enterprises modernize, transform, and successfully compete in a rapidly changing business environment. Learn more about GigaOm.

##### About Matt Jallo

Matt Jallo, with over twenty years of IT experience, is an expert in Cloud, Infrastructure, Management, and DevOps, and has held key roles at American Airlines and GoDaddy.com.

##### Get your demo today

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# Page Title
How to Make a Data Map: Risk Management, Compliance and Governance | Torii

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Unlock a 9-step framework to uncover the flow and risks of your data. This guide will help you map out your data landscape, identify vulnerabilities, and ensure robust data management and compliance.

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Tactical Actions:

# Page Title
Shadow AI Response Kit: A Framework for Discovery and Governance | Torii

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### Shadow AI Response Kit: A Framework for Discovery and Governance

#### The Rise of Shadow AI is Staggering

Shadow AI – the use of AI tools and applications outside of official IT oversight – is fast becoming the next evolution of shadow IT. By definition, shadow AI refers to AI systems that are unknown, untracked, and unmanaged by IT or risk management functions.1 In practice, this means employees or departments adopting generative AI platforms, chatbots, or machine learning tools without the knowledge or approval of IT.
The rise of shadow AI is staggering.
Recent data shows AI-driven tools make up the majority of unmanaged applications, in the 2025 Annual SaaS Benchmarks Report, we found that the top four most frequently ungoverned apps in companies all being AI-driven (and four of the next five also AI-dependent).2 Countless organizations have experienced a shocking surprise upon conducting their first Shadow IT discovery only to find that the number of unmanaged apps is far higher than expected and shadow AI accounts for a startling amount of those apps. These examples underscore a critical truth: you cannot manage what you can’t see, and shadow AI represents a massive blind spot for many organizations.
For IT Managers and Directors, tackling this challenge requires a strategic, action-oriented approach. The following framework – enriched with insights from recent industry discussions – offers a practical guide to discovering and governing shadow AI. It covers establishing ownership, scaling governance to organization size, ensuring industry compliance, and prioritizing risks. With the right strategy (and the right tools), IT leaders can turn shadow AI from a lurking liability into a well-governed asset.

#### AI Governance in Enterprises vs. Smaller Organizations

Large enterprises and lean startups alike are wrestling with how to govern this rapid influx of AI usage. However, the approach to AI governance can differ greatly by organization size:
In short, enterprises trade speed for assurance, embedding AI governance into robust risk management, while smaller organizations trade formality for agility, addressing AI risks in focused bursts. Regardless of size, a common thread is emerging: companies are realizing that some level of AI governance is necessary to avoid security, privacy, or ethical mishaps. Even a startup cannot afford a data breach or compliance fine, and even a Fortune 500 needs to empower innovation – so the governance model must scale appropriately. The following sections outline how industry regulations shape these efforts and then present a tactical framework to manage Shadow AI in any organization.

#### Industry-Specific Compliance: High-Impact Considerations

Industry and sector play a pivotal role in defining AI governance requirements. In highly regulated fields, unsanctioned AI usage can quickly escalate into compliance violations, whereas in less regulated industries, the focus may be more on best practices and reputational risk. Here are the most high-impact points to consider:

##### Heavily Regulated Sectors (e.g. Healthcare, Finance, Government)

These organizations face strict laws around data and AI usage. For instance, a hospital must ensure HIPAA compliance before an employee uses an AI transcription service with patient data.6 Banks and financial services have to watch for AI-driven decisions that could violate fair lending laws or SEC regulations. In such industries, Shadow AI can introduce severe legal liabilities if employees feed sensitive data into unvetted AI tools or use AI outputs in regulated decision-making (like loan approvals) without oversight. Compliance teams in these sectors often require that any new AI application be vetted for things like data residency, security controls, audit logging, and bias/fairness if it impacts customers.
The tolerance for unsanctioned tools is therefore low.
High-risk Shadow AI use (say, an advisor using ChatGPT to generate investment advice for clients) might be blocked or urgently brought under governance. Industry-specific guidelines are increasingly clarifying these expectations; for example, forthcoming regulations like the EU AI Act explicitly categorize certain AI uses (e.g. social scoring, real-time biometric ID) as unacceptable or high-risk, effectively banning or heavily regulating them.7-8 Thus, in regulated sectors, AI governance is non-negotiable – it’s about ensuring no AI experiment, however small, puts the organization out of compliance.

##### Moderate or Less Regulated Sectors (e.g. Retail, Manufacturing, Tech Startups)

Organizations in these arenas enjoy more flexibility, but they are not risk-free. They may not have explicit AI laws to follow yet, but general data protection and security regulations still apply. A retail company using a generative AI for marketing must worry about customer data privacy (to avoid violating laws like GDPR) and brand reputation (an AI error on social media could go viral). These businesses often emphasize ethical AI use and customer trust even without being forced by law. They might create internal guidelines to prevent AI from producing offensive content or misleading information. Industry standards can also influence them – e.g. a software company might follow emerging best practices for AI ethics to stay competitive and demonstrate responsibility. In practice, less regulated firms will allow more experimentation with AI (encouraging employees to find productivity gains). Still, they set guardrails: providing training on what data can/cannot be shared with third-party AI, requiring at least a security review of any app that gains traction, and monitoring for any signs of data leakage or misuse.
The focus here is on preventive measures and rapid response.
If an employee in a tech startup connects a new AI design tool to the company’s Slack, IT might not pre-approve it, but they will react swiftly if the tool starts requesting sensitive access. In these sectors, the biggest risk is often the unknown: without clear regulations, companies must self-police to avoid scandals (like an AI tool exposing customer info or biased AI outputs harming the brand). Shadow AI governance in this context leans on broad principles of data security, transparency, and corporate values rather than detailed regulatory checklists.
In all cases, aligning AI use with the organization’s existing security and compliance posture is key.
Each industry will have unique red lines – a healthcare provider will outright prohibit AI that uploads PHI to external servers. At the same time, a game development studio might be more concerned with not infringing creative IP with generative AI. Knowing these high-impact points ensures that your governance efforts concentrate on what truly matters for your business context.

#### Framework for a Tactical Response to Shadow AI

This framework is designed twofold. To help you proactively manage Shadow AI and react to existing AI concerns within your organization that you might not yet see.
To proactively manage Shadow AI, IT leaders should adopt a risk-based response framework. Within most organizations, the goal is not to eliminate all unsanctioned AI (this is unrealistic for most organizations and would require a significant cost), but to improve the organization’s security posture and compliance standing with regard to these tools.
In essence, we want to shine a light on Shadow AI, assess its risks, and respond pragmatically.
Below is a step-by-step framework, including a scoring system and heat map approach, to evaluate and address Shadow AI usage effectively:

##### 1. Establishing AI Ownership

The first step in reining in shadow AI is to assign clear ownership of AI governance within the organization before you even begin discovery efforts. Without defined roles and responsibilities, any attempt to inventory or control AI usage will falter. Executive sponsorship and cross-functional alignment are critical at this stage.
In practice, this means forming a governance structure – often an AI steering committee – backed by a C-level champion to ensure AI oversight is taken seriously across the company.
At Torii, we’ve taken this approach and it has been pivotal in seeing broad adoption of policies. Behavior must be modeled from the top down if there’s any hope of establishing a process that will “stick.” Just like John Kotter’s Harvard Business Review article states “…most of the executives I have known in successful cases of major change learn to “walk the talk.” They consciously attempt to become a living symbol of the new corporate culture.”9
Beyond the C-Suite, secure allies across key departments:
Bring these functions together under a cross-functional AI governance committee—with executive sponsorship—to oversee AI initiatives. This committee should monitor AI usage, enforce policies, conduct regular risk assessments, and maintain a clear chain of command to decide whether to ban, sandbox, or formally adopt an AI tool.
Establishing clear governance ownership upfront is crucial. When leadership models the desired behavior, your organization is much better prepared to identify shadow AI usage and respond effectively, ensuring policies that truly “stick.”

##### 2. Discovery – Identify Shadow AI Usage

You can’t manage what you can’t see. The first step is to illuminate all AI applications and integrations in use across the organization. This includes obvious services like ChatGPT or Claude, as well as less overt cases (e.g. a marketer using Grammarly, or a developer plugging an AI API into a side project). Many organizations are surprised at the numbers – on average companies now manage hundreds of applications, and over half may be Shadow IT. In our research, we found that in 2024, companies with employee counts of 100 or more experienced an app portfolio growth of 20%.10 The majority of these newly adopted apps were Shadow AI. Your first priority
By the end of this discovery phase, you should have a list of Shadow AI applications (and their usage context) to evaluate. Don’t forget to include AI features within larger platforms – for instance, if employees are using an AI-based add-on inside a sanctioned platform like Salesforce, it might not appear as a separate app but still deserves scrutiny. The discovery step lays the foundation for risk assessment by creating a “Shadow AI inventory” – essentially, your dataset for the next step. You can store this information within the Software Database of a SaaS Management Platform such as Torii. For more, learn how to conduct a full application discovery.

##### 3. Risk Assessment – Evaluate and Score Each AI Tool

Not all Shadow AI is equally risky. Once you have the inventory, perform a risk assessment. To do this, you will need to identify the:
You will use this to establish a scoring system for each risk.
RisksRisks can range from issues limited to a single application’s output to larger behavioral or systemic problems. Each AI tool presents unique threats based on its use. For a visual representation of the 30 common AI risks, see Appendix, Figure 1. For a more in-depth list, consult resources like MIT’s AI Risk Repository.11
ImpactImpact measures the potential damage if the AI fails, is misused, or leaks data. Consider the sensitivity of the data involved, the tool’s role (e.g., customer-facing vs. internal), and possible repercussions. Remember, impacts are more than security. Financial, reputational, technological, strategic, and competitive risks also apply and should be considered. Rate impact on a 1–5 scale (with 5 being severe harm). Ratings should be considered within the context of your company and industry.
ProbabilityProbability gauges how probable it is for AI use to cause incidents or non-compliance. Key factors include the AI vendor’s maturity, how the tool is deployed, and mitigating controls. Assign a score of 1–5 (1  = 1% – 20% probability, 5 = 80% – 100% probability).
Additional FactorsOther considerations may include data sensitivity (public, internal, confidential), relevant certifications (SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA), or risk velocity (how quickly harm could occur). However, Impact and Probability remain the core components of a simple yet effective risk assessment.
Once you have these factors, calculate a risk score for each Shadow AI application. A common approach is to multiply the Impact and Probability values yielding a composite risk score. For example, a tool rated Impact 4 (major harm if it goes wrong) and Probability 3 (possible to occur) gets a score of 12. In the next section, we will explore defining risk tiers by score ranges.
You discover your organization is using an AI-powered coding tool (unofficially, as Shadow AI). You identify a number of risks such as:
For each risk, you assign a score based on the probability of occurrence and the impact if the event were to occur. You then multiply the numbers  to calculate a Risk Score (P x I)

##### 4. Prioritization – Plot a Risk Heat Map

With scores in hand, the next steps are to:
Define Risk Tiers:
Your tiers can be as broad or granular as you see fit. Most organizations will opt for somewhere between 3 and 5 tiers ranging from unacceptably high risk to low risk if monitored.
It’s important to document the rationale for each score – essentially creating a mini risk register for Shadow AI. Note what data is involved, what potential non-compliance could occur, etc. This will not only guide your response but also serve as documentation if auditors or management ask later why a certain app was or wasn’t a priority.
Note: Remember that risk assessment should involve relevant stakeholders: IT security will gauge technical risks, compliance or legal teams can speak to regulatory impact, and business unit managers can explain how critical the tool is to operations. This collaborative evaluation ensures your scoring isn’t done in a vacuum. As one legal advisory notes, an AI governance team should “identify and rank AI risks as unacceptable, high, limited, or minimal,” taking into account probability of harm and then mitigating or prohibiting as needed.12
In practice, this means you now have each Shadow AI application tagged as (for example) Unacceptable, High Risk, Moderate Risk, or Low Risk based on your scoring system.
Visualize with a Risk Heat Map
A risk heat map is an excellent way to visualize the potential risks in relation to one another. This helps IT leaders immediately see which Shadow AI instances land in the “danger zone” of high impact/high probability and which are lower priority. Here’s how to use the heat map approach for Shadow AI governance:
Create the Matrix: Set up a two-axis chart. The X-axis is Probability  (from Rare to Almost Certain, left to right), and the Y-axis is Impact (from Minimal to Severe, bottom to top). Each Shadow AI tool or use case will be placed as a point on this grid according to the scores you assigned. For example, an AI tool with Impact 5, Probability  4 would be near the top-right corner (a very risky spot). In contrast, a tool with Impact 2, Probability  1 would sit in the lower-left (relatively benign). Most risk management frameworks follow this probability vs. impact matrix concept..
Color Code the Risks: The most effective way to reflect prioritization. Looking at your Risk Heat Map Matrix, assign a color to different boxes to indicate severity. Typically, you’ll use a traffic-light color scheme on the heat map. Green for low risk, Yellow for medium, Red for high. This visual coding makes it immediately clear which items demand attention.13
The heat map effectively communicates risk to stakeholders at a glance. This visual language is helpful when you need to explain to non-IT executives why certain unsanctioned AI needs intervention.
Additional options: You may want ways to indicate other factors such as regulatory notes, speed at which a risk might occur (risk velocity), or how many employees use a tool. There are different ways to indicate these factors such as the size of the bubble or some other visual cue. However, this can be optional for a straightforward Shadow AI program.
The result of this step is a clear AI Risk Heat Map tailored to your Shadow AI landscape. You now have a visual risk register: perhaps a few items in red (e.g. that AI analytics tool being fed customer data without a contract in place), a handful in yellow (maybe employees using GPT chatbots with some internal data), and many in green (uses that are low stakes). This prepares you for informed decision-making and ranking generative AI use cases by severity on a heat map to drive action.14

##### 5. Risk Treatment – Mitigate or Embrace (Based on Risk Level)

Now that you’ve identified and prioritized Shadow AI risks, the critical question is:
What do we do about them?
The answer will vary depending on the risk level of each AI tool, and this is where a tactical but nuanced response is key.
The aim is to mitigate risks appropriately while still allowing the organization to reap the benefits of AI.
We can outline response strategies by risk category. We will use our previous Risk Tiers example:
Unacceptable (Prohibited) – Immediate Containment: If any Shadow AI use was flagged as “unacceptable” or prohibited (for instance, it blatantly violates a law or company policy), you must stop it at once. Examples could include uploading export-controlled data to a foreign AI service.
High Risk – Mitigate Aggressively: Shadow AI applications in the High Risk zone of your heat map (high impact and high probability ) should be addressed as a top priority. However, mitigation doesn’t necessarily mean shutting them down; often, it means finding a safer way for the same function or putting controls around it. For each high-risk Shadow AI item, consider actions such as:
Moderate Risk – Control and Continue: Shadow AI uses that are of moderate risk, require caution but not outright halting. With some targeted controls, the risk can be brought to acceptable levels. Strategies for medium risks include:
Low Risk – Monitor and Embrace: AI uses that fall into the green zone (low risk) can be tolerated with minimal intervention. In fact, part of a healthy Shadow AI posture is recognizing low-risk use cases and not overreacting to them. If an employee found a harmless AI tool that improves their productivity and poses no meaningful threat, that’s a win for innovation. For these low-risk items, the framework’s response is:
Remember, across all these levels, maintain the perspective that the objective is to reduce risk, not to shut down AI adoption. This framework is about improving your risk posture relative to Shadow AI.
This also means that certain tools should be rescored. As actions mitigate risk, reflect those updates in your software database as well. Over time, you should see the heat map skewing toward the lower-risk colors as treatments take effect.
Remember, this work is iterative—avoid the worst, mitigate the bad, tolerate the acceptable, and continuously monitor.

##### 6. Ongoing Monitoring and Adaptation

Managing Shadow AI is not a one-time project but an ongoing discipline. After the initial sweep and response, put mechanisms in place to continuously monitor for new Shadow AI and re-assess known ones. Shadow IT detection through a SaaS Management Platform, such as Torii’s Discovery Engine, plays a big role here: they can send alerts when a new AI app enters the environment.
With real-time monitoring, you can catch emerging Shadow AI trends immediately. Additionally, stay updated on the external landscape – new regulations (like an AI law coming into effect) or vendor changes (a formerly benign AI tool changing its data policy) might raise the risk of an application overnight. By keeping your finger on the pulse, you can update your heat map and risk rankings proactively. The framework should be revisited periodically: maybe quarterly, run through these steps again, as there will always be new AI solutions cropping up. Over time, patterns may emerge that allow you to refine your policies. The tactical framework thus loops: Discover → Assess → Prioritize → Mitigate → Monitor, continually cycling to keep Shadow AI risk in check.
Throughout this process, tools and automation can be your ally. For example, SaaS Management Platforms, such as Torii, are now recognized as critical infrastructure to both monitor newly adopted apps and automate the tasks associated with access control, security, and more. According to the Gartner® Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms™, “Through 2027, organizations that fail to centrally manage SaaS life cycles will remain five times more susceptible to a cyber incident or data loss due to incomplete visibility into SaaS usage and configuration.”15
In summary, this tactical response framework arms IT managers with a structured, repeatable approach to handle Shadow AI. By prioritizing efforts based on risk, you ensure that the most dangerous exposures are dealt with promptly, and low-risk innovation is not needlessly smothered. IT becomes a facilitator of safe AI adoption – allowing the organization to embrace AI’s benefits while staying within the guardrails of security and compliance.

#### Conclusion & Key Takeaways

It’s time to manage Shadow AI practically. Rather than playing whack-a-mole or resorting to unwarranted bans—adopt a realistic strategy that works for leadership, security, and users. In closing, here are the key takeaways and best practices to remember:
In the end, Shadow AI isn’t going anywhere—but with the right strategy, it can become less of a threat and more of an opportunity. A well-rounded governance framework, backed by tools that illuminate the shadows, creates a virtuous cycle: visibility guides risk management, risk management shapes smart policies, and those policies allow responsible innovation. Organizations already adopting this balanced approach—using risk matrices, heat maps, and continuous SaaS monitoring—prove that AI’s promise can be captured while its threats are contained. By adapting these steps to your own environment, you’ll move beyond “putting out fires” and instead prevent them, all while enabling your teams to explore the potential of AI in a secure and compliant manner.

##### Figure 1. 30 Common AI Risks

##### Get your demo today

Now you can control, manage, and save money on the SaaS used by your company. Let us show you what Torii can do for you.

# Page Title
All-in-One SaaS Management Proven by G2: How Torii Takes the Lead | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/all-in-one-saas-management-proven-by-g2-how-torii-takes-the-lead

## Page Description

## Details

[Download the Full G2 Grid Report]
Most teams started SaaS management with whatever was available. A spreadsheet. A checklist. A manual tracker connected to SSO.
But that approach no longer works.
Today, software grows faster than it can be tracked. Shadow IT has multiplied. AI tools are now prevalent in every department. Automating one workflow, such as offboarding or spend tracking, doesn’t address the larger issue. It just delays it.
Fixing one part of the process is not the same as solving the problem.
That’s why G2 created a new category: the SaaS Management Platform Grid. And it’s why Torii is ranked #1, with the highest satisfaction score in the space.

#### The Problem: Siloed Tools Create Incomplete Management

Most vendors solve for one team. Either IT, procurement, or finance. Their tools focus on a narrow use case, often automation or expense. The result is fragmented data and short-term fixes.
You act late, based on partial information. You maintain separate tools that don’t connect. You miss the larger trend.
The Disconnection leads to delay. Delay leads to waste.
Teams cannot afford to waste time, operate with partial visibility, and operate amongst a tapestry of scattered tools.

#### The Shift: Platforms Are Replacing Point Solutions

Point tools still try to solve SaaS problems one issue at a time, access reviews, license reclamation, and contract alerts. But that’s not enough.
Real outcomes require shared context.
A system that understands what software is used, who uses it, what it costs, what it exposes, and why it matters. Because Context turns data into decisions.

#### Why Torii Leads

Since day one, Torii has followed the path of an all-in-one SaaS Management Platform. Built to unify discovery, usage, cost, access, and risk.
From the start, it was designed to be complete. So that data, teams, and priorities would all be shared across the organization.
Where others rely on static rules or user reports, Torii connects live usage with real-time data. That drives accuracy, speed, and trust.
Here’s how it works:
Multi-source discovery7+ integrations to uncover Shadow IT, AI apps, and unmanaged tools.Full visibility, not just what’s connected to SSO.
Context-driven automationWorkflows act on usage, spend, and access data, not static thresholds.Each action is informed and precise.
Cross-functional designOne system for IT, finance, procurement, and security.Aligned decisions. No duplicated work.
Proven outcomesTorii ranks highest on G2, Gartner, and GigaOm.Not just for features, but because it works across the full lifecycle.

#### What Customers Are Saying on G2

 Roberto C. (IT Support Specialist, Enterprise):“Since we started using Torii three years ago, it has become an indispensable tool in our technological stack. It continues to improve and add automation functions that have made many tasks that were manual in the past easier. In addition, the excellent technical support and the ease with which our recommendations are listened to make Torii a 100% necessary tool for any company.”
 Alexis F. (Sr Director, Revenue Operations & Enablement, Mid-Market):“Within the first week, Torii uncovered 47 SaaS applications we didn’t know existed! The discovery capabilities are genuinely impressive. By connecting to our SSO, finance systems, and browser extensions, we finally got complete visibility into our tech stack. I was shocked at how many shadow IT apps were hiding in plain sight. The dashboard clearly shows everything in one place, making it easy to track usage and spot redundant tools. This alone justified the investment for us.”
 Nathan V. (Director of IT, Small Business):“Torii is helping us to identify the SaaS applications used within our environment and to understand the risks, usage, and expenses associated with those applications so that we can make better and more informed decisions as an organization. They are also helping us streamline our operations around contract and expense management, onboarding/offboarding, and license management.“
Inside the Report
The 2025 G2 SaaS Management Platform Grid includes:
Ratings and analysis for 10+ platforms
Comparison by satisfaction, usability, and features
Unfiltered reviews from SaaS-heavy teams
If you manage software or rely on point tools, it’s worth reading.

# Page Title
[New Report] 76% of IT leaders say “Offboarding is a Significant Security Threat” | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/new-report-76-of-it-leaders-say-offboarding-is-a-significant-security-threat

## Page Description

A new report shows that one of IT's top concerns is the security risks associated with improper employee offboarding. Learn more from the survey and what you can do about it

## Details

Quick note: In this article, we discuss recent findings from a survey about the security threat posed by improper offboarding plans. If you want some resources right now, you can:
Download our offboarding checklist
Read the full survey report – Offboarding Security for a Remote Workforce

#### The Mass Offboarding

You’ve seen it in the news, you’ve read fourteen articles about it in Forbes, and maybe you’ve even participated in it: The Great Resignation.
This movement is not a good thing; it is not a bad thing. It simply is.
In this article, we won’t spend time fretting over who the next hire is, or retaining employees in the future. Instead, we will focus on how this resignation impacts the security of your organization due to the offboarding process.
You see, while the mass resignation isn’t good or bad, the offboarding process used by a company is good or (too often) bad. A good offboarding process doesn’t make the news because it happens in the background – out of sight. However, a poor offboarding process leaves the door open to enormous security risks.
Featured Video: How to Fix Your Offboarding Process [Explainer]
We know this because IT teams told us.
Security risk associated with poor offboarding processes is one of the top concerns for IT teams today. In a recent survey, we found that 76% of IT leaders agree or strongly agree that “employee offboarding is a significant security threat.”
You can read the full report here.
Offboarding is a long process that includes many considerations such as password managers, laptops, mobile devices, workplace keycards, and email forwarding. But, while all of those have a security risk component, survey respondents indicated that the biggest security threats stem from access privileges.

#### Why Access Privileges Present a Threat

When we talk about access privileges, we describe everything that a knowledge worker uses:
In a digital world (where so much of our work takes place online), letting a former employee keep access to their old work is like allowing them to keep a key for the office’s front door. Allowing that employee to keep their key would be unthinkable. Yet, we forget or fail to deprovision our employees from their digital workplace.
Now, there is one way in which a keycard and access privileges differ. A former employee won’t wander into their old worksite and cause problems by accident. But, they might “wander” into their old Google drive, email, or CRM and while that sounds innocent, it still includes risks.
It is important to note that most IT professionals recognize that most breaches are not malicious. In the same survey, respondents said accidental breaches were of more significant concern – 67%. But, an accidental breach is still a breach and carries risks.

#### The Impact of the Pandemic

Not only did the pandemic result in “the great resignation,” but it also resulted in an increased remote workforce.
Before the pandemic, in 2019, 5.7% of workers worked remotely 1
In May of 2020, that number shot up to almost one in three 2
Since then, the numbers have declined somewhat to around  26% 3
This shift to remote work has changed the calculus for IT on security threats.
86% of survey respondents believe that the security threat landscape has changed due to the shift to remote work.
One of the significant changes is how many tools the employees now access.

#### The Growth of Application Adoption

At Torii, we wanted to know if the remote workforce resulted in more applications. So we dug into our data to find out.
Spoiler – It did increase – by a significant amount.
Before the pandemic, the average organization was adding approximately 14.4 applications per month.
 Think that number sounds high? Unfortunately, there’s often a notable difference between perception and reality on this topic. Read the report to learn more.
During the Work From Home revolution (from February to September of 2020), that number averaged 21.6 applications per month. At one point during the spring, the number of new applications per month reached over 30.
After September, the number leveled out at around 18.5 new applications per month.
We can infer a few things from this data:
During the peak of the pandemic, organizations were scrambling to find the right tools for their workforce
Companies are still adopting applications at a faster rate than before the pandemic
Broken offboarding processes are suffering even more now due to more applications
So far, we’ve found that:
76% of IT leaders say, “Offboarding is a Significant Security Threat.”
A majority of that threat is believed to be from access privileges
These problems have become more complex in light of the Work From Home revolution
The number of applications has increased throughout the last two years (and thus, so have access privileges left un-revoked)
So now the question is, what can we do with this knowledge?

#### How to Cut the Offboarding Security Threat of Access Privileges

Security threats will always persist thanks to threat actors, ransomware, and malicious efforts, but we’re addressing security threats due to poor processes, workflows, and protocols with offboarding. These are things that we can reduce or even eliminate.

##### The Power of a Checklist

Checklists are powerful because they keep us focused and honest. They provide a list of actions that we cannot (with a clear conscience) check off without completing the task. This format is perfect for two kinds of processes:
For the IT team, offboarding a former employee is both complex and mundane. There is an element of complexity due to the sheer number of mundane tasks to do. In this regard, a checklist is a beneficial tool for maintaining proper offboarding protocols.
Not sure how to start developing an offboarding checklist for your IT team? We created one for you! Download Here
This checklist includes the ten critical steps for a smooth and easy employee offboarding process that will cover all your bases.
Checklists are excellent tools, but while they reduce the risk exposure, they don’t end them. Risk can persist due to a lack of knowledge.

##### The Importance of Application Insights

Insights and action are two sides of the same coin.
The outputs (actions) are ultimately dependent upon the quality of the inputs (knowledge). Therefore, when possible, our efforts must be informed by the data.
In the case of offboarding, we want to take action against security risks by de-provisioning access privileges. But, to do this well, we need the relevant insights – specifically – what can users currently access? What applications are they using? What spreadsheets do they access? What data sets do they interact with? You get the idea, but these questions are easier to ask than they are to answer. Self-reported information is unreliable, and Shadow IT means that users use far more applications than IT is aware of.
So how do we glean the critical information?

##### The Power of Discovery

Let’s review two facts we already discussed:
Application adoption is constantly growing
The number of applications IT knows about is chronically low relative to reality
Thus, IT needs better ways to discover the applications used throughout the organization.
Torii does that. Our discovery technology finds all the applications known and unknown that your company employs. Whether employees realize it or not, their SSO and email are associated with many tools. Don’t leave it to chance that you will find them all (because you probably won’t).
Discovery doesn’t just improve the quality of the offboarding process; it is essential to the process’s very success.
A checklist provides the protocol. Discovery provides insight. But what about the action?

##### The Power of Automation

Automation is a weighted word. Some hear a promise of utopia with no work. Others hear a dystopia with… no work. The reality is rarely so binary. Instead, automation takes on a specific kind of work, the rote-task-intensive work that we dislike. This automation does a couple of things for skilled workers:
Allows us to focus on valuable work
Removes the risk of user error common with boring or repetitive work
Let’s use the example of the offboarding checklist. Step number 2 of the checklist is “Close employees SaaS accounts.” Without a tool like Torii, not only do you have to figure out all the tools the employee used (sanctioned and unsanctioned), but you also have to go through and close or alter each of those accounts. Each SaaS application requires a slightly different process and many steps. These situations are the breeding ground for minor errors.
Torii, allows fully automated offboarding workflows. With our automated workflow, you can finally finish those never-ending tasks that linger and leave cracks in your security. Simplicity, efficiency, and peace of mind – all with one click.
If you would like to see our offboarding workflow in action, watch this short demo from our co-founder, Uri Haramati, as he demonstrates the power of Torii.
The great resignation has changed the way we think about the employee lifecycle and has brought attention to the potential security risks associated with mishandling that lifecycle. Access privileges, in particular, are a significant threat to security (even if the threats are due to accidental breaches). To combat these risks, IT teams need to; establish effective protocols, discover relevant information about application usage, and act on that knowledge. That action should also leverage automation to reduce the risks of user error common to repetitive tasks.
For your team, if you want to:
Improve your offboarding process
Reduce exposure to security threats
Improve app discovery knowledge
Spend less time on mundane tasks
Consider Torii for your SaaS Management.
1. https://www.rdniehaus.com/trends-in-remote-work-will-we-still-work-from-home-after-the-pandemic/
2. https://www.ncci.com/SecureDocuments/QEB/QEBQ42020_RemoteWork.html
3. https://www.apollotechnical.com/statistics-on-remote-workers/

# Page Title
7 Quick Custom Filters To Save Time and Money With Torii | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/7-quick-custom-filters-to-save-time-and-money-with-torii

## Page Description

Looking for quick ways to save big? Torii's custom filters surfaces your big wins in seconds and provides capabilities for actionable next steps! 

## Details

Through custom filters, Torii surfaces easy wins for security, cost savings, and general efficiency.
Create filters based on multiple criteria and save them as “views” for frequent insights in seconds.
For even more SaaS insights, Torii has an Application Comparison page for comparing redundant tech
You are probably a busy person! As work has become increasingly cloud-app-dependent—and those apps are increasingly distributed through the organization—the complexity of SaaS Management has increased. At Torii, our goal is to help sift through that chaos, surface the most impactful and valuable insights, and provide an intuitive way to take action based on those insights.
Custom Filters within Torii does just that.
Custom Filters allow you to sift through your entire application portfolio and find the “low-hanging fruit” for quick wins. These filters are quick ways to identify cost-savings, security vulnerabilities, and general SaaS inefficiency within your stack.

#### 7 Custom Filters

##### 1. Apps Without a Contract but With Associated Expenses

It’s common for an app to find its way into your portfolio via an end user. Known as Shadow IT, these unconventionally adopted apps will often become another line item on your expenses without ever going through Procurement. This filter helps you identify all the apps that have costs but not a contract (this is also a great way to ensure Procurement has fewer surprise renewals in the future!).
Filter 1: Set your expenses to greater than 0
Filter 2: Set your contract value to 0

##### 2. Apps With High Expenses

Sometimes, apps can have a pernicious tendency to expand once within the company. Suddenly, an app adopted eight months ago at a specific price point has set up fees and expanded license seats—all without the necessary approval. A quick filter in Torii can help you find your most costly apps.
How To: Determine a reasonable expense point—this will vary by company. Expenses in Torii are listed based on the last 12 months.
Filter 1: Set your expenses to greater than or equal to that target number

##### 3. Apps With High Cost and Low User Count

Your company is constantly changing, and so are your SaaS needs. Last year’s essential tool is this year’s idle expense, and while you can’t see the future, you can minimize wasted spend by shedding unnecessary apps ASAP. This filter will let you surface apps with high costs but little or no active users. This simple filter will show you all the apps with expenses but few or no users.
Filter 1: Set the number of users as lower than or equal to 10 (you can adjust this based on the size of your organization).
Filter 2: Set expenses that are greater than 0.

##### 4. Apps Discovered Within the Last 30 Days and Still in Discovered State

Nothing adds to stress like loose ends, and your SaaS stack can be a bundle of unaddressed vulnerabilities. Thankfully, Torii can help you identify vulnerabilities as they emerge. With this simple filter, find all the shadow IT apps discovered within the last 30 days and that have not received an updated status, such as “in review,” “sanctioned,” “need to close,” etc.
Filter 1: Set the discover date as less than 30 days ago.
Filter 2: Set the state of the app to discovered.

##### 5. Expensive Apps You Need To Close

Sometimes you need help with prioritization. Limited hours and unlimited tasks mean you want to find the best return on effort. If you have a long list of apps you need to close, Torii can help you pick out the most expensive ones to make the most significant impact in the shortest time.
Filter 1: Set state as need to close.
Once filtered, click on the “Expenses” column to sort these apps that need to be closed in order of expense amount.

##### 6. Apps That No One Actually Uses

While every app can serve a purpose, it’s up to the users to use the tool. In Torii, you can quickly list any app not used in a given period. So be careful to set a time amount that makes sense and promptly find the deadweight apps in your stack.
How To: The critical thing to note is how long it makes sense. Some apps require less frequent usage than others.
Filter 1: Set the last usage date to less than 14 days ago (adjust timing according to your needs).

##### 7. Compare Your Redundant Tech

Ok, full disclosure—this is far more than a filter! With filters, Torii can help you find some quick wins, but what about more nuanced decisions? One tricky area is redundant applications—similar tools that serve similar functions. Torii provides the perfect place to start your investigation via the App Comparison page. Learn about how to streamline your software with app comparison.
This gold mine of data provides a collection of similar applications, automatically surfaced by Torii, within your app portfolio. You can click on these ready-made comparisons to get a multi-faceted, side-by-side comparison of costs, lifecycle status, contract information, user count, usage trends, and more.
You can also find opportunities to consolidate your stack by finding overlapping users and filter by department or role.

#### Conclusion: Fast Insights—Better Actions

Before you can reap the benefits of fast insights, you need to do the hard work of centralizing and normalizing your SaaS data. If that sentence caused you to break out in a cold sweat, don’t worry. Torii is a SaaS Management Platform designed to corral your distributed SaaS’s chaos. With Torii, you’ll get comprehensive discovery, a Single Source of SaaS Truth, powerful automation tools, and the joy of actionable steps based on concrete data!
If this sounds valuable to you, request a demo for Torii!

# Page Title
G2 SaaS Spend Management: Three Emerging Trends in 2025 | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/g2-saas-spend-management-three-emerging-trends

## Page Description

## Details

The latest SaaS Spend Management Report from G2 is out. In this article, we’ll examine some of the report’s top leaders, consider emerging trends, and discuss the importance of spending management in cloud applications.
Note: Get your copy of the report here

#### What is SaaS Spend Management?

Fiscal health is like physical health.
It requires attention and care. But, it also requires some critical feedback and visibility.
Without the occasional checkup and bloodwork, it’s hard to know what changes to make for your health. In the same way, without critical data, it’s hard to maintain the fiscal health of your company. Unfortunately, cloud apps make it hard to centralize data.
That’s because apps are often unsanctioned, unmonitored, and even unknown to you. Teams like Finance, Procurement, and IT have parts of the story, but it’s scattered and incomplete.
Just like that fractured story, SaaS Spend Management isn’t cohesive. It’s not a single tool but a series of activities first dependent upon examining hidden data.
SaaS Spend Management can include:
License renewal management
License optimization
Centralized procurement process
Virtual card management
Vendor negotiations
Application lifecycle management and rationalization
However, these capabilities need the data hiding within SaaS apps.
With that in mind, here are three emerging trends in the G2 that relate to the constant fight to extract data and take insightful financial actions.

#### Three Trends for SaaS Spend Management

##### Trend 1: The Leaders are Often Complimentary

Typically, reports such as these offer very similar products within a category.
For example, G2’s SaaS Operations Report only lists tools that automate cloud app tasks. Companies probably only select one of these platforms to use in their organization.
The SaaS Spend Management grid is very different. Many of the top vendors are complementary. Companies might use two or more of the tools and gain distinct advantages.
For example, the two leading vendors on the SaaS Spend Management grid are:
Torii is a SaaS Management Platform that is best for:
Complete visibility into apps (sanctioned and shadow IT)
SaaS operations automation
Optimizes license management
Enhances security and compliance
AI Contract renewal management
Mesh Payments is best for:
Automates manual payment tasks
Streamlines expense management
Assign virtual and physical cards
Instant transaction reconciliation
These are different tools with different priorities.
How can two very different tools fall into the same G2 category?
That question leads us to our next trend.

##### Trend 2: SaaS Spend Management Isn’t a Platform (Yet?)

Some platforms perform many tasks considered SaaS Spend Management, but no single tool currently addresses the entire process. As we’ve alluded to, this is because cloud apps are adopted in a fractured manner.
Cloud apps used to be a novelty, a unique delivery mechanism for some apps like Salesforce and Concur. But today, our work revolves around these apps.
In fact, almost every business task today incorporates or requires a cloud app, so different teams and individuals constantly test and adopt new tools. As a result, modern organizations have adopted decentralized apps that circumvent the sanctioned procurement channels.
This unsanctioned and decentralized adoption isn’t necessarily wrong (many tools are incredibly productive), but it does put kerosene on the flames of budget creep and shadow IT.
With that decentralized adoption, we see the importance of our third trend.

##### Trend 3: The Future of Spend Visibility Depends on App Visibility

Companies such as Airbase, Mesh Payments, and Tropic provide essential spend management tools but can’t discover unsanctioned apps. In fact, in our recent SaaS Benchmark Report, we found that the average company has approximately 600 apps in its SaaS stack. Most of those slip through conventional spend tool visibility.
App visibility requires more than spend visibility.
Financial tools won’t cut it if you want to uncover your SaaS sprawl. You need a method that discovers every app’s digital footprint.

##### Why Does Full Visibility Matter?

Spend visibility provides immediate financial impact, but app visibility is also essential for long-term financial health. Employees don’t adopt tools because they are bored; they do it because they need something. That has a few implications:
The tools you pay for aren’t good enough.
No one will go to finance and say, “I don’t use that tool anymore.” Instead, they use sanctioned tools less and fill the gap with unsanctioned tools. And while the new tool might be better, the old one still impacts your financial health.
Early SaaS detection through a SaaS Management Platform, like Torii, allows you to get data faster, which could be critical with a contract renewal around the corner.
You lack leverage in vendor negotiations.
Vendor negotiation leverage can come in a few forms:
Benchmark data—how does the price compare to what other customers see
Use data—how often does our company use the tool
Alternative app adoption data—do we see a trend of employees self-selecting alternatives
Most spend management tools do the first. Some might help with the second. However, only SaaS Management Platforms can tell you the third form of insight. This data is the goldmine that vendors don’t want you to see.
Vendors want you to think that poor adoption is a failing of the employees, not their tool.
But, if employees drop one tool for another, it undermines that case.
You pay for idle license seats.
Every organization pays for idle licenses. Yet, some pay far more than others. Our recent SaaS Benchmark Report found that some of the most expensive apps see license non-utilization rates of 30%, 40%, or even 50%+. That means that half of your expensive Salesforce licenses might go completely unused.
Spend visibility shows you what you pay for, and app visibility shows you what you use.
That’s why, within Torii, we have tools like the license reclaim workflows. These workflows automatically trigger after disusing and slacking the user, asking them to reclaim their seat. That type of action goes beyond spend management and improves resource allocation.
As the G2 report shows, SaaS Spend Management is a complex yet crucial ingredient for maintaining an organization’s fiscal health. But to accomplish spend management, you need spend and app visibility.
To accomplish that visibility, remember:
Utilize the right tools
Adopt a Platform Approach
Prioritize App Visibility
By focusing on these trends and adopting a holistic approach to SaaS Spend Management, organizations can gain the insights needed to make informed decisions, optimize their SaaS investments, and confidently negotiate vendor contracts. For a more in-depth look at how to achieve these goals, consider exploring Torii’s comprehensive spend management and app visibility features.
Read the G2 SaaS Spend Management Report

# Page Title
Top 12 Software License Manager Tools in 2024 | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/software/software-license-manager

## Page Description

Need license utilization insight? This guide compares software license managers to help you find the best fit for your needs 

## Details

### Top 12 Software License Manager Tools in 2024

It happened again. Another auto-renewal clause was triggered without anyone noticing, and you’re not sure if anyone even uses that tool anymore.
It’s not your fault. Too many contracts, too many licenses, too little time, and no single place to check the utilization rate of your seats.
Don’t fret; we’ve got your back! In this guide, we look through the top license managers in the industry. Including industry leaders and a few niche players that might be the perfect fit.
Get ready to make an informed decision and take control of your license calendar like a pro!
But first, let’s cover the basics.

#### What is a Software License Manager?

Quick Definition Simply put, these tools are the superheroes of the software world. They keep you legit on compliance, juggle those pesky license renewals, and make sure you’re getting the bang for your buck with every software purchase. Think of them as your personal software license detectives, sniffing out every detail from optimization to cost savings.

##### The Must-Haves in a Software License Manager

##### How to Use This Guide

Here’s the reality: buying software isn’t fun. There are endless choices, each with different pricing models, different value propositions, and fancy jargon to hype up average features. It’s overwhelming.
Hopefully, this guide provides a bit of clarity in a chaotic industry. Our goal is to both inform and empower you with the knowledge and core insight into the top players.
Each section is a no-nonsense, high-level breakdown of the tool and includes information pulled from a number of locations, including Gartner, Trust Pilot, G2, and the Vendor’s websites.

#### Torii SaaS Management Platform

Torii differs from the other names on this list due to its focus on cloud applications. While most License Managers focus managing known applications, Torii’s unique emphasis on cloud app discovery allows it to uncover SaaS apps that other license manager tools overlook. Their cloud-based tool is designed to assist IT teams in managing and optimizing their SaaS ecosystem. It provides capabilities for discovering shadow IT, optimizing SaaS spending, and automating SaaS operations. The platform is known for its comprehensive discovery and AI-powered features, making it an effective solution for modern SaaS challenges.
Torii differs from the other is geared towards IT teams in small to large organizations seeking a streamlined approach to managing their SaaS applications. It’s particularly beneficial for companies looking to gain insights into shadow IT, optimize SaaS spending, and automate SaaS operations like offboarding and idle license detection.

#### FlexNet Manager by Flexera

FlexNet Manager by Flexera is a web-based administration, reporting, and planning tool primarily focused on usage-based licenses and license servers. It offers comprehensive license management tools to help reduce software costs, enhance user productivity, and leverage existing technology. The solution is scaled for enterprise IT asset management, facilitating better license management and software license optimization.
FlexNet Manager is targeted towards large enterprises and organizations that require robust management and optimization of their IT assets, particularly software licenses. It is ideal for businesses seeking to minimize software costs and ensure compliance with licensing agreements.

#### Snow License Manager

Snow License Manager is a software asset management (SAM) tool from Snow Software, designed to provide visibility and control over technology use within organizations. It helps prepare for software license audits and gain control of technology spending. The tool efficiently manages large volumes of data and provides tools for license compliance analysis, resource planning, cost administration, and more.
Snow License Manager is aimed at businesses of various sizes that need to manage software licenses and assets effectively. It is especially beneficial for organizations looking to reduce the risks, costs, and complexities associated with software assets and licensing.

#### ManageEngine AssetExplorer

ManageEngine AssetExplorer is a web-based IT Asset Management (ITAM) software that assists in monitoring and managing assets throughout their lifecycle. It offers enterprise-wide asset visibility and control, managing both IT and non-IT assets. The software provides a unified view to track and manage assets and ensures the discovery of all assets in a network.
ManageEngine AssetExplorer is aimed at organizations of any size that require an effective solution to manage and track their IT and non-IT assets. It is particularly beneficial for those looking to streamline their IT operations and ensure software license compliance.

#### Reprise License Manager

Reprise License Manager (RLM) is designed to provide secure, dynamic, and reliable license management for software publishers. It streamlines the licensing process, ensuring that only legally procured licenses are used and helps prevent losses due to over-usage. RLM is recognized for its affordability and flexibility, catering to the needs of enterprises and independent software vendors (ISVs).
Reprise License Manager is targeted at software publishers who require a robust and flexible system for managing their product licenses. It’s ideal for businesses seeking to implement custom pricing policies, allocate licenses effectively, and track utilization across multiple platforms.

#### Ivanti License Optimizer

Ivanti License Optimizer is designed for asset managers, providing insights to minimize costs and mitigate the risk of audits in IT environments. It enables users to gain visibility into both their software and the underlying hardware, supporting effective asset management and license optimization.
Ivanti License Optimizer is targeted at asset managers and IT professionals in organizations looking to optimize their software licenses, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with licensing agreements.
For more detailed information, especially regarding pricing, features, and specific benefits, it would be best to contact Ivanti directly or visit their official website.

#### License Dashboard License Manager

License Dashboard License Manager is a comprehensive software asset management solution that provides advanced features for managing complex software licenses from vendors like IBM, Oracle, and SAP. It enables detailed tracking of license assignments, entitlements, and automates the resolution of multiple user subscription aliases.
The License Manager is ideal for software asset managers and businesses that require an efficient system to manage sophisticated software licenses and ensure compliance while optimizing costs.
For more information about License Dashboard License Manager, including detailed features and benefits, you can visit the official website or contact License Dashboard directly.
Lansweeper is a versatile tool for IT professionals, offering comprehensive tracking and management of software licenses. It automates hardware and software data discovery across IT estates, enabling effective management of software licenses, including details such as license type, quantity, price, and expiration dates.
Lansweeper holds a strong rating of 8.8 out of 10 on TrustRadius, reflecting its effectiveness and user satisfaction. Reviews highlight its ease of deployment, comprehensive IT asset control, and value for money.
OpenLM is an advanced tool for managing and tracking software licenses, particularly in engineering and IT sectors. It provides comprehensive reporting on software usage, supports various license models, and offers optimization features to maximize license utilization.
OpenLM has a positive rating on TrustRadius, with users highlighting its effectiveness in managing software licenses and identifying cost savings. Challenges noted include complexity in setup for on-premise deployment.
CloudAware is a software license manager focused on asset management in the digital infrastructure space. It provides tools for auditing compliance, endpoint security, and comprehensive visibility into the relationships between assets, aiding in preventing outages and improving operational efficiency.
Specific user reviews were not found, suggesting a potential need for more extensive user feedback collection or publication.

#### CloudHealth by VMware

CloudHealth by VMware is a software service that assists organizations in managing and optimizing their cloud computing resources. Acquired by VMware in 2018, it provides cost management, governance, automation, security, and performance services for cloud environments. The platform supports multiple cloud environments including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
SpendCloud is a comprehensive solution designed to manage and optimize an organization’s entire expenditure. It offers a range of features from smart payment cards for employees to complete Purchase to Pay processes, aiming to provide insight, overview, and control over all expenses.
Cloudability, offered by Apptio, is a multi-cloud financial management platform aimed at enterprises. It facilitates cloud cost management and optimization, enabling IT, finance, and DevOps teams to collaboratively manage cloud resources efficiently. The platform supports major cloud services like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

#### Frequently Asked Questions about Software License Managers

Q: What is a software license manager?A: A software license manager is a tool that helps organizations track and manage their software licenses to ensure compliance, optimize costs, and maintain an organized software asset portfolio.
Q: How does license management software aid in software license compliance?A: It automates the tracking of license entitlements, usage, and agreement terms, thereby ensuring that the organization adheres to legal and contractual obligations, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties.
Q: Can license key management improve software asset management?A: Yes, by maintaining a secure repository of license keys, it prevents unauthorized use and helps asset managers allocate resources efficiently.
Q: What benefits does a cloud-based software license manager provide?A: A cloud-based manager offers scalability, remote access, and real-time updates, enhancing the flexibility and responsiveness of license management across the organization.
Q: Why are software license audits important?A: Audits assess the current state of software usage versus entitlements, identifying over or underutilization and ensuring effective license optimization and compliance.
Q: How does license renewal tracking benefit an organization?A: It ensures continuous access to necessary software by avoiding unexpected expirations, thus maintaining productivity and operational continuity.
Q: What are the various software licensing models, and how do they impact management?A: Common models include per-user, per-device, subscription-based, and usage-based. Each model presents different tracking and compliance challenges that license management software can address.
Q: What are software license optimization strategies?A: Optimization involves analyzing software usage and needs to adjust licenses accordingly, ensuring that the organization only pays for what it uses and needs.
Q: How do license expiration reminders work?A: These are automated notifications set up within a license manager to alert administrators of upcoming renewals, avoiding lapses in licensing.
Q: What should be included in a software license inventory?A: A comprehensive inventory includes all software applications, associated licenses, usage rights, expiration dates, and user information.
Q: What are license management best practices?A: Best practices include regular audits, maintaining accurate records, employing a centralized license manager, and training staff on software usage policies.
Q: What tools are considered effective for license management?A: Effective tools offer a combination of license tracking, compliance monitoring, usage analytics, and reporting capabilities.
Q: How do you manage a software license agreement effectively?A: By keeping detailed records of purchase dates, terms, and usage rights, and by ensuring that software use within the organization adheres to these terms.
Q: What is license compliance reporting, and why is it critical?A: It involves generating detailed reports on license usage and compliance status, critical for internal governance and for demonstrating compliance in audits.
Q: Can you explain the license activation process?A: This process involves entering a license key or code to activate and authenticate software use, typically done after software installation.

# Page Title
Top 16 Spend Management Software Solutions for 2024 | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/software/spend-management-software

## Page Description

Compare the top Spend Management Software Solutions. Unlock the secrets to smarter business spending decisions and optimize your budget 

## Details

### Top 16 Spend Management Software Solutions for 2024

Are you stuck? Trying to figure out the legitimate options in the world of spend management software? Don’t fret; we’ve got your back! In this guide, we unveil the ultimate lineup of industry leaders and a few niche players that might be the perfect fit.
Get ready to make an informed decision and take control of your spending like a pro!
But first, let’s cover the basics.

#### What is Spend Management Software?

Spend management software gives you visibility so you can conduct spend analysis, as well as mechanisms to streamline your organization’s cost-saving process. Within that, different Spend management software solutions will specialize in different areas (such as SaaS licenses, travel expenses, etc.); your job is the find the software that will improve your processes, give you better visibility, and automate more of the work so you can save more while doing less.

##### What is an Example of Spend Management?

Your spend management is like the control tower at an airport, coordinating every aspect of spending to ensure smooth and efficient operations. As a result, there are many forms that it can take. For example:

##### How to Use This Guide

Here’s the reality, buying software isn’t fun. There are endless choices, each with different pricing models, different value propositions, and fancy jargon to hype up average features. It’s overwhelming.
Hopefully, this guide provides a bit of clarity in a chaotic industry. Our goal is to both inform and empower you with the knowledge and core insight into the top players.
Each section is a no-nonsense, high-level breakdown of the tool and includes information pulled from a number of locations, including Gartner, Trust Pilot, G2, and the Vendor’s websites.

#### Torii: SaaS Spend Management Software

Torii is engineered for businesses to optimize SaaS expenditures through an array of features like shadow IT discovery, spend analytics, cost optimization workflows, license optimization, and contract management.
Target Audience:
Optimal for any size business with a large number of SaaS applications:
Torii offers three tiers of pricing; Basic, Professional, and Enterprise. A free trial is available.
Getting Started:
To get started with Torii, select an appropriate pricing plan, and connect cloud-based software subscriptions. Once connected, Torii will automatically discover all of the subscriptions and provide businesses with a comprehensive view of their SaaS spending. Advanced workflows are available to automate future spend management processes.
Additional Considerations:
Torii is a robust SaaS spend management solution tailored for businesses of varying sizes and complexities struggling with bloated SaaS expenditures. For cloud-first companies, Torii is the best option that can work in conjunction with other spend management software solutions. With its comprehensive feature set, it provides actionable insights, cost-saving recommendations, and efficient contract management.

#### Spendesk: Spend Management Platform

Spendesk consolidates spend management with a focus on expense management, accounts payable automation, corporate card programs, and budgeting and forecasting.
Optimal for businesses seeking to:
Spendesk offers custom pricing tailored to the needs of different businesses. Interested parties are encouraged to contact Spendesk’s experts for a personalized quote.
Pricing is subject to change: Check their official website for the latest
To get started with Spendesk, businesses can book a demo or try out the platform. More detailed information on the onboarding process can be obtained by reaching out to Spendesk directly.
Spendesk is an integrated spend management platform suited for diverse business sizes and growth stages. It offers a well-rounded feature set, from expense management to real-time analytics, ensuring streamlined spending and enhanced control. Pricing is flexible, and the user experience is largely positive.

#### Ramp: Spend Management Platform

Ramp is a spend management platform that helps businesses control their spending, save time, and automate busy work. Ramp offers a corporate card that can be used to pay for all types of business expenses, as well as a number of other features such as bill pay, expense reporting, and budgeting.
Target Audience
Ramp is targeted at businesses of all sizes, but it is particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses. Ramp can help businesses save money on their spending by offering discounts on popular SaaS and cloud services, as well as by providing insights into their spending habits.
Ramp now offers a $0 per user/month plan and a Ramp Plus plan at $15 per user/month.
Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.
Getting Started
To get started with Ramp, businesses need to create an account and verify their identity. Once their account has been approved, businesses can order corporate cards and start paying for expenses.
Additional Considerations
Ramp is a good option for businesses of all sizes, but it is particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses. Ramp offers a number of features that can help businesses to save money on their spending, save time, and automate busywork.

#### Freshbooks: Accounting Software

FreshBooks provides cloud-based accounting solutions targeting small businesses and freelancers. It excels in invoicing, expense tracking, and time tracking.
Four plans are available—Lite, Plus, Premium, and Select. Pricing is based on the number of active clients and required features.
FreshBooks offers a free trial option, which businesses can use before coming to a paid plan.
FreshBooks stands out as a reliable accounting software platform specifically designed for small businesses and freelancers. Its ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and scalability make it a strong contender in its category. Before settling, consider its third-party integrations, customer support, and user reviews. A free trial is recommended to evaluate fit.

#### Wave: Accounting Software

Wave is designed for small businesses and freelancers, providing a free, user-friendly spend management solution.
Small businesses, freelancers, and startups looking for a no-cost, simple way to manage spending.
Wave’s core features, such as invoicing, accounting, and banking, are offered for free. However, there are charges for additional services:
Sign up for a free account and begin utilizing the various features. Tutorials and resources are available for assistance.
Wave is a robust yet free spend management tool suited for small businesses and freelancers. Its comprehensive features and ease-of-use make it ideal for startups. With its range of integration and support options, it’s highly adaptable for different business needs.

#### Expensify: Expense Management Software

Expensify specializes in automating expense management for businesses. Features include expense reporting, corporate card programs, accounts payable automation, and budgeting and forecasting.
Optimal for all-sized businesses, particularly those focusing on streamlining spending processes and requiring scalability.
Expensify’s pricing begins at $9 per user per month with the use of the Expensify Card. The cost can be reduced to $0 per user per month by meeting a certain minimum monthly card spend. If less than 50% of a company’s spend is on the Expensify Card, an unbundled fee is charged on a sliding scale. The Expensify Control plan, priced at $9 per user per month (if paid annually and using the Expensify card for 50% of the company’s spending), includes features like multiple approvers and expense policies.
New users can sign up for a free trial and choose a plan that fits their needs to begin.
Expensify offers a full suite of features for spend management, suitable for businesses of all sizes. Its automation capabilities can save both time and money, while providing robust control over expenditures. The platform is easily integrable with existing business software and offers multiple support channels.

#### Dext: Spend Management Software

Dext is cloud-based, targeting businesses of all sizes. It’s ideal for streamlining spending processes and suitable for fast-growing businesses.
Businesses of all sizes, particularly those aiming for efficient spending and scalability.
Dext offers three products, each with its own pricing structure and tiers.
Dext offers options for both a free trial and a demo on their website.
Dext is a robust solution for businesses seeking to streamline spending. It offers multiple features and scalability options, making it ideal for both small and large enterprises.

#### Certify: Spend Management Software

Certify is a cloud-based platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It specializes in automating spending processes, making it ideal for rapidly growing businesses.
All sizes of businesses, particularly those needing to streamline spending and enhance operational efficiencies.
Certify has various pricing options including a plan for small businesses at $12 per user per month. They also offer a Professional plan with flexible pricing options tailored to the needs of the organization.
Sign up for a free trial, choose a pricing plan, begin using Certify.
Certify is a robust platform for spending management. It offers a comprehensive range of features that can scale with your business.

#### Brex: Spend Management Platform

Brex is a spend management platform, tailored for startups and growing businesses, providing automated spending processes and real-time insights.
Startups and growing businesses requiring a comprehensive spend management solution.
No public price is available.
Open an account, which can be done from any device in approximately 10 minutes. Once the account is set up, businesses can manage their funds, including making deposits to earn yield or handling transactions such as ACH, checks, and wire transfers without incurring additional fees.
Brex delivers a robust spend management platform designed for startups and growing businesses. Comprehensive features coupled with flexibility make it a compelling choice.

#### Mercury: Spend Management Platform

Mercury specializes in startup banking alternatives, offering automated features and real-time analytics.
Tailored for startups and growing businesses requiring a full-fledged spend management system.
Mercury offers a pricing structure that leans towards rewarding businesses rather than charging them. Key points include:
To get started, you’ll need:
Responses typically take 1 – 3 days.
Mercury is a solid choice for startups and growing businesses, offering a full suite of features and flexibility in pricing.

#### Payem: Spend Management Platform

Payem is a cloud-based platform, offering robust features like expense reporting, corporate card programs, invoice automation, and budgeting. Suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Optimal for businesses aiming to streamline spending processes and particularly beneficial for fast-growing enterprises.
PayEm’s pricing details are not publicly disclosed on their official website.
Payem offers options for either booking a demo or a consultation on their website.
Payem offers an all-inclusive spend management platform with an emphasis on automation and real-time visibility. It caters to businesses of all sizes and is scalable in features.

#### Coupa: Spend Management Platform

Coupa is a cloud-based BSM platform, offering a broad array of features from procurement to spend analytics. It caters to businesses of all sizes.
Ideal for businesses aiming to streamline spending, increase efficiency, gain visibility, reduce costs, and mitigate risk.
Coupa’s pricing is not publicly disclosed on their official website.
Coupa offers an extensive library of demos on its website.
Coupa offers an all-encompassing BSM platform focused on automation, visibility, and efficiency. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes and provides scalability.

#### Precoro: Procure-to-Pay Software

Precoro is a cloud-based P2P platform automating procurement tasks from purchase requisitions to spend analytics. Designed for businesses of all sizes.
Best for businesses aiming to:
For smaller teams (20 employees or less) Precoro is available for $35.00 per user per month, billed annually. Larger teams can request a custom quote.
Sign up for a free trial, select a pricing plan, and start using Precoro for procurement management.
Precoro is a robust P2P solution offering streamlined procurement, real-time spend visibility, cost reduction, and compliance features. Suits businesses of any size and offers scalability.

#### Navan: Spend Management Platform

Navan is a cloud-based spend management platform designed for businesses of all sizes, focusing on automation, spend visibility, cost reduction, efficiency, and risk mitigation.
Optimal for businesses looking to:
Navan operates on a subscription model with an option to start for free. They have not publicly disclosed their pricing structure on their official website.
Navan offers both a demo, and a “start for free” option on their website.
Navan offers robust features for spend management automation, real-time analytics, cost reduction, and risk management. Scalable for any business size and offers flexible pricing plans.

#### Procurify: Spend Management Platform

Procurify operates in the cloud to automate spend management for businesses of various sizes, enhancing spending visibility and cost reduction.
Ideal for businesses of any size, Procurify excels for those aiming to:
Procurify Pricing:
Procurify operates on a per-user, per-month pricing model, billed annually. The pricing details are not fully disclosed on their official website, but it’s mentioned that everything needed from procure to pay is available for only $2K USD a month.
Procurify offers a contact form for more information, for a personalized demo, or to speak with a team of experts.
Procurify excels as a spend management tool, offering a wide range of features and pricing options. It is apt for businesses seeking a fully-featured spend management system.

#### Center: Spend Management Solution

Center is a comprehensive, cloud-based spend management solution. It focuses on automation, visibility, cost reduction, and control over spending.
Optimal for businesses of all sizes seeking to:
Center operates on a unique pricing model where there are no upfront costs or licensing fees. Instead, every time a user swipes the CenterCard, a small fee is paid to Mastercard, which is shared with Center. There’s also a flat fee charged for corporate travel bookings which covers unlimited itinerary changes, self-service cancellations and adjustments, and 24/7 omnichannel traveler support and services.
Center offers to let you book a demo.
Center offers a full suite of spend management features that can significantly streamline processes, offer real-time visibility, reduce costs, and improve control over spending. Suitable for businesses of all sizes and offers scalable pricing options.

#### Conclusion: What’s Next?

Buying software is never easy, but it doesn’t have to paralyze you!
Now that you have some options, the next step is to draw up your shortlist. Find the vendors that best match your needs for functionality, scalability, and how well each fits into your business ecosystem.
If you feel like your SaaS stack is already too bloated, consider a SaaS management tool like Torii. A SaaS Management Platform can streamline your license usage and enact cost-saving workflows that open up more space in your software budget going forward.
You’ve got the information; you’ve got the strategy. Now, seize control of your business spending. Make those well-informed, psychologically sound decisions that propel your organization forward. Your bottom line will thank you.

# Page Title
10 Things You Must Know Before Implementing a Single Sign On (SSO) Solution | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/10-things-you-must-know-before-implementing-an-sso-solution

## Page Description

Single Sign-On (SSO) is an important system for many teams. However, there are still considerations to understand before adopting it. Learn more

## Details

If you’re involved in or using any form of SaaS, you’ve probably heard of the terms “Single Sign On (SSO)” and/or “SSO best practices.” But, what exactly are they and how do they enable your organization? Read on to find out, and

#### What is a Single Sign On (SSO)?

Single Sign On is an authentication service that grants a user simultaneous access to several software services by inputting a single login credential (hence the name). Most SSO services will only require a user to sign in once, meaning the user will not need to re-verify their authentication factors moving forward.

##### Why Does This Matter?

It may appear as though SSO is just a fancy password manager, but that’s far from the case. Many SSO solutions like Okta, Onelogin, and Bitium add an additional layer of security and control to your organization’s SaaS login process.
This means, with the growing number of SaaS applications being used by organizations, implementing an SSO has become imperative to protect your company’s sensitive data.

#### 10 SSO Best Practices

Know What SaaS Apps You Have
Know Your Users—External Users Included
Know Which SaaS Apps Can be Connected
Connecting to your Azure AD or G-suite
Develop an Automatic Provisioning Strategy
Understand the Hidden Cost of SSO
Recognize Multi-Factor Authentication Side Effects
Time to Configure and Connect SaaS apps
Remember that SSO is Not a Silver Bullet
Remember SSO is No Longer a Luxury

#### 1. Know What SaaS Apps You Have

Before you implement an SSO it’s important to know what applications are used by your organization and which ones are just taking up space (and financial resources).
While mapping out your organization’s tech stack might appear simple, you may soon discover an array of unused, outdated, and even risky applications—all sitting outside of IT’s purview (the ever-growing problem of Shadow IT).
In fact, we’ve found that there is sometimes a 3x – 6x difference between perception and reality when it comes to IT’s estimates of how many applications are part of their SaaS Stack. That means for every 10 apps IT reports, the reality might actually be 30 – 60 apps.
This number may appear jaw-droppingly high but is actually pretty common in organizations missing a SaaS management tool. Saas Management tools remove the threat of Shadow IT, automating your tech stack’s mapping process by immediately granting your IT department full visibility to all SaaS applications used by your organization (even the ones currently outside of IT’s control).

#### 2. Know Your Users—External Users Included

After you’ve mapped your SaaS applications, you need to understand who is using them, including internal and external users. External users are the contractors and temporary employees we tend to forget about when thinking of who needs access to our systems.
SSO best practice recognizes external users as invaluable assets to our organizations, but also acknowledges the security risk that comes with working primarily outside of the organization. Therefore, it’s recommended that employers provide external users with the same level of ease and security when accessing their systems—aka providing them with SSO logins.

#### 3. Know Which SaaS Apps Can be Connected

Not all SaaS applications support Single Sign-On. Instead, only the SaaS applications with SAML 2.0 can enable this feature.
What is SAML 2.0? Security Assertion Markup Language 2.0 (SAML 2.0) is a standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between security domains. SAML 2.0 enables web-based, cross-domain single sign-on (SSO), which helps reduce the administrative overhead of distributing multiple authentication tokens to the user.
To understand the full capabilities of your tech stack, you should begin identifying which of your apps support SAML 2.0 when you originally map your applications.
Additionally, make sure to inquire about whether your intended solution offers alternative protocols or support form-based login options. These features will ensure a secure login process for your employees across all applications–even the ones missing SAML 2.0.

#### 4. Connecting to your Azure AD or G-suite

It’s SSO best practice to confirm that your intended SSO solution is able to delegate authentication requests to your identity provider.
Many organizations rely on G-suite or Azure AD as their identity provider, while some may opt for a different Directory as a Service (DaaS) solution.
No matter your preference, connecting these tools will create a master record of your users’ identities, allowing IT to easily make edits to application provisions and further protect your organization’s sensitive data.

#### 5. Develop an Automatic Provisioning Strategy

Some SaaS applications may offer automatic provisioning. But is this a necessary feature and should you even enable it?
Automatic provisioning isn’t as scary as it sounds. This feature simply allows you to add users to your SSO provider and place them within a relevant group (with specific security measures). Once completed, the added user will automatically gain access to all selected SaaS applications linked to your SSO solution upon their first login.
While this method may save you time, without an Automated SaaS management tool, the process of provisioning may cause your license management to spiral out of control. Adding a provisioned user to your SSO may automatically assign an additional paid license to your linked applications, making full transparency into the makeup and use of your tech stack a must-have.

#### 6. Understand the Hidden Cost of SSO

Remember our conversation regarding SAML earlier on? Well, making sure your SaaS applications can connect to your selected SSO solution may be costly.
It may come as a surprise, but many SaaS vendors do not offer SAML support in their basic offerings. Instead, they require organizations to upgrade their subscriptions to gain this feature.
Note : The cost of these upgrades is not marginal, and in many cases, may even surpass the cost of your SSO provider.
Take Dropbox, for example. SSO support is enabled only for their Advanced plans. $20/user/month as opposed to $12.50/user/month on their Standard plan.
Using Zoom for meetings? Get ready to pay an extra $5 per user/month.
And if you want your user to log in to Slack using SSO, the price doubles from $6.67/user/month to $12.50/user/month.
These are just 3 examples and may not reflect the current state of your tech stack. Even so, it’s SSO best practice to understand your Saas vendor agreements, prospective upgrade costs, and plan your SSO budget accordingly.

#### 7. Recognize Multi-Factor Authentication Side Effects

It is highly advised to add Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) along with your SSO solution, or, at least, to your critical business applications.
MFA  serves two important purposes: first and foremost, it adds a crucial layer of security, and secondly, it raises the security awareness of your employees.
But there’s a catch…some of your organization’s SaaS accounts may be shared, with more than one employee having access to them. Be aware that enabling MFA on certain business applications may block access to those shared accounts.

#### 8. Time to Configure and Connect SaaS apps

Be aware that migrating your SaaS application to Single Sign-On takes time…yes, even when our SSO vendor promises a speedy implementation. SSO implementation goes far beyond clicking a few buttons.
In fact, there are several factors that contribute to the overall complexity of this process:
Upgrading your SaaS application to the right plan, as discussed in number 6 – Understand the Hidden Cost of SSO.
Configuring SAML for each SaaS application you’d like linked to your SSO (as discussed in number 3 – Know which Saas Apps can be Connected.
Important: Configuring your SaaS apps is a manual process and each configuration will be different. The complexity of this process makes configuration an error-prone activity.
Migrating from email/password login to SAML login may force all your users to reconnect. Some users may find themselves locked out of crucial business applications if they don’t follow all the guidelines. This may be a significant interruption to their workflow. To avoid this issue, make sure to communicate and educate relevant stakeholders about the login change well in advance.

#### 9. Remember SSO is Not a Silver Bullet

Although SSO is a must-have for your security toolbox, like most tools, it is not a silver bullet.
SSO doesn’t replace your employees’ common sense and best practices on keeping SaaS applications secure.
Keep in mind, after an SSO system is implemented one password gives your employees access to all of the organization’s most valuable applications. Therefore, it’s important that your employees’ passwords are secure.
SSO best practice is to consistently educate your employees about securing their passwords, phishing scams, and other security threats. Plus, always remember to repeat the basics, reminding employees not to write passwords down on sticky notes or send them via email or Slack.

#### 10. Remember SSO is No Longer a Luxury

The IT workplace is changing, and so is the role of the IT department. Providing your organization with the right set of tools to adapt to the ever-changing SaaS landscape while also keeping your sensitive data safe is crucial.
Implementing an SSO solution is no longer just a nice-to-have, but a need-to-have for any technological organization. Without it, your organization will be less secure, experience more bottlenecks, and will generally lag behind already optimized competitors.
Are you ready to secure your company’s sensitive data? Give Torii a try! It’s a simple and quick setup, and it gives you instant visibility and control over all your SaaS apps.

# Page Title
Why Did Productiv Shut Down? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/why-did-productiv-shut-down

## Page Description

Productiv announced on August 2, 2026 that it is sunsetting its SaaS management platform on August 6 — with no reason given. Here's what happened and what customers should do.

## Details

On August 2, 2026, Productiv announced it was sunsetting its SaaS management platform on August 6, 2026 — a four-day window between the announcement and the shutdown. The company did not publicly give a reason for the decision. That is the whole of what has been confirmed: an announcement on August 2, a sunset date of August 6, and no stated cause. Anything beyond that is speculation.

What Productiv was: Productiv was a SaaS management platform best known for leaning on engagement data — measuring not just which applications a company bought, but how often employees actually used them. For many customers it held the authoritative view of the app portfolio: inventory, usage signals, spend, and app owners.

What the shutdown means for customers: With the sunset set for August 6, current Productiv customers face an immediate migration rather than a long-term evaluation. Priorities are to export data now (app inventory, spend and contract records, usage history, and app owners) while access remains, re-establish discovery fast so visibility and savings do not leak away, and choose a replacement that ingests exported data and rediscovers the rest automatically through integrations.

What to do next: A discovery-first platform is the fastest path back to control. Torii — named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms — is the closest direct replacement, tying every app, license, and AI tool to a real owner and budget and automating the renewals, license reclamation, access reviews, and offboarding that Productiv largely left to manual effort. See the full comparison in the Top 5 Productiv Alternatives for SaaS Management guide.


# Page Title
What is User Provisioning? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/user-provisioning

## Page Description

Discover what User Provisioning is and how it simplifies access management! Learn the basics and key terms in our glossary.

## Details

User Provisioning (UP), in the broad sense, is a cornerstone of identity and access management; it encapsulates the suite of enterprise-level processes needed to create, manage, modify, and terminate user accounts and access rights across IT systems. This extensive process involves account provisioning, user management, authentication routines, and user onboarding and offboarding processes often guided by role-based access control principles.

Note: Struggling with cumbersome user provisioning processes? Take charge and streamline account creation, management, and access control effortlessly, all while maintaining top-notch security. Check out how Torii can transform your workflows.

What if you're not struggling with Access Management?

User provisioning tools automate the critical and complex processes of granting, changing, and revoking access rights involving user directory and privileged access management.

Our comparison of user provisioning software puts seven of these tools side by side, from identity providers such as Okta and Microsoft Entra ID to SaaS management platforms.

Imagine being able to provide a new hire with a set of keys (access rights) that opens only specific doors (systems) in your company based on their role (role-based access control). That's the essence of user provisioning!

Efficient Framework: An efficiently designed UP framework encompasses user lifecycle management, from onboarding to offboarding, taking the duty of synchronizing user data across several systems off your plate. It offers capabilities such as self-service user provisioning, which allows users to request additional access autonomously, and automated user provisioning, which speeds up access delivery and reduces manual workload.

Identity Governance: A role in identity governance must be balanced. With user access review as part of it, you can perform frequent checks to ensure that the right users have the proper access at the right time. This significantly reduces unauthorized and redundant access, a prevalent issue in unmanaged IT landscapes.

Workflow Automation: Built on workflow automation, UP enables seamless and rapid account provisioning and de-provisioning, vital during employee onboarding and offboarding. This way, organizations can ensure that ex-employees can no longer access sensitive company information.

Detailed Record Activities: The process also leaves behind audit trails that provide a detailed record of all user provisioning activities. During internal or external audits, these logs are invaluable to demonstrate to assessors that the organization has been competently managing access to its systems and data.

In conclusion, User Provisioning is vital to effective and efficient user and access management, given its role in guaranteeing that every user has the access they require and nothing more. It's a crucial enabler of security, compliance, and operational effectiveness in today’s digital era.

Examples of User Provisioning (UP)

In IT management, the seamless integration of new users into an organization's ecosystem is paramount. User provisioning, creating, managing, and deactivating user accounts and access rights in systems, applications, and networks is critical for IT departments. Here are real-world examples showcasing the importance and implementation of user provisioning in various sectors.

Enterprise Business

Salesforce, a leading CRM platform, offers a vivid example of user provisioning in action. When new employees join a sales team, their accounts are automatically created in Salesforce. This process includes setting up their profile with appropriate access levels to customer data, sales records, and collaboration tools. The automation ensures that the new team member can start contributing without delay, fostering efficiency and data security from day one.

Educational Sector

In the education sector, universities often employ user provisioning to manage student and faculty access to resources. At the start of a new semester, IT systems automatically create accounts for new students in the university's learning management system (LMS), library databases, and e-mail services.

This automated process ensures that students have immediate access to necessary educational resources, enhancing their learning experience. As students graduate or staff contracts end, access is automatically revoked, maintaining system security and data integrity.

Healthcare Setting

Healthcare provides a critical context for user provisioning, where access to patient information must be meticulously controlled. When a new healthcare professional joins a hospital, their access to electronic health records (EHR) is provisioned based on their role.

For example, a nurse might receive access to patient care plans and medication schedules, while a billing specialist would have access to insurance and billing information. This role-based access ensures that sensitive patient data is only accessible to authorized personnel, safeguarding patient privacy and complying with regulations like HIPAA.

These examples underscore the value of user provisioning in maintaining operational efficiency, data security, and regulatory compliance across diverse industries. Organizations can ensure that their resources are used effectively and safely by automating granting and revoking access.

Best Practices for User Provisioning (UP)

Effective user provisioning is critical in any organization, encompassing access management, identity management, account provisioning, and user management. It balances providing necessary access for productive work, enhancing security, and minimizing the human error factor.

Initiate with User Onboarding

Initiating with user onboarding, an automated user provisioning process is recommended, which can help synchronize user data from all connected systems. Automation standardizes the onboarding process, saving time and minimizing possible errors.

Setup Role-Based Access Control

Role-based access control is another best practice, allowing defined roles and specific access privileges depending on job requirements. Privileged access management ensures that users with high-level privileges are correctly managed, mitigating potential risks.

Empower Users with Self-Service User Provisioning

A complement to automated user provisioning, self-service user provisioning empowers users to manage requests for access and updates to their profiles. This user-friendly aspect reduces administrative workload while granting users more control.

Efficient User lifecycle management

Another essential element is user lifecycle management. Supervising an account from the point of onboarding to offboarding ensures efficient access management throughout the working contract. User offboarding is equally crucial as user onboarding. All assigned access should be correctly and timely revoked, minimizing security risks.

Implement Policies

Identity governance goes hand in hand with user lifecycle management, providing a framework for defining and implementing policies for ensuring correct user access. Regular user access reviews are suggested, ensuring access privileges remain updated and secure.

Enable Audit Trail Function

Integrated within the process, an audit trail function is critical, providing accountability and tracking of all activities related to user provisioning. These records are invaluable, particularly for compliance purposes.

Automate Workflow

Workflow automation in user provisioning offers several benefits, such as speed, efficiency, and accuracy. Having software to manage end-to-end user access provides a systematic and disciplined approach, facilitating processes without manual intervention.

Use of Management Tool

Finally, utilizing platforms like Torii SaaS Management Platform for user provisioning can significantly streamline practices, providing visibility over SaaS expenditures, identifying shadow IT, and automating operations like SaaS on/offboarding, among other features. Torii's software provides the means to scale their SaaS-related work by allowing IT professionals to build custom integrations and plugins for their cloud apps.

Empathetic insights make it clear that effective user provisioning is not merely about tight controls but also about fostering secure and productive working environments. As companies continue to evolve and grow, their approach to user provisioning should keep pace, ensuring that the process is as intuitive and hassle-free as possible without compromising security.

Related Tools for User Provisioning (UP)

Torii SaaS Management Platform: A cloud-based tool for overseeing and optimizing Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures.

Okta: A user provisioning tool offering enterprises identity and access management solutions.

OneLogin: A user provisioning platform providing single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and identity management services.

Azure Active Directory: Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service for managing users and groups.

Google Identity: Google's identity management platform offers single sign-on and multi-factor authentication capabilities.

Ping Identity: A user provisioning tool providing identity and access management solutions for enterprises and federated identity management.

IBM Security Identity and Access Manager: IBM's user provisioning platform offers identity governance, access management, and directory services.

ForgeRock: An identity and access management platform providing user provisioning, authentication, and authorization services.

SailPoint IdentityNow: A user provisioning tool offering identity governance, access management, and provisioning services.

Salesforce Identity: Salesforce's identity management solution provides single sign-on and user provisioning capabilities.

RSA SecurID Access: RSA's user provisioning platform offers secure access with multi-factor authentication.

Centrify: A user provisioning tool providing identity management, single sign-on, and privileged access management solutions.

Auth0: A user provisioning platform offering identity and access management services focusing on developers.

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM): Amazon Web Services user provisioning service for securely managing access to AWS resources.

VMware Workspace ONE: VMware's unified endpoint management platform provides user provisioning, device management, and access control.

Citrix Workspace: Citrix's digital workspace platform offers user provisioning and access management solutions.

JumpCloud: A user provisioning tool providing directory services, single sign-on, and device management for IT environments.

SecureAuth: A user provisioning platform offering adaptive authentication and identity management solutions.

Avatier Identity Anywhere: Avatier's identity management platform offers user provisioning, access governance, and password management solutions.

Oracle Identity Management: Oracle's comprehensive identity management platform offers user provisioning, access management, and identity governance.

Bitium: A user provisioning tool providing single sign-on, identity management, and access control for cloud applications.

Duo Security: A user provisioning platform offering multi-factor authentication and endpoint security solutions.

Keeper Security: A user provisioning tool providing password management, encryption, and secure file storage solutions.

LastPass Business: A user provisioning platform offering password management, single sign-on, and secure sharing for teams.

One Identity Manager: A user provisioning tool offering identity and access management solutions, including user lifecycle management and access governance.

Related Concepts in User Provisioning (UP)

Access management: Controlling and managing user access to resources and systems within an organization.

Identity management: Overseeing the authentication, authorization, and administration of user identities and their access rights.

Account provisioning: Creating and configuring user accounts, including granting appropriate access privileges.

User management: Administering and controlling user accounts throughout their lifecycle in an organization.

Authentication: Verifying the identity of a user to grant access to systems or resources.

User onboarding: The process of granting access and setting up user accounts for new employees.

User offboarding: Revoking access and deactivating user accounts for departing employees.

Role-based access control: Assigning access rights and permissions to users based on their assigned role or job function.

Privileged access management: Managing and securing access to critical systems and data by privileged users.

User directory: A central repository that stores and organizes user information, such as usernames, passwords, and access privileges.

Self-service user provisioning: Allowing users to request and manage their own account access, reducing IT involvement.

Automated user provisioning: Streamlining the process of creating and configuring user accounts through automated workflows.

User lifecycle management: Managing user accounts throughout their entire lifecycle, from creation to deactivation.

Identity governance: Ensuring compliance and security in user access by establishing policies, processes, and controls.

User access review: Review and audit user access rights to ensure they are appropriate and up-to-date.

Audit trails: Recorded logs that document user activities and system interactions for security and compliance purposes.

Workflow automation: Automating the sequence of tasks involved in user provisioning to improve efficiency.

Employee onboarding: Integrating new employees into an organization, including granting them access to relevant resources.

Employee offboarding: Terminating an employee's access to systems and resources upon departure.

Synchronizing user data: Ensures user information is consistent and up-to-date across multiple systems or platforms.

FAQs: User Provisioning (UP)

Q: What is user provisioning?

A: User provisioning refers to creating, managing, and deactivating user accounts and access rights within an organization's IT systems.

Q: Why is user provisioning critical?

A: User provisioning helps organizations efficiently manage user access to various systems, applications, and resources, ensuring the right level of access for each user based on their role and responsibilities.

Q: What are the benefits of user provisioning?

A: User provisioning offers several benefits, including enhanced security by granting appropriate access, improved compliance with industry regulations, streamlined user management, increased productivity, and reduced administrative burden.

Q: How does user provisioning work?

A: User provisioning typically involves automating the user creation, modification, and deactivation process through specialized software or identity management solutions. It integrates with HR systems to ensure employees' access aligns with their employment status and responsibilities.

Q: What is the difference between user provisioning and user management?

A: User provisioning focuses on the automatic creation and allocation of user accounts and access rights, whereas user management involves ongoing administration, maintenance, and monitoring of user accounts, including access reviews and role changes.

Q: What are the standard user provisioning challenges?

A: Challenges with user provisioning include accurately defining user roles and access levels, managing access lifecycle (hiring, transfers, and terminations), maintaining data integrity, and ensuring timely and consistent access provisioning.

Q: What is the role of identity governance in user provisioning?

A: Identity governance encompasses the policies, processes, and technologies that govern user access and role management. It helps organizations align user access with business policies, regulations, and compliance requirements, reducing security risks.

Q: What is self-service user provisioning?

A: Self-service user provisioning allows end users to request and manage their access privileges within defined boundaries. It reduces IT workload by empowering users to initiate access requests and simplifies provisioning.

Q: What is single sign-on (SSO) in user provisioning?

A: Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication process that enables users to access multiple applications or systems with a single login credentials. User provisioning integrated with SSO ensures that users have the appropriate access permissions across various applications.

Q: How can automated user provisioning improve efficiency?

A: Automated user provisioning reduces manual efforts and associated errors by automating the account creation, modification, and disabling processes. It ensures timely provisioning of access rights, improves productivity, and minimizes the risk of unauthorized access.


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What are User Access Reviews? | Torii

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Understand the importance of User Access Reviews in managing digital security and user permissions effectively.

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User Access Reviews (UARs) are effective strategies designed for IT managers and directors to gauge the appropriateness of a user's access rights within an organization. This robust procedure, a key part of User Access Management, ensures the optimal balance between employee productivity and data security by evaluating significant aspects such as account privileges, user permissions, and access control review.

Note: Say goodbye to manual processes and hello to streamlined access management. Automate access reviews and ensure optimal access rights with Torii's SaaS Management Platform. Check out Saas Management

But what about those intricacies that tend to fall between the cracks? For instance, how does one deal with the entitlement review or manage the complex domain of role-based access control? That's where comprehensive systems of identity and access governance come into play, boosting your UAR by adding dimensions such as access certification, privileged user management, and user provisioning.

Access Policy Enforcement: Imagine dispatching your organization's access request and approval. Does it follow a structured protocol? Effective UARs streamline this process while enforcing a robust access policy and consistent access monitoring and reporting. It keeps a tab on the segregation of duties and upholds the least privilege principle, all contributing to robust access remediation.

Automation: Now, as IT Directors, doesn't this sound too labor-intensive? Fret not. Modern UARs have expedient access review automation, which remarkably lightens the load. It systematically handles the review process and adheres strictly to the access review policy. Eight of these tools are compared in our guide to user access review software, including which apps each one can pull into a campaign.

Data Access: Hence, user access reviews not only provide a secure shield against unwarranted data access but also enhance organizational efficiency by eliminating redundancy, monitoring access, and curtailing privilege abuse. An effective UAR process will, without a doubt, navigate your organization's user access landscape with finesse and precision.

Remember, an enlightened and empathetic insight into the intricacies of User Access Reviews can make your IT management more secure and efficient. Implementing and managing it effectively should be a priority rather than an option.

Examples of User Access Reviews

User Access Reviews (UAR) are essential for organizations to ensure employees have the appropriate access levels to systems and data, aligning with their roles and responsibilities. This process is crucial for maintaining security, compliance, and efficient operations. Below are three real-world examples of how different sectors implement User Access Reviews.

Financial Sector

In the financial sector, a multinational bank conducts quarterly User Access Reviews to comply with regulations like SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act). During these reviews, IT teams and department heads audit the access rights of all employees, from tellers to senior managers. They verify that each individual's access to financial records, customer data, and transaction systems matches their job requirements. Any discrepancies or excessive access rights are immediately revoked to mitigate data breaches or fraud risks.

Information Technology Industry

A technology company specializing in cloud services performs continuous User Access Reviews using automated tools. These tools monitor user activities and real-time access patterns, flagging unauthorized attempts to access sensitive information or critical infrastructure. The IT security team reviews these alerts, investigates anomalies, and adjusts access rights. This proactive approach ensures that only authorized users can access vital assets crucial for protecting intellectual property and customer data.

Healthcare Organization

User Access Reviews are conducted semi-annually in a healthcare organization to comply with HIPAA regulations. This process thoroughly reviews employees' access to electronic health records (EHR), billing systems, and patient databases. The review team, comprising IT, human resources, and clinical managers, ensures that healthcare professionals have access only to the patient information necessary for their roles. Any unauthorized access or outdated permissions are revoked, reinforcing the privacy and security of patient data.

These examples illustrate the diversity in implementing User Access Reviews across sectors, highlighting their importance in safeguarding sensitive information, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a secure and efficient work environment.

Best Practices for User Access Reviews

Entitlement Review

Initiating regular user access reviews ensures an organization maintains a secure and accountable IT environment. This practice, also known as entitlement review, is essential to user access management, and it all starts with identifying every user's account privileges. Managers must reflect on whether user permissions align with business requirements and security protocols.

Ensure the Right Role-Based Access Control

In such reviews, role-based access control plays a significant part, ensuring that users only have access to information required for their job functions. By following the least privilege principle, an organization can ensure that users aren't exceeding their necessary access, enhancing identity and access governance. The process may initially sound complicated, but implementing an access control review is hardly arduous, particularly when you have tools like Torii to ease the process.

Use of SaaS Management Platform

Torii’s SaaS Management Platform helps automate the access review process. Its unique features, like user provisioning, simplify providing and managing access rights to users. Managers can use it to enforce access policy and streamline an organization's access request and approval protocol.

Track Changes and Updates

While conducting an access review, tracking changes in user access rights over time becomes vital. Torii provides the user-friendly advantage of access monitoring and reporting, letting IT professionals maintain meticulous records of user access changes and flag irregular patterns. Normalizing these practices ensures robust privileged user management within an organization.

Maintain Access Certification

Access certification is another vital part of the review process. Torii assists in certifying that the given access to users is necessary and justifiable, helping your organization comply with today's strict regulatory standards. After certification comes the phase of access remediation. IT professionals perform this to fix inappropriate access rights using Torii's automated solutions.

Correctly Segregate Duties

Torii also assists in enforcing segregation of duties – an essential access control policy. It helps prevent fraudulent activities within your system by ensuring no single user can perform conflicting tasks, thus minimizing risks.

Conduct User Access Reviews

One crucial step in efficiently conducting user access reviews is automating the process. Access review automation eliminates routine manual tasks, ensuring more accurate and timely reviews with no room for human error – something Torii has taken significant strides in providing.

Update Access Review Policy

Every organization should have a robust access review policy as it forms the backbone of a successful review process. Torii helps create and enforce these policies while providing the flexibility to change them per evolving business needs.

Therefore, best practices for user access reviews are not just a compliance checkbox but a vital security measure. Intelligent solutions like Torii equip IT managers to scale and simplify their SaaS-related tasks while maintaining high levels of security and compliance.

Related Tools for User Access Reviews

Torii: A SaaS management platform that facilitates overseeing and optimizing usage and expenditures of Software as a Service application.

BetterCloud: A tool that provides comprehensive insights and management capabilities for cloud-based applications and services.

Zylo: A solution specializing in tracking, managing, and optimizing SaaS subscriptions and usage.

Zluri: A platform offering streamlined management and insights into SaaS applications to ensure efficient usage and compliance.

Productiv: Enables organizations to gain visibility and control over SaaS application usage and productivity metrics.

Blissfully: A comprehensive solution offering insights and management capabilities to optimize SaaS usage and compliance.

Vendr: A tool that manages and optimizes vendor relationships and SaaS subscriptions for organizations.

Related Concepts in User Access Reviews

User Access Management: The process of controlling and monitoring user permissions and account privileges within an organization's system or network.

Access Control Review: A systematic evaluation of user access permissions and privileges to ensure they align with the organization's policies and regulations.

User Permissions: Specific rights and privileges granted to individual users within a system or network to perform certain functions or access specific resources.

Entitlement Review: An assessment of the access rights and entitlements assigned to users, ensuring they are appropriate and necessary for their role.

Account Privileges: The level of access and capabilities assigned to a user account, determining what actions and data they can access or modify.

Role-Based Access Control: A security approach that assigns access rights based on predefined roles or job functions, ensuring users only have access to the resources relevant to their role.

Identity and Access Governance: The framework and processes for managing and governing user identity and access to ensure compliance, security, and efficiency.

Privileged User Management: The control and monitoring of accounts with elevated privileges, such as system administrators or executives, to minimize the risk of unauthorized access or misuse.

Access Certification: Periodically confirm and validate user access rights to ensure they are current, accurate, and aligned with organizational requirements.

User Provisioning: Creating and managing user accounts, including granting access rights and modifying or revoking those rights as needed.

Access Request and Approval: The workflow and procedures for users to request additional access privileges must be reviewed and approved by appropriate authorities before being granted.

Access Policy Enforcement: Implementing and enforcing access control policies and procedures within an organization's system or network.

Access Monitoring and Reporting: The continuous monitoring and auditing of user activity, access attempts, and permissions to detect and report suspicious or unauthorized actions.

Segregation of Duties: Distributing critical tasks or responsibilities among different individuals to prevent conflicts of interest or fraud.

Least Privilege Principle: The security principle is that users should be granted only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job responsibilities.

Access Remediation: The process of addressing and resolving issues or discrepancies discovered during an access review, such as removing excessive permissions or updating user roles.

Access Review Automation: Using tools or software solutions to streamline and automate the access review process, improving efficiency and accuracy.

Access Review Policy: A formal document that outlines the requirements, procedures, and responsibilities for conducting user access reviews within an organization.

FAQs: User Access Reviews

Q: What is a user access review?

A: A user access review is a process that allows organizations to evaluate and validate the access privileges of their employees or system users.

Q: Why is a user access review critical?

A: User access reviews ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information and help organizations comply with security regulations.

Q: How often should user access reviews be conducted?

A: The frequency of user access reviews may vary depending on the organization's size and security requirements. However, they are typically done at least annually or whenever significant changes occur.

Q: What is the purpose of a user access review?

A: The primary purpose of a user access review is to confirm that users still require their existing access privileges and identify any unauthorized or outdated permissions.

Q: How are user access reviews performed?

A: User access reviews involve evaluating user accounts and their access rights to identify discrepancies, such as excessive privileges or unused accounts.

Q: Who typically conducts user access reviews?

A: IT administrators, security teams, or designated personnel responsible for access control usually conduct user access reviews.

Q: What are the benefits of user access reviews?

A: User access reviews help organizations enhance security, prevent data breaches, reduce the risk of insider threats, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.

Q: What challenges can arise during user access reviews?

A: Some challenges during user access reviews include accurately identifying user roles and permissions, managing large user bases, and efficiently documenting the review process.

Q: What are the best practices for performing user access reviews?

A: Best practices for user access reviews include having a standardized process, involving business stakeholders, conducting regular reviews, and utilizing automated tools to streamline the process.

Q: What is the difference between user access reviews and access certification?

A: User access reviews evaluate user privileges, while access certification involves users verifying and confirming their access rights, usually through an online interface.

Q: Are user access reviews required for compliance with data protection regulations?

A: Many data protection regulations, such as GDPR in the European Union, require organizations to regularly review and validate user access to ensure privacy and security.

Q: Can user access reviews be automated?

A: Yes, user access reviews can be automated using specialized software or identity and access management (IAM) platforms to simplify the process and ensure accuracy.


# Page Title
What Is IT Governance? Definition, Examples, and Frameworks | Torii

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What is IT governance? The definition, five focus areas, real examples, frameworks like COBIT, ITIL, and ISO 38500, the process, and KPIs to track.

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IT governance is the framework that aligns an organization's information technology strategy with its business objectives. In plain terms, it decides who has the authority to make technology decisions, how those decisions get made, and who is accountable for the results.

Information technology governance is part of corporate governance. It sets decision rights and accountability for IT investments, risk, compliance, and the IT systems the business runs on, so the company gets value from technology without taking on risk it never agreed to. This introduction to IT governance covers the focus areas, real examples, frameworks, models, the process, and the KPIs that show whether it works.

IT governance vs. IT management

The two terms are often used as if they mean the same thing, but they are different jobs. IT governance sets direction and oversight: which investments to make, how much risk is acceptable, which policies apply, and who decides. IT management works inside those boundaries: running systems, delivering projects, and supporting tools day to day.

COBIT draws the same line. The governing body evaluates, directs, and monitors. Management plans, builds, and runs the work in line with that direction. Put simply, governance asks "are we doing the right things?" and management asks "are we doing things right?"

IT governanceIT management

FocusDirection, priorities, oversightExecution, operations, delivery
Owned byBoard, executives, IT steering committeeCIO, IT leaders, IT teams
Time horizonLong term and strategicDay to day and operational
OutputsDecision rights, policies, risk appetite, investment prioritiesProjects, services, tickets, configurations
ExampleRequiring a security review for every new SaaS toolRunning the security review on a specific tool

The five focus areas of IT governance

The IT Governance Institute (ITGI), set up by ISACA, defined five focus areas that most frameworks still build on. Done well, they help the business move faster rather than slow it down:

Strategic alignment: IT plans follow business plans. A governance board of senior executives and key stakeholders reviews IT initiatives on a set schedule to confirm they still support the strategy.

Value delivery: Technology investments deliver the benefits they promised. That includes ongoing work such as application rationalization to retire overlapping tools.

Risk management: IT risks such as data breaches, outages, vendor failures, and failed projects are assessed and reduced before they become incidents. This includes compliance with the regulations that apply to you, backed by regular audits.

Resource management: People, infrastructure, applications, data, and budget are used well, available to those who need them, backed up, and kept secure. SaaS licenses belong here too.

Performance measurement: Progress is tracked with clear metrics and reported openly to stakeholders, which keeps IT and the business pointed at the same goals.

IT governance examples

Some people associate information technology governance with the word "no," as in the answer to "Can I download this application?" In practice, it is a broad set of decisions and controls that help an organization use technology well. Good governance often gets people to "yes" faster, because the rules for saying yes are already written down. Common examples:

An IT steering committee approves major investments by ranking proposed projects against strategy and budget.
Software and SaaS purchases go through one intake process, with IT, security, legal, and finance reviewing risk and cost before a contract is signed.
Quarterly user access reviews, where application owners certify who has access to sensitive systems and remove what is no longer needed.
A change advisory board reviews and approves changes to critical systems, each with a rollback plan.
Vendor risk assessment before purchase, covering the vendor's security posture and data processing terms before the vendor touches company data.
An acceptable-use policy for AI tools that states which tools are approved, what data employees may enter, and who approves new ones.
Data classification and retention rules that define where each type of data can be stored, who can see it, and how long it is kept.
Offboarding that revokes access across every app, including apps that sit outside single sign-on.
Architecture review that checks new systems against security, integration, and data standards before they are built or bought.
Renewal review before auto-renew, where the owner confirms the tool is still used and the license count matches real usage.

Real-life example: In a financial institution, a governance board oversees IT projects to make sure they align with organizational goals and compliance standards. The process includes risk assessments, stakeholder input, and a review by the Chief Information Officer (CIO). When a team proposes a new SaaS tool for customer service, the governance framework checks that it fits the existing enterprise architecture and complies with data protection regulations before the contract is signed.

IT governance frameworks (with examples)

A framework gives you a tested structure instead of a blank page. These are the ones organizations use most.

COBIT 2019

Published by ISACA, COBIT is a comprehensive framework built specifically for governing enterprise IT. It separates governance objectives (the Evaluate, Direct and Monitor domain) from management objectives (Align, Plan and Organize; Build, Acquire and Implement; Deliver, Service and Support; Monitor, Evaluate and Assess). Example: an internal audit team uses COBIT to scope the IT general controls it tests.

ITIL 4

ITIL is a set of IT service management practices, such as incident management, change enablement, and IT asset management. Where COBIT says what should be governed, ITIL describes how to run IT services. Example: a service desk adopts ITIL change enablement so every production change follows the same approval path.

ISO/IEC 38500

ISO/IEC 38500 is the international standard for the governance of IT by a board or governing body. It rests on six principles: responsibility, strategy, acquisition, performance, conformance, and human behaviour, applied through an evaluate, direct, and monitor cycle. Example: a board uses the six principles to structure its annual review of technology risk and investment.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a free, widely adopted framework for managing cybersecurity risk. Version 2.0, released in 2024, added a Govern function alongside Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Govern covers risk strategy, roles, policy, oversight, and supply chain risk. Example: a CISO maps the security program to the six functions and reports progress to the board.

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 27001 sets the requirements for a certifiable information security management system (ISMS), with controls for access, asset inventory, and supplier relationships. Example: a SaaS vendor gets certified so enterprise customers can trust its security program.

COSO

The COSO Internal Control framework is the standard reference for internal control over financial reporting, and public companies commonly use it for Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance. It overlaps with IT governance through IT general controls: system access, change management, and IT operations. Example: a finance team uses access reviews of its ERP system as SOX evidence.

Most organizations combine these: COBIT for governance structure, ITIL for service operations, NIST CSF or ISO/IEC 27001 for security, and COSO for financial controls. For a closer look, see how ITIL and COBIT work with SaaS management.

IT governance models and structure examples

An IT governance model describes where decision rights sit. There are three common models:

Centralized: One central IT organization makes and enforces technology decisions for the whole company. It fits smaller companies and heavily regulated ones. You gain consistency and control but respond more slowly to individual teams.
Decentralized: Business units or regions own their technology decisions. It fits holding companies with independent subsidiaries. You gain speed and local fit but risk duplicate tools, uneven security, and hidden spend.
Federated (hybrid): Central IT sets standards for security, architecture, data, and vendor contracts, and business units decide within them. Most mid-size and large organizations land here, especially when departments buy their own SaaS.

A typical IT governance structure includes:

Board or audit committee: sets risk appetite and oversees major technology risk.
IT steering committee: leaders from IT, finance, security, and the business who prioritize investments and approve major projects.
Architecture review board: owns technical standards and reviews new systems against them.
Change advisory board: approves changes to production systems.
Application and data owners: a named person for each app and dataset, accountable for access, usage, and renewals.

Structure example: at a mid-size company using a federated model, the CIO chairs an IT steering committee with the CFO, the CISO, and leaders from the largest business units. The architecture and change boards report to it, and every application has a named business owner who signs off on access reviews and renewals.

The IT governance process: how to build it

IT governance is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. These six steps give you a working version to improve over time:

Assess the current state and inventory everything. Map systems, owners, contracts, spend, and who has access to what. Include the SaaS and AI tools teams bought outside IT, since they are usually the biggest gap. You cannot govern what you cannot see.

Define decision rights. A RACI matrix (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) for key decisions such as purchases, access to sensitive data, and renewals makes accountability explicit. Tie each decision to the business objective it supports.

Pick a framework baseline. Start from COBIT or ISO/IEC 38500 for governance and NIST CSF for security, then tailor it to your size and risk. Do not implement every control at once.

Write policies and controls. Turn decisions into policies (procurement, acceptable use, access, data handling) and the controls that enforce them. Automate where you can: a check that runs daily catches what a quarterly cleanup misses.

Measure with KPIs. Choose a short list of metrics, give each an owner, and report them to the steering committee on a regular schedule.

Review and adapt. Share results with stakeholders, gather feedback, and adjust. Revisit policies whenever the business, its regulations, or its tools change, as AI tools are doing now.

One easy win when starting IT governance is getting a handle on SaaS. For enterprise organizations, SaaS management can quickly deliver cost savings, security improvements, and greater efficiency, and it produces the app inventory every later step depends on.

IT governance metrics and KPIs

Good metrics show whether governance changes outcomes, not just whether policies exist. Pick a handful that map to the five focus areas, set a baseline, and track the trend:

Share of IT spend tied to strategic initiatives: how much of the budget supports business priorities rather than upkeep.
Projects delivered on time and on budget: whether approved projects deliver the value promised.
System uptime for critical services: whether operations meet the service levels the business depends on.
Apps with a named owner: whether every app has someone accountable for it. An app with no owner has no one to approve access or decide on renewal.
Apps behind SSO: how much of the stack is under central access control.
Unused license rate: how much paid software nobody uses.
Access review completion rate: whether owners certify access on schedule.
Time to revoke access after a departure: how well offboarding works across every app.
Open audit findings and time to remediate: compliance health and how fast gaps close.
Open policy exceptions: where the rules do not fit reality or are being worked around.
User satisfaction with IT: whether governance helps people do their jobs or gets in the way.

IT governance for SaaS and AI

Governance can only cover what IT can see. Traditional IT governance assumed IT bought and ran the technology. Today, teams buy SaaS on corporate cards, sign up with a work email, and connect AI tools to company data. Those tools become shadow IT, and increasingly shadow AI: apps with access to sensitive data and no owner, no review, and no offboarding.

Closing that gap takes three things:

Discovery tied to context. Find every app and AI tool, then connect each to real usage, ownership, and spend. A login count alone does not tell you whether a license is needed.
Continuous, automated controls. Flag unapproved apps, right-size licenses before renewal, and revoke access the day someone leaves, instead of cleaning up once a quarter.
Audit evidence by default. Capture approvals, access reviews, and offboarding records as they happen, so an audit is a report rather than a scramble.

This is the problem Torii was built for. Torii's SaaS Management Platform discovers every application in use, including apps outside SSO, ties each to usage, owners, and spend, and automates renewals, access reviews, and onboarding and offboarding. The AI Management Platform applies the same approach to AI tools, from shadow AI discovery to AI spend. For more, read our guide to SaaS governance.

Related terms

IT management: The day-to-day administration of IT resources, within the direction set by IT governance.

Corporate governance: The broader system of rules and practices by which a company is directed and controlled. IT governance is one part of it.

IT governance controls: The policies, procedures, and technical controls that put governance decisions into effect, such as access controls, change management, and backups.

Data governance: The policies and roles that define how data is classified, owned, accessed, and retained.

IT risk management: Identifying and reducing IT-related risks that could harm the organization.

IT project management: Planning and executing IT projects, such as software rollouts and infrastructure upgrades.

Framework: A tested structure, such as COBIT or ISO/IEC 38500, that an organization adapts instead of designing governance from scratch.

Stakeholders: The people and groups affected by the organization's IT decisions.

Compliance: Adherence to laws, regulations, and internal policies.

IT governance comes down to the decisions, owners, and controls that keep technology pointed at business goals as the stack changes. Start with a full inventory, give every system an owner, borrow from a framework that fits, and measure what changes.


# Page Title
SaaS Management Platform Buyer's Guide: How to Choose an SMP in 2026 | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/buyers-guide-for-saas-management-platforms

## Page Description

A SaaS management platform buyer's guide: how to choose an SMP, with must-have capabilities, vendor questions, a scoring matrix, pricing models, and a 6-step process.

## Details

IT, Finance, Procurement, and Security all end up in the room when a company evaluates a SaaS management platform (SMP), each with its own reason to want one: IT needs visibility and control, Finance wants spend accountability, Procurement wants renewal leverage, and Security wants an audit trail. As the SMP category consolidates around fewer, more capable vendors, the platform you choose has to work for all four groups at once, not just the team that started the search. Picking wrong costs more than overpaying for a single app: it means re-running the evaluation a year or two later, migrating contracts and workflows again, and explaining to every stakeholder you brought in why the first choice didn't hold up.

SMP adoption is moving from early adopter to standard practice. "Through 2028, over 70% of organizations will centralize SaaS application management using a SaaS management platform (SMP), an increase from less than 30% in 2025."

Source: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms, Tom Cipolla, et al, 30 July 2025. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications.

Torii was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms, for the third year in a row. This buyer's guide is written to be useful whichever vendor you choose: it covers the must-have capabilities to evaluate, a 6-step buying process, a weighted decision matrix you can copy, how to build buy-in across departments, pricing models, and what implementation looks like, enough for a buying team to run a structured evaluation end to end.

What a SaaS management platform is (and what it isn't)

A SaaS management platform discovers every application, license, and AI tool an organization uses, including the shadow IT and shadow AI that never go through a formal purchase process. It ties that discovery to who owns each app, how it's actually used, what it costs, and when the contract renews, then automates the actions that follow: right-sizing licenses, managing renewals, provisioning and deprovisioning users, and running access reviews. What it isn't is a single-purpose point tool: a license report, a contract tracker, or an access request form each solves one piece of this, but none of them on its own gives you the connected view of app, owner, usage, spend, and contract that a buying team actually needs.

SMP vs. SaaS buying or procurement platform

Tools like Vendr, Tropic, and Spendflo manage the purchase itself: intake requests, negotiation support, price benchmarking, and purchase workflows. An SMP manages what you already own after that purchase is made: discovery, usage, licenses, renewals, and access. Many organizations run both, though an SMP with strong renewal management covers much of the same ground for teams that don't need a dedicated procurement workflow tool. See procurement tools vs. SaaS management platforms for the full comparison.

SMP vs. IdP/SSO

Okta and Entra ID authenticate the apps connected to them. They have no visibility into apps an employee signs up for outside that perimeter, which is exactly where shadow IT lives. An SMP treats the IdP as one discovery source among several, not the only one. See SMP vs. SSO. If you're also reading IdP or identity governance buyer's guides, note that access reviews and identity lifecycle management increasingly overlap with what SMPs offer, so it's worth evaluating both categories against the same requirements list.

SMP vs. CASB/SSPM

Cloud access security broker and SaaS security posture management tools focus on security configuration and data protection. An SMP adds visibility and governance on top of that, but it isn't a substitute for a dedicated security stack. See SMP vs. CASB.

Start with the problem you need to solve

Different SMPs are built around different starting problems. Knowing which approach a vendor leads with helps you read past their marketing and toward what the platform will actually be strong at.

Spend management

Spend-focused SMPs automate license optimization and surface savings opportunities across the app portfolio, including shadow spend that doesn't show up in a single expense line. They typically pull from expense systems, card statements, and contract data to flag duplicate tools, unused seats, and renewals that are due for renegotiation, which is why this approach tends to win over Finance quickly. Trade-off: these tools often go light on security and employee lifecycle automation, so IT and Security may not get everything they need from a Finance-first tool alone.

Security and compliance

Security-centric platforms lean on shadow IT detection, access risk assessment, and privilege enforcement. They give Security a baseline inventory of what's connected to the environment and who has access to it, which is the input many security reviews lack. Trade-off: outside of discovery and governance, most organizations still need a dedicated CASB, SSE, or SSPM tool for full security coverage. An SMP adds visibility to that stack; it doesn't replace it.

Vendor and renewal management

This approach centralizes contracts, renewal dates, and vendor performance so Procurement has what it needs before a negotiation starts, rather than scrambling through email threads and shared drives the week a contract auto-renews. Trade-off: a platform built around vendor relationships can underweight real-time usage data and employee lifecycle, which limits how useful it is to IT day to day.

Employee lifecycle

Onboarding and offboarding-focused platforms tie access provisioning and deprovisioning to HR events, so a new hire has the apps they need on day one and a departing employee loses access the moment HR marks them terminated. Trade-off: lifecycle-first tools often lack the cost and license optimization depth that Finance and Procurement are looking for.

AI governance

A newer approach covers shadow AI discovery, AI tool spend, token-level cost attribution, and AI agent inventory, as the number of AI tools and agents inside a company grows faster than most IT teams can track manually. See how to detect shadow AI. Trade-off: this capability is new enough that depth varies widely between vendors, so test it directly in a demo rather than taking a feature list at face value.

Most organizations need more than one of these approaches, and the strongest platforms serve IT, Finance, Procurement, and Security from a single underlying data set rather than forcing each team onto a different tool.

Must-have capabilities in a SaaS management platform

For a deeper breakdown of individual capabilities, see key SMP features. At minimum, evaluate every vendor against the following.

Discovery breadth. Discovery should combine multiple methods, such as IdP/SSO logs, finance and expense data, a browser extension, and direct integrations, rather than relying on just one or two. Ask whether discovery requires a desktop agent or mailbox access, since both carry endpoint performance or privacy trade-offs; see agent-less desktop discovery.

Usage, ownership, and spend context. Login counts alone don't tell you whether an app is worth keeping. Look for a platform that ties discovery to who owns each app, how deeply it's actually used, and what it costs, so decisions rest on more than whether someone logged in last month. A tool that only tells you an app exists leaves your team to chase down the rest manually, which is the exact manual work an SMP is supposed to remove.

License optimization and reclamation. The platform should surface unused and underused licenses and automate reclamation, not just report on it after the fact. Ask specifically whether reclamation can run on a schedule or trigger, or whether it always requires someone to act on a report manually.

Contract and renewal management. Renewal dates, terms, and vendor contacts should live in the platform with enough lead time to actually negotiate, not a surprise the week it auto-renews.

No-code workflow automation. Onboarding and offboarding workflows should be buildable without engineering help, and should support both scheduled events and real-time triggers.

Access reviews and identity governance. The platform should produce evidence for periodic access reviews and certifications, including who has access to what and why, without a manual spreadsheet exercise. This matters even if IGA isn't the primary reason you're buying, since it's what turns audit prep from a spreadsheet exercise into a report once an audit is on the calendar.

AI tool governance. Ask specifically how the platform discovers AI tools and agents, not just traditional SaaS, and whether it can attribute cost at the token level rather than a single subscription line item.

Integration depth vs. breadth. A long integration list is easy to publish and easy to misread. Ask not just whether an integration exists but what it actually does: does it only read data, or can it take action, such as deprovisioning a user or flagging a license for review?

Open platform and API. Ask the vendor about an integration or action they don't currently offer. If the only path forward is their own product roadmap, it's a closed system. If there's a documented route to build it yourself, that's a meaningfully more flexible platform.

The vendor's own security and compliance. Before the SMP helps you pass an audit, confirm the vendor itself would pass one: ask for SOC 2 reports, how audit logs work, how data is handled, and where it's stored.

Nice-to-haves and pitfalls to avoid

Nice-to-haves

AI assistance that keeps a human in the loop for approvals rather than acting on its own; support coverage that matches your time zones and severity needs; and reporting built for chargebacks and cross-team visibility, not just a dashboard for IT.

Pitfalls

Overbuying: paying for capability your team won't use in the first year.
Ignoring scalability: a platform that fits today's headcount and app count but can't grow with either.
Neglecting user experience: a tool IT likes but app owners and employees avoid won't get the adoption it needs to pay off.
No clear objective: starting a search without a defined goal tends to produce an indecisive, overanalyzed process.
Dragging out the process: longer buying cycles tend to produce more regret, not less, as requirements drift and stakeholders lose context.
Buying a single-persona tool: a platform built only for IT, or only for Procurement, creates a second buying cycle later when another department needs the same data.
Ignoring vendor viability: funding, customer base, and roadmap matter as much as today's feature set.

How to choose a SaaS management platform in 6 steps

Establish goals. Identify what pushed you to start this search, whether that's a security incident involving an unsanctioned app, a budget target, or offboarding that's taking too long, and separate short-term goals from long-term ones. Write the goal down in one sentence that every stakeholder on the buying team can repeat back; if they can't, the search hasn't actually started yet.
Define requirements. Split requirements into direction (is this vendor committed to improving in the areas you care about), capabilities (does it deliver the technical requirements for your pilot and beyond), and reputation (are you comfortable aligning your organization with this company). Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves before you start evaluating vendors, not during.
Build a shortlist of 3 to 5 vendors. Use analyst reports such as the Gartner Magic Quadrant, peer reviews such as G2, case studies, and comparison pages to narrow the field. Check vendor viability directly: funding, customer base, product roadmap, and what data portability and exit terms look like if you ever need to leave. This isn't hypothetical: Productiv shut down in August 2026, and customers lost access to their data.
Run scenario-based demos. Don't ask whether a vendor has a feature; bring a real problem you currently face and ask them to demonstrate how they'd resolve it or surface the data. Debrief with your team immediately after each demo while the details are fresh.
Score with a weighted decision matrix. Have your team rate each vendor right after every debrief, using the same weighted criteria throughout.
Run a pilot or proof of concept on your own data before signing. A platform that looks strong on a sales demo needs to hold up against your actual app count, integrations, and edge cases.

Questions to ask SMP vendors

Which discovery methods do you use, and which ones does this specific plan include?
For our core integrations, what can each one actually do: read data, write data, or take action?
How is usage measured, and how do you distinguish real usage from a login event?
How do you discover AI tools and agents, and how do you attribute their cost?
What workflows ship out of the box, and what requires custom build?
How does the platform produce evidence for an access review or audit?
What does data export and contract exit look like if we ever leave?
What's a realistic implementation timeline on our specific tech stack?
What's the pricing basis, and what specifically triggers a price increase at renewal?
Who supports us after go-live, and what does escalation look like?

SMP decision matrix template

A decision matrix is a simple, useful tool for staying focused through a vendor evaluation. List your criteria, assign each one a weight (for the easiest math, make the weights sum to 100%), and score each vendor from 1 to 10 on every criterion.

Tip: consider a disqualification threshold for criteria that matter most, for example, "vendors must score at least 4 out of 10 on App Discovery."

To calculate a final score, use the formula =AVERAGE.WEIGHTED in Google Sheets or Excel to get each vendor's weighted average across your criteria.

Here's a sample matrix. The weights and scores below are illustrative only, not a claim about any real vendor; replace them with your own criteria and weighting.

CriteriaWeightVendor AVendor BVendor C

App Discovery15%796
Automation20%879
Cost savings10%987
Time to ROI5%468
Vendor viability15%896
Integration10%798
Support Team10%697
Future Vision15%284
Total Score6.68.26.8

How to get buy-in from Finance, Procurement, Security, HR, and leadership

Each department has its own focus, which makes securing buy-in a multi-part task rather than a single pitch. Here's how to approach each group.

Procurement

Procurement cares about eliminating surprises at renewal and walking into negotiations with real leverage. Highlight how an SMP gives them license utilization data ahead of a contract discussion instead of after it's too late to act, and how a central contract record means renewal dates stop depending on one person's calendar reminders. Open with: "How can we optimize our current vendor contracts and software licenses for cost efficiency?"

Finance

Finance cares about the bottom line and wants spend tied to actual value delivered. Speak to automated expense allocation, chargebacks, and license optimization, and connect those directly to budget outcomes rather than describing them as IT features. Open with: "How effective are we at tracking our SaaS spend against the value it delivers?"

Security and compliance

Security cares about shadow IT exposure, access risk, and audit readiness. Explain how an SMP adds shadow IT detection, integration-based risk assessment, and automated privilege enforcement as another layer of visibility alongside existing security tooling. Open with: "What measures do we currently have in place to ensure employees only use sanctioned applications?"

HR

HR cares about new hires getting the right tools on day one and about access being cut cleanly when someone leaves. Show how automated onboarding and offboarding removes the back-and-forth with IT, protects company data at departure, and gives HR a clean record to point to if an exit is ever questioned. Open with: "How can we ensure new hires have immediate access to the tools they need?"

Executive leadership

Leadership cares about strategic alignment: is this reducing risk and improving spend visibility in a way that matters at the company level, not just inside one team. Frame the conversation around risk mitigation and the long-term operational cost of not having a system of record for SaaS. Open with: "Are we fully aware of the long-term operational risks tied to how we currently manage SaaS?"

The common thread across every department is data that speaks directly to its own problem. A cost analysis lands with Procurement, a compliance trail lands with Security, and a risk summary lands with leadership. Tailoring the same underlying data to each audience is what turns a single-team initiative into a company-wide decision.

SaaS management platform pricing models and total cost of ownership

SMP vendors typically price using one or a combination of these models:

Per employee or user: cost scales with headcount, which is predictable for organizations with a stable employee count.
Tiered: a common model, bundling user and feature access into packages such as "Basic," "Pro," and "Enterprise."
Feature or module based: you select specific capabilities, and cost rises with each one added.
Usage-based: cost tracks actual platform or discovery usage, which can suit organizations whose app footprint fluctuates.
Flat rate: a single price regardless of scale, which only pays off if the included scope matches your actual needs.

Many SMP vendors, Torii included, quote a price rather than publish a public price list, so get a detailed quote before comparing options rather than relying on a marketing page. Ask each vendor to price the same scope: the same modules, the same integrations, and the same user count, so the quotes are actually comparable to each other.

Beyond the base price, factor in: which modules are included versus add-ons, the depth of integrations you need, implementation services, the support tier, and how pricing moves as you scale seats or app count. Total cost of ownership should also account for the internal time it takes to run the platform day to day against the savings and risk reduction it recovers; a cheaper license that takes significantly more staff time to administer isn't actually cheaper. Ask what the renewal price looks like after year one as well, not just the first-year number, since that's where some vendors build in the real margin.

What implementation looks like

Connect core systems: IdP, HRIS, and finance or expense tools, so discovery and ownership data have a foundation to build on from day one.
Turn on discovery across every configured method and let it build a full application inventory, including the apps nobody remembered to mention during the sales process.
Import expense data so spend ties back to the right apps and owners, with Finance validating the mapping rather than IT guessing at it.
Upload contracts so renewal dates, terms, and vendor details live in one place instead of scattered across inboxes and shared drives.
Assign app owners so every application has someone accountable for its usage and renewal, not just a name attached to the original purchase.
Build your first workflows, starting with onboarding and offboarding, before expanding to more complex automation once the basics are running reliably.
Train users so the team actually adopts the platform rather than treating it as a dashboard no one opens, and revisit training again after the first few months of real use.

SMP buyer's checklist

Define the problem driving the search and separate must-haves from nice-to-haves before shortlisting vendors.
Confirm discovery breadth and method, not just a feature list.
Test whether integrations take action or only read data.
Ask about AI tool and agent discovery and cost attribution.
Build a weighted decision matrix and score vendors right after each demo.
Check vendor viability: funding, customer base, roadmap, and data exit terms.
Run a pilot on your own data before signing.
Map pricing to total cost of ownership, not just the quoted number.

See how Torii approaches discovery, license optimization, and governance across IT, Finance, Procurement, and Security on the SaaS management product page, or request a demo to walk through it on your own data.


# Page Title
What is Vendor Evaluation (Supplier Evaluation)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/vendor-evaluation

## Page Description

Optimize your procurement with an effective vendor evaluation . Set criteria, involve key departments, and use data for informed decisions.

## Details

What is Vendor Evaluation (Supplier Evaluation)?

Vendor evaluation (or supplier evaluation) is the process of assessing and scrutinizing a supplier to ensure they meet specified criteria for delivering products or services. This is crucial in procurement to manage risk, ensure quality, and achieve cost-effectiveness. The vendor evaluation criteria might include factors such as performance, reliability, and compliance with regulatory standards.

The SaaS Management Connection

For SaaS Management Platforms like Torii, vendor evaluation is a cornerstone activity. It ensures that third-party services integrate seamlessly, meet security standards, and offer a reliable customer journey. By streamlining this process, organizations can make informed decisions on vendor selection, enabling a more robust supply chain. Learn more about how SaaS Management Platforms can streamline your Vendor evaluation and renewal process.

Examples of Vendor Evaluation

Real-life example: Imagine a company looking to integrate a new customer service software. They shortlist three potential vendors. The procurement team creates a vendor evaluation form listing criteria like product quality, price rating, and customer service ratings. Based on the evaluation process, they score each potential vendor. This systematic vendor assessment enables them to select the vendor that best matches the business need.

Vendor Evaluation Best Practice

Supplier evaluation best practices are crucial for optimizing procurement processes, managing risk, and ensuring quality. Here's how to ace it:

Define Clear Criteria: Establish clear, objective criteria for vendor performance. Consider factors such as delivery time, compliance, and quality control.

Multi-Departmental Input: Involve stakeholders from procurement, risk management, and quality control to gain a comprehensive view. This ensures an informed decision that aligns with overall business needs.

Use Standardized Forms: Employ standardized vendor evaluation forms to streamline the evaluation process. This ensures uniformity and minimizes subjective judgments.

Ongoing Assessment: This isn't a one-off task. Regularly review vendor performance indicators to track adherence to agreed-upon standards.

Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage analytics to assess performance. Data-driven insights enable targeted improvements and help in identifying issues before they escalate.

Compliance Checks: Always verify that the vendor complies with industry and legal standards. Non-compliance can lead to financial and reputational damage.

Pilot Testing: Before full integration, run a small-scale test to validate if the vendor meets your performance and quality benchmarks.

Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback mechanism for continuous improvement. Update your evaluation criteria based on real-world performance and changing organizational needs.

Adopting these best practices helps in refining your vendor evaluation process, making it more aligned with your strategic goals and operational requirements.

Related Terms You Should Understand

Supplier Assessment: Similar to vendor evaluation, this involves scrutinizing a potential supplier's ability to meet specific criteria.

Procurement: The entire process of acquiring goods, services, or works from an external source, often via tendering or competitive bidding.

Performance Indicators: Metrics used in the evaluation criterion to gauge the effectiveness of a vendor's service or product.

Vendor Rating: The grading or ranking of a vendor's performance or compliance with established criteria.

Vendor Selection Process: The internal process involving multiple departments such as procurement, risk management, and quality control to select a suitable vendor.

By understanding these terms and incorporating best practices, organizations can improve their vendor relationships and achieve continuous improvement in their procurement processes.

Related reading:

- How to Launch a SaaS Vendor Management Function from Scratch [/articles/saas-vendor-management-function]


# Page Title
Top 16 Spend Management Software Solutions for 2024 | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/spend-management-software

## Page Description

Compare the top Spend Management Software Solutions. Unlock the secrets to smarter business spending decisions and optimize your budget

## Details

Are you stuck? Trying to figure out the legitimate options in the world of spend management software? Don't fret; we've got your back! In this guide, we unveil the ultimate lineup of industry leaders and a few niche players that might be the perfect fit.

Get ready to make an informed decision and take control of your spending like a pro!

But first, let's cover the basics.

What is Spend Management Software?

Spend management software gives you visibility so you can conduct spend analysis, as well as mechanisms to streamline your organization’s cost-saving process. Within that, different Spend management software solutions will specialize in different areas (such as SaaS licenses, travel expenses, etc.); your job is the find the software that will improve your processes, give you better visibility, and automate more of the work so you can save more while doing less. 

What is an Example of Spend Management?

Your spend management is like the control tower at an airport, coordinating every aspect of spending to ensure smooth and efficient operations. As a result, there are many forms that it can take. For example:

Contract Renewal: A technology company uses the system to manage SaaS contracts. Automated reminders prompt the procurement team to renegotiate or terminate contracts before renewal dates, avoiding auto-renewal costs.

Vendor Consolidation: A manufacturing firm uses spend management software to identify overlapping vendors for raw materials. By consolidating purchases with fewer vendors, they negotiate better bulk pricing.

Budget Compliance: A university's IT department deploys the software to track spending against budget in real-time. It sets up alerts for when spending nears the budget limit, preventing overspend.

Expense Approval Workflow: A marketing agency utilizes spend management software to streamline the approval process for marketing campaign expenses. Staff submit expenses for approval within the platform, ensuring transparency and timely project execution.

How to Use This Guide

Here's the reality, buying software isn't fun. There are endless choices, each with different pricing models, different value propositions, and fancy jargon to hype up average features. It's overwhelming.

Hopefully, this guide provides a bit of clarity in a chaotic industry. Our goal is to both inform and empower you with the knowledge and core insight into the top players.

Each section is a no-nonsense, high-level breakdown of the tool and includes information pulled from a number of locations, including Gartner, Trust Pilot, G2, and the Vendor's websites.

Good luck!

Torii: SaaS Spend Management Software

Overview:  

Torii is engineered for businesses to optimize SaaS expenditures through an array of features like shadow IT discovery, spend analytics, cost optimization workflows, license optimization, and contract management.

Core Features:

SaaS Discovery and Mapping: Auto-detection and mapping of all SaaS applications, including shadow IT, for a full view of SaaS spend.

SaaS Spend Analytics: Detailed insights into usage trends, per-user costs, and contract specifics for informed decision-making.

SaaS Cost Optimization: Recommendations for cost*savings via application consolidation, pricing negotiations, and subscription cancellations.

SaaS Contract Management: Manages contract renewals, negotiations, and terminations efficiently.

Target Audience:  

Optimal for any size business with a large number of SaaS applications:

Cut SaaS expenditures

Gain complete visibility into SaaS spending

Streamline SaaS stack

Enhance contract management

Benefits:  

Cost Reduction: Identifies potential savings in SaaS spending through application consolidation, better pricing, and cancellations.

Spend Visibility: Comprehensive insights into spending trends, enabling informed decisions.

Stack Optimization: Guidance for streamlining SaaS applications to be cost-effective.

Contract Efficiency: Effective tracking and management of SaaS contract terms and renewals

Pricing:  

Torii offers three tiers of pricing; Basic, Professional, and Enterprise. A free trial is available.

Getting Started:  

To get started with Torii, select an appropriate pricing plan, and connect cloud-based software subscriptions. Once connected, Torii will automatically discover all of the subscriptions and provide businesses with a comprehensive view of their SaaS spending. Advanced workflows are available to automate future spend management processes.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Torii integrates with other financial tools to give you even more insight and cost-control power

Support: Offers extensive support through email, phone, and live chat as well as a designated CSM for Professional and Enterprise plans.

User Reviews: Generally positive, noted for ease of use, comprehensive features, and fluid workflow automation.

Conclusion:  

Torii is a robust SaaS spend management solution tailored for businesses of varying sizes and complexities struggling with bloated SaaS expenditures. For cloud-first companies, Torii is the best option that can work in conjunction with other spend management software solutions. With its comprehensive feature set, it provides actionable insights, cost-saving recommendations, and efficient contract management.

Spendesk: Spend Management Platform

Overview:  

Spendesk consolidates spend management with a focus on expense management, accounts payable automation, corporate card programs, and budgeting and forecasting.

Core Features:  

Expense Management: Automated expense reporting for simplified submissions and managerial approvals.  

Accounts Payable Automation: Streamlines invoice approvals to ensure timely payments.  

Corporate Card Programs: Offers cards that enhance control and savings on spending.  

Budgeting and Forecasting: Features for planning and tracking financial activities.  

Real-Time Reporting: Provides instant analytics to monitor spending and identify savings.

Target Audience:  

Optimal for businesses seeking to:

Streamline spending processes

Scale with rapid growth

Save time and money

Benefits:  

Process Efficiency: Automates manual tasks, freeing up employee time.  

Cost Reduction: Offers real-time visibility into spending to identify savings.  

Enhanced Control: Spending limits, pre-approvals, and real-time reporting for better spend governance.

Pricing:  

Spendesk offers custom pricing tailored to the needs of different businesses. Interested parties are encouraged to contact Spendesk's experts for a personalized quote.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official website for the latest

Getting Started:  

To get started with Spendesk, businesses can book a demo or try out the platform. More detailed information on the onboarding process can be obtained by reaching out to Spendesk directly.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Supports integration with various accounting software and business applications.  

Support: Comprehensive support via email, phone, and live chat.  

User Reviews: Generally positive, noted for ease of use, extensive features, and customer support.

Conclusion:  

Spendesk is an integrated spend management platform suited for diverse business sizes and growth stages. It offers a well-rounded feature set, from expense management to real-time analytics, ensuring streamlined spending and enhanced control. Pricing is flexible, and the user experience is largely positive.

Ramp: Spend Management Platform

Overview

Ramp is a spend management platform that helps businesses control their spending, save time, and automate busy work. Ramp offers a corporate card that can be used to pay for all types of business expenses, as well as a number of other features such as bill pay, expense reporting, and budgeting.

Features

Corporate card: Ramp offers a corporate card that can be used to pay for all types of business expenses. Businesses can set spending limits and restrictions on individual cards.

Bill pay: Ramp allows businesses to pay their bills electronically. Businesses can schedule recurring payments and receive automatic notifications when bills are due.

Expense reporting: Ramp automates expense reporting. Employees can submit their expenses through the Ramp app or website, and businesses can approve and reimburse expenses quickly and easily.

Budgeting: Ramp helps businesses to create and manage budgets. Businesses can set budgets for individual employees and teams, and they can also track their spending against their budgets.

Integrations: Ramp integrates with a variety of other business tools, such as accounting software and CRM systems. This allows businesses to automate their spend management workflow and save even more time.

Target Audience

Ramp is targeted at businesses of all sizes, but it is particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses. Ramp can help businesses save money on their spending by offering discounts on popular SaaS and cloud services, as well as by providing insights into their spending habits.

Benefits

Control spending: Ramp gives businesses complete control over their spending. Businesses can set budgets for individual employees and teams, and they can also freeze cards and restrict spending categories.

Save time: Ramp automates many of the time-consuming tasks associated with spend management, such as expense reporting and bill pay. This frees up employees to focus on more important tasks.

Automate busywork: Ramp integrates with a variety of other business tools, such as accounting software and CRM systems. This allows businesses to automate their spend management workflow and save even more time.

Pricing

Ramp now offers a $0 per user/month plan and a Ramp Plus plan at $15 per user/month​.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started

To get started with Ramp, businesses need to create an account and verify their identity. Once their account has been approved, businesses can order corporate cards and start paying for expenses.

Additional Considerations

Security: Ramp takes security seriously and uses a variety of security measures to protect its users' data.

Support: Ramp offers customer support via email and phone.

User Reviews: Generally positive user reviews based on ease of use, comprehensive features, and competitive pricing.

Conclusion

Ramp is a good option for businesses of all sizes, but it is particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses. Ramp offers a number of features that can help businesses to save money on their spending, save time, and automate busywork.

Freshbooks: Accounting Software

Overview:  

FreshBooks provides cloud-based accounting solutions targeting small businesses and freelancers. It excels in invoicing, expense tracking, and time tracking.

Core Features:

Invoicing: Customizable invoices with branded elements. Quick creation and distribution.

Expense Tracking: Receipt upload and categorization made easy.

Time Tracking: Effortless time recording for projects and tasks.

Reporting: Wide range of financial reports, including income, expenses, and profits.

Target Audience:  

Ideal for:

Small businesses seeking affordable, user-friendly accounting solutions.

Freelancers requiring streamlined financial management.

Scalable businesses need flexibility as they grow.

Benefits:

User-Friendliness: Designed for those with minimal accounting experience.

Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive pricing compared to other solutions.

Feature-Rich: Comprehensive suite for diverse financial management needs.

Scalability: Features scale to accommodate business growth and increased complexity.

Pricing:  

Four plans are available—Lite, Plus, Premium, and Select. Pricing is based on the number of active clients and required features.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

FreshBooks offers a free trial option, which businesses can use before coming to a paid plan.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatibility with multiple CRM software and payment systems.

Support: Extensive support options, including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Predominantly positive for ease of use, feature set, and support.

Conclusion:  

FreshBooks stands out as a reliable accounting software platform specifically designed for small businesses and freelancers. Its ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and scalability make it a strong contender in its category. Before settling, consider its third-party integrations, customer support, and user reviews. A free trial is recommended to evaluate fit.

Wave: Accounting Software

Overview:  

Wave is designed for small businesses and freelancers, providing a free, user-friendly spend management solution.

Features:

Expense Tracking: Easy uploading and categorizing of receipts.

Invoicing: Customizable invoice templates with branding options.

Payments: Multiple payment methods, including online and through the mobile app.

Reporting: Diverse report types covering income, expenses, and profits.

Target Audience:  

Small businesses, freelancers, and startups looking for a no-cost, simple way to manage spending.

Benefits:

Cost-Effective: Completely free, no hidden charges.

User-Friendly: Intuitive interface, suitable for those without accounting experience.

Feature-Rich: Offers expense tracking, invoicing, payments, and more.

Mobile Access: Available mobile app for financial management on-the-go.

Pricing:  

Wave's core features, such as invoicing, accounting, and banking, are offered for free. However, there are charges for additional services:

Invoicing: Free

Accounting: Free

Banking: Free

Payments:

Credit Cards: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

Bank Payments (ACH): 1% per transaction ($1 minimum fee)

Mobile Receipts:

Monthly: $4.99

Yearly: $49.99 (approx. $4.17 per month)

Payroll:

Tax Service States: $35/month base fee + $6 per active employee

Self-Service States: $20/month base fee + $6 per active employee​1​.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Sign up for a free account and begin utilizing the various features. Tutorials and resources are available for assistance.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatible with CRM and payment processing systems for easy workflow integration.

Support: Multiple channels available, including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive feedback highlighting ease of use and comprehensive feature set.

Conclusion:  

Wave is a robust yet free spend management tool suited for small businesses and freelancers. Its comprehensive features and ease-of-use make it ideal for startups. With its range of integration and support options, it's highly adaptable for different business needs.

Expensify: Expense Management Software

Overview:  

Expensify specializes in automating expense management for businesses. Features include expense reporting, corporate card programs, accounts payable automation, and budgeting and forecasting.

Features:  

Expense Reporting: Allows quick and mobile-friendly expense submission and approval.

Corporate Cards: Customizable programs for business expenses.

Accounts Payable: Automates invoice approval, streamlining payment processes.

Budgeting & Forecasting: Tools for financial planning and tracking.

Analytics: Real-time reports for informed decisions.

Target Audience:  

Optimal for all-sized businesses, particularly those focusing on streamlining spending processes and requiring scalability.

Benefits:  

Streamlined Spending: Automates tasks like expense reporting and invoice approvals.

Cost Efficiency: Offers real-time visibility into spending to help cut costs.

Control: Features such as spending limits and real-time reporting enhance financial control.

Productivity: Time-saving features increase employee focus on core duties.

Fraud Risk: Built-in fraud detection mechanisms.

Pricing:  

Expensify's pricing begins at $9 per user per month with the use of the Expensify Card. The cost can be reduced to $0 per user per month by meeting a certain minimum monthly card spend. If less than 50% of a company’s spend is on the Expensify Card, an unbundled fee is charged on a sliding scale. The Expensify Control plan, priced at $9 per user per month (if paid annually and using the Expensify card for 50% of the company’s spending), includes features like multiple approvers and expense policies​.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

New users can sign up for a free trial and choose a plan that fits their needs to begin.

Additional Considerations:  

Integrations: Seamless integration with other accounting and business software.

Support: Multiple channels, including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive, praising its ease of use and features.

Conclusion:  

Expensify offers a full suite of features for spend management, suitable for businesses of all sizes. Its automation capabilities can save both time and money, while providing robust control over expenditures. The platform is easily integrable with existing business software and offers multiple support channels.

Dext: Spend Management Software

Overview:  

Dext is cloud-based, targeting businesses of all sizes. It's ideal for streamlining spending processes and suitable for fast-growing businesses.

Features:

Expense Reporting: Automated process accessible via a mobile app for quick receipt capture.

Invoice Automation: Streamlines invoice receiving and payment, including automatic data extraction.

Bill Pay: Automation for timely bill payments through various methods.

Reporting and Analytics: Real-time data and analytics for spending insight.

Target Audience:  

Businesses of all sizes, particularly those aiming for efficient spending and scalability.

Benefits:

Process Efficiency: Automates tasks like expense reporting, invoice processing, and bill pay.

Cost Savings: Real-time visibility into spending; features for automated bill pay and early payment discounts.

Control: Features like spending limits, pre-approvals, and real-time reports enhance control over expenses.

Productivity: Simplifies expense reporting, freeing up employee time.

Fraud Prevention: Built-in fraud detection capabilities.

Pricing:  

Dext offers three products, each with its own pricing structure and tiers.

Dext Prepare: Auto-extract your financial data

Dext Commerce: Auto-fetch all your digital sales transactions

Dext Precision: Quality control your accounting data

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Dext offers options for both a free trial and a demo on their website.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatible with various accounting software and business applications.

Support: Multiple support channels, including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive, highlighting user-friendliness and feature range.

Conclusion:  

Dext is a robust solution for businesses seeking to streamline spending. It offers multiple features and scalability options, making it ideal for both small and large enterprises.

Certify: Spend Management Software

Overview:  

Certify is a cloud-based platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It specializes in automating spending processes, making it ideal for rapidly growing businesses.

Features:

Expense Reporting: Automated and mobile-enabled for on-the-go reporting.

Invoice Automation: Simplifies invoice receiving and payment, integrates with accounting software.

Corporate Card Programs: Cards for business expenses with rewards to enhance savings.

Budgeting and Forecasting: Tools for planning, tracking, and reporting on budgets.

Real-Time Reporting: Insights into spending patterns, useful for decision-making.

Target Audience:  

All sizes of businesses, particularly those needing to streamline spending and enhance operational efficiencies.

Benefits:

Process Efficiency: Automates key spending tasks like expense reporting, invoice processing, and corporate card reconciliation.

Cost Reduction: Real-time visibility into spending; features like corporate card rewards and early payment discounts.

Enhanced Control: Enables spending limits, pre-approvals, and real-time reporting for better spend management.

Productivity Boost: Streamlines expense reporting, saving employees time.

Fraud Mitigation: Built-in fraud detection.

Pricing:  

Certify has various pricing options including a plan for small businesses at $12 per user per month. They also offer a Professional plan with flexible pricing options tailored to the needs of the organization.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Sign up for a free trial, choose a pricing plan, begin using Certify.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatible with multiple accounting software and business apps.

Support: Various channels including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive, emphasizing ease of use and comprehensive feature set.

Conclusion:  

Certify is a robust platform for spending management. It offers a comprehensive range of features that can scale with your business.

Brex: Spend Management Platform

Overview:  

Brex is a spend management platform, tailored for startups and growing businesses, providing automated spending processes and real-time insights.

Features:

Corporate Card Programs: Cards designed for business expenses, coupled with rewards for additional savings.

Expense Reporting: Automated process via mobile app for receipt capture and report submission.

Budgeting and Forecasting: Tools for planning, tracking, and reporting on spending.

Real-Time Reporting: Analytical tools for monitoring spending patterns, aiding in decision-making.

Target Audience:  

Startups and growing businesses requiring a comprehensive spend management solution.

Benefits:

Process Efficiency: Automates expense reporting and corporate card reconciliation.

Cost Reduction: Real-time spending visibility; features such as reward programs and early payment discounts.

Enhanced Control: Provides spending limits, pre-approvals, and real-time reporting.

Productivity Boost: Streamlines expense reporting, saving employees time.

Fraud Mitigation: Built-in fraud detection features.

Pricing:  

No public price is available.

Getting Started:  

Open an account, which can be done from any device in approximately 10 minutes. Once the account is set up, businesses can manage their funds, including making deposits to earn yield or handling transactions such as ACH, checks, and wire transfers without incurring additional fees​.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatibility with multiple accounting software and business applications.

Support: Varied channels including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive feedback, highlighting ease of use and feature depth.

Conclusion:  

Brex delivers a robust spend management platform designed for startups and growing businesses. Comprehensive features coupled with flexibility make it a compelling choice.

Mercury: Spend Management Platform

Overview:  

Mercury specializes in startup banking alternatives, offering automated features and real-time analytics.

Features:

Corporate Card Programs: Business-centric cards designed for various expenses, backed by rewards.

Expense Reporting: Automated via mobile app for ease of capture and submission.

Budgeting and Forecasting: Planning and tracking tools to better manage spending.

Real-Time Analytics: Immediate reporting capabilities for informed decision-making.

Target Audience:  

Tailored for startups and growing businesses requiring a full-fledged spend management system.

Benefits:

Process Efficiency: Automation in expense reporting and corporate card reconciliation.

Cost Savings: Real-time insight into spending, plus corporate card rewards and early payment discounts.

Control Enhancement: Features such as spending limits, pre-approvals, and real-time reporting.

Productivity Increase: Simplifies the expense reporting process, conserving employee time.

Fraud Risk Reduction: Integrated fraud detection features.

Pricing:  

Mercury offers a pricing structure that leans towards rewarding businesses rather than charging them. Key points include:

1.5% Cashback on transactions.

Earn up to 5.47% on idle cash; interest rates are updated weekly (as of 10/23/2023, assuming total Mercury deposits of $20M+).

Free transactions: This encompasses sending & receiving ACH, checks, and domestic wires​1​.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

To get started, you'll need:

EIN Number and EIN document

Formation document

Proof of Identification

Responses typically take 1 - 3 days.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Broad compatibility with accounting software and other applications.

Support: Multiple channels including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Positive feedback, emphasizing user-friendliness, comprehensive features, and support.

Conclusion:  

Mercury is a solid choice for startups and growing businesses, offering a full suite of features and flexibility in pricing.

Payem: Spend Management Platform

Overview:  

Payem is a cloud-based platform, offering robust features like expense reporting, corporate card programs, invoice automation, and budgeting. Suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Features:

Expense Reporting: Automated process, enabled via a mobile app for on-the-go reporting.

Corporate Card Programs: Designed for business expenses with rewards options.

Invoice Automation: Streamlines invoice receipt and payment, with data extraction for accounting.

Bill Pay: Automated system for timely bill payments via multiple methods.

Budgeting and Forecasting: Tools for financial planning and progress tracking.

Target Audience:  

Optimal for businesses aiming to streamline spending processes and particularly beneficial for fast-growing enterprises.

Benefits:

Process Efficiency: Automates tasks like expense reporting, invoice processing, and bill pay.

Cost Savings: Real-time tracking and features for monetary savings, such as rewards and early payment discounts.

Control Enhancement: Implements spending limits, pre-approvals, and real-time reporting.

Productivity Increase: Simplified expense reporting system saves employee time.

Fraud Risk Reduction: In-built fraud detection capabilities.

Pricing:  

PayEm's pricing details are not publicly disclosed on their official website.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Payem offers options for either booking a demo or a consultation on their website.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatible with various accounting software and business applications.

Support: Accessible via email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally favorable, noting the platform’s ease of use and feature set.

Conclusion:  

Payem offers an all-inclusive spend management platform with an emphasis on automation and real-time visibility. It caters to businesses of all sizes and is scalable in features.

Coupa: Spend Management Platform

Overview:  

Coupa is a cloud-based BSM platform, offering a broad array of features from procurement to spend analytics. It caters to businesses of all sizes.

Features:

Procurement: Streamlines sourcing, requisition management, and purchase order processing.

Expense Management: Automates expense reporting and reimbursements.

Accounts Payable: Facilitates automated invoice processing and payments.

Spend Analytics: Provides real-time spend data across categories and suppliers.

Target Audience:  

Ideal for businesses aiming to streamline spending, increase efficiency, gain visibility, reduce costs, and mitigate risk.

Benefits:

Process Streamlining: Automation of tasks like purchase orders, invoice approvals, and expense reporting.

Visibility Enhancement: Real-time spend analytics across all categories and suppliers.

Cost Reduction: Automation and improved supplier negotiations lead to cost savings.

Efficiency Boost: Automated tasks and better inter-departmental communication enhance efficiency.

Risk Mitigation: Compliance automation and visibility features reduce business risks.

Pricing:  

Coupa's pricing is not publicly disclosed on their official website.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Coupa offers an extensive library of demos on its website.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatible with multiple accounting software and business applications.

Support: Accessible support through email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive, citing ease of use, comprehensive feature set, and good support.

Conclusion:  

Coupa offers an all-encompassing BSM platform focused on automation, visibility, and efficiency. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes and provides scalability.

Precoro: Procure-to-Pay Software

Overview:  

Precoro is a cloud-based P2P platform automating procurement tasks from purchase requisitions to spend analytics. Designed for businesses of all sizes.

Features:

Purchase Requisition: Electronically manage purchase requisitions, streamlining approvals and documentation.

Purchase Order: Automated generation and management, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Invoice Management: Streamlines invoice processing from receipt to payment.

Spend Analytics: Real-time spend tracking by various parameters, useful for cost-saving decisions.

Target Audience:  

Best for businesses aiming to:

Streamline procurement

Enhance spend visibility

Reduce costs

Boost efficiency

Improve compliance

Benefits:

Process Efficiency: Automation in purchase requisition, order generation, and invoice matching saves time and money.

Spend Visibility: Real-time analytics for spending by category, supplier, and department.

Cost Reduction: Automation and supplier negotiations lead to cost savings.

Efficiency Enhancement: Workflow automation and better communication improve efficiency.

Compliance: Audit trails, spending tracking, and approval workflows enhance compliance.

Pricing:  

For smaller teams (20 employees or less) Precoro is available for $35.00 per user per month, billed annually. Larger teams can request a custom quote.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Sign up for a free trial, select a pricing plan, and start using Precoro for procurement management.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatible with various accounting software and business applications.

Support: Multiple support channels, including email, phone, and live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive reviews, highlighting ease of use, features, and customer support.

Conclusion:  

Precoro is a robust P2P solution offering streamlined procurement, real-time spend visibility, cost reduction, and compliance features. Suits businesses of any size and offers scalability.

Navan: Spend Management Platform

Overview:  

Navan is a cloud-based spend management platform designed for businesses of all sizes, focusing on automation, spend visibility, cost reduction, efficiency, and risk mitigation.

Features:

Purchase Order Automation: Manages the entire purchase order lifecycle.

Invoice Automation: Automates invoice processing from receipt to payment.

Expense Reporting: Handles expense report submission to reimbursement.

Spend Analytics: Provides real-time data on spending.

Contract Management: Manages contract renewals, negotiations, and terminations.

Target Audience:  

Optimal for businesses looking to:

Automate spend management

Improve spend visibility

Cut costs

Boost efficiency

Minimize risk

Benefits:

Task Automation: Automates purchase orders, invoice approvals, and expense reporting, freeing up the workforce for key tasks.

Spend Visibility: Real-time analytics across all categories and suppliers.

Cost Reduction: Enables automation and supplier negotiations for cost savings.

Efficiency Boost: Streamlines workflows and enhances departmental communication.

Risk Mitigation: Automates compliance checks and provides spend visibility.

Pricing:  

Navan operates on a subscription model with an option to start for free. They have not publicly disclosed their pricing structure on their official website.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Navan offers both a demo, and a "start for free" option on their website.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Compatibility with various accounting software and applications.

Support: Multiple support channels: email, phone, live chat.

User Reviews: Generally positive, emphasizing ease of use, feature set, and customer support.

Conclusion:  

Navan offers robust features for spend management automation, real-time analytics, cost reduction, and risk management. Scalable for any business size and offers flexible pricing plans.

Procurify: Spend Management Platform

Overview:

Procurify operates in the cloud to automate spend management for businesses of various sizes, enhancing spending visibility and cost reduction.

Features:

Purchase order automation

Invoice approval automation

Automated expense reports

Spend analytics

Contract oversight

Target Audience: 

Ideal for businesses of any size, Procurify excels for those aiming to:

Automate spend management processes

Enhance visibility in spending

Cut costs

Elevate efficiency

Minimize risk

Benefits:

Automation: Streamlines tasks like purchase orders, invoice approvals, and expense reports, freeing up employee bandwidth.

Spending Insight: Real-time tracking of all spending facets, aiding in smarter decision-making.

Cost Cutting: Enables negotiations for better supplier pricing and eradicates waste.

Efficiency: Automates tasks and improves departmental communication.

Risk Mitigation: Facilitates compliance checks and improves spend visibility.

Procurify Pricing:

Procurify operates on a per-user, per-month pricing model, billed annually. The pricing details are not fully disclosed on their official website, but it's mentioned that everything needed from procure to pay is available for only $2K USD a month​.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:

Procurify offers a contact form for more information, for a personalized demo, or to speak with a team of experts.

Additional Considerations:

Integration: Effortlessly blends with existing accounting software and business apps.

Support: Multiple avenues like email, phone, and live chat are available.

User Feedback: Overall positive reviews underline ease of use and feature robustness.

Conclusion:

Procurify excels as a spend management tool, offering a wide range of features and pricing options. It is apt for businesses seeking a fully-featured spend management system.

Center: Spend Management Solution

Overview:  

Center is a comprehensive, cloud-based spend management solution. It focuses on automation, visibility, cost reduction, and control over spending.

Features:

Expense Reporting: Mobile app allows on-the-go submission and approval of expenses.

Corporate Cards: Offers benefits including rewards, spending limits, and fraud protection. Integrates with accounting software.

Invoice Automation: Auto-extracts invoice data and creates journal entries in accounting software.

Bill Pay: Automates payment processes, including setting up recurring payments.

Budgeting and Forecasting: Tools for planning, tracking, and predicting spending.

Target Audience:  

Optimal for businesses of all sizes seeking to:

Streamline spend management

Enhance spend visibility

Lower costs

Boost efficiency

Control spending

Benefits:

Process Automation: Automates key spend management tasks such as expense reporting, invoice processing, and bill pay, thereby increasing operational efficiency.

Spend Visibility: Provides real-time analytics to give a comprehensive view of spending across categories and suppliers.

Cost Reduction: Uses automation and supplier negotiations to decrease costs.

Efficiency Increase: Streamlines workflows and enhances inter-departmental communication.

Spending Control: Features like spending limits, pre-approvals, and real-time reporting enhance control over expenditures.

Pricing:  

Center operates on a unique pricing model where there are no upfront costs or licensing fees. Instead, every time a user swipes the CenterCard, a small fee is paid to Mastercard, which is shared with Center. There's also a flat fee charged for corporate travel bookings which covers unlimited itinerary changes, self-service cancellations and adjustments, and 24/7 omnichannel traveler support and services​​.

Pricing is subject to change: Check their official page for the latest.

Getting Started:  

Center offers to let you book a demo.

Additional Considerations:

Integrations: Wide range of compatibility with accounting software and business applications.

Support: Information not provided; consider investigating support options for complete assessment.

Conclusion:  

Center offers a full suite of spend management features that can significantly streamline processes, offer real-time visibility, reduce costs, and improve control over spending. Suitable for businesses of all sizes and offers scalable pricing options. 

Conclusion: What's Next?

Buying software is never easy, but it doesn't have to paralyze you!

Now that you have some options, the next step is to draw up your shortlist. Find the vendors that best match your needs for functionality, scalability, and how well each fits into your business ecosystem.

Involve Key Stakeholders: Get input from those who will use the software. Their insights could be crucial in making a well-rounded decision.

Request Demos and Trials: Most vendors offer this. Utilize it to test-drive features and compatibility with your existing systems.

Compare Costs and ROI: Crunch the numbers. Evaluate the potential return on investment against the total cost of ownership for each software.

Review Contract Terms: Look out for hidden fees, service limitations, or restrictive clauses that could haunt you later.

If you feel like your SaaS stack is already too bloated, consider a SaaS management tool like Torii. A SaaS Management Platform can streamline your license usage and enact cost-saving workflows that open up more space in your software budget going forward.

You've got the information; you've got the strategy. Now, seize control of your business spending. Make those well-informed, psychologically sound decisions that propel your organization forward. Your bottom line will thank you.


# Page Title
Top 12 Software License Manager Tools in 2024 | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/software-license-manager

## Page Description

Need license utilization insight? This guide compares software license managers to help you find the best fit for your needs

## Details

It happened again. Another auto-renewal clause was triggered without anyone noticing, and you're not sure if anyone even uses that tool anymore.

It’s not your fault. Too many contracts, too many licenses, too little time, and no single place to check the utilization rate of your seats.

Don’t fret; we’ve got your back! In this guide, we look through the top license managers in the industry. Including industry leaders and a few niche players that might be the perfect fit.

Get ready to make an informed decision and take control of your license calendar like a pro!

But first, let’s cover the basics.

What is a Software License Manager?

Quick Definition Simply put, these tools are the superheroes of the software world. They keep you legit on compliance, juggle those pesky license renewals, and make sure you're getting the bang for your buck with every software purchase. Think of them as your personal software license detectives, sniffing out every detail from optimization to cost savings.

The Must-Haves in a Software License Manager

Tracking: Keep tabs on every license with top-tier tracking capabilities.

Compliance: Stay on the right side of the law with up-to-the-minute compliance checks.

Optimization: Get the most out of your software spend with built-in optimization features.

Cloud-Ready: Manage everything on the go with cloud-based solutions.

Alerts: Never miss a beat with timely renewal reminders and expiration alerts.

How to Use This Guide

Here’s the reality: buying software isn’t fun. There are endless choices, each with different pricing models, different value propositions, and fancy jargon to hype up average features. It’s overwhelming.

Hopefully, this guide provides a bit of clarity in a chaotic industry. Our goal is to both inform and empower you with the knowledge and core insight into the top players.

Each section is a no-nonsense, high-level breakdown of the tool and includes information pulled from a number of locations, including Gartner, Trust Pilot, G2, and the Vendor’s websites.

Good luck!

Torii SaaS Management Platform

Overview

Torii differs from the other names on this list due to its focus on cloud applications. While most License Managers focus managing known applications, Torii's unique emphasis on cloud app discovery allows it to uncover SaaS apps that other license manager tools overlook. Their cloud-based tool is designed to assist IT teams in managing and optimizing their SaaS ecosystem. It provides capabilities for discovering shadow IT, optimizing SaaS spending, and automating SaaS operations. The platform is known for its comprehensive discovery and AI-powered features, making it an effective solution for modern SaaS challenges.

Core Features

AI-Powered Capabilities: Includes features like AI Contract Ingestion for efficient management.

Automated Slack Approvals for License Reclamation: Torii lets you build workflows to ask inactive users if their seat can be reclaimed

Comprehensive Discovery: Discovers and maps SaaS apps, providing extensive visibility into the SaaS landscape.

Spend Optimization: Centralizes visibility of apps, vendors, licenses, and spend monitoring for better cost control.

Automated Operations: Streamlines SaaS operations, ensuring efficiency and compliance.

Target Audience

Torii differs from the other is geared towards IT teams in small to large organizations seeking a streamlined approach to managing their SaaS applications. It's particularly beneficial for companies looking to gain insights into shadow IT, optimize SaaS spending, and automate SaaS operations like offboarding and idle license detection.

Benefits

Enhanced Visibility: Offers in-depth insights into SaaS usage and spending.

Cost Optimization: Helps in identifying and controlling SaaS costs effectively.

Efficient Management: Automates key SaaS management tasks, saving time and resources.

Compliance and Control: Ensures compliance and offers better control over SaaS resources.

Pricing

Custom Plan: Pricing is available on request and is tailored to individual business needs. Most license manager capabilities are available at the Professional plan.

Reviews

G2: 97% positive ratings, with 72% giving 5 stars.

TrustRadius: Praised for its continuous insights and optimization capabilities.

Software Advice: Rated 4.9 stars with 26 reviews, highlighting ease of use and customer support.

ITAM Review: Awarded Torii with the ITAM Review certification for Enterprise SaaS Management

Other Considerations

Customization: Offers a high degree of customization to meet diverse business needs.

AI Integration: Leveraging AI for enhanced functionality and efficiency.

References

Torii Official Website: Torii SaaS Management Platform

G2: Torii Reviews

Software Advice: 4.9 Star Rating

ITAM Review: Torii Awarded IT Review Certification

FlexNet Manager by Flexera

Overview

FlexNet Manager by Flexera is a web-based administration, reporting, and planning tool primarily focused on usage-based licenses and license servers. It offers comprehensive license management tools to help reduce software costs, enhance user productivity, and leverage existing technology. The solution is scaled for enterprise IT asset management, facilitating better license management and software license optimization.

Core Features

Daily License Checking: Ensures compliance and optimization of software licenses.

Management Dashboard: Provides detailed insights into software usage and license management.

REST API Integration: Compatible with IBM Turbonomic for cost-saving insights on licensing.

Comprehensive UI: Offers ease in navigating various management features.

Target Audience

FlexNet Manager is targeted towards large enterprises and organizations that require robust management and optimization of their IT assets, particularly software licenses. It is ideal for businesses seeking to minimize software costs and ensure compliance with licensing agreements.

Benefits

Cost Reduction: Helps in minimizing software spend and avoiding unnecessary expenses.

Compliance Assurance: Assists in staying compliant with software licensing agreements.

Productivity Enhancement: Improves user productivity by optimizing software license usage.

Scalable Solution: Tailored for enterprise-level IT asset management.

Pricing

Starting Price: $4,499 per license.

Additional Costs: Customization, data migration, training, hardware, maintenance, upgrades, etc.

Other Pricing Options: A one-time starting price of $90.00, with some sources listing $1,275.00.

Disclaimer: Prices are subject to change, and it is advisable to check the latest pricing on the vendor's website.

Reviews

Gartner: Mostly positive, with 90% of users rating it 4 or 5 stars.

G2: Averages 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Capterra: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Customer Sentiment: Generally favorable, praising product capabilities and integration.

Other Considerations

Latest Release: FlexNet Manager Suite On-Premises 2023 R2.

Integration: Seamless integration with IBM Turbonomic.

Licensing: Licensed per device.

References

Flexera's official website: FlexNet Manager

ITQlick: FlexNet Manager Pricing

Gartner: FlexNet Manager Reviews

G2: FlexNet Manager Reviews

Capterra: FlexNet Manager Suite Reviews

Snow License Manager

Overview

Snow License Manager is a software asset management (SAM) tool from Snow Software, designed to provide visibility and control over technology use within organizations. It helps prepare for software license audits and gain control of technology spending. The tool efficiently manages large volumes of data and provides tools for license compliance analysis, resource planning, cost administration, and more.

Core Features

License Compliance Analysis: Assists in maintaining compliance with software licenses.

Resource Planning: Facilitates effective planning of technological resources.

Cost Administration: Helps manage and optimize technology-related expenses.

Visibility and Control: Offers insights into technology usage within the organization.

Target Audience

Snow License Manager is aimed at businesses of various sizes that need to manage software licenses and assets effectively. It is especially beneficial for organizations looking to reduce the risks, costs, and complexities associated with software assets and licensing.

Benefits

Risk Reduction: Minimizes risks associated with software asset management.

Cost Efficiency: Aids in controlling and reducing technology-related expenses.

Complexity Management: Simplifies the management of software assets.

Enhanced Control and Visibility: Provides a consolidated view of software assets and licenses.

Pricing

Starting Price: $99.00 per month.

Disclaimer: Pricing details may vary and should be confirmed with Snow Software for the most accurate information.

Reviews

Gartner: 4.5 out of 5 stars, with 91% of users rating it 4 or 5 stars.

TrustRadius: Recent reviews indicate good performance but room for improvement.

Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 stars, indicating overall satisfaction with the tool.

Other Considerations

New Features: Snow License Manager 7 introduced over 135 new features.

Delivery Options: Available for both cloud and on-premise deployment.

References

Snow Software's official website: Snow License Manager

Gartner: Snow License Manager Reviews

TrustRadius: Snow License Manager Reviews

Capterra: Snow License Manager Pricing

ManageEngine AssetExplorer

Overview

ManageEngine AssetExplorer is a web-based IT Asset Management (ITAM) software that assists in monitoring and managing assets throughout their lifecycle. It offers enterprise-wide asset visibility and control, managing both IT and non-IT assets. The software provides a unified view to track and manage assets and ensures the discovery of all assets in a network.

Core Features

Asset Lifecycle Management: From planning to disposal, tracks and manages all stages of an asset's lifecycle.

Software License Compliance: Tracks purchased versus installed licenses to ensure compliance.

Automated Asset Tracking: Automatically scans and updates hardware and software inventories.

Resource Planning and Cost Administration: Provides tools for efficient resource planning and cost management.

Target Audience

ManageEngine AssetExplorer is aimed at organizations of any size that require an effective solution to manage and track their IT and non-IT assets. It is particularly beneficial for those looking to streamline their IT operations and ensure software license compliance.

Benefits

Comprehensive Asset Management: Offers a single view for all asset tracking and management.

Enhanced Visibility and Control: Improves visibility and control over enterprise assets.

Cost Optimization: Assists in managing technology-related expenses more effectively.

Compliance Assurance: Helps ensure compliance with software licensing.

Pricing

Starting Price: $795 per year for 250 IT assets.

Pricing Model: One-time license fee.

Free Trial and Version: Available.

Disclaimer: Prices are subject to change, and it's recommended to contact ManageEngine for the most current details.

Reviews

PCMag: Recognized as a solid IT asset tracker with excellent reporting and tracking tools.

Various User Reviews: Generally positive, with a focus on its usefulness and overall satisfaction.

Forbes Advisor: Featured in review articles, indicating its relevance in the IT asset management space.

Other Considerations

Flexibility: Suitable for both IT and non-IT asset management.

Deployment: Web-based solution, accessible from anywhere.

References

ManageEngine's official website: ManageEngine AssetExplorer

PCMag: ManageEngine AssetExplorer Review

Capterra: ManageEngine AssetExplorer Pricing

Reprise License Manager

Overview

Reprise License Manager (RLM) is designed to provide secure, dynamic, and reliable license management for software publishers. It streamlines the licensing process, ensuring that only legally procured licenses are used and helps prevent losses due to over-usage. RLM is recognized for its affordability and flexibility, catering to the needs of enterprises and independent software vendors (ISVs).

Core Features

License Compliance: Ensures only legally procured licenses are used, aiding in compliance.

Flexible License Delivery: Supports various licensing models, both on-premises and in the cloud.

Copy Protection: Protects software vendors from unauthorized usage.

License Tracking and Management: Offers comprehensive tools for tracking and managing licenses.

Target Audience

Reprise License Manager is targeted at software publishers who require a robust and flexible system for managing their product licenses. It’s ideal for businesses seeking to implement custom pricing policies, allocate licenses effectively, and track utilization across multiple platforms.

Benefits

Revenue Increase: Helps software publishers increase revenue through flexible license management.

Cost-Effective: Offers a pricing model that is affordable for publishers of all sizes.

Compliance Assurance: Ensures legal compliance with software license agreements.

Ease of Integration: Simple to integrate with various software products.

Pricing

Starting Price: Contact Reprise Software at sales@reprisesoftware.com for pricing information.

Free Trial: Available.

Disclaimer: Actual cost may vary, and it is recommended to contact the vendor for the most current pricing information.

Reviews

Capterra: Overall rating of 4.8, with high marks for ease of use and customer service.

Slashdot: Rated 5.0, highlighting its usefulness for software developers.

Software Advice: Overall rating of 4.8, commending its value for money and customer support.

Other Considerations

Flexible and Simple: Known for its flexibility and simplicity, making it easy to manage licenses.

Open Architecture: Allows for extension and integration with other systems.

References

Reprise Software: Reprise License Management

Ivanti License Optimizer

Overview

Ivanti License Optimizer is designed for asset managers, providing insights to minimize costs and mitigate the risk of audits in IT environments. It enables users to gain visibility into both their software and the underlying hardware, supporting effective asset management and license optimization.

Core Features

Effective License Position (ELP): Helps in developing a document known as an ELP for focused effort in license management.

Data Gathering and Curation: Gathers and curates a large amount of data for developing ELP and other uses.

Target Audience

Ivanti License Optimizer is targeted at asset managers and IT professionals in organizations looking to optimize their software licenses, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with licensing agreements.

Benefits

Cost Optimization: Assists in minimizing software-related expenses.

Audit Risk Mitigation: Helps in reducing the risks associated with software audits.

Data Insights: Offers extensive data gathering for informed decision-making.

Pricing

Specific pricing details are not readily available. It's recommended to contact Ivanti directly for the most accurate and current pricing information.

Reviews

Limited user reviews are available, but general sentiment indicates that Ivanti License Optimizer is a robust tool for license management, albeit potentially costly for organizations with limited budgets.

Other Considerations

Implementation Cost: May require an upfront investment in terms of license and hardware infrastructure.

References

Ivanti's official website: Ivanti License Optimizer

For more detailed information, especially regarding pricing, features, and specific benefits, it would be best to contact Ivanti directly or visit their official website.

License Dashboard License Manager

Overview

License Dashboard License Manager is a comprehensive software asset management solution that provides advanced features for managing complex software licenses from vendors like IBM, Oracle, and SAP. It enables detailed tracking of license assignments, entitlements, and automates the resolution of multiple user subscription aliases.

Core Features

Advanced License Management: Specifically designed to handle complex licensing scenarios.

Automated License Assignment and Entitlement Tracking: Automatically resolves multiple user subscription aliases.

Customizable Reporting: Generates comprehensive reports on software usage.

Effective License Position (ELP) Optimization: Begins optimizing ELP through automation.

Target Audience

The License Manager is ideal for software asset managers and businesses that require an efficient system to manage sophisticated software licenses and ensure compliance while optimizing costs.

Benefits

Optimized License Utilization: Ensures efficient use of software licenses.

Cost Reduction: Aids in reducing software-related expenses.

Compliance Assurance: Helps in maintaining compliance with complex licensing agreements.

Data-Driven Decisions: Provides insights for informed decision-making.

Pricing

Starting Price: Around $1,000.00 per year.

Free Trial: Available.

Disclaimer: Prices may vary, and it is advisable to contact License Dashboard for the latest pricing information.

Reviews

Gartner: License Dashboard License Manager has a 4.0 rating out of 5.

ITAM Review: Overall satisfaction of 7.8/10, praised for its focus on data accuracy and modern user interface.

References

License Dashboard: License Manager Overview

Gartner: License Dashboard Reviews

Software Advice: License Dashboard Software Reviews

For more information about License Dashboard License Manager, including detailed features and benefits, you can visit the official website or contact License Dashboard directly.

Lansweeper

Overview

Lansweeper is a versatile tool for IT professionals, offering comprehensive tracking and management of software licenses. It automates hardware and software data discovery across IT estates, enabling effective management of software licenses, including details such as license type, quantity, price, and expiration dates.

Core Features

Automated IT Asset Discovery: Provides complete visibility of IT assets for tracking licenses.

License Key Tracking: Supports key tracking for major publishers like Microsoft, Adobe, and Autodesk.

License Compliance Management: Helps manage software license compliance for various applications and operating systems.

Financial Impact Prediction: Calculates potential costs for maintaining software license compliance.

Automatic Renewal Reminders: Built-in and custom reports for upcoming license renewals.

Risk Reduction: Accurate tracking to avoid over or under-subscribed licenses and associated costs.

Target Audience

IT departments and professionals in organizations of all sizes.

Businesses seeking to streamline IT asset management and software license compliance.

Benefits

Comprehensive Asset Management: Complete overview of IT assets for informed decision-making.

Compliance and Cost Management: Helps maintain compliance and predict financial impacts.

Efficiency: Automated processes and reminders increase operational efficiency.

Scalability: Suitable for businesses of various sizes, from small to enterprise-level.

Pricing (URL: Lansweeper Pricing)

Free Plan: For up to 100 assets.

Starter: $2,000 per year, offering basic management features.

Pro: $4,000 per year, with additional security and support features.

Enterprise: Starting at $25,000 per year for comprehensive features and support.

Disclaimer: Prices are subject to change. Please check the Lansweeper website for the most current pricing information.

Reviews

Lansweeper holds a strong rating of 8.8 out of 10 on TrustRadius, reflecting its effectiveness and user satisfaction. Reviews highlight its ease of deployment, comprehensive IT asset control, and value for money.

Other Considerations

Lansweeper recently introduced its 2023 Fall Release, 'Ename', showcasing ongoing development and feature enhancement.

The tool's scalability makes it a viable option for various business sizes, but some users note limitations for larger enterprises.

References

Lansweeper IT Asset Management: www.lansweeper.com

TrustRadius Reviews: www.trustradius.com

Lansweeper Pricing Page: www.lansweeper.com/pricing

Lansweeper News Archives: www.lansweeper.com/news

OpenLM

Overview

OpenLM is an advanced tool for managing and tracking software licenses, particularly in engineering and IT sectors. It provides comprehensive reporting on software usage, supports various license models, and offers optimization features to maximize license utilization.

Core Features

Diverse License Model Support: Handles network, node-locked, GPU, cloud, token, and hybrid licenses.

Wide Compatibility: Works with license managers like Flexera, DSLS, Reprise, and Sentinel RMS.

Monitoring and Reporting: Offers real-time monitoring, historical data analysis, and consolidated licensing reports.

Cost and Billing Management: Facilitates accurate license purchase decisions and chargeback billing based on usage.

Architecture and Infrastructure: Compatible with various operating systems and supports GDPR compliance.

License Optimization and Productivity: Includes automated license harvesting and end-user notification for license availability.

Target Audience

Engineering and IT departments in need of detailed license tracking and management.

Organizations looking to optimize software license usage and comply with licensing agreements.

Benefits

Cost Savings: Identifies unused licenses and provides data to prevent unnecessary license purchases.

Compliance: Helps maintain compliance with software licensing agreements, particularly in cloud environments.

Optimization: Automated tools for maximizing license utilization and reducing wastage.

Reporting and Monitoring: Detailed, real-time reporting for effective management and decision-making.

Pricing (OpenLM Pricing)

Perpetual License Model: Final price depends on the selected package. Contact sales for personalized offers.

Disclaimer: Prices are subject to change. Check the OpenLM website for the most current pricing information.

Reviews

OpenLM has a positive rating on TrustRadius, with users highlighting its effectiveness in managing software licenses and identifying cost savings. Challenges noted include complexity in setup for on-premise deployment.

Other Considerations

OpenLM recently released version 22.10, emphasizing security improvements and better support for Autodesk Flex.

The tool's comprehensive feature set and compatibility with a wide range of license managers make it a versatile choice for various business sizes.

References

OpenLM Official Website: www.openlm.com

TrustRadius Reviews: www.trustradius.com

OpenLM Pricing Page: www.openlm.com/pricing

OpenLM Blog: OpenLM v22.10 - What’s New

CloudAware

Overview

CloudAware is a software license manager focused on asset management in the digital infrastructure space. It provides tools for auditing compliance, endpoint security, and comprehensive visibility into the relationships between assets, aiding in preventing outages and improving operational efficiency.

Core Features

Asset Management: Offers end-to-end visibility into digital infrastructure, improving operational efficiency.

Audit Compliance: Supports regulatory compliance with on-demand security posture assessments.

Endpoint Security: Integrates a single agent for multiple security features across host-based and Kubernetes infrastructure.

Target Audience

Enterprises with complex digital infrastructures requiring robust asset management and compliance tools.

Organizations seeking to enhance their security posture and infrastructure monitoring capabilities.

Benefits

Comprehensive Visibility: Ensures detailed oversight of digital assets and their interrelations.

Regulatory Compliance: Facilitates achieving compliance with various regulatory frameworks.

Enhanced Security: Provides a unified solution for vulnerability scanning, intrusion detection, patching, and log management.

Pricing

Basic Package: Includes CMDB and Change Management for 50 servers and 1 user.

Custom Quotes: Available for different organizational needs.

Disclaimer: For the most accurate pricing, it's advisable to use their online calculator or request a custom quote.

Reviews

Specific user reviews were not found, suggesting a potential need for more extensive user feedback collection or publication.

Other Considerations

Given the lack of detailed user reviews, prospective customers may need to conduct further research or request demos to fully understand CloudAware's capabilities and suitability for their specific needs.

References

CloudAware Official Website: www.cloudaware.com

CloudAware Pricing Page: www.cloudaware.com/pricing

CloudHealth by VMware

Overview

CloudHealth by VMware is a software service that assists organizations in managing and optimizing their cloud computing resources. Acquired by VMware in 2018, it provides cost management, governance, automation, security, and performance services for cloud environments. The platform supports multiple cloud environments including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Core Features

Cost Management and Optimization: In-depth analysis of cloud spending.

Governance and Automation: Streamlining operations and decision-making processes.

Security and Performance Monitoring: Offers continuous monitoring and analysis for improved cloud usage.

Compatibility: Supports multicloud and hybrid cloud environments.

Target Audience

IT administrators and cloud infrastructure managers in organizations of various sizes.

Businesses looking to optimize cloud spending and governance.

Benefits

Cost Optimization: Helps identify areas for cost reduction.

Enhanced Visibility and Control: Provides detailed insights into cloud resource utilization.

Streamlined Operations: Automates and simplifies cloud management tasks.

Security and Compliance: Ensures adherence to cloud security best practices.

Pricing

Options: Free trial, freemium version, and premium consulting/integration services.

Setup Fee: No setup fee.

Note: Pricing details are not explicitly available; potential users should contact CloudHealth for specific pricing information. Prices may vary based on services and scale of use.

Pricing URL: CloudHealth Pricing

Reviews

Strengths: Effective in cloud cost management, ease of use, and providing insightful dashboards and reports.

Weaknesses: Some limitations with certain cloud operators and occasional user interface challenges.

User Feedback: Positive reviews for its ability to streamline operations, automate tasks, and offer comprehensive visibility into cloud resource utilization.

Other Considerations

Acquisition by VMware: Enhanced its capabilities and integration with VMware's suite of cloud services.

Compatibility: Works across various major cloud platforms, providing flexibility for diverse IT environments.

Awards and Compliance: Achieved AWS Education Competency status, AWS Migration Competency status, and SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance.

References

Wikipedia on CloudHealth Technologies: en.wikipedia.org

CloudHealth by VMware on TrustRadius: www.trustradius.com

VMware Tanzu CloudHealth Reviews on AWS Marketplace: aws.amazon.com

SpendCloud

Overview

SpendCloud is a comprehensive solution designed to manage and optimize an organization's entire expenditure. It offers a range of features from smart payment cards for employees to complete Purchase to Pay processes, aiming to provide insight, overview, and control over all expenses.

Core Features

Complete Expenditure Management: From employee payment cards to the entire Purchase to Pay process.

Customizable: Can be tailored to fit specific organizational needs.

Add-on Features: Additional features can be integrated as needed.

Target Audience

Financial managers and business administrators in organizations looking for an integrated solution to manage expenses.

Organizations seeking a flexible system that can adapt to their specific financial management needs.

Benefits

Comprehensive Expense Control: Provides a complete overview and control of organizational expenses.

Customization and Scalability: Offers adaptability to the unique requirements of different organizations.

Streamlined Financial Processes: Simplifies and streamlines financial management tasks.

Pricing

Customized Pricing: Based on factors like the number of invoices, payment cards, and processed transactions.

Indicators Used: Number of processed invoices, OCI links for Purchase to Pay; number of transactions, requested and active Spend Cloud Cards for Expense.

Pricing Inquiry: Interested parties need to fill out a form to access specific pricing details.

Pricing URL: SpendCloud Pricing

Reviews

User Reviews: Detailed user reviews are not readily available.

General Feedback: Lack of publicly available reviews makes it difficult to assess user satisfaction and product effectiveness.

Other Considerations

Customization: The ability to add features at later stages makes it suitable for growing organizations.

Focus on Expense Management: Specifically designed for comprehensive financial and expense management.

References

SpendCloud Overview: proactive-software.com

SpendCloud Pricing: proactive-software.com

Cloudability

Overview

Cloudability, offered by Apptio, is a multi-cloud financial management platform aimed at enterprises. It facilitates cloud cost management and optimization, enabling IT, finance, and DevOps teams to collaboratively manage cloud resources efficiently. The platform supports major cloud services like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Core Features

Budgeting and Forecasting: Establishes team budgets and offers accurate forecasting and tracking of cloud spending.

Cost Allocation: Accurately allocates all costs, including containers and support charges.

Optimization: Provides rightsizing capabilities across major cloud services to reduce expenses.

Decision Making: Enables strategic decision-making based on cloud spend and its correlation to business value.

Target Audience

IT, finance, and DevOps teams in enterprises with significant cloud infrastructure.

Businesses requiring detailed insight and control over cloud spending across multiple cloud platforms.

Benefits

Enhanced Financial Visibility: Offers in-depth visibility into cloud costs across multiple providers.

Cost Optimization: Helps in identifying overprovisioned or underutilized instances for cost-saving.

Strategic Financial Management: Facilitates better financial decision-making in cloud investments.

Support for FinOps: Enables effective financial operations practices for cloud cost management.

Pricing

Model: Custom pricing based on a pay-as-you-go model.

Details: Tiered pricing starting from $54,000 for managing specific monthly AWS cloud spend; no free plan available.

Pricing URL: Cloudability Pricing

Reviews

Strengths: Provides clear visibility into cloud costs, supports multiple cloud providers, and helps in rightsizing instances.

Weaknesses: Some limitations in reporting capabilities and support for certain Google Cloud Platform services.

User Feedback: Users appreciate its comprehensive view of cloud costs and its effectiveness in optimizing cloud spend.

Ratings: Generally high ratings (around 9/10) from users in large enterprises.

Other Considerations

Deployment and Use: Available as a SaaS offering, requiring no installation or maintenance.

Competitors: Includes CloudHealth by VMware, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services.

Awards: Has received multiple TrustRadius awards in 2023, including Top Rated and Best of 2023.

References

Apptio Cloudability Overview: www.apptio.com

Cloudability Pricing Details: www.cloudzero.com

User Reviews and Ratings: www.trustradius.com

Frequently Asked Questions about Software License Managers

Q: What is a software license manager?A: A software license manager is a tool that helps organizations track and manage their software licenses to ensure compliance, optimize costs, and maintain an organized software asset portfolio.

Q: How does license management software aid in software license compliance?A: It automates the tracking of license entitlements, usage, and agreement terms, thereby ensuring that the organization adheres to legal and contractual obligations, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties.

Q: Can license key management improve software asset management?A: Yes, by maintaining a secure repository of license keys, it prevents unauthorized use and helps asset managers allocate resources efficiently.

Q: What benefits does a cloud-based software license manager provide?A: A cloud-based manager offers scalability, remote access, and real-time updates, enhancing the flexibility and responsiveness of license management across the organization.

Q: Why are software license audits important?A: Audits assess the current state of software usage versus entitlements, identifying over or underutilization and ensuring effective license optimization and compliance.

Q: How does license renewal tracking benefit an organization?A: It ensures continuous access to necessary software by avoiding unexpected expirations, thus maintaining productivity and operational continuity.

Q: What are the various software licensing models, and how do they impact management?A: Common models include per-user, per-device, subscription-based, and usage-based. Each model presents different tracking and compliance challenges that license management software can address.

Q: What are software license optimization strategies?A: Optimization involves analyzing software usage and needs to adjust licenses accordingly, ensuring that the organization only pays for what it uses and needs.

Q: How do license expiration reminders work?A: These are automated notifications set up within a license manager to alert administrators of upcoming renewals, avoiding lapses in licensing.

Q: What should be included in a software license inventory?A: A comprehensive inventory includes all software applications, associated licenses, usage rights, expiration dates, and user information.

Q: What are license management best practices?A: Best practices include regular audits, maintaining accurate records, employing a centralized license manager, and training staff on software usage policies.

Q: What tools are considered effective for license management?A: Effective tools offer a combination of license tracking, compliance monitoring, usage analytics, and reporting capabilities.

Q: How do you manage a software license agreement effectively?A: By keeping detailed records of purchase dates, terms, and usage rights, and by ensuring that software use within the organization adheres to these terms.

Q: What is license compliance reporting, and why is it critical?A: It involves generating detailed reports on license usage and compliance status, critical for internal governance and for demonstrating compliance in audits.

Q: Can you explain the license activation process?A: This process involves entering a license key or code to activate and authenticate software use, typically done after software installation.


# Page Title
What Is a Secure Server? Hosting and Best Practices | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/secure-server

## Page Description

Secure servers use encryption, firewalls, and authentication to protect data beyond a standard server. Learn how they work and the best practices IT teams use.

## Details

A secure server is a server that implements security protocols and best practices to handle communications and data transfers over a network, providing enhanced safety against unauthorized access and data breaches. The core components of a secure server include encrypted connections, a server firewall, strong authentication, and ongoing monitoring. Secure server hosting extends these protections to the infrastructure layer, ensuring the physical and network environment running your server is also hardened.

Note: Discover and address potential security risks in your SaaS landscape with Torii. Gain complete visibility into your applications, user behavior, and access permissions. See how Torii’s SaaS Discovery works.

Is a regular server enough? From an IT Manager or Director’s perspective, the importance of server security far outweighs the convenience of a non-secure setup. Here is what sets a secure server apart.

Encryption

A secure server configuration means your data is stored and transferred via a secure FTP or file server using secure protocols and encryption. Utilizing a secure server certificate enhances server security by verifying the server’s identity and enabling encrypted connections. The two dominant protocols are TLS (Transport Layer Security) for web traffic and SSH (Secure Shell) for remote server access.

Protection of Stored Data

When you use secure server hosting, your stored data is shielded through server security best practices, a secure server firewall, and continuous monitoring. These controls identify, deflect, and mitigate specific server vulnerabilities, keeping your data safe even if perimeter defenses are breached.

Secure Data Transmission

Your organization can also benefit from a secure email server where confidential data can be securely transmitted via email. Secure server authentication increases protection by ensuring only authorized users have access to your server resources.

A secure server setup, therefore, goes beyond simple data storage. It encompasses a secure network architecture designed to keep internal communications private and safe, while also ensuring encrypted connections for all external traffic.

Integrating secure server hosting, configuration, and robust server security protocols into your IT infrastructure sets a strong defense against potential breaches. Encryption, firewalls, and consistent server security best practices are the three pillars of a well-hardened server.

Secure Servers vs. Standard Servers

A standard server is built to handle requests and serve data efficiently, without security as its primary design goal. Secure servers add several layers on top of that baseline. Data in transit is protected with TLS or SSH, while data at rest is protected with encrypted storage rather than plain files. Configuration is hardened: default accounts, open ports, and unused services are disabled instead of left in their default state. Authentication requires verified credentials, often with multi-factor authentication, instead of a single shared password. Continuous monitoring watches for unusual traffic or access patterns, and patching keeps known vulnerabilities closed as they are discovered. On a standard server, these controls are often optional or absent. On a secure server, they are the baseline, which is why secure server hosting and configuration are treated as a distinct discipline rather than an afterthought.

What to Look for in Secure Server Hosting

Choosing a secure server hosting provider is one of the highest-leverage decisions in your server security posture. The hosting layer controls physical access, network perimeter, and infrastructure-level patching. Here are the key criteria:

Compliance certifications: Look for SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and, where relevant, PCI-DSS or HIPAA attestations. These audits verify that the provider's controls are working as documented.
Network-level firewall and DDoS mitigation: A good secure server host provides edge-level protection before traffic reaches your application.
Encrypted storage and backups: Data at rest should be encrypted. Confirm that automated backups are also stored with encryption, in a geographically separate location.
Patching and vulnerability management: Ask how quickly the provider applies OS-level patches for critical CVEs. Unpatched infrastructure is the most common vector for server compromise.
Access controls and audit logs: The provider should offer role-based access, MFA for the hosting console, and tamper-evident audit logs for all administrative actions.

For organizations running SaaS applications across dozens of cloud environments, maintaining visibility into which servers and services are in scope is a challenge in itself. Torii's SaaS discovery gives IT teams an accurate, continuously updated inventory of every application and integration in their environment, reducing the risk of an unsecured server slipping through the gaps.

Examples of Secure Servers
FileZilla

Using a secure FTP server like FileZilla is a practical example of secure server hosting for file transfers. FileZilla employs server protocols like FTPS and SFTP, providing encryption for data in transit. It includes authentication controls and a firewall-compatible configuration that reduces exposure to server vulnerabilities.

Google Gmail

Gmail is an example of a secure email server at scale. Gmail encrypts all emails and attachments, reducing the risk of interception by unauthorized parties. It uses a secure server certificate to validate its identity and enforces HTTPS for all connections. Google applies server security best practices including regular audits, rapid protocol updates, and ongoing vulnerability monitoring.

Torii SaaS Management Platform

The Torii SaaS Management Platform applies server security best practices at the SaaS layer. It allows IT Managers to discover and manage Shadow IT, giving teams visibility into every application connected to their environment. With Torii, SaaS license optimization and cost savings become automated, reducing manual tasks. Torii also supports access reviews and identity lifecycle management so IT teams can continuously enforce the principle of least privilege. For organizations looking to strengthen their overall posture, understanding IT governance alongside server security is a natural next step.
Best Practices for Secure Servers
Establishing secure server protocols is foundational to minimizing security vulnerabilities.

Select a Secure Server Host

This includes choosing the right level of secure server hosting that provides an excellent balance of cost, performance, and security. Essentially, you want a hosting solution that enhances server security and always enables secure server connection. This process commences with a fast server setup and configuration in line with server security best practices.

Immediately Activate Firewall

Your setup should be customized to your requirements, but ensure you deploy a robust firewall at the minimum. The firewall is a defense mechanism that thwarts malicious traffic and potential intruders, bolstering secure server operation.

Setup Server Authentication

Next, focus on secure server authentication, which emphasizes the identification of users' saturation levels. Implement a system that requires robust passwords and supports multi-factor authentication. This goes a long way in protecting against unverified access and enhancing server security.

Use Encryption for Sensitive Data

One of the most essential components is secure server encryption, which protects sensitive data. It ensures maximum security during data transfer between servers. A secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server for file transfers should be considered alongside a secure email server for communication to guarantee data privacy.

Continuous Monitoring for Potential Threats

Moving forward, invest in secure server monitoring to closely monitor server activity. Regular monitoring fends off potential security threats and aids in detecting anomalies in data traffic, thereby preventing unauthorized access. Additionally, it helps identify where there’s a need for server upgrades or improvements.

Choose a SaaS Management Platform

Torii SaaS Management Platform can be especially beneficial in situations like these. Torii automates SaaS operations, tracks SaaS expenditures, and maximizes visibility over every application and access point in your environment. IT professionals can use Torii's SaaS discovery to surface unauthorized tools that may bypass your secure server policies, and its access review workflows to ensure user permissions stay aligned with the principle of least privilege.

The techniques mentioned above can be further fortified using a secure server certificate, which is crucial in reassuring users that your server is secured by validating your credentials and the server's identity.
Related Tools for Secure Server

Netskope
Symantec Endpoint Protection
McAfee Secure internet Gateway
Cisco Umbrella
Torii SaaS Management Platform
Palo Alto Networks Panorama
Microsoft Defender ATP
FireEye Network Security
Bitdefender GravityZone
Trend Micro Deep Security
Fortinet FortiGate
Check Point Security Gateway
Sophos XG Firewall
Kaspersky Security Center
Proofpoint Enterprise Protection

Related Concepts in Secure Server

Secure Server: A computer system that provides a safe and protected environment for hosting websites, storing data, and enabling secure communication.
Server Security: Implementing measures to protect a server from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats.
Secure Web Server: A server that uses encryption protocols, such as SSL/TLS, to secure data transmitted between a website and its visitors.
Secure Server Hosting: Hosting websites and applications on a secure server infrastructure, ensuring data protection and high availability.
Server Security Best Practices: Standard security measures and guidelines that help mitigate risks and protect the server against potential threats.
Secure Server Certificate: A digital certificate issued by a trusted authority that verifies the authenticity and encrypts the communication between a server and its users.
Secure FTP Server: A file transfer protocol server encrypts data transmission over a network, ensuring secure file transfers.
Secure File Server: A server dedicated to storing and sharing files safely, using encryption and access controls.
Secure Email Server: A server that utilizes encryption to protect email communication, preventing unauthorized access and ensuring secured transmission of messages.
Secure Server Connection: A network connection established with encryption protocols, like SSL/TLS, to ensure safe and private communication between a client and a server.
Secure Server Setup: Configuring a server with appropriate security settings, user permissions, and network parameters to establish a safe environment.
Secure Server Configuration: The specific settings and parameters applied to a server to enhance its security, including firewall rules, access controls, and encryption protocols.
Secure Server Network: A network infrastructure designed to protect server resources, utilizing measures like firewalls, VPNs, and intrusion detection systems.
Secure Server Protocols: Communication protocols, like SSH, SSL/TLS, and HTTPS, provide safe and encrypted data transmission between clients and servers.
Secure Server Vulnerability: A weakness or flaw in a server's security that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access or disrupt its functionality.
Secure Server Encryption: Encoding data transmitted or stored on a server to prevent unauthorized access using encryption algorithms and keys.
Secure Server Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of clients or users accessing a server, typically through usernames, passwords, or digital certificates.
Secure Server Management: The ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and administration of a server's security measures, including patching vulnerabilities and updating security software.
Secure Server Firewall: A security mechanism implemented on a server that filters incoming and outgoing network traffic, protecting it from unauthorized access and malicious activities.
Secure Server Monitoring: Continuous surveillance and tracking of a server's activities, performance, and security parameters to detect and respond to any anomalies or potential threats.


# Page Title
What is Security Management (SM)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/security-management

## Page Description

Learn the fundamentals of security management—what it is, best practices, tools, and examples—plus how a platform like Torii enhances SM in organizations.

## Details

Security Management (SM) is a broad discipline that protects an organization's information systems and assets. This process employs various security management systems, tools, and software to enhance organizational safety. It includes the implementation of a comprehensive security management framework, which outlines the policies, standards, controls, and best practices to protect physical and digital assets.

Note: Security starts with cutting down undue risks, and often, your biggest threat are the unsanctioned cloud apps your coworkers adopt. Stay one step ahead and check out Torii’s shadow IT discovery tool.

What happens when your organization lacks a security management program? The absence of a structured process can leave your organization vulnerable to numerous cybersecurity threats. You’d expose invaluable assets such as sensitive data and proprietary information to potential security breaches. It is the goal of security management to prevent such scenarios via systematic and efficient methods.

Security management encompasses several specific domains, including network security management, information security management, and cybersecurity management.

Network security targets threats at the network level
Information security aims to protect crucial information from unauthorized access and data breaches.
Cybersecurity management, on the other hand, is all about safeguarding your entire digital landscape from malicious attacks and vulnerabilities.
Physical security management is a crucial component of security management, ensuring the physical safety of hardware, facilities, and personnel.

In a holistic security management approach, physical and cybersecurity aspects are integral to an organization's protection.

Security incident and risk management are other vital aspects of this discipline. While security incident management protocol focuses on the swift identification and management of security incidents, security risk management targets the prediction and prevention of inherent security risks.

Integral to the successful execution of an SM is security management training and certification, which ensure that team members have up-to-date knowledge and skills. This training may extend to emergency procedures, auditing, risk assessments, and understanding of regulations.

To ensure compliance, robust security management includes audit processes, assessments, and constant revision of security management policies and standards. These measures provide a roadmap for adhering to industry regulations and maintaining a high-security posture. Adopting such security management best practices is beneficial in preventing security gaps and instrumental in driving business growth.
Examples of Security Management (SM)
Enhancing your company's security management can seem like a daunting task amidst a myriad of looming cyber threats. However, implementing a robust security management system, fine-tuning your security management process, and leveraging the correct security management tools can substantially mitigate risks. Here are three real-world examples of effective security management.

Physical Security Management

An international data center took a multi-layered approach to safeguard its vulnerable physical infrastructure. They verified the identities of all individuals accessing the server rooms using security cameras, biometric verification, and electronic key access. Their approach to physical security also included procedures for security management training to ensure all personnel were aware of the company's security management policies, standards, and controls, thereby enhancing their whole security management framework.

Cybersecurity Management

A national bank implemented a sophisticated network security management system to safeguard its clients' confidential financial information. By leveraging modern security management software with real-time threat detection and response, they optimized their security incident management, thereby reducing instances of fraud and data breaches. Moreover, through regular security management audits and assessments, they could continually strengthen their cybersecurity measures.

Torii SaaS Management Platform

Torii SaaS Management Platform showcases effective information security management. In a fast-growing tech company, the platform was used to automate SaaS operations, giving IT professionals a comprehensive view of all their SaaS tools, identifying Shadow IT, and optimizing SaaS licenses. It provided a seamless, one-stop solution for SaaS-related work, enhancing the company’s security risk management by providing actionable insights on potential vulnerabilities. The company created a robust security management process using Torii, showcasing best practices in managing software as a service.

These examples demonstrate the importance of a comprehensive security management framework encompassing physical, network, and information security. Emphasizing training and audits and using platforms like Torii can ensure continuous improvement and security adaptations to emerging threats.
Best Practices for Security Management (SM)
Emphasizing best practices for security management can be transformative in protecting your network, bolstering physical security management, and enhancing data integrity within your enterprise. A robust security management system must be comprehensive, encompassing every facet from information security management to cybersecurity management.

Assess Security Management

Begin with an ultra-clear understanding of the security management process. A thorough security management assessment encompassing your network security management, physical security, and information security management areas should be the first step. This assessment will shed light on weaknesses and provide a benchmark for future improvements.

Establish a Security Management Framework

Up next is establishing a solid security management framework. This framework should outline your security management policies, standards, and controls. It forms part of your organization's security culture. Therefore, getting buy-in from every employee at every level is critical.

Use Security Management Tools and Software

Ensure the effectiveness of your security management system through robust security management tools and software. Efficient tools enable real-time monitoring, swift security incident management, and proactive response to potential threats. Your selection should offer visibility, control, and automation.

Regular Security Management Training

Invest in regular security management training for your IT specialists. Training equips them with the latest knowledge on security threats and ensures they stay abreast of the best cybersecurity and security risk management practices.

Obtain Security Management Certification

Consider obtaining a security management certification to demonstrate commitment to premium security standards. This is a mark of quality and trust for clients, stakeholders, and regulators. It also establishes your company as a leader in the security domain.

Maintain Security Management Audit

A well-executed security management audit assures that your operations align with your established security management process and principles. Regular audits help identify potential loopholes and offer an opportunity to revise strategies and rectify weaknesses.

Ultimately, effective security management best practices go beyond having a solid system. It requires a continuous commitment to improvement and adaptation to evolving threats. Incorporating a solution like Torii SaaS Management Platform can enhance your security management. Offering vital features like shadow IT discovery, SaaS cost tracking, SaaS on/offboarding, and license optimization, it helps manage, secure, and identify cost savings in your SaaS environment. It's a powerful tool for scaling your SaaS operations, providing more insights, and enabling better action.
Related Tools for Security Management

CrowdStrike Falcon
Torii SaaS Management Platform
Microsoft Defender ATP
Symantec Endpoint Protection
Cisco Umbrella
Palo Alto Networks
Fortinet FortiGate
McAfee Total Protection
Trend Micro Deep Security
IBM QRadar
Splunk Enterprise Security
Rapid7 InsightIDR
Qualys Security Platform
AlienVault USM
Check Point Software Technologies
Imperva Incapsula
F5 Networks BIG-IP
Netwrix Auditor
Sophos Central
Carbon Black Endpoint Protection

Related Concepts in Security Management

Security management: The practice of protecting assets, data, systems, and information from unauthorized access, misuse, and threats.
Security management system: A comprehensive framework designed to manage and enforce security policies, procedures, and controls within an organization.
Security management process: A set of actions and activities implemented to identify, assess, respond to, and monitor security risks and incidents.
Security management framework: A structured approach or model that provides guidance for implementing and managing security measures.
Security management tools: Software or hardware solutions designed to support the administration and implementation of security management processes, such as access control or intrusion detection systems.
Security management software: Applications or programs specifically developed to automate and streamline security management tasks, including vulnerability scanning, patch management, and security incident tracking.
Physical security management: Implementing measures to safeguard physical assets, premises, and resources, such as surveillance, guards, and access control systems.
Network security management: Protecting a computer network and its resources from unauthorized access or misuse, usually involving firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and encryption techniques.
Information security management: Protecting information assets by applying a risk management process and implementing security controls, including access control mechanisms, encryption, and data backups.
Cybersecurity management: Like information security management, it protects digital systems and data from cyber threats, such as malware, ransomware, and hacking attempts.
Security incident management: The coordinated approach to handling and responding to security incidents, such as breaches, data leaks, or system intrusions, to minimize the impact and restore normal operations.
Security risk management: Identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential security risks to minimize their impact on an organization's assets, operations, and reputation.
Security management policies: A set of documented guidelines and principles that outline how security should be implemented, maintained, and continuously improved within an organization.
Security management standards: Established criteria and best practices that help organizations assess, measure, and improve their security posture, such as ISO 27001 or NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
Security management controls: Specific measures, practices, or technologies implemented to mitigate security risks and enforce security policies, such as firewalls, access controls, or encryption.
Security management training: Programs or activities designed to educate personnel on security protocols, best practices, and potential threats to enhance their awareness and knowledge.
Security management certification: Voluntary credentials or qualifications that validate an individual's knowledge and skills in security management, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).
Security management audit: An independent examination and evaluation of an organization's security management practices, controls, and compliance with policies and standards to ensure they are effective and aligned with goals.
Security management assessment: A systematic evaluation of an organization's security posture to identify vulnerabilities, gaps, or weaknesses and provide recommendations for improvement.
Security management best practices: Widely recognized and recommended approaches, methods, or strategies that have proven effective in ensuring optimal security management within organizations.

FAQs: Security Management
Q: What is security management?

A: Security management protects information and resources to prevent unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Q: Why is security management critical?

A: Security management is crucial as it helps organizations safeguard confidential data, prevent security breaches, mitigate risks, and maintain business continuity.

Q: What are the key components of security management?

A: The critical security management components include risk assessment, security policies and procedures, access controls, incident response, business continuity planning, and employee awareness training.

Q: How does security management differ from risk management?

A: While risk management identifies and assesses potential threats and vulnerabilities, security management focuses on implementing controls and measures to prevent, detect, and respond to those risks.

Q: What are some best practices for security management?

A: Best practices for security management include regular security audits, implementing strong access controls, utilizing encryption, regularly updating software and systems, educating employees about security risks, and having an incident response plan in place.

Q: What is the role of a security manager?

A: A security manager is responsible for developing and implementing security policies and procedures, managing security incidents, conducting risk assessments, overseeing access controls, and promoting employee awareness about security practices.

Q: What are some common security management tools?

A: Common security management tools include security information and event management (SIEM) systems, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), antivirus software, firewall solutions, and vulnerability scanners.

Q: What are the challenges of security management?

A: Some security management challenges include keeping up with evolving threats, balancing security with user convenience, managing employee compliance, allocating sufficient resources, and integrating security into organizational processes.

Q: How can security management help with regulatory compliance?

A: Proper security management helps organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements by implementing controls and procedures that align with industry regulations and standards.

Q: What is the future of security management?

A: The future of security management will likely involve advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation to detect and respond to security threats in real time, as well as increased focus on securing cloud-based environments and IoT devices.


# Page Title
What is Security & Compliance? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/security-compliance

## Page Description

Curious about security and compliance (S&C)? Learn how to keep your org safe with frameworks, assessments, policies, and trainings.

## Details

What is Security and Compliance (S&C)?
Security and Compliance (S&C) is the backbone of any organization's IT infrastructure. It refers to standards and regulations that ensure information systems, processes, and behaviors comply with relevant laws, policies, and regulations.

Note: Streamline your IT security and compliance with Torii SaaS Management. Effortlessly manage Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and strengthen security with tailored cloud app integrations. Check out Torii's Shadow IT Discovery

How does a company know whether they're hitting the mark regarding Security and Compliance (S&C)?

Framework: This is where the Security Compliance Framework comes in. It provides a clear outline of the best practices, guidelines, and controls required for achieving and maintaining the desired level of security. To adhere to regulations, organizations must conduct regular security compliance assessments to identify vulnerabilities and gaps in their security setup.

Management: Security Compliance Management is an ongoing process that involves maintaining security and compliance requirements and proactively improving the overall security posture by implementing efficient controls. These controls are meticulously designed, implemented, and maintained through a series of procedures and protocols known as Security Compliance Policies.

Training: To ensure smooth execution and adherence to these policies, Security Compliance Training is essential. These regular trainings equip employees with the knowledge and skills to maintain a secure IT environment. Monitoring is another crucial aspect of this process. Security Compliance Monitoring involves examining IT systems and operations to detect and mitigate potential security threats.

Documentation and Reporting: Organizations perform regular Security Compliance Audits to document the efficiency and effectiveness of security policies and practices. Following the audit, thorough security compliance reporting occurs, highlighting potential issues and providing recommendations for improvement.

Certification: Security Compliance Certification signifies that an organization's security practices meet the criteria defined by a third-party auditor based on globally recognized security compliance requirements. To achieve certification, organizations must commit to systematic maturity, establishing robust security compliance governance, ensuring thorough documentation, and employing strict enforcement.

Risk Assessment: Among the essential aspects of S&C is a detailed security compliance risk assessment, ensuring that businesses can identify potential threats and take necessary actions to manage these risks effectively.

Implementing best practices, proper documentation, maintaining governance, and consistent enforcement can pave the way for greater security compliance maturity and, ultimately, a more secure and compliant organization.

Healthcare Organization Setting

The application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in healthcare organizations is one of the best examples of security and compliance. Healthcare technology platforms must comply with HIPAA's security compliance regulations and standards, ensuring patient data is adequately protected.

Regular security compliance assessments and audits are carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the security measures. Also, healthcare organizations must have proper security compliance training for their staff and efficient security compliance management systems, reinforcing a culture of compliance and security.

Financial Institution

Major financial institutions are another prime example of robust security and compliance. Regulatory bodies keep a tight watch on such entities to ensure they adhere to rigorous security compliance requirements.

Therefore, financial institutions regularly conduct security compliance controls, audits, and risk assessments, documenting these in detailed security compliance reports. Security compliance certifications, like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), provide a security compliance framework to follow. Banks also must regularly provide security compliance training to their employees, ensuring they understand the importance of financial and personal data protection.

Information Technology Industry

The use of the Torii SaaS Management Platform encapsulates the importance of security and compliance in a digital-first era. Torii helps discover Shadow IT and the automation of SaaS operations. This tool primarily ensures enterprises have a complete overview of their SaaS expenditures, which is becoming a critical component of security compliance management. It also offers custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps, which are crucial for enforcing security compliance controls and requirements.

Torii further assists in security compliance monitoring, reporting, and documentation, bolstering the enterprises' security compliance maturity. With Torii, IT professionals can scale their SaaS-related work, follow security compliance best practices, and mitigate risks through automated security compliance governance.

In all these examples, the foundational framework of every good security and compliance strategy comprises regular assessments, continuous training, robust management systems, and adherence to the latest standards and regulations.
Best Practices for Security and Compliance (S&C)
Seizing control of your organization's security and compliance begins with a detailed security compliance framework. This framework serves as a blueprint that contains established security compliance standards and details necessary security compliance requirements.

Understand Regulations

To begin with, you need to understand the security compliance regulations pertinent to your industry. These vary widely and range from general data protection regulations to specific industry-centric regulations like HIPAA for healthcare or SOX for financial services.

Security Compliance Assessment

Subsequently, you need to identify the areas that require mandatory compliance controls and those amenable to elective controls based on your risk appetite and exposure. This is called the security compliance assessment. The next step is developing security compliance policies tailored to these identified areas. These policies should also include steps for efficient security compliance management.

Conduct Regular Security Compliance Audits

To certify the effectiveness of these policies, conduct regular security compliance audits. Remember, these audits aren't just systematic reviews of compliance but opportunities to evaluate the organization's security posture and inform future policy-making decisions.

Ensure Adherence to Policies

Equally important is ensuring that all stakeholders are privy to these policies and the repercussions of non-adherence. Regular security compliance training serves this purpose. Additionally, monitoring these stakeholders can help identify anomalies and potential risk areas in time to take corrective action.

Maintain Robust Security Compliance

To maintain a steady state of compliance, implement a robust security compliance governance. This can be achieved by establishing a compliance council to oversee enforcement, reviewing existing policies, providing updates on regulatory changes, and addressing compliance concerns.

Reporting and Documentation

The whole process should also involve consistent security compliance reporting. Detailed reports can shed light on compliance maturity, help identify potential risk areas, and drive decision-making about controls and policies.

Use of Reliable SaaS Management Platform

Last but most certainly not least is choosing the right tools, like Torii SaaS Management Platform, to help streamline the entire process. From monitoring Shadow IT and automating SaaS operations like onboarding and offboarding to optimizing SaaS licenses and providing visibility over SaaS expenses, Torii can significantly enhance your organization's compliance profile.

Torii not only proffers a detailed security compliance risk assessment but also allows you to build custom plugins and integrations for your cloud apps seamlessly. By providing insights into your compliance posture, Torii enables you to act decisively and ensure your organization remains robust and resilient in the face of ever-evolving security challenges.

Remember, focusing on security compliance best practices isn't optional. It's pivotal to the long-term success of your organization. By following this comprehensive guide, you'll be well on your way to embracing a robust, future-proof, and enforceable security compliance regime.
Related Tools for Security and Compliance (S&C)

Torii SaaS Management Platform
BitSight
Tenable
Qualys
Rapid7
Trustwave
Proofpoint
McAfee
Symantec
Cisco Umbrella
Splunk
AlienVault
Darktrace
RSA Security Analytics
CrowdStrike
Check Point
Fortinet
Palo Alto Networks
IBM QRadar
F5 Networks

Related Concepts in Security and Compliance (S&C)

Security compliance framework: A structured approach or model that outlines the processes and controls necessary to ensure an organization's adherence to security and compliance requirements.
Security compliance regulations: Laws and guidelines established by regulatory bodies or government entities to protect sensitive information and ensure organizations follow certain security practices.
Security compliance standards: Set rules and requirements that organizations must adhere to to maintain a certain level of security and comply with specific industry guidelines.
Security compliance assessment: A thorough examination and evaluation of an organization's security measures to identify gaps or non-compliance issues and determine the effectiveness of current security controls.
Security compliance management: The ongoing process of planning, implementing, and monitoring security practices and controls to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
Security compliance controls: Specific measures and safeguards implemented by an organization to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with security regulations and standards.
Security compliance audits: Independent assessments evaluate an organization's adherence to security and compliance requirements, including examining controls, policies, and processes.
Security compliance policies: Documented guidelines that outline rules and procedures to help organizations maintain security and meet regulatory and compliance requirements.
Security compliance training: Educational programs are provided to employees to raise awareness of security practices, policies, and regulation requirements to ensure compliance and minimize security risks.
Security compliance monitoring: Continuous surveillance and evaluation of an organization's security systems, practices, and activities to detect and address any non-compliance issues or potential security threats.
Security compliance reporting: Documenting and communicating security-related information, including non-compliance incidents, audits, and overall compliance status, to relevant stakeholders and authorities.
Security compliance certification: Official recognition or accreditation from an authorized body to an organization meeting specific security and compliance requirements.
Security compliance requirements: Mandatory conditions, regulations, or guidelines that organizations must follow to ensure the security and protection of sensitive data and comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Security compliance best practices: Industry-recognized guidelines and recommendations for implementing adequate security controls and protocols to ensure compliance and reduce the risk of security breaches.
Security compliance documentation: Recorded information, including policies, procedures, audit reports, and control assessments, provides evidence of an organization's security and compliance efforts.
Security compliance governance: Establishing and enforcing policies, controls, and processes to ensure compliance with security regulations and standards across an organization.
Security compliance enforcement: Implementing and ensuring adherence to security policies, controls, and regulations, including imposing consequences for non-compliance.
Security compliance maturity: The level of development and effectiveness of an organization's security and compliance programs, processes, and controls, as well as the organization's ability to adapt and respond to changes in the security landscape.
Security compliance risk assessment: The evaluation of potential threats, vulnerabilities, and risks that could compromise an organization's security and compliance to develop appropriate risk management strategies and controls.

FAQs: Security and Compliance (S&C)
Q: What is Security and Compliance (S&C)?

A: Security and Compliance (S&C) refers to the measures and regulations to protect sensitive information and ensure adherence to laws and guidelines. It involves safeguarding data from unauthorized access, mitigating risks, and meeting industry standards.

Q: Why is security and compliance important?

A: Security and compliance are crucial for businesses to protect their data, maintain customer trust, and avoid legal consequences. It helps prevent cyberattacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access, ensuring smooth operations and adherence to regulations.

Q: What are some common security and compliance regulations?

A: Common security and compliance regulations include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).

Q: What are the main challenges in security and compliance?

A: Some main challenges in security and compliance include keeping up with evolving cyber threats, implementing robust security measures, maintaining regulatory compliance, data privacy concerns, and employee training and awareness.

Q: How can businesses ensure security and compliance?

A: Businesses can ensure security and compliance by implementing strong access controls, regular security audits, data encryption, employee training, incident response plans, and staying updated with regulations and industry best practices.

Q: How does security and compliance impact cloud services?

A: Security and compliance are vital considerations for cloud services. Providers must ensure robust data protection, access controls, and compliance with industry-specific regulations. Businesses using cloud services must also ensure that their data is handled securely and meets compliance requirements.

Q: What are the consequences of non-compliance?

A: Non-compliance can lead to severe consequences, including financial penalties, legal actions, damage to reputation, loss of customer trust, and business disruption. Organizations need to comply with regulations to avoid these potential outcomes.

Q: How can businesses assess their security and compliance posture?

A: Businesses can assess their security and compliance posture through regular risk assessments, vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and audits. They should also review security policies, processes, and controls to identify potential gaps and areas for improvement.

Q: What is a security incident response plan?

A: A security incident response plan outlines an organization's steps and actions in case of a security breach or incident. It helps minimize the impact, mitigate risks, and ensure a coordinated and timely response to security incidents.

Q: Can security and compliance be outsourced?

A: Yes, businesses can outsource security and compliance tasks to specialized service providers. This can include managed security services, compliance consulting, risk assessments, and incident response services. However, businesses remain responsible for ensuring the security and compliance of their operations.


# Page Title
What is an IT Service Manager? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/it-service-manager

## Page Description

Learn what an IT Service Manager does—optimize IT operations and service delivery with ITSM tools, process automation, and security management.

## Details

What is an IT Service Manager (ITSM)?
An IT Service Manager (ITSM) is critical to an organization's IT department. They are responsible for ensuring all operations function optimally to support business objectives. ITSM entails various tasks such as service desk management, service delivery management, and service level management, where service quality and efficiency are essential from a user's standpoint.

Note: Revolutionize your IT Service Management with Torii. Uncover Shadow IT, enhance service reporting and performance management for continuous improvement. Streamline your service strategy and governance with Torii's comprehensive tools. Explore Torii SaaS Management

What is the essence of IT Service Management? The core responsibilities of an ITSM span from managing the service catalog, which details all IT services provisioned by the organization, to overseeing incident and problem management.

These components ensure a rapid, efficient response to any technical issues or hitches experienced within the organization. Asset management and configuration management are also within the purview of an IT Service Manager, focusing on maintaining the integrity, reliability, and value of organizational assets.

Change and Release Management: Change management and release management are also integral to the ITSM role. These processes effectively manage any modifications within the IT infrastructure, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruptions to services. Then there's service request management, which deals with receiving and cataloging users' demands for services, and service continuity management, which ensures services are not interrupted even in unprecedented scenarios.

Service Management: An influential ITSM role also anticipates future needs via service reporting, service performance management, and service improvement, enabling an organization to remain adaptive and agile. That means having a solid service strategy in place to guide IT services and a comprehensive service design to outline how services meet tactical and strategic business objectives.

Governance: Finally, service governance is critical to enforce accountability and ensure all IT services align with the business's strategic goals. An IT Service Manager implements diverse methodologies throughout the company, enabling seamless tech utilization in driving company success.

The goal is to ensure the organization derives maximum value from its technology infrastructure, providing an effective and efficient user experience.

Small and Medium Businesses

David, an IT Service Manager at a mid-size financial company, recognized problems in the consistency and quality of services. David implemented 'service management' across the IT department. He rolled out a strategy that made 'service delivery management' a critical focal point, aiming to increase efficiency and decrease downtimes. His approach included adding 'incident management' and 'problem management' to address and resolve any arising issues that arose swiftly. Within a short span, David's 'service level management' saw significant improvement, upholding the department's success.

Enterprise Setting

Lisa, a seasoned IT Director for a thriving retail chain, faced the challenge of software upgrades across numerous stores. She adopted a 'change management' and 'release management' approach, coordinating updates centrally to avoid disruption. Lisa also carried out rigorous configuration and asset management to ensure her organization's vast number of devices, software, and networks were appropriately utilized and managed. With these steps, Lisa ensured her company's IT infrastructure stayed robust, and the 'service continuity management' kept the business running smoothly without technological hiccups.

Real-World Example

Robert is a proactive IT Service Manager at a tech company. Utilizing the Torii SaaS management platform, Robert stepped up 'service desk management.' With Torii, he discovered Shadow IT and automated several SaaS operations. His exemplified 'service request management' achieved through optimizing SaaS licenses and saving costs. Furthermore, Robert's company gained vital oversight with 'service reporting,' enabling them to evaluate 'service performance management' and actively work on 'service improvement.' By implementing 'service governance,' Robert enhanced the transparency and effectively structured the 'service strategy' and 'service design.'

Each real-world example highlighted the immense utilities the right technical know-how and decision-making could bring to 'service catalog management,' transforming how IT operations are handled.
Best Practices for IT Service Manager (ITSM)
Utilizing best practices as an IT Service Manager involves focusing on several key management areas.

Service Management

Service management and IT service management form the foundation for effective performance. This entails handling requests, responding to incidents, and facilitating change, all of which are integral tasks that require a firm grasp of incident management, problem management, and change management skills.

Service Desk Management

Building on this foundation, service desk management becomes pivotal. It serves as the first point of call when addressing issues and needs keen oversight to handle inflow and escalation effectively. In parallel, service delivery management ensures that the IT services align with business needs and consistently meet the set service level management targets.

Service Catalog Management

Equally important is the role of service catalog management. This process maintains information regarding all the IT services offered to the organization. With a well-orchestrated service catalog, IT managers can streamline service request management and execute effective service continuity management.

Proactive Measures for IT Management

The complexity of IT systems today necessitates proactive measures for release management, configuration management, and asset management—critical steps toward ensuring stability and control over IT infrastructure. A platform like Torii can help facilitate these measures, offering comprehensive insights into asset usage and enabling IT professionals to maintain control over their software environment.

Service Reporting and Performance Management

Service reporting and service performance management are critical drivers for ongoing improvement. They enable you to measure and track the effectiveness of your IT services and identify improvement areas. Here, Torii's SaaS Management Platform comes into play, enabling IT professionals to automate operations and optimize service usage, thus driving cost savings.

Service Governance

Service governance, service strategy, and service design form critical elements of successful service management. These areas navigate long-term tactical decisions, align IT services with business strategy, and shape service offerings.

With Torii at the helm, IT managers can bring to life a resilient and adaptable IT ecosystem capable of scaling according to business needs while maintaining stringent oversight to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. This reflects the ultimate goal of IT Service Management best practices leveraging technology to foster business growth and agility.
Related Tools for IT Service Manager (ITSM)

Torii SaaS Management Platform
ServiceNow
Jira Service Management
Zendesk
Freshservice
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
BMC Helix ITSM
Ivanti Service Manager
SolarWinds Service Desk
SysAid IT Service Management

Related Concepts in IT Service Manager (ITSM) Role

IT service management: The designing, planning, delivering, and managing of IT services in an organization.
Service desk management: The team responsible for receiving, resolving, and managing IT service requests and incidents from end-users.
Service delivery management: Coordinating and ensuring the successful delivery of IT services to meet customer expectations.
Service level management: Defining, monitoring, and improving service levels to meet agreed-upon targets and customer requirements.
Service catalog management: Creating and maintaining a centralized list of IT services available to customers and their supporting information.
Incident management: Restoring regular IT service operations as quickly as possible after an incident or disruption to minimize the impact on the business.
Problem management: Identifying and addressing the root causes of recurring incidents to prevent future occurrences.
Change management: The process of controlling and managing changes to IT infrastructure, systems, or services in a structured and organized manner to minimize risks and disruptions.
Release management: The practice of planning, scheduling, and controlling the rollout of new releases or updates to IT services and systems.
Configuration management: Managing and maintaining a record of all IT assets, components, and relationships to ensure accurate and up-to-date information.
Asset management: The practice of tracking and managing the lifecycle of IT assets, including hardware, software, licenses, and contracts, to optimize their usage and ensure compliance.
Service request management: The process of handling and fulfilling customer requests for standard IT services, such as password resets or software installations.
Service continuity management: Ensuring critical IT services can quickly recover or continue during a major incident or disaster.
Service reporting: The practice of generating and analyzing reports on IT service performance to monitor trends, identify areas for improvement, and provide transparency to stakeholders.
Service performance management: The process of measuring, monitoring, and optimizing the performance of IT services to meet defined objectives and deliver value to customers.
Service improvement: The ongoing effort to identify and implement improvements to IT service management processes, tools, and practices.
Service governance: The framework and set of processes that ensure adequate oversight, control, and compliance of IT service management activities with organizational policies and guidelines.
Service strategy: The stage of IT service management that focuses on aligning IT service offerings with the business objectives and priorities of the organization.
Service design: The stage of IT service management that involves designing new or modified services, processes, and supporting systems to meet specific business needs and requirements.

FAQs: IT Service Manager (ITSM)
Q: What does an IT service manager do?

A: An IT service manager oversees the delivery and management of IT services within an organization. They ensure that IT services are aligned with business goals, handle technology deployment and maintenance, and manage a team of IT professionals.

Q: What are the critical skills required for an IT service manager?

A: Key skills for an IT service manager include strong technical knowledge, project management abilities, excellent communication and leadership skills, problem-solving capabilities, and a deep understanding of IT service management frameworks such as ITIL.

Q: What qualifications or certifications are needed to become an IT service manager?

A: While specific qualifications vary, most IT service managers have a bachelor's degree in a related field, such as computer science or information technology. Popular certifications include ITIL Foundation, ITIL Practitioner, PMP (Project Management Professional), and Six Sigma.

Q: What is ITIL?

A: ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library. It is a widely adopted framework that provides best practices for IT service management. ITIL helps organizations align their IT services with business needs, improve service delivery, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Q: How much does an IT service manager earn?

A: The salary of an IT service manager can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and the organization's size. On average, IT service managers earn around $80,000 to $120,000 annually.

Q: What are some common challenges faced by IT service managers?

A: Common challenges for IT service managers include managing complex IT environments, ensuring service quality and uptime, handling budget constraints, addressing security and compliance issues, and managing customer expectations.

Q: What tools do IT service managers use?

A: IT service managers often use various tools to support their work, such as IT service management software (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Management), project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Trello), monitoring and incident management tools (e.g., Nagios, Splunk), and collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack).

Q: How can IT service managers improve customer satisfaction?

A: IT service managers can improve customer satisfaction by implementing effective communication channels, defining and meeting service level agreements (SLAs), adopting self-service options, providing timely incident resolutions, and continuously evaluating and improving service quality.

Q: What are the different IT service management frameworks?

A: In addition to ITIL, other popular IT service management frameworks include COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies), ISO/IEC 20000 (International Standard for Service Management), and DevOps (Development and Operations).

Q: What are the career prospects for IT service managers?

A: Career prospects for IT service managers are promising as businesses increasingly rely on technology and IT services. With experience and continuous professional development, IT service managers can progress to higher-level positions such as IT director, IT operations manager, or IT service delivery manager.


# Page Title
What is a Log Analysis? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/log-analysis

## Page Description

Unlock insights and boost system performance with log analysis. Tap into actionable intelligence and safeguard against threats with advanced techniques.

## Details

What is Log Analysis?
Log Analysis (LA) is the analytical method through which digital log data from various sources is gathered, classified, and reviewed to extract essential information and insights.

These insights derived from log analysis tools are essential for identifying system errors, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring optimum functionality of IT resources.

Note: Ready for AI-powered SaaS data insights? Get expense data, license utilization rates, and actionable intelligence to drive strategic decision-making. With Torii and turn insights into impact. Discover Torii’s SaaS Management Platform

How can you successfully carry out this seemingly intricate process? The answer lies in effective techniques such as data contrasting, pattern recognition, correlation analysis, and trend identification. These techniques ensure an accurate and robust log analysis process, akin to assembling a puzzle and discerning an overall pattern.

Use of Log Analysis Metrics and Software: Common examples include network anomaly detection, system troubleshooting, and cyber-security threat identification. IT managers apply different analysis metrics and use various software to carry out these tasks. Software like Splunk, Datadog, and Sumologic are among the top choices.

Efficient Analysis Process: Adopting log analysis best practices ensures an efficient analysis process. This includes providing steady log management, employing automated tools, and staying up to date with log analysis trends, such as the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Log Analysis Challenges: The process does present some log analysis challenges, such as handling large amounts of data, the varying format of log files, and the need for real-time analysis.

Log Analysis Benefits: Despite these challenges, the benefits are significant. They include improved system performance, enhanced security, efficient troubleshooting, and informed decision-making processes.

Incorporate Log Analysis Framework: Log analysis solutions often employ a structured log analysis framework, which dictates the data gathering, processing, and concluding steps. The framework navigates the application of analytical methods, report generation, and identifying patterns and anomalies.

Adopt Automation Tools: Modern automation tools bring another layer to this process, adding efficiency and speed. With log analysis automation, IT managers can swiftly go through large volumes of log data, identify correlations, and notice security threats in real-time.

In conclusion, log analysis is a critical managerial function for IT departments. Whether for troubleshooting, security, or network anomaly detection, the method is a vanguard of efficient and effective system management.

Security Management

A prominent use of log analysis is within the realm of security management. By leveraging advanced log analysis tools, cybersecurity experts can parse through logs from various systems to identify any suspicious activity.

Log analysis methods may span from simple pattern recognition to more robust correlation analyses that aim to pinpoint intricate threats hidden amidst regular activity. However, devouring enormous amounts of log data can pose significant challenges to analysis.

To make the task manageable, companies often use log analysis automation, the best practice in this space. Automation allows log data processing in real-time, ensuring threats are identified as soon as possible.

Troubleshooting System Issues

IT managers often sort through system logs when resolving application or infrastructure issues. In these scenarios, log analysis examples typically involve deep-diving into the details of system operations to locate abnormal patterns or errors.

Utilizing appropriate log analysis techniques such as time series analysis, IT managers can diagnose a problematic incident's origin and subsequent ripple effects throughout the system. Effective log analysis solutions streamline this troubleshooting process and reduce system downtime.

SaaS Management Platform

The Torii SaaS Management Platform represents an innovative approach to log analysis within the SaaS environment. This platform allows IT professionals to discover Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and obtain visibility over SaaS expenditures.

Using Torii, IT teams can generate a detailed log analysis report showcasing patterns of SaaS usage throughout the organization. This log data can also feed into the automated SaaS onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure optimized license utilization and cost savings.

By integrating Torii’s log analysis software into their operations, IT managers can decipher the log analysis metrics and utilize them to improve SaaS-related work scalability. Log analysis with the Torii platform underscores the beneficial trend of leveraging log data for strategic decision-making.

This way, IT departments can convert insights from the log analysis process into meaningful actions, underlining the extensive log analysis benefits at play.
Best Practices for Log Analysis
Log analysis is a crucial aspect of an effective IT management strategy. Employing rigorous log analysis techniques can help synthesize large volumes of data into actionable insights, identify potential security threats, troubleshoot system issues, and optimize overall IT operations. A structured log analysis process, underpinned by transparency and automation, is the cornerstone of a successful IT strategy.

Select the Right Log Analysis Tool

Begin with the selection of effective log analysis tools. The right software can streamline the process, facilitate sophisticated log analysis methods, and easily handle complex tasks.

Torii SaaS Management Platform, for instance, can simplify log analysis by providing critical insights into your IT operations. It not only helps in discovering Shadow IT but also automates SaaS operations, providing visibility over SaaS expenditures. It amicably bridges the gap between log analysis and practical software management.

Create a Structured Log Analysis Framework

Remember, the application of a structured log analysis framework necessitates a well-defined set of log analysis metrics. These help identify patterns, trends, and anomalies within your logged data. Embrace automation in this process. Automating mundane tasks like log collection and aggregation can save countless hours and improve productivity.

Analyze and Correlate Data

Dive deeper into the analysis by applying log correlation. This technique highlights relationships between log entries, enabling efficient problem identification and quicker troubleshooting. Log correlation also plays a vital role in improving your system's security.

Discuss and Resolve Log Challenges

Overcome log analysis challenges by encouraging transparency and promoting a culture of systemic learning among your IT team. Organize regular discussions on log analysis examples to foster a sense of collective knowledge building around potential threats and solutions.

Continuously Improve Log Analysis Techniques

Understandably, the benefits of log analysis extend beyond security. Effective log analysis techniques can also spot inefficiencies in your systems, leading to potential cost savings and optimized resource allocation.

Adapt to Log Analysis Trends

Don’t be complacent. Stay updated with emerging log analysis trends, such as integrating AI and machine learning algorithms, which offer predictive capabilities and enhanced decision-making.

In conclusion, a systematic approach to log analysis, fortified by innovative tools like Torii, can drive your IT operations toward greater efficiency, security, and strength. Remember, the task isn't merely about analyzing logs. It's about transforming massive data into meaningful, impactful actions.
Related Tools for Log Analysis

Torii SaaS Management Platform (for SaaS Management and insights)
Splunk
Elastic Stack
Sumo Logic
Logz.io
Graylog
Loggly
Papertrail
SolarWinds Log & Event Manager
LogDNA
Datadog Log Management
Sematext Logs
Fluentd
Logstash
Kibana
Grafana
Prometheus

Related Concepts in Log Analysis

Log Analysis: Analyzing log data generated by systems and applications to gain insights into their behavior and performance.
Log Analysis Tools: Software tools designed to help automate and streamline the log analysis process.
Log Analysis Techniques: Various methods and approaches extract valuable information from log data, such as pattern recognition, anomaly detection, and statistical analysis.
Log Analysis Examples: Real-world instances where log analysis has been applied to uncover issues, identify trends, and improve system performance.
Log Analysis Best Practices: Proven guidelines and strategies for conducting practical log analysis, including proper log collection, storage, and analysis methods.
Log Analysis Software: Software applications designed to collect, organize, and analyze log data from various sources.
Log Analysis Process: The step-by-step procedure of collecting, parsing, and analyzing log data to uncover actionable insights and diagnose potential issues.
Log Analysis Methods: Specific approaches and tools employed during log analysis, such as keyword searching, machine learning algorithms, and correlation analysis.
Log Analysis Framework: A structured approach or model that outlines the different stages and components involved in log analysis, helping to streamline the process.
Log Analysis Metrics: Key performance indicators and measurements used to evaluate systems and applications' health, performance, and security.
Log Analysis Report: A formal document generated after completing log analysis, summarizing findings, highlighting trends, and suggesting recommendations for improvement.
Log Analysis Patterns: Common recurring patterns or trends observed in log data that can provide insights into system behavior or potential issues.
Log Analysis Challenges: Difficulties and obstacles faced during log analysis, such as large volumes of data, complex data formats, and limited resources.
Log Analysis Benefits: The advantages and positive outcomes of log analysis include improved system performance, enhanced security, and better troubleshooting capabilities.
Log Analysis Solutions: Technological solutions and approaches that address the challenges and improve the effectiveness of log analysis.
Log Analysis Trends: Trends and advancements in log analysis techniques, tools, and technologies.
Log Analysis Automation: Using automated processes and tools to streamline and expedite log analysis tasks, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency.
Log Analysis Correlation: The process of correlating log data from multiple sources to identify relationships, dependencies, and potential causes of issues.
Log Analysis Security: The analysis of log data to identify security threats, detect breaches, and ensure compliance with security policies.
Log Analysis Troubleshooting: Using log analysis to identify and resolve system issues, errors, and performance bottlenecks.

FAQs: Log Analysis
Q: What is log analysis?

A: Log analysis is the process of examining and interpreting log files generated by computer systems, applications, or network devices to gain insights into system behavior, troubleshoot issues, identify security threats, and optimize performance.

Q: Why is log analysis critical?

A: Log analysis is essential because it enables IT professionals to understand the overall health and performance of systems, detect anomalies, troubleshoot issues, identify root causes of problems, enhance security, and improve system efficiency.

Q: How does log analysis work?

A: Log analysis involves collecting and analyzing log files. Log files are typically text files that record events and activities, such as errors, warnings, user interactions, and system behavior. Log analysis tools help to extract meaningful information from these files, such as patterns, trends, and anomalies.

Q: What are the benefits of log analysis?

A: Log analysis provides several benefits, including improved system performance, faster troubleshooting and issue resolution, enhanced security through identifying suspicious activity, better compliance with regulatory requirements, and insights for optimizing system resources.

Q: What are the common challenges in log analysis?

A: Common challenges in log analysis include dealing with large volumes of log data, understanding complex log formats, correlating logs from multiple sources, identifying relevant log events, separating standard patterns from anomalies, and interpreting log entries accurately.

Q: What are the popular log analysis tools?

A: Popular log analysis tools include ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Splunk, Sumo Logic, Graylog, Datadog, and Fluentd. These tools offer features like log aggregation, search capabilities, visualization, and real-time monitoring.

Q: How can log analysis improve security?

A: Log analysis can improve security by detecting and identifying suspicious activities, such as unauthorized access attempts, malware infections, or unusual network traffic. By analyzing logs in real-time, security incidents can be promptly identified and mitigated, reducing the risk of data breaches or system compromises.

Q: What is the difference between log analysis and log management?

A: Log analysis focuses on extracting insights and patterns from log files to gain actionable information, while log management involves collecting, storing, and organizing log data in a centralized location for easy access and retrieval. Log management is a broader term that includes log analysis as one of its key components.

Q: How can log analysis help in troubleshooting?

A: Log analysis helps troubleshoot by allowing IT professionals to trace events and activities leading up to an issue. Examining log entries, patterns, and timestamps makes it possible to identify the root cause of a problem and take appropriate actions to resolve it.

Q: What is real-time log analysis?

A: Real-time log analysis analyzes log data as events occur, providing immediate insights into system behavior or security threats. It enables proactive monitoring, alerting, and response, helping to prevent potential issues from escalating and ensuring system availability.


# Page Title
What is Saas Security? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/saas-security

## Page Description

Understand and enhance your SaaS security: Gain best practices about responsibilities, standards like ISO 27001, and training.

## Details

SaaS Security, or Software-as-a-Service Security, speaks to the robust practice of protecting and ensuring cloud-based applications' safe and secure use. As an inherently multi-tenant concept, SaaS Security is essential to running applications over the internet.

SaaS Security includes various practices, solutions, risks, measures, frameworks, assessments, controls, compliance requirements, architectural considerations, guidelines, policies, standards, audits, certifications, monitoring systems, incident responses, awareness campaigns, training programs, encryption methods, and vulnerability checks.

Note: You can't prevent what you can't detect. Check out Torii's AI-powered SaaS Management Platform. Your best defense against shadow IT, incomplete offboarding, SaaS operations, and more. Discover how Torii transforms SaaS security management.

What if you are just dipping your toes into the SaaS waters as an IT manager or director? Navigating the labyrinth of SaaS Security best practices may seem daunting at first. Here's where a comprehensive understanding of SaaS security solutions comes into play.

SaaS Security can help you address potential security risks and safeguard your applications from cyber threats. These solutions include SaaS security measures and SaaS security frameworks, essentially the bread and butter of maintaining your SaaS's security blanket.

SaaS Security Assessment: A well-planned SaaS security assessment is invaluable in this arena, providing a detailed analysis of your existing security posture and allowing you to implement necessary security controls. These controls bring in SaaS security compliance, ensuring alignment with SaaS security architecture and adherence to aplomb SaaS security guidelines and policies.

Audit and Certification: To keep the ship sailing smoothly, one requires steadfast SaaS security standards, bolstered through regular SaaS security audits and recognized SaaS security certifications. This process enables continuous security improvement by pinpointing the loopholes in the system.

SaaS Security Monitoring: Now, let's not forget SaaS security monitoring. It involves real-time tracking and defense against potential cyber threats, complemented with an efficient SaaS security incident response mechanism to counter any security breach—awareness of potential threats catalyzes SaaS security awareness, fostering a culture of SaaS security within the organization.

Training: Awareness alone isn't enough without proper SaaS security training and widespread encryption practices. This facilitates better understanding and adherence to practices to mitigate SaaS security vulnerabilities.

In conclusion, SaaS Security is an encompassing framework vital to offering robust protection to your cloud-based software services. Its vast spectrum, involving everything from best practices to vulnerability checks, is an essential guide for IT managers and directors in navigating the dynamic landscape of cloud-based application security.
Examples of SaaS Security
Enterprise Setting

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is a testament to the importance of robust SaaS security. Google enforces several rigorous SaaS security measures, including data encryption, regular security audits, vulnerability detection, and incident responses.

Moreover, Google provides comprehensive SaaS security training and publishes clear guidelines on best practices, helping elevate security within their architecture and foster a broader awareness and understanding of SaaS security risks.

Small and Medium Businesses

One prime example of SaaS security implementation is with Salesforce, a leading cloud-based CRM platform. As part of its extensive SaaS security architecture, Salesforce utilizes a variety of measures such as encryption, activity auditing, and robust user authentication standards to protect its customer data.

Salesforce also complies with several SaaS security standards and certifications to ensure robust security. This rigorous approach towards SaaS security compliance and scrutiny underlines Salesforce's commitment to creating a safe and reliable user environment.

Real-World Example

Torii SaaS Management Platform is designed to streamline and automate SaaS operations and greatly emphasizes SaaS security measures. The platform provides IT professionals with insights into Shadow IT and the ability to monitor SaaS spend, critical components of SaaS security awareness.

Torii’s emphasis on customizability also allows businesses to create bespoke SaaS security controls, tailoring their security strategies to fit their unique requirements better.

These three examples, each in their unique way, exemplify the importance of taking a comprehensive approach towards SaaS security, focusing on proactive measures like implementing a solid security architecture and monitoring and reactive measures such as effective incident response strategies. They also highlight the value that third-party platforms like Torii can bring in bolstering the security posture of SaaS-focused businesses.
Best Practices for SaaS Security

Understand the Shared Responsibility Model

The first best practice of SaaS security is understanding the shared responsibility model. Understanding the provider and user roles can mitigate SaaS security risks. SaaS security solutions may also involve third parties who manage data, adding another dimension to the responsibility matrix. Ensuring clarity on these roles is critical and can be facilitated with tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform.

Follow Industry Standards and Comply Certifications

SaaS security measures should include following industry standards and complying with certifications like ISO 27001. Regular SaaS security audits are crucial to identifying vulnerabilities. The Torii platform can help IT managers uncover hidden Shadow IT and optimize licenses and costs, an often overlooked facet of SaaS security.

Undergo SaaS Security Awareness and Training

Investing in your team's SaaS security awareness and training is another best practice. You can prepare your team to respond effectively to potential security incidents through simulation exercises. Developing a SaaS security incident response plan to contain and control such situations is essential.

Incorporate Robust SaaS Security Controls

Systems should incorporate robust SaaS security controls, including encryption, access control, and activity monitoring. Automatic encryption for data in transit and at rest is a baseline SaaS security measure. Using multi-factor authentication and strict access controls minimizes the risk of unauthorized access.

Regularly Enhance SaaS Security Frameworks

In terms of architecture, SaaS security frameworks should be flexible and scalable. The cloud environment should allow for easy integration of defenses such as intrusion prevention systems, firewalls, and secure gateways. Torii’s ability to build custom plugins allows for such flexibility.

Ensure Data Privacy and Protection

SaaS security compliance involves meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring data privacy and protection. SaaS security policies should align with GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant regulations.

Address Security Vulnerabilities

Addressing SaaS security vulnerabilities requires a regular security assessment. Vulnerability scanning can identify potential weak points before they are exploited. Establishing alerts and integrating them into your SaaS security monitoring function can allow for a swift response to mitigate risks.

Adapt Security Guidelines

Finally, it's essential to review and adapt your SaaS security guidelines regularly. As the technology and threat landscape evolve, so should your strategies. Leveraging platforms like Torii can provide insights to guide this continuous improvement process.

In summary, effective SaaS security is a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach that combines technical measures, employee training, and regular reviews, all supported and enabled by platforms like Torii.
Related Tools

Torii SaaS Management Platform
Okta
Cisco CloudLock
McAfee MVISION Cloud
OneLogin
Netskope
Zscaler
Tenable.io
BetterCloud
CrowdStrike Falcon

Related Concepts for SaaS Security

Best practices: The recommended ways to ensure the security of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications.
Solutions: Software tools or services designed to protect and secure SaaS applications and data.
Risks: Potential threats and vulnerabilities that can compromise the security of SaaS applications and data.
Measures: Steps and actions taken to safeguard SaaS applications and data against unauthorized access or misuse.
Frameworks: Structured approaches or models used to design, implement, and manage security controls for SaaS applications.
Assessment: Evaluation of the security posture of SaaS applications to identify potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities.
Controls: Mechanisms or safeguards implemented to mitigate risks and maintain the security of SaaS applications.
Compliance: Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements regarding data protection and privacy in SaaS environments.
Architecture: The design and organization of security components and features in a SaaS application.
Guidelines: Recommendations or instructions on how to ensure the security of SaaS applications and data.
Policies: Written documents that outline rules, procedures, and responsibilities related to the security of SaaS applications.
Standards: Established criteria or benchmarks for the security of SaaS applications and data.
Audits: Systematic reviews conducted to assess the effectiveness and compliance of SaaS security measures.
Certifications: Industry-recognized credentials or certifications given to SaaS providers that demonstrate their adherence to specified security standards.
Monitoring: Continuous surveillance and analysis of SaaS applications and data to detect and respond to security incidents or anomalies.
Incident response: Coordinated actions and procedures to address and mitigate security breaches or incidents in SaaS environments.
Awareness: Knowledge and understanding of security risks and best practices among users and stakeholders of SaaS applications.
Training: Educational programs or activities aimed at increasing the skills and awareness of individuals regarding SaaS security.
Encryption: The process of converting SaaS application data into a secure and unreadable format to protect it from unauthorized access.
Vulnerability: Attackers can exploit weaknesses or flaws in SaaS applications or environments to compromise security.

FAQs
Q: What is SaaS Security?

A: SaaS security refers to the measures to protect data and applications in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environment.

Q: Why is SaaS Security important?

A: SaaS security is vital as it ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and applications hosted in the cloud.

Q: What are the main risks and challenges of SaaS security?

A: The principal risks and challenges of SaaS security include data breaches, unauthorized access, lack of control over security measures, and compliance issues.

Q: How can I secure my SaaS applications?

A: You can secure your SaaS applications by implementing strong authentication, data encryption, regular monitoring of access logs, and staying up-to-date with security patches.

Q: What are the best practices for SaaS security?

A: Best practices for SaaS security include regularly assessing and monitoring security controls, educating users about security policies, using multi-factor authentication, and implementing data loss prevention measures.

Q: What should I consider when selecting a SaaS provider?

A: When selecting a SaaS provider, it is essential to consider their security certifications, data protection policies, encryption practices, access controls, and ability to meet compliance requirements.

Q: How does SaaS security differ from traditional on-premises security?

A: SaaS security differs from traditional on-premises security as it relies on the provider's infrastructure and security measures. In contrast, on-premises security involves the organization's infrastructure and control over security measures.

Q: What is encrypting data in SaaS?

A: Encrypting data in SaaS involves converting data into a coded form to protect it from unauthorized access or breaches while it is being stored or transmitted.

Q: What is multi-factor authentication in SaaS?

A: Multi-factor authentication in SaaS is a security measure that requires users to provide multiple forms of verification (e.g., password, biometrics, security token) to access their accounts, adding a layer of protection.

Q: How can I ensure compliance with SaaS security?

A: To ensure compliance with SaaS security, it is crucial to assess the provider's compliance certifications, review their security policies, and ensure they meet the specific regulatory requirements relevant to your industry.


# Page Title
What are Discovery Tools? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/discovery-tools

## Page Description

Unlock the power of discovery tools! From search engines to content aggregators, learn how these tools help you find what you need.

## Details

Discovery Tools, often known as discovery software or solutions, play a critical role in IT discovery. This subset of information technology aids IT Managers and Directors with essential functions of the network. These tools can help with network, application, data, asset, and even cloud discovery, offering comprehensive discovery and inventory services.

Note: Discover the power of Torii, your ultimate SaaS discovery tool! Say goodbye to Shadow IT and hello to streamlined operations. Torii's specialized features enable effortless asset and cloud discovery, ensuring compliance and reducing risks. With custom plugins and integrations, scale your SaaS tasks seamlessly. Check Torii’s SaaS Management Platform with AI powered Shadow IT discovery.

Discovery Tools can map your network or application, manage data or assets, and monitor your IT health.

Automation: Discovery Tools can automate complex tasks, making discovery and automation a clear asset in your IT toolbox.

Discovery and Compliance: The focus on automation doesn't mean they're hands-off, though. These tools also support discovery and compliance tasks, ensuring your IT operations align with established standards and regulations. Discovery tools comparison becomes essential when choosing the best fit for your organization's specific needs.

Multiple Discovery Tools for Every Need: Navigating the discovery tool market may feel overwhelming, but fear not! From top-tier to open-source options, there's a variety of discovery software tailored to every need. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, these tools simplify inventory, mapping, management, monitoring, and compliance tasks.

Maintaining an efficient and compliant IT environment is crucial in the rapidly evolving world of technology. Discovery Tools are an invaluable resource for IT Managers and Directors. So, whether you're a budding IT professional or a seasoned veteran, understanding discovery solutions and their capabilities is key.
Examples of Discovery Tools
ServiceNow Discovery

ServiceNow Discovery is an enterprise discovery software that helps IT managers and directors identify all devices on their company's IT network. On top of this, it also efficiently captures the configuration data of these devices. As such, ServiceNow Discovery is an all-inclusive network discovery tool that contributes to overall IT discovery – from hardware discovery to application discovery and everything in between.

Tableau

Tableau is one of the top discovery tools. Its intelligent software algorithm allows for the swift identification of patterns within vast volumes of data. Data managers can easily comprehend and analyze found patterns through visualizations, making Tableau an extremely user-friendly tool. It doesn't just aid in data discovery but also in management and monitoring, keeping businesses compliant by ensuring their data is in order.

Real-World Example

One discovery tool is the Torii SaaS Management Platform. Torii is exceptional for its SaaS-specific capabilities, paving the way for automated and streamlined SaaS operations. It is an ideal solution for IT professionals seeking to discover Shadow IT, the unauthorized use of technology within an organization.

Through its various features, Torii enables asset discovery, cloud discovery, and even discovery and compliance at once. This makes it largely beneficial for cost and risk management. Apart from its primary functions, Torii offers versatility with its ability to develop custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps. This discovery and automation feature lets IT departments scale their SaaS-related tasks more efficiently.

Finding the best discovery tools depends mainly on your company's specific needs. From network and application discovery to data and cloud discovery, there's a solution for every challenge. In the era of high-speed technology and digital transformation, tools like ServiceNow, Tableau, and Torii prove invaluable for IT professionals.
Best Practices for Discovery Tools
Navigating the IT landscape means being acquainted with a variety of discovery tools to help you cut through the fog of war in your organization. These tools, while varied, have some standard best practices for optimal utilization and management.

Identify the tools for each of your "blind spots"

A practical approach often begins with network discovery tools. These tools give an overview of your IT environment and can illuminate areas such as application discovery and data discovery. The primary goal is to identify and map out all devices and software currently used.

Catalog Physical and Hardware Assets

Upon initial discovery, the next step is usually asset discovery. This involves detailed cataloging of hardware and other physical assets. Having comprehensive data on assets aids in proactive management and can be amplified by integrating IT discovery with your existing inventory management software.

Leverage Cloud Discovery

While IT discovery primarily covers local networks, leveraging cloud discovery for SaaS applications is essential. As companies utilize more cloud services, having oversight is vital for effective management. Platforms such as Torii SaaS Management can discover Shadow IT, automate operations, and offer visibility over expenditures, offering substantial insights for better action.

Regular System Monitoring

After identifying and cataloging all resources – whether network, application, data, asset, or cloud-based – the focus should be discovery and monitoring. Appropriate monitoring can prevent most IT issues before they elevate and facilitate troubleshooting if necessary. Discovery and monitoring are continuous processes that ensure your IT landscape stays controlled.

Maintain Asset Compliance

Another dimension of these tools is discovery and compliance. Employing discovery software assists in meeting compliance requirements, as it provides evidence of your resources and how they are manipulated. More so, discovery and automation go hand-in-hand, limiting manual efforts and reducing human errors.

Use of Open-Source Discovery Tools

Additionally, open-source discovery tools may benefit smaller businesses or those looking to keep costs low. However, enterprise discovery tools are typically more comprehensive and designed to handle large-scale operations.

Compare and Select Discovery Tools

Lastly, performing a discovery tools comparison is advisable before selecting the best discovery tools for your needs. Consider using top discovery tools as a benchmark when choosing your solution. Many users have validated these tools and have a track record of delivering good outcomes.

In summary, identify, catalog, monitor, automate, be compliant, and regularly compare tools for efficacy. Torii SaaS Management Platform is a solid example here as it covers most of these practices—it supports effective management and offers scalable solutions for SaaS applications. Your chosen discovery tools should suit your unique business needs and help streamline your organization's IT management.
Related Tools

Torii, the SaaS Management Platform
Cleanshelf
Graphite
SaasOptics
Cleanshelf
Intello
Siftery
Alpin
Software/SaaS Discovery
SaaSTrax
Clokka
Bridge crew
Alloy
AppNanny

Related Concepts

Shadow IT: Unsanctioned technology products or services used within an organization—shadow IT is most often in the form of cloud applications.
IT discovery: Uncovering and cataloging all the assets and resources within an organization's IT environment.
Network discovery tools: Tools designed to detect and map the devices and connections present in a computer network.
Application discovery: Identifying and documenting all applications running in an IT ecosystem.
Data discovery: Locating and classifying sensitive or critical data within a network or system.
Asset discovery: Identifying and recording all the hardware and software assets in an organization's IT environment.
Cloud discovery: Techniques and tools to identify and manage resources hosted in cloud computing environments.
Discovery and inventory: The combination of processes and tools used to discover, catalog, and track assets and resources within an IT infrastructure.
Discovery and mapping: The visualization and documentation of the relationships and dependencies between different components within an IT ecosystem.
Discovery and management: The activities and tools used to monitor, configure, and control assets and resources within an organization's IT environment.
Discovery and monitoring: The ongoing tracking and observation of IT resources to ensure performance, security, and compliance.
Discovery and automation: Using technology to streamline and automate the discovery processes within an IT ecosystem.
Discovery and compliance: The alignment of asset discovery practices with regulatory or industry standards to ensure adherence and minimize risks.
Discovery tools comparison: Evaluating and contrasting different discovery software solutions to determine their suitability for specific organizational needs.
Best discovery tools: Software solutions widely recognized for their effectiveness, features, and capabilities in IT discovery.
Top discovery tools: Software solutions that consistently rank highly in terms of performance and user satisfaction within the field of IT discovery.
Open-source discovery tools: Software tools developed and distributed with an open-source license, allowing users to modify and customize the code as necessary.
Enterprise discovery tools: Software solutions specifically designed to meet large organizations' complex needs and scale.

FAQs: Discovery Tools
Q: What are discovery tools?

A: Discovery tools are software or services that help users find and gather information from various sources, such as websites, databases, and documents.

Q: How do discovery tools work?

A: Discovery tools typically use advanced algorithms and techniques to search, index, and categorize vast amounts of data, allowing users to find relevant information quickly.

Q: What are the benefits of using discovery tools?

A: Discovery tools can save time and effort by quickly locating required information, improving productivity, and enabling informed decision-making.

Q: Are discovery tools useful for businesses?

A: Yes, discovery tools are particularly beneficial for businesses as they can help in market research, competitive analysis, trend identification, and data-driven decision-making.

Q: Can discovery tools be used for legal purposes?

A: Yes, discovery tools are frequently employed in legal proceedings to search and retrieve relevant electronic documents and evidence.

Q: Do discovery tools provide real-time information?

A: Some discovery tools offer real-time data acquisition features, allowing users to access and analyze the most up-to-date information.

Q: Are discovery tools able to search across multiple sources?

A: Yes, most discovery tools are designed to search and access information from various sources, including online databases, websites, internal systems, and more.

Q: Can discovery tools integrate with other software applications?

A: Many discovery tools offer integration capabilities with popular software applications like customer relationship management (CRM) systems or project management tools.

Q: Are discovery tools user-friendly?

A: Discovery tools vary in terms of user-friendliness, but many are designed to be intuitive and easy to use, requiring minimal training or technical expertise.

Q: What types of data can be discovered using these tools?

A: Discovery tools can help find various data types, including text documents, images, videos, audio files, and structured data from databases.

Q: Can discovery tools be customized to specific needs?

A: Some discovery tools offer customization options, allowing users to configure search parameters, filters, and other settings according to their specific requirements.

Q: Are there free discovery tools available?

A: Yes, free and paid discovery tools are available, with varying features and capabilities depending on the specific tool.

Q: How do I choose the right discovery tool for my needs?

A: To choose the right discovery tool, consider your requirements, budget, the scope of data sources you need to access, and user reviews and ratings.

Q: Are discovery tools secure?

A: Discovery tools often offer security features to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data accessed, such as secure connections and user access controls.

Q: Can discovery tools help with data analysis?

A: Yes, many discovery tools provide features for data analysis and visualization, making it easier for users to derive insights and understand trends from the discovered data.

Q: Do discovery tools require an extensive infrastructure?

A: The infrastructure requirements for discovery tools vary depending on the tool and the volume of accessed data. Some tools may require additional hardware or cloud services for optimal performance.


# Page Title
What is Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/independent-verification-and-validation

## Page Description

Learn what Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) means in tech, why it matters, and how it raises software quality and assurance.

## Details

Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) is a unique discipline within software testing and quality assurance. This two-pronged approach systematically scrutinizes every stage of the software development lifecycle. Its primary function is to provide an unbiased assessment of software systems to ensure they are built to the highest quality, using tools such as audit and evaluation, risk management, and process improvement.

Note: Effortlessly manage your system's lifecycle with Torii's automated Lifecycle Management. From adoption to optimization, ensure security, reduce redundancy, and stay alert to critical metrics for a streamlined and risk-free SaaS environment. Check out App Lifecycle Management

What if you’re already following standard testing methodologies and coding best practices? Software quality assurance isn't just about defect tracking, test planning, and execution. IV&V takes it a step further.

Independent verification involves comprehensive code review and requirements analysis to confirm the product meets specifications. This is complemented by validation activities that prove that the system fulfills its intended use.

System Integration Testing: The IV&V process emphasizes system integration testing, designed to expose issues arising from the interaction among different system components.

Test Automation: IV&V also takes advantage of test automation, enabling teams to execute more tests faster and more accurately.

Process Improvement: Moreover, good IV&V practice continues beyond objective assessment. It is actively involved in promoting process improvement to help reduce the number of errors reaching the testing stage. This includes thorough test documentation, which is crucial for understanding the testing approach, actions taken, and outcomes.

Usability Testing: Importantly, IV&V also lends itself to usability testing to establish how intuitive and user-friendly the software is. This ensures that software works properly and is coherent and suitable for end-users.

In summary, Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) is a comprehensive strategy that aims to enhance the overall quality of software systems. Emphasizing independence, attention to detail, and conformance to user needs invariably boosts confidence in the software product and raises the bar for quality assurance.
Examples of Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
Enterprise Setting

Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) plays a vital role in ensuring product reliability in software development. One instance of its successful use is within a multinational corporation that employed IV&V across numerous successive software development cycles.

The company adopted verification activities, including systematic code review and rigorous requirements analysis, to scrutinize the product syntax and design accuracy.

By pairing this with validation activities like system integration testing, they could evaluate the finished solution's functional performance proficiently. Through IV&V, the organization also enhanced its risk management approach by identifying potential issues early, significantly lowering defect density.

Moreover, they saw substantial process improvement and quality assurance, validating the importance of thorough testing in software engineering.

Financial Sector

An international bank incorporated the principles of IV&V in their IT audit and assessment procedures with successful results. They utilized extensive software testing methodologies, such as usability testing, to confirm system output quality and resilience. The bank also deployed a robust defect tracking system to accurately record error frequency and effects, paired with effective test planning and execution.

This proved vital in promoting a clean audit while heightening their digital infrastructure’s overall efficacy. Simultaneously, this exercise, centering on quality assurance, strengthened the bank's position against potential security threats and performance bottlenecks.

Real-World Example

As digital landscapes become more complex, managing software application portfolios effectively becomes challenging for many businesses. This is where SaaS management platforms like Torii can help immensely.

By applying the principles of IV&V, such as test automation and test documentation, Torii helps IT professionals effectively manage their software assets. It allows them to discover Shadow IT, automating SaaS operations like SaaS on/off-boarding, license optimization, and cost savings.

The test execution and system integration testing that Torii conducts imparts IT managers and directors transparency over SaaS expenditures and enables them to make more informed decisions.

With IV&V and Torii, companies can realize process improvement by streamlining their SaaS management, bringing about significant operational efficiencies.
Best Practices for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
To leverage Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) effectively, certain best practices govern this intricate process, often used within the software development lifecycle for quality assurance.

Understanding IV&V

The first step is understanding the concept of IV&V itself, where independent agents assess software performance from a third-party viewpoint, shaping a conducive environment for quality and objectivity in software testing.

Test Planning

A robust testing plan detailing the testing methodologies to be adopted is vital. A clear plan specifies the verification activities for the product stages and validation activities for the final output.

Requirements Analysis

Requirements analysis aids in understanding what the software is expected to accomplish. Prioritizing this helps mitigate potential risks, paving the way for better risk management during development.

Code Review and Evaluations

Subsequently, the importance of code review cannot be overlooked. Regular evaluations keep glitches in check, contributing to the defect-tracking process. This step helps to maintain a high standard of coding practices and reduces the number of detected bugs during the testing phase.

Conduct System Integration Testing

Following this, system integration testing is conducted. Different software modules are tested individually, indirectly providing a combined system's compliance estimation concerning the specified requirements.

Test Automation Process

Test automation can save much-needed time in the software testing process. This approach also ensures a higher accuracy level, minimizing human errors associated with repetitive tasks.

Undergo Usability Testing

Usability testing, another crucial component of IV&V, verifies if the intended audience can easily use the software.

Apply Standard Procedures and Templates

In addition, sticking to recommended procedures and templates for test documentation gives consistency to the testing process, offering a clear picture of testing artifacts.

Perform Audit and Assessment

Lastly, performing an audit and assessment brings accountability to the entire process. This step ensures that all the planned activities and tasks are carried out correctly and effectively, guaranteeing overall process improvement.

Use a Reliable Management Tool

One tool that can streamline these processes is the Torii SaaS Management Platform. This platform facilitates these tasks by solving challenges related to Shadow IT and automating SaaS operations like on and offboarding, license optimization, and cost-saving.

Additionally, it ensures clear visibility of SaaS expenditures, an attribute crucial to any software development environment.

Apart from these, its capability to permit IT professionals to construct custom plugins and integrations for cloud applications feeds process improvement, establishing it as a valuable IV&V companion.
Related Tools for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

Torii, the SaaS Management Platform
Blissfully
VendorHawk
Cleanshelf
Applogie
Intello
Apptio
Certero for Cloud
Binadox
Saasmeter

Related Concepts in Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

Independent Verification and Validation: Reviewing and evaluating software systems or components by an external and unbiased party to ensure they meet specified requirements and standards.
Software Testing: The practice of evaluating software to identify defects, bugs, or other issues that may impact its functionality, reliability, or performance.
Quality Assurance: The activities and processes implemented to ensure that software products or systems meet specified quality standards and requirements.
Audit and Assessment: The systematic examination and evaluation of software systems or processes to determine adherence to defined standards, guidelines, or best practices.
Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks or issues that may affect software systems' successful implementation or operation.
Process Improvement: The ongoing effort to analyze and enhance software development processes, methodologies, or workflows to achieve better quality, efficiency, or cost-effectiveness.
Defect Tracking: Documenting, monitoring, and managing identified defects or issues throughout the software development lifecycle.
Test Planning: The process of defining test objectives, strategies, and requirements to guide the execution of software tests.
Test Execution: The actual performance of test cases or scenarios to validate software functionality, reliability, and performance.
Verification Activities: The activities or tasks executed during the software development lifecycle to ensure that work products meet specified requirements and standards.
Validation Activities: The activities or tasks that evaluate or demonstrate that a software system fulfills its intended use and user requirements.
Software Development Lifecycle: The phases or stages followed in the development, deployment, and maintenance of software systems, typically including requirements gathering, design, coding, testing, and maintenance.
Testing Methodologies: The approaches, frameworks, or strategies utilized to perform software testing, such as Agile, Waterfall, or DevOps.
Test Documentation: The written materials or artifacts that provide information and instructions about testing activities, including test plans, test cases, and test reports.
Test Automation: The use of tools, scripts, or frameworks to automate the execution of software tests, thereby reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.
Code Review: Examining and evaluating source code to identify coding errors, adherence to coding standards, or potential performance issues.
Requirements Analysis: The process of gathering, documenting, and analyzing software requirements to ensure an accurate understanding of the desired functionality and behavior.
System Integration Testing: When integrated or combined, the testing process verifies the proper interaction and functionality of various software components.
Usability Testing: The evaluation of software systems or user interfaces to assess how effectively they can be used by end-users, with a focus on ease of use, user satisfaction, and efficiency.

FAQs: Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
Q: What is IV&V?

A: IV&V stands for Independent Verification and Validation. It is a process that involves reviewing and evaluating a system or software to ensure its performance, reliability, and compliance with requirements.

Q: Why is IV&V important?

A: IV&V helps identify and address potential issues or defects in a system or software before deployment. It provides an independent perspective and helps to verify that the system or software meets the desired objectives and requirements.

Q: What are the benefits of IV&V?

A: IV&V helps to reduce risks, improve quality, and increase the chances of project success. It provides an unbiased evaluation of the system or software, identifies potential problems early on, and ensures that it meets the needs and expectations of the stakeholders.

Q: What is the difference between Verification and Validation?

A: Verification involves checking if a system or software meets specified requirements, while validation ensures that it meets the intended use and user needs. Verification focuses on "Are we building the system right?" while validation focuses on "Are we building the right system?"

Q: How is IV&V performed?

A: IV&V is performed through activities such as reviewing documentation, conducting inspections, testing functionality, analyzing performance, and evaluating compliance with standards and regulations. It involves independent experts who are separate from the development process.

Q: Who typically performs IV&V?

A: IV&V is typically performed by independent third-party experts evaluating systems or software. These experts have the necessary knowledge, skills, and expertise to complete the verification and validation activities effectively.

Q: When should IV&V be conducted?

A: IV&V should be conducted throughout the development lifecycle of a system or software. It is beneficial to start early to catch potential issues and continue periodically until the system or software is deployed. It can also be performed during maintenance and upgrades.

Q: How long does IV&V take?

A: The duration of IV&V depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the system or software, the size of the project, and the scope of the verification and validation activities. It can range from a few weeks to several months.

Q: How much does IV&V cost?

A: The cost of IV&V varies depending on factors such as the size and complexity of the system or software, the scope of the verification and validation activities, and the expertise of the independent experts. It is best to consult with IV&V service providers for accurate cost estimates.

Q: What is the difference between IV&V and QA testing?

A: IV&V is a broader process that includes activities like documentation review, analysis, compliance evaluation, and testing. On the other hand, it focuses mainly on testing the functionality, performance, and quality of the system or software. SQA testing o, IV&V includes QA testing as a part of its activities.


# Page Title
What is Access Review? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/access-review

## Page Description

An essential guide to Access Review Understand how this process helps manage user access rights efficiently. Don't miss out on this important concept!

## Details

Access Review, also known as Access Control Review, is a crucial process within user access management that systematically assesses user permissions and account privileges, ensuring adherence to identity and access governance.

This process reviews whether the current user privileges align with role-based access control and are up to date, thus effectively mitigating potential internal security breaches and data misuse.

Note: Don't leave your organization vulnerable to unauthorized access and compliance risks by neglecting access reviews. Stay ahead and safeguard your data with Torii's SaaS Solution today.

Does your organization have the necessary strategies to perform an access review seamlessly? An Access Review isn't just about checking boxes off a list; it involves comprehensive steps, such as user provisioning, access request and approval, access policy enforcement, and consistent access monitoring and reporting.

Roles and Duties: To keep tasks in line with the least privilege principle, segregation of duties becomes essential in the review. This ensures users have access rights only as necessary for their job role, helping mitigate risks and maintain compliant workflows. Additionally, any discovered misalignment in privileges during the access rights audit would necessitate access remediation and adjusting roles and permissions as necessary.

Privileged User Management: Privileged user management, another significant aspect of the review, carefully vets and controls users with higher-than-normal privileges, often through an entitlement review. This is crucial to prevent excessive permissions and potential misuse.

Access Review Automation: Access Review Automation has also been a game-changer. By automating repetitive tasks, organizations can maximize efficiency, reduce manual errors, and maintain a robust log of all access changes for audit purposes.

Access Review Policy: A comprehensive access review policy dictates the frequency of such reviews, the personnel involved, and the processes and parameters for user access certification.

As we can see, Access Review is not a monotonal task but rather a multi-dimensional process vital in maintaining a healthy and secure IT infrastructure.

Examples of Access Review

Enterprise Setting

A multinational corporation implemented an access review when the company transitioned to remote work due to the pandemic. To ensure data security, they audited their systems to identify who had access to sensitive information. Through the review, they found a few instances of redundant access rights and unexpectedly broad privileges, which were then rectified, enhancing the system's security.

Small and Medium Businesses

A hospital conducted an access review within its electronic health record system. This routine task enforced by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) ensures that only authorized personnel can access patients' sensitive health information. Through periodic access reviews, they can ensure necessary changes to access rights, like revoking the rights of a former employee, are promptly effected, preserving patient confidentiality and compliance with regulations.

Real-World Example

An online retail store conducted an access review following a data breach. They looked into the roles and responsibilities of every team member to understand who had access to their customer database using the Torii SaaS Management Tool. This review identified suboptimal access allocation, where multiple employees had unnecessary access to sensitive data. After the review, they appropriately restricted these accesses, reducing potential avenues for future breaches.

Best Practices for Access Review

We have listed best practices to equip you with the knowledge to safeguard sensitive data and maintain compliance standards effectively.

Leverage User Access Management

To implement best practices of access review, you need to leverage user access management, which is essential in maintaining security within your organization. This process involves auditing all account privileges to ensure employees only have access to the necessary information. Remember, the "least privilege principle" should be your guide.

Conduct Access Control Review

Access Control Review involves checking who has access to what and why. The review covers employees and extends to consultants, vendors, and partners with access to your systems.

Implement a Role-Based Access Control System

Parallel to this, implement a robust role-based access control system, which assigns user permissions based on predefined roles. This facilitates an effective access rights audit, ensuring those in particular roles have access appropriate to their need and purposes.

Regularly Undergo Entitlement Review

Invest time in entitlement review, scrutinizing each individual's permissions and ensuring they are necessary for their duties. With the help of solutions like Torii SaaS Management Platform, you can automate this complex process, gaining clear insights into access rights and making it easier to enforce access policies.

Enhance System with Privileged User Management

Privileged user management is an integral part of access review since privileged users generally have more extensive access, often encompassing areas other employees and stakeholders cannot reach.

Invest in Access Certification (AC)

Also, invest in access certification, a method of verifying and validating user accounts and access rights. This goes hand in hand with user provisioning, creating, and managing user accounts.

Maintain Seamless Access Request and Approval Process

Use an automated system to ensure a seamless access request and approval process. Tools like Torii provide automation and offer transparent record-keeping to simplify audits.

Ensure Access Policy Enforcement

Further, access policy enforcement is crucial. This includes monitoring and reporting on access activities and establishing a reliable segregation of duties policy to avoid conflicts of interest and prevent fraud.

Access Remediation

Access remediation, correcting or addressing inappropriate access, is indispensable to access governance. Automating this with Torii's tool can increase security, save time, and reduce potential errors.

Ensure Policy Compliance

An efficient access review policy helps keep your data secure and ensures compliance. To facilitate the process, consider access review automation, which can help you stay on top of monitoring and ensure any discrepancies are dealt with swiftly.

Incorporating these steps in your approach will enhance your organization's identity and access governance while evolving with sophisticated security threats.

Related Tools for Access Review

Torii: Designed to oversee and optimize Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures.  

Okta: Provides secure identity and access management for various applications and devices.  

LastPass: A password management tool that securely stores and manages passwords for various online accounts.  

CyberArk: Privileged access management solution that protects and manages privileged accounts, credentials, and secrets.  

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM): AWS IAM is a web service that helps securely control access to AWS resources for users within an AWS account.  

Azure Active Directory: Provides authentication and authorization functionalities for Azure and other Microsoft services.  

Google Cloud Identity: A centralized identity, access, and security management platform for Google Cloud services and other applications.  

JumpCloud: A cloud-based directory service that enables secure authentication and access management for users and devices.  

OneLogin: A cloud-based identity and access management platform that provides single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) capabilities for applications and endpoints.  

Duo Security: A multi-factor authentication (MFA) and secure access platform that verifies the identity of users and the security posture of their devices before granting access to applications.  

Keeper Security: A password management and digital vault solution that stores and protects sensitive information such as passwords, documents, and private keys.  

Ping Identity: Provides secure access to applications and APIs for employees, partners, and customers.  

Centrify: An identity-centric privileged access management solution that secures critical infrastructure, applications, and data access.  

SailPoint: Provides automated provisioning, access certification, and compliance management capabilities to ensure secure and compliant access to applications and data.  

Access Rights Manager: A security tool that provides visibility and control over user permissions and access rights within an organization's IT infrastructure.  

BeyondTrust: A privileged access and vulnerability management solution that helps organizations secure and manage secret accounts, endpoints, and vulnerabilities.  

SecureLink: A secure remote access solution that enables third-party vendors to access critical systems and applications without compromising security.  

Auth0: Provides authentication and authorization services for web, mobile, and legacy applications through APIs and SDKs.  

Avatier: Offers self-service password reset, user provisioning, access certification, and single sign-on capabilities to streamline identity and access management processes.  

RSA SecurID: A multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution that generates one-time passcodes to verify the identity of users accessing applications and networks.  

IBM Security Access Manager: An access management solution that provides authentication, authorization, and single sign-on capabilities.

Related Concepts in Access Review

User access management: Managing and controlling user access to systems, data, and resources.

Access control review: Examining user access privileges and permissions to ensure they are appropriate and align with organizational policies and security requirements.

Access rights audit: A comprehensive assessment of user access rights to identify any discrepancies, unauthorized access, or potential security risks.

User permissions: The specific actions and operations a user can perform within a system or application based on their assigned access rights.

Entitlement review: An evaluation of user entitlements to determine whether they are relevant and necessary for their assigned roles and responsibilities.

Account privileges: The specific level of access and control assigned to a user's account, determining the actions they can perform and the resources they can access.

Role-based access control: A security model that assigns access rights to users based on their role or job function within an organization, ensuring appropriate access levels are granted.

Identity and access governance: A framework that focuses on managing user identities, enforcing access controls, and ensuring compliance with policies and regulations.

Privileged user management: The process of managing and monitoring the activities of privileged users with elevated access rights and permissions within an organization.

Access certification: A review process where users must validate and certify their access rights, ensuring they still need the access they have been granted.

User provisioning: Creating, modifying, and deactivating user accounts and their associated access rights within an organization's systems and applications.

Access request and approval: The procedure for users to request access to specific resources or actions and obtain authorization from appropriate individuals or departments.

Access policy enforcement: Implementing and enforcing policies and procedures governing user access to systems, data, and resources.

Access monitoring and reporting: The continuous monitoring and logging of user activities and generating reports to detect and investigate unauthorized access attempts or policy violations.

Segregation of duties: Dividing critical tasks and responsibilities among multiple individuals to prevent fraud, errors, and abuse of privileges.

Least privilege principle: The principle of granting users the minimum privileges or access necessary to perform their job duties, reducing the potential risk of unauthorized actions or data breaches.

Access remediation: Addressing and resolving identified issues, such as removing unnecessary access rights or adjusting permissions accordingly.

Access review automation: Using technology tools or software to automate the access review process, making it more efficient, accurate, and less prone to human error.

Access review policy: A documented set of rules, procedures, and guidelines governing the access review process within an organization, ensuring consistency and compliance with regulatory requirements.

FAQs: Access Review

Q: What is Access Review?

A: An Access Review is a process used to evaluate and manage user access rights to various systems and resources within an organization.

Q: Why are Access Reviews important?

A: Access Reviews help ensure that user permissions are appropriate and aligned with the principle of least privilege, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

Q: How does an Access Review work?

A: Access Reviews typically involve reviewing user access rights, permissions, and roles against predefined criteria, requesting approvals from appropriate stakeholders, and removing or modifying access as necessary.

Q: What are the benefits of conducting Access Reviews?

A: Conducting Access Reviews helps enhance security, comply with regulatory requirements, simplify user access management, and maintain data integrity.

Q: What are the main challenges of conducting Access Reviews?

A: Key challenges include the complexity of larger organizations, managing multiple systems, ensuring regular reviews, and involving appropriate stakeholders in the review process.

Q: What are some best practices for conducting Access Reviews?

A: Best practices include defining access review policies, automating the review process whenever possible, involving different departments, and auditing the review process for accountability.

Q: How often should Access Reviews be conducted?

A: The frequency of Access Reviews varies based on organizational needs, but they are commonly conducted annually or at least regularly.

Q: What happens after completing an Access Review?

A: After completing an Access Review, appropriate actions are taken, such as revoking or modifying access rights and updating documentation as necessary.

Q: How can organizations streamline their Access Review process?

A: Organizations can streamline the Access Review process by using automated tools, establishing clear review policies and guidelines, and leveraging role-based access controls.

Q: What are some commonly used Access Review tools?

A: Popular Access Review tools include Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, like SailPoint, RSA, or Oracle Identity Manager.

Q: Are there any regulatory requirements related to Access Reviews?

A: Yes, organizations in various industries may have specific regulatory requirements, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), that mandate regular Access Reviews.

Q: What is the difference between Access Reviews and Access Certification?

A: Access Reviews evaluate user access rights, while Access Certification is the formal process of validating and documenting those access rights, ensuring compliance with regulations and internal policies.

Q: How are Access Reviews and Access Control related?

A: Access Reviews help validate and manage access rights, while Access Control refers to the techniques and systems used to enforce and control user access to resources.

Q: What are the consequences of not conducting Access Reviews?

A: Failing to conduct Access Reviews can increase security risks, potential data breaches, compliance violations, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Q: What roles are typically involved in an Access Review?

A: Roles in an Access Review include IT administrators, managers, auditors, system owners, and stakeholders responsible for granting or approving access rights.

Q: What are some standard Access Review metrics?

A: Common Access Review metrics include the number and percentage of access rights removed or modified, the number of overdue or incomplete reviews, and the time taken to complete the review process.

Q: Can Access Reviews be conducted manually?

A: Yes, Access Reviews can be conducted manually, but it can be time-consuming, error-prone, and challenging to manage in large organizations without automation tools.

Q: What is the role of automation in Access Reviews?

A: Automation plays a crucial role in Access Reviews by streamlining the process, reducing human error, increasing efficiency, and providing audit trails for accountability.

Q: How can organizations address user resistance to Access Reviews?

A: Organizations can address user resistance to Access Reviews by clearly communicating the importance of security and compliance, providing training and support, and involving users in the review process.

Q: Are there any industry standards or frameworks related to Access Reviews?

A: Yes, industry standards and frameworks, such as the ISO/IEC 27001 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, guide access management and reviews.


# Page Title
What is a Change Request? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/change-request

## Page Description

Easily understand the concept of a Change Request with our glossary article. Learn how it influences tech projects and more!

## Details

A Change Request (CR) is an essential component in IT change management, serving as an organized method to propose, document, and implement changes within a system. This process aims to control and manage proposed changes to a system or product using a change request template or a change request form. Such changes might involve revisions to protocols, metrics, systems, or infrastructures, all meticulously tracked using change request tracking throughout the change request lifecycle.

Note: Tired of manual change request management? Upgrade your workflow with Torii's SaaS Management Platform. Integrate Torii into your change request process and watch as efficiency soars. Learn more about Torii’s SaaS Management Platform

But what happens when we fail to observe this vital process? Leaving changes unmanaged and uncontrolled, without a well-defined change request workflow, can lead to a total breakdown or a substantial loss in productivity. Clarifying requests for change, having a standardized change request template, and defining the change approval process are quintessential to the success of any change request management.

Review and Evaluate: In approving a change request, the change control team's primary task is change request review and change request evaluation. They perform a change impact assessment to identify potential consequences for other system regions. This assessment mitigates risk, analyzes possible resource requirements, and ensures optimum system performance and security.

Documentation: The critical role of documentation can't be overstated in change request management. Change request documentation processes guarantee consistency, maintain and Improve the quality of services, and ensure traceability. Any change request should contain all vital information: the original situation, the proposed change, the reasons behind the change, and any predicted impacts.

Implement: Proper change implementation using a well-defined change request system provides a controlled environment for necessary changes with negligible interruptions to ongoing services. It ensures a systematic approach to managing change, streamlining processes, reducing time delays, and boosting the overall efficiency of the change management framework.

Therefore, the role of a change request in a change process is central to IT change management. It balances the necessity for change and innovation, minimizing unnecessary disruption and risks.

Examples of Change Request (CR)

Information Technology Setting

An IT services company recently deployed a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. Post-launch, the sales team observed that the system did not have the functionality to categorize clients based on their purchasing behavior. They filed a change request to incorporate this feature, enhancing the system's ability to curate personalized marketing strategies.

Healthcare Industry

At a healthcare start-up, the development team rolled out a new patient registration system to simplify patient admissions. However, the billing department discovered the system failed to capture critical billing details. They raised a change request to add fields for capturing these missing data, avoiding potential financial discrepancies in the future.

Software Organization

In a software organization, the quality assurance team found bugs in the new release of their flagship product during final testing. The defects were affecting the product's performance in different user environments. After discovering this, they promptly implemented a change request to correct these bugs, ensuring the software would function as intended across all platforms.

Best Practices for Change Request (CR)

Successful change request management lies at the heart of a smoothly functioning IT department. Central to this is a well-designed and applied change request form. This form standardizes and streamlines the change request workflow, making it easier for IT Managers and Directors to track, analyze, and implement changes.

Create a Change Request Document

A typical change request lifecycle begins with a change request. This request is documented using a change request template and enters the change control system. A change request system reduces errors and confusion by standardizing this initiation process, facilitating efficient change implementation.

Undergo Change Impact Assessment

Change request documentation is then subjected to a rigorous change impact assessment. Here, potential risks and benefits are evaluated, helping IT managers decide whether to proceed, amend, or reject the request. The change request analysis often includes the degree of resource allocation, potential disruptions to ongoing operations, and the projected business impact.

Change Approval Process

The change approval process is the next stage of the change request lifecycle. Decisions from the change impact assessment are reviewed by an authorized panel or individual who either approves, rejects, or requests further analysis. Once approved, the request moves into the change implementation phase, where plans are executed and changes are integrated into the existing IT infrastructure.

Evaluation

Post-implementation, a thorough change request review checks if the changes yield the expected results. This evaluation aids in future change request management, providing essential data for continual improvement. IT change management is thus a cyclical, continuous learning process that needs an effective change request tracking mechanism for best results.

Use of Management Tool

Bringing the Torii SaaS Management Platform into this loop can simplify change request workflow. Automating SaaS operations, it can track change requests from initiation to review, providing insightful metrics at every phase. This platform can identify shadow IT, optimize SaaS licenses, save costs, and offer maximum visibility into SaaS expenditures, providing more insight and control over the change process.

Using Torii can also allow IT professionals to build custom plugins and integrations for their cloud apps, catering to the organization's unique needs. Simple, intuitive, and adaptable, Torii equips IT departments with the tools they need to handle their SaaS-related work more effectively.

In conclusion, regarding best practices of the Change Request process, a methodological approach coupled with Torii's technological backing ensures smooth transitions and positively impacts business performance.

Related Tools for Change Request (CR)

Torii: A cloud-based tool facilitating oversight and optimization of Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures.

Monday.com: A versatile project management platform designed to streamline workflows and collaboration.

Jira: An agile project management tool enabling teams to efficiently plan, track, and manage software development processes.

Trello: An intuitive task management tool using boards and cards to organize projects and tasks visually.

Asana: A project management platform focusing on team collaboration, task organization, and progress tracking.

Microsoft Project: A comprehensive project management software for planning, scheduling, and resource management.

Wrike: A versatile project management and collaboration platform empowering teams to streamline workflows and increase productivity.

Smartsheet: A dynamic platform combining project management, collaboration, and automation to drive efficiency.

Basecamp: A user-friendly project management and team communication tool centralizing project-related discussions, tasks, and files.

Teamwork: A comprehensive project management and collaboration tool offering features like task management, time tracking, and file sharing.

ClickUp: An all-in-one productivity platform integrating project management, collaboration, and communication tools.

Airtable: A flexible and collaborative workspace combining the features of a spreadsheet and database to organize and manage projects.

Assembla: A platform providing software development teams with version control, project management, and collaboration tools.

Slack: A communication platform offering real-time messaging, file sharing, and integration capabilities to enhance team collaboration.

Google Docs: A cloud-based suite of productivity tools, including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations for collaborative editing and sharing.

Notion: A versatile workspace combining notes, tasks, wikis, and databases, fostering collaboration and organization.

Evernote: A note-taking application allowing users to capture ideas, organize notes, and collaborate on projects across devices.

Todoist: A simple yet powerful task management app enabling users to organize tasks, set reminders, and collaborate on shared projects.

Bitrix24: A comprehensive business management platform offering project management, CRM, HR, and communication tools in one place.

Zoho Projects: An online project management software enabling teams to effectively plan, track, and collaborate on projects.

Related Concepts in Change Request (CR)

Change management: Overseeing and controlling any changes made to the IT environment.

Change control: Managing and governing changes to ensure they are implemented effectively and without negative impact.

Change process: The structured series of steps and activities to plan, implement, and evaluate changes.

Change request form: A document that captures information about a proposed change, including its details and justification.

Change request template: A pre-designed format or layout containing the necessary sections to capture change request information.

Change request workflow: The sequence of steps and approvals a change request goes through from initiation to implementation.

IT change management: The specific application of principles and practices to IT systems and infrastructure.

Change request management: The overall process of receiving, evaluating, approving, and implementing change requests.

Change request: A formal submission that initiates the change management process, generally containing details about the proposed change.

Change approval process: The steps and approvals needed to authorize a change request for implementation.

Change implementation: The activities involved in applying the approved changes to the IT environment.

Change impact assessment: The evaluation of a proposed change's potential effects and consequences on the IT system and related processes.

Change request system: An organized system or software application used to receive, track, and manage change requests.

Change request documentation: The records and supporting information related to a change request, including the request form, associated documents, and communications.

Change request tracking: The monitoring and recording the status and progress of change requests throughout their lifecycle.

Change request analysis: The examination and evaluation of a change request to determine its feasibility, benefits, risks, and impact.

Change request lifecycle: The various stages and steps a change request goes through, from initiation to closure or implementation.

Change request review: The process of assessing and evaluating a change request to ensure its conformity with established policies and standards.

Change request evaluation: Examining a change request to assess its impact, feasibility, and alignment with business objectives.

FAQs: Change Request (CR)

Q: What is a change request?

A: A change request is a formal request to modify a system, process, or document.

Q: How do I submit a change request?

A: The process for submitting a change request can vary depending on the organization. Typically, it involves completing a specific form or using a designated system or software.

Q: What information should be included in a change request?

A: A change request should include detailed information about the proposed change, its impact, the reason for the change, and any necessary supporting documentation.

Q: What is the purpose of a change request?

A: The purpose of a change request is to initiate a formal process to evaluate, approve, and implement requested changes, ensuring they are managed in a controlled and systematic manner.

Q: How are change requests evaluated?

A: Change requests are evaluated based on factors like the importance, urgency, impact, feasibility, and cost of the proposed change, as well as its alignment with organizational objectives and strategies.

Q: What is the difference between a change request and a change order?

A: A change request is a formal change request, while a change order is legal documentation that approves and authorizes the change to be implemented.

Q: Who is responsible for reviewing change requests?

A: Depending on the organization, change requests may be reviewed by a change review board, a change advisory board, project managers, or other designated individuals responsible for evaluating and approving changes.

Q: How long does it take to process a change request?

A: The time it takes to process a change request can vary depending on the complexity of the change, the organization's change management process, and the availability of resources. It could range from a few days to several weeks.

Q: What happens after a change request is approved?

A: Once a change request is approved, it moves into the implementation phase, where the necessary changes are made, tested, and deployed.

Q: How can I track the status of my change request?

A: Organizational change management processes usually include mechanisms to track the status of change requests. This can be through a change management system, project management software, or manual tracking.

Q: What should I do if my change request is rejected?

A: If your change request is rejected, it is essential to understand why. You may need to revise and resubmit your request or seek clarification on why the change was not approved.


# Page Title
What Is an IT Administrator? Role, Responsibilities, and Skills | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/it-administrator

## Page Description

An IT administrator (IT admin) manages an organization's networks, systems, and software. Covers the role, key responsibilities, required skills, and essential tools.

## Details

An IT Administrator or Information Technology Administrator is a technical professional responsible for managing and maintaining an organization's technological operations and strategies. Spanning a variety of specialist roles like system administrator, database administrator, network administrator, and server administrator, an IT administrator oversees, optimizes, and secures the core IT infrastructure of a business.

IT administrators who manage SaaS sprawl, track software licenses, and govern user access across dozens of apps often turn to a dedicated SaaS visibility and discovery platform to get a complete, real-time picture of every app in use, including shadow IT.

What exactly does an IT Administrator do? An IT Administrator role typically includes (but is not limited to) roles such as the Security Administrator, responsible for ensuring that the organization’s information systems and data are protected; the Cloud Administrator, who manages and monitors enterprise cloud computing strategies and implementations; and the IT Operations Administrator, focused on maintaining the operations of all user and enterprise IT infrastructure.

Technical Assistance and Support: As an IT Support Administrator, they provide technical assistance and support, resolving software and hardware issues across the organization. As an IT Infrastructure Administrator, these professionals are tasked with designing, installing, and managing a company's IT systems.

Implement IT Strategies and Policies: We have an IT Governance Administrator who helps formulate and implement the organization's IT strategies and policies. The IT Project Administrator ensures that IT projects are adequately planned, executed, and monitored, while the IT Service Administrator oversees IT service delivery within an organization.

Review and Update IT Policies: On a broader scale, the IT Policy Administrator creates, reviews, and updates IT policies; the IT Asset Administrator manages all IT assets; and the IT Change Administrator handles changes and developments within an organization's digital infrastructure. The IT Risk Administrator governs risk factors, whereas the IT Compliance Administrator ensures the company adheres to relevant laws, regulations, and standards.

Manage Response to IT Disruptions: The pivotal roles of the IT Disaster Recovery Administrator, who plans and manages responses to IT disruptions, and the IT Vendor Administrator, who oversees suppliers of IT products and services, should not be overlooked. In summary, an IT Administrator aligns technology systems and operations with the organization's needs, making a crucial contribution to business success in the digital age.

Examples of IT Administrator

Enterprise Setting

One example of an IT Administrator role is at a growing tech startup, where the need for managing IT resources and infrastructure is high. This person designs and oversees local and wide area networks and system installations. They manage servers, install firewalls, and troubleshoot network issues. Even with a small team, they shoulder immense responsibility for the seamless running of the IT systems.

Small and Medium Businesses

In a multi-national corporation, the IT Administrator takes on a strategic role. They focus on big-picture IT strategies while managing a global IT team. Coordinating with third-party vendors, crafting system recovery plans, and ensuring corporate data security are central tasks. They often manage large, complex, and geographically diverse IT infrastructures.

Real-World Example

For institutions like universities, the IT Administrator handles unique challenges. They configure, maintain, and upgrade hardware and software across academic and administrative units. Frequently dealing with high volumes of data and wide server networks, they ensure smooth network functionality for thousands of faculty, staff, and students. Additionally, they strategize about network security and user privacy, prioritizing the sensitivity of research data often generated in academic settings.

IT Administrator Responsibilities and Best Practices

Best practices for an IT administrator involve a multi-faceted approach that keeps every department in the IT industry functioning at optimal levels. The role of a system administrator, for instance, heavily consists of installing, supporting, and maintaining servers and other computer systems. Staying abreast of the latest updates and optimizing regularly for maximum system performance is crucial.

Design and Setup of Network

A network administrator focuses on the design, setup, and maintenance of networks. They should consistently monitor network performance, apply necessary security upgrades, and troubleshoot any issue that may arise promptly. Similarly, a database administrator should always ensure that databases are secure, operational, and free from unauthorized access.

Management of Server Hardware and Software

The server administrator role revolves around managing and maintaining server hardware and software. Regular system checkups and prompt problem-solving are crucial in their duties. A security administrator is paramount in safeguarding an organization's data from threats. Regular security audits and knowledge of the latest security protocols are imperative.

Manage Cloud-Based Assets and IT Operations

Cloud and IT operations administrators manage cloud-based assets and everyday IT operations, respectively. They must keep an eye on simplifying processes for efficiency, whether by automating SaaS operations or managing cloud resources strategically.

IT Support and Infrastructure

IT support and infrastructure administrators focus on providing necessary support to the IT team and ensuring a robust and reliable tech framework. On the governance side, the IT governance administrator has the delicate task of adhering to rules and regulations while ensuring the organization's IT aligns with business goals.

Policy Implementation and Guidelines

From IT project administration to policy administration, these roles involve effective planning, policy implementation, and ensuring up-to-date guidelines. Other roles like IT service, asset, change, risk, compliance, disaster recovery, and vendor administration further contribute to the aligned functioning of the IT department, each with its unique focus and purpose.

SaaS Management for IT Administrators

One area where IT administrator responsibilities have grown significantly is software-as-a-service governance. The average enterprise now runs hundreds of SaaS applications, many acquired outside of IT's oversight. IT asset administrators, vendor administrators, and operations administrators all benefit from a dedicated SaaS discovery and visibility platform that surfaces every app in use, tracks real usage against purchased licenses, and flags unauthorized tools before they become a security or compliance risk.

Torii's SaaS Management Platform is built around the IT administrator's core workflows: discovering shadow IT, right-sizing licenses based on real usage, automating employee onboarding and offboarding across every app, and conducting access reviews to keep entitlements current. The result is better visibility, faster action, and less manual overhead for IT teams of any size.

Related Tools for IT Administrators

Torii: SaaS Management Platform

ServiceNow: IT service management software

SolarWinds: Network management and monitoring tools

Jira: Agile project management and issue-tracking software

ManageEngine: IT operations and service management software

Nagios: Network and server monitoring tool

TeamViewer: Remote access and support software

Microsoft System Center: Unified management of IT systems

Chef: Infrastructure automation and configuration management tool

VMware vSphere: Virtualization platform for managing virtual machines

Cisco Meraki: Cloud-managed IT networking solutions

Cisco Webex: Collaboration and video conferencing platform

Splunk: Operational intelligence and log analytics software

Dynatrace: Application performance monitoring tool

Citrix XenApp: Application virtualization and delivery solution

McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator: Security management platform

Symantec Endpoint Protection: Endpoint security and threat prevention software

Skedulo: Scheduling and workforce management software

CrowdStrike: Endpoint security and threat intelligence platform

Sophos Central: Unified threat management and endpoint protection solution

Ivanti: IT asset management and service management software.

Related Concepts in IT Administrators

System administrator: Manages and maintains computer systems, including hardware, software, and network components.

Network administrator: Responsible for maintaining and managing an organization's computer networks, ensuring connectivity, security, and performance.

Database administrator: Manages and organizes databases, ensuring data storage, retrieval, security, and integrity.

Server administrator: Handles the setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting of servers, ensuring their efficient and secure operation.

Security administrator: Implements and manages security measures to protect computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access or breaches.

Cloud administrator: Manages and maintains cloud-based infrastructure, ensuring availability, scalability, and security of cloud services.

IT operations administrator: Oversees day-to-day IT activities, ensuring smooth operation of systems, networks, and applications.

IT support administrator: Provides technical assistance and support to end-users, troubleshooting and resolving hardware and software issues.

IT infrastructure administrator: Manages and supports an organization's IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, and storage systems.

IT governance administrator: Establishes and enforces policies and procedures to ensure IT systems align with business goals and comply with regulations.

IT project administrator: Coordinates and manages IT projects, ensuring timely completion and adherence to project requirements.

IT service administrator: Manages the delivery and support of IT services to end-users, ensuring quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

IT policy administrator: Develops and enforces IT policies and procedures to govern the use of technology within an organization.

IT asset administrator: Keeps track of IT assets, including hardware, software, and licenses, ensuring proper inventory management and accountability.

IT change administrator: Manages and coordinates changes to IT systems, ensuring minimal disruptions and proper documentation of changes.

IT risk administrator: Identifies, assesses, and mitigates IT-related risks that could impact business operations or data security.

IT compliance administrator: Ensures IT systems and processes comply with industry standards, regulations, and internal policies.

IT disaster recovery administrator: Develops and implements plans to recover IT systems and data during a disaster or disruption.

IT vendor administrator: Manages relationships with IT vendors, including contract negotiation, performance monitoring, and issue resolution.

Frequently Asked Questions: IT Administrator

What is an IT Administrator?

An IT Administrator is a professional responsible for managing computer networks, systems, and software within an organization. The role covers sub-specialties from system and network administration to security, cloud, and identity governance.

What are the duties of an IT Administrator?

An IT Administrator is typically responsible for network maintenance, software installation and updates, security management, user support, and troubleshooting technical issues. In organizations with large SaaS estates, IT administrator duties also include managing software licenses, governing user access, and detecting unauthorized applications.

What skills are required to become an IT Administrator?

A successful IT Administrator should have skills in network administration, cybersecurity, systems management, troubleshooting, software installation, and user support. Familiarity with identity and access management (IAM) and SaaS governance tools is increasingly expected in modern IT environments.

How can I become an IT Administrator?

To become an IT Administrator, you typically need a bachelor's degree in information technology or a related field, along with relevant certifications such as CompTIA Network+, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), or Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).

What is the average salary of an IT Administrator?

IT Administrator pay depends heavily on experience, location, company size, and industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks this role as "network and computer systems administrators." As of May 2024, that occupation's national wage figures were:

Lowest 10% (entry level, smaller organizations): less than $60,320 per year
Median (50th percentile): $96,800 per year
Highest 10% (senior roles, large enterprises): more than $150,320 per year

So a realistic range for most IT Administrators is roughly $60,000 to $150,000 per year, with the typical practitioner near $96,800. Entry-level and small-business roles sit toward the lower end. Senior administrators managing large, multi-site environments sit toward the upper end.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Network and Computer Systems Administrators, May 2024 wage data.

What is the career outlook for IT Administrators?

The career outlook for IT Administrators is favorable as businesses continue to rely heavily on technology. Demand is expected to remain steady, with growing specialization in cloud administration, identity governance, and SaaS operations.

What are the standard tools used by IT Administrators?

IT Administrators use network monitoring software, security tools, ticketing systems, remote access tools, and configuration management tools to manage and support IT infrastructure effectively. Increasingly, they also rely on SaaS management platforms to track software spend and usage across hundreds of cloud applications.

How can an IT Administrator improve network security?

IT Administrators can enhance network security by implementing strong password policies, regularly updating software and security patches, using firewalls and antivirus software, and educating users about cybersecurity best practices. Governing SaaS access, including enforcing offboarding workflows that immediately revoke access across all apps, is a critical modern security control.

What is the difference between an IT Administrator and a Network Administrator?

While both roles involve managing computer networks, an IT Administrator has a broader scope that includes operating systems, software, and user support, whereas a Network Administrator primarily focuses on network infrastructure and connectivity.

How can an IT Administrator handle technical issues efficiently?

IT Administrators can efficiently handle technical issues by utilizing troubleshooting methodologies, documenting known issues and resolutions, staying updated with the latest technology, and collaborating with other IT professionals for problem-solving.


# Page Title
IT Assessment Guide | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/it-assessment

## Page Description

An IT assessment evaluates your IT environment for security, compliance, and efficiency. Learn what IT assessment services cover and how to run one.

## Details

An IT assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of an organization's IT environment to scrutinize its efficiency, security, and overall governance. It encompasses a wide array of distinct yet interconnected elements, including IT audit, IT risk assessment, IT security assessment, and a multitude of other key facets in maintaining a robust and dynamic technological framework.

Looking to simplify your IT assessments? Torii automates SaaS discovery, surfaces real usage and spend data, and integrates with your existing tools to give you continuous visibility over your entire technology environment. See how Torii's SaaS Management Platform works.

Have you ever considered if your organization's IT structure is in accord with its tactical goals? An IT assessment performs an IT compliance assessment and IT governance assessment to ensure that your technological systems meet regulatory demands and align with your organization's strategic requirements and growth projections. This evaluation sets the stage for essential functions such as an IT controls assessment and an IT vulnerability assessment, both of which work in sync to pinpoint and rectify any potential threats lurking within your IT ecosystem.

Identify IT Gaps: Another crucial aspect of an IT assessment is identifying the gaps present in your IT infrastructure via an IT gap analysis. This, combined with an IT system assessment and an IT maturity assessment, aids in comprehending the continuation and emergence of new technological trends, capitalizing on current IT assets assessed by an IT asset assessment and closing gaps that may be hindering progress or presenting security risks.

Assess Organization's IT Change Management: Furthermore, assessing your organization's IT change management, a necessary part of an IT assessment, ensures smooth transitions during infrastructure updates or overhauls, while an IT performance assessment reviews the efficiency of your IT operations. Equally important are IT incident response assessments and IT disaster recovery assessments that guarantee your business can bounce back promptly and effectively from unexpected disruptions or complications.

Determine IT Recovery Time: In the event of a disaster, your IT backup assessment, along with an IT recovery time objective assessment, aids in determining how quickly your business operations can be restored. An IT service management assessment then comes into play to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of IT services across your organization. Lastly, an IT project assessment is fundamental in ensuring that all IT projects are on track, delivering expected outcomes, and serving your business priorities.

In conclusion, an IT assessment is not a standalone procedure; instead, it is an ensemble of numerous assessments, each strategically aligned to provide you with a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of your organization's overall IT health and performance.

What IT Assessment Services Cover

The query "IT assessment services companies" reflects buyers who are evaluating whether to engage an external provider, build an internal practice, or use a platform to run assessments continuously. Whether you work with a managed service provider (MSP), a consulting firm, or a dedicated SaaS management tool, a credible IT assessment service will address at least the following areas:

Application and SaaS inventory: Discovering every app in use, including those purchased outside of IT's visibility (shadow IT). This is where platforms like Torii add particular value, because they surface apps that SSO logs and expense reports miss. See how Torii discovers your SaaS estate.
Security and access posture: Mapping who has access to what, identifying over-provisioned accounts, and flagging apps that lack SSO enforcement or MFA. Related: Torii's access review workflows.
License and spend analysis: Comparing paid seats against actual usage to identify waste and right-sizing opportunities. See license optimization.
Compliance readiness: Checking that IT controls meet applicable regulations (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR) and that evidence of control operation is documented and audit-ready.
Disaster recovery and business continuity: Verifying backup coverage, testing recovery time objectives, and confirming that critical systems have documented recovery procedures.
Governance and process maturity: Evaluating whether IT change management, incident response, and vendor management processes are documented, followed, and improving over time.

When evaluating IT assessment services companies, look for providers that go beyond a point-in-time report and offer a path to continuous monitoring. A one-time snapshot of your IT environment becomes stale within weeks in a typical SaaS-heavy organization.

Examples of IT Assessment

Education Sector

The State Education Department commissioned an IT assessment to improve information management. The IT team evaluated the current system's performance, user experience, and data security protocols. The results identified redundant processes, inadequate data protection measures, and outdated software that halted productivity. The department implemented recommendations, boosting efficiency and data security.

Healthcare Industry

A healthcare provider was struggling with its patient data management system. It was slow and prone to errors, undermining overall patient care. An IT assessment identified that the software lacked integration capabilities with modern systems, resulting in slow performance. Based on the assessment, they transitioned to a cloud-based system, enhancing their service delivery and patient satisfaction.

E-Commerce Setting

A retail giant aiming to update its e-commerce platform sought an IT assessment. The scrutiny covered site traffic handling, user-friendly navigation, and transaction safety. Post-assessment, the retailer discovered a sprawling user interface and real-time transaction processing difficulties. Acting on this point, they upgraded to an AI-powered platform that elevated customer experience and increased online sales.

IT Assessment Checklist: Best Practices

Applying best practices for IT assessment begins with a clear understanding of your organization's current IT landscape. A comprehensive IT audit is crucial in providing this insight. It involves a detailed evaluation of your IT infrastructure, systems, and controls, from security to governance.

Undergo IT Risk Assessment

Start the process with an IT risk assessment to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure. This includes an IT security assessment, which identifies any weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious entities. This is where the Torii SaaS Management Platform stands out: it helps in detecting Shadow IT, accelerating the vulnerability assessment.

Perform IT Compliance Assessment

In addition to security, it's important to perform an IT compliance assessment to ensure that your IT processes and systems are in line with applicable laws and regulations. This includes evaluating IT governance to establish whether the organization's IT strategy aligns with its business objectives.

Conduct IT Control Assessment

Conduct an IT control assessment to determine the effectiveness of your IT control environment in managing risks, maintaining data integrity, and supporting business goals. This should also involve an IT asset assessment to understand the nature and value of your IT assets and how efficiently they are being used.

Measure IT Process Maturity

Upon identifying gaps through an IT gap analysis, measure your IT processes' maturity using an IT maturity assessment. Then, implement changes through an IT change management assessment. Part of this evolution is considering IT service management assessment to validate that your IT services are properly aligned with your business needs.

Conduct IT Disaster Recovery Assessment

For a resilient IT system, it's vital to ascertain your organization's preparedness for disasters with an IT disaster recovery assessment. Complement this with an IT backup assessment to confirm that important data is safely backed up. Use the IT recovery time objective assessment to measure your IT system's ability to recover within an acceptable timeframe after a disruptive incident.

Review with IT Performance Assessment

A successful IT assessment should be rounded off with an IT performance assessment to measure your IT delivery performance. Consider also an IT incident response assessment to gauge the effectiveness of your incident response plan. Don't forget the IT project assessment to check the feasibility and workability of your IT projects.

Use a SaaS Management Platform as a Continuous Assessment Layer

At each stage, the Torii SaaS Management Platform can streamline and simplify the process. Its ability to automate SaaS discovery, surface real usage and spend data, and enforce IT governance workflows provides a robust foundation for an ongoing IT assessment practice rather than a one-time exercise.

Related Tools for IT Assessment

Torii: A SaaS management platform that discovers every application in use (including shadow IT and shadow AI), ties discovery to real usage and spend data, and automates IT governance workflows including access reviews, license optimization, and employee offboarding.

Flexera: A software asset management tool focused on optimizing software licenses, usage, and expenditures.

Lansweeper: A comprehensive asset discovery solution that scans networks to identify and manage hardware, software, and users.

SolarWinds: A suite of IT management tools designed to monitor, manage, and secure networks, systems, and applications.

SysTrack: An IT asset discovery tool providing insights into end-user experiences and system performance across the network.

Device42: A comprehensive IT infrastructure management solution offering insights into hardware, software, and network dependencies.

ServiceNow: An enterprise service management platform offering IT service management, asset management, and workflow automation.

Freshservice: A cloud-based service desk and IT service management solution designed to streamline support processes.

ManageEngine: A suite of IT management tools encompassing network, server, applications, and endpoint management.

Cherwell: An IT service management platform enabling service desk, asset management, and business process automation.

Apptio: A technology business management platform providing insights into IT costs, value, and performance.

FlexNet Manager: A software asset management solution optimizing software licenses and minimizing compliance risks.

Snow Software: A platform offering software asset management, cloud management, and software usage analytics.

Ivanti: A unified IT management platform combining IT asset management, endpoint security, and service management.

IBM BigFix: An endpoint management solution providing real-time visibility and control over endpoints to enhance security and compliance.

Microsoft Endpoint Manager: A unified endpoint management platform offering configuration, security, and compliance management for devices and applications across various platforms.

Related Concepts in IT Assessment

IT audit: An examination and evaluation of an organization's IT systems, processes, and controls to ensure they are functioning effectively and in compliance with relevant regulations and standards.

IT risk assessment: The process of identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing potential risks to an organization's IT systems, data, and operations, in order to develop strategies to mitigate those risks.

IT security assessment: An evaluation of an organization's IT infrastructure, systems, and controls to identify and address vulnerabilities and threats to the security of its information assets.

IT compliance assessment: A review to determine whether an organization is complying with applicable laws, regulations, industry standards, and internal policies in relation to its IT operations and data management.

IT governance assessment: An evaluation of an organization's IT governance framework, practices, and procedures to ensure alignment with business objectives and effective decision-making in IT investments and operations.

IT controls assessment: An examination of an organization's IT controls and processes to determine their effectiveness in safeguarding assets, ensuring data accuracy and integrity, and promoting operational efficiency.

IT vulnerability assessment: The identification and assessment of weaknesses, flaws, and vulnerabilities in an organization's IT systems, networks, applications, and devices, in order to address them and prevent potential exploitation.

IT infrastructure assessment: An evaluation of an organization's IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, networks, and data centers, to assess its current state, identify areas for improvement, and ensure optimal performance.

IT system assessment: The analysis and evaluation of an organization's IT systems, including hardware, software, databases, and interfaces, to determine their functionality, reliability, and alignment with business needs.

IT gap analysis: A comparison of an organization's current IT capabilities and resources with its desired state or industry best practices, in order to identify gaps and develop strategies to bridge them.

IT maturity assessment: An assessment of an organization's IT capabilities, processes, and practices to determine its level of maturity in effectively and efficiently delivering IT services and achieving business goals.

IT change management assessment: The evaluation of an organization's change management processes and practices related to IT systems and applications, to assess their effectiveness in minimizing disruption and maximizing successful implementations.

IT performance assessment: An analysis of an organization's IT performance metrics, such as response time, system availability, and user satisfaction, to evaluate the effectiveness of IT operations and identify areas for improvement.

IT asset assessment: The inventory, valuation, and assessment of an organization's IT assets, including hardware, software, licenses, and databases, to ensure proper management, utilization, and cost optimization.

IT incident response assessment: An evaluation of an organization's incident response procedures, including prevention, detection, containment, and recovery, to assess their effectiveness in mitigating the impact of security incidents and minimizing downtime.

IT disaster recovery assessment: The assessment of an organization's disaster recovery plans, processes, and IT infrastructure to ensure they are capable of restoring operations and data in the event of a disruption or disaster.

IT backup assessment: A review of an organization's backup strategies, systems, and processes to assess their adequacy in protecting critical data, ensuring recoverability, and minimizing data loss.

IT recovery time objective assessment: An evaluation of an organization's recovery time objectives (RTOs), which define the maximum acceptable downtime for IT systems and operations, to ensure proactive planning and minimize business interruption.

IT service management assessment: The evaluation of an organization's IT service management practices, such as incident management, problem management, and service desk operations, to assess their effectiveness in meeting user needs and achieving service level targets.

IT project assessment: The assessment of an organization's IT projects, including their planning, execution, and outcomes, to evaluate their alignment with business goals, adherence to project management methodologies, and lessons learned for future improvements.

FAQs: IT Assessment

Q: What is an IT assessment?

A: An IT assessment is a comprehensive analysis of an organization's IT systems, infrastructure, and processes to evaluate their efficiency, security, and alignment with business goals.

Q: Why is an IT assessment important?

A: An IT assessment helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement in an organization's IT environment. It enables informed decision-making, helps prioritize investments, and ensures efficient use of resources.

Q: What does an IT assessment include?

A: An IT assessment typically includes evaluating hardware, software, network infrastructure, data security measures, backup and disaster recovery systems, IT policies and procedures, as well as assessing the organization's goals, needs, and challenges.

Q: How long does an IT assessment take?

A: The duration of an IT assessment depends on the size and complexity of the organization's IT environment. It can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to complete a thorough assessment.

Q: Who conducts an IT assessment?

A: IT assessments are usually performed by experienced IT consultants or internal IT teams with expertise in assessing and analyzing IT systems.

Q: What are the benefits of an IT assessment?

A: An IT assessment provides insights into the overall health of an organization's IT infrastructure, identifies risks and vulnerabilities, improves operational efficiency, optimizes IT spending, and helps align IT with business objectives.

Q: How often should an IT assessment be conducted?

A: The frequency of IT assessments depends on factors such as the organization's size, industry, and rate of technological change. Generally, assessments are recommended every 1-3 years or when significant changes occur in the business environment.

Q: Can an IT assessment help in cybersecurity?

A: Yes, an IT assessment plays a crucial role in cybersecurity. It helps identify vulnerabilities, assess the effectiveness of security measures, recommend improvements, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Q: What is the cost of an IT assessment?

A: The cost of an IT assessment varies depending on factors such as the scope of the assessment, the size of the organization, and the expertise of the professionals conducting it. It is best to request a quote from IT consultants or service providers.

Q: How should an organization prepare for an IT assessment?

A: To prepare for an IT assessment, an organization should gather information about its IT systems, inventory hardware and software, document network configurations, and be prepared to provide access to relevant documentation and personnel.


# Page Title
What is Networking Equipment? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/networking-equipment

## Page Description

A comprehensive glossary of networking equipment terms explained in simple language. Enhance your tech knowledge and get connected!

## Details

Networking Equipment, commonly called IT networking hardware, encapsulates an extensive range of devices designed to transmit data, connect multiple devices, and facilitate communication within an internal network or across the internet. This comprises routers, switches, and firewalls, the central pillars of any network architecture.

Note: Don't let the unknown lurk in your network. Streamline operations, optimize licenses, and track expenditures effortlessly. Take control with Torii's Shadow IT discovery tool.

But what sets apart these various components of networking equipment?

Routers: Network Routers are specialized devices working at the intersection of multiple networks, directing data packets between them, often via the most efficient route. Network Switches function within a distinct network, channeling data to specific devices based on their address, thereby optimizing data flow.

Firewalls: Network Firewalls stand as the sentinels of a network, monitoring incoming and outgoing network traffic and preventing unauthorized access based on pre-set security rules. Network modems blend the digital and analog realms, modulating and demodulating signals to facilitate communication between digital devices and analog phone lines.

Hardware: Diverse hardware like network gateways, which act as the communication intermediary between differing networks and wireless access points, providing wireless connectivity in a local area network, supplement these essential elements. Network load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers, ensuring the network is not overloaded and remains high-performing.

Bridges, Hubs, and Adapters: Additionally, different types of network bridges, hubs, and adapters are used to amplify, divide, or adapt the network signals for effective transmission. Devices like network repeaters and extenders are essential in expanding network coverage and reaching farther corners of a widespread network.

Cables, Connectors, and Transceivers: At the heart of data transmission are network cables, connectors, and transceivers, each playing a vital role in transmitting data between devices. Finally, network power supplies keep the equipment running, while network racks offer organized storage, enabling efficient maintenance and management.

All these components harmoniously contribute to the big picture of Networking Equipment, the backbone of any modern communication system, facilitating seamless and secure data exchange within and outside the network.

Examples of Networking Equipment

Cisco Catalyst 2960-XR

Cisco Catalyst 2960-XR switch is a widely utilized networking equipment that delivers enhanced productivity by providing enterprise-class internet access. It supports simultaneous data transfer across multiple devices, providing faster, more reliable, and high-performing network connectivity. An IT manager can save costs as this switch also offers automation and security features, reducing the need for manual tasks and potential security breach incidents.

Ubiquiti Networks Unifi Security Gateway (USG)

The Ubiquiti Networks Unifi Security Gateway (USG) is sophisticated networking hardware that appeals to IT directors who need robust network security without compromising speed. The USG acts as a firewall, provides VPN options, and has deep packet inspection capabilities — all essential features for securing enterprise-level data. It integrates seamlessly with other Unifi Network Management Software, making controlling and managing different network segments easier.

Synology DiskStation DS918+

Presented with a compact, rack-mountable design, the Synology DiskStation DS918+ is an advanced NAS (Network Attached Storage) system that functions as a centralized storage, backup, and sharing solution. IT managers can use this equipment for efficient file management and quick data transfers. Its encrypted data transmission and malware protection abilities make it an excellent choice for data-sensitive environments, ensuring information remains protected and accessible only to relevant personnel.

Best Practices for Networking Equipment

An essential task in managing a business's IT infrastructure involves understanding the best practices of networking equipment for optimal performance and security.

Maintain Robust Security

Firstly, regularly updating and patching your routers and switches is crucial to maintaining robust security. These devices form the backbone of your IT infrastructure, routing data through your network, so ensuring they are always current with the latest firmware is a best practice.

Control Network Traffic

Next, network firewalls play a critical role in your security strategy, controlling the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. Regularly monitoring and updating firewall rules is necessary to prevent potential security breaches.

Install Wireless Access Points

Wireless access points must be strategically placed for optimal coverage and continuously monitored for any unusual traffic that could indicate a security threat.

Maintain and Distribute Network Traffic

Network load balancers, similarly, play a pivotal role in ensuring evenly distributed network traffic across your servers. Ensuring they are well-configured and maintained will improve your network's overall performance and functionality.

Regularly Update and Test Network Gateways

Your network gateways, the nodes that link two networks with different transmission protocols, also need regular updates and tests to ensure effortless data transmission.

Replace Network Hubs with Advanced Network Switches

Moving on, it's best practice to replace old network hubs with more advanced network switches for better speed and efficiency and to decommission any unused equipment like bridges, modems, or adapters.

Organize and Store Hardware

Organize and label everything clearly when working with hardware like network repeaters, extenders, transceivers, cables, connectors, power supplies, or racks. This practice helps in easier troubleshooting and allows for smooth replacements if necessary.

Use of SaaS Management Tool

Moreover, continual monitoring of these devices and swift response to any faults or issues is also recommended. Automation tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform can simplify these tasks.

Torii can discover Shadow IT in your network, automate SaaS operations like onboarding and offboarding, optimize SaaS licenses, track expenditures, and even build custom plugins and integrations for your cloud apps. With Torii, IT managers and directors gain the essential tools to scale their SaaS-related work, providing them with more insights for better action.

In conclusion, understanding and implementing these networking equipment best practices will result in a secure, smooth, and efficient network, keeping your business operationally sound.

Related Tools for Networking Equipment

Torii: A cloud-based platform for managing and optimizing Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures.

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor: An IT asset discovery tool focused on providing insights into end-user experiences and system performance across the network.

Cisco Network Assistant: A comprehensive asset discovery solution that scans networks to identify and manage hardware, software, and users.

Wireshark: A powerful network protocol analyzer for capturing and inspecting data packets traveling through a network.

ManageEngine OpManager: A network monitoring tool that provides real-time insights into the health and performance of network devices and servers.

Nagios: A monitoring system that continuously monitors network services, hosts, and applications to ensure their availability and performance.

PRTG Network Monitor: A comprehensive network monitoring solution that monitors bandwidth, usage, and availability of network devices and services.

NetCrunch: A network monitoring and management platform that offers real-time monitoring, visualization, and alerting for networks of all sizes.

Zabbix: An open-source network monitoring solution that provides real-time monitoring, alerting, and visualization of network performance and availability.

Spiceworks Network Monitor: A free network monitoring software and tool that provides real-time monitoring and alerting for network devices, services, and performance metrics.

OpenNMS: An enterprise-grade network management platform that offers comprehensive network monitoring, alerting, and reporting capabilities.

WhatsUp Gold: A network monitoring and management solution that provides real-time visibility into the performance and availability of network devices and services.

Dynatrace: An application performance monitoring solution that provides insights into application performance, user experience, and infrastructure health across complex environments.

Riverbed SteelCentral: A network performance management solution that provides visibility into network performance, traffic, and application usage to optimize performance and troubleshoot issues.

VMware vRealize Network Insight: A network visibility and analytics platform that provides insights into virtual and physical network infrastructure to optimize performance and security.

Juniper Networks Junos Space Network Director: A network management solution that provides centralized management, automation, and visualization of Juniper Networks devices and services.

Extreme Networks Management Suite: A network management platform that offers centralized management, monitoring, and configuration of Extreme Networks devices and services.

Related Concepts in Networking Equipment

Routers: Devices that connect multiple networks and direct incoming and outgoing data traffic.

Switches: Devices that connect network devices within a local area network (LAN) by forwarding data packets between them.

Firewalls: Network security devices that monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

Network switches: Devices that connect network devices within a local area network (LAN) by forwarding data packets between them.

Network routers: Devices that connect multiple networks and direct incoming and outgoing data traffic.

Network firewalls: Network security devices that monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

Wireless access points: Devices that allow wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi technology.

Network load balancers: Devices that evenly distribute network traffic across multiple servers or network links to ensure optimal performance.

Network gateways: Devices that connect different networks with different protocols to enable communication between them.

Network hubs: Devices connecting multiple network devices in a LAN, allowing them to communicate.

Network bridges: Devices that connect two separate LANs to enable communication between them.

Network modems: Devices that convert digital signals from a computer into analog signals that can be transmitted over a phone line and vice versa.

Network adapters: Devices that allow computers or other devices to connect to a network.

Network repeaters: Devices that amplify or regenerate network signals to extend their range or improve quality.

Network extenders: Devices that extend the coverage of a wired or wireless network to reach distant areas.

Network transceivers: Devices that transmit and receive data over a network, converting between different transmission media or protocols.

Network cables: Physical cables, such as Ethernet cables, connect network devices.

Network connectors: Devices used to connect and terminate network cables, such as RJ45 connectors.

Network power supplies: Devices that provide electrical power to network equipment.

Network racks: Structures or cabinets used to organize and store network equipment, such as servers and switches.

FAQs: Networking Equipment

Q: What is networking equipment?

A: Networking equipment refers to the hardware and devices that establish and maintain computer networks. It includes routers, switches, modems, network cables, wireless access points, and network adapters.

Q: What is the purpose of networking equipment?

A: The purpose of networking equipment is to enable communication and data transfer between devices within a network. It helps create a network infrastructure that allows devices to connect, share resources, and access the internet or other networks.

Q: What are the types of networking equipment?

A: The types of networking equipment include routers, switches, modems, network cables, wireless access points, network adapters, firewalls, network load balancers, and network storage devices.

Q: What is a router?

A: A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. It acts as a central hub, directing network traffic and managing data flow between devices within or between multiple networks.

Q: What is a switch?

A: A switch is a networking device that connects multiple devices within a local area network (LAN). It only receives and forwards data packets to the intended destination device, ensuring efficient data transmission and network performance.

Q: What is a modem?

A: A modem is a device that converts digital signals from a computer into analog signals suitable for transmission over communication lines. It allows computers to connect to the internet via a telephone line, cable, or fiber optic network.

Q: What is a wireless access point?

A: A wireless access point, also known as a WAP or AP, is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network. It acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, enabling wireless communication within a designated area.

Q: What is a network cable?

A: A network cable, often called an Ethernet cable, is a physical medium used to connect networking devices, such as computers, routers, and switches, in a network. It allows for the transmission of data between connected devices.

Q: What is a network adapter?

A: A network adapter, also called a network interface card (NIC), is a hardware device that enables a computer to connect to a network. It provides the necessary interface between the computer's internal system and the network cables or wireless signals.

Q: What is the function of a firewall in networking?

A: A firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined security rules. It helps protect a network from unauthorized access, malicious attacks, and unwanted data transfer.

Q: What is a network load balancer?

A: A network load balancer is a device or software that distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers or network resources to ensure efficient resource utilization and improved performance. It helps prevent server overload and enhances scalability.

Q: What is network storage?

A: Network storage refers to the storage capacity provided by storage devices connected to a network, such as Network-Attached Storage (NAS) or Storage Area Networks (SANs). It allows multiple devices to access and share data stored centrally.

Q: How do you choose networking equipment for a business?

A: When choosing networking equipment for a business, consider factors such as the size and requirements of the network, the anticipated traffic volume and growth, security needs, budget constraints, and compatibility with existing infrastructure. Consulting with IT professionals can help make informed decisions.


# Page Title
What is Policy Compliance? | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/policy-compliance

## Page Description

Understand Policy Compliance – A comprehensive glossary explaining essential terms of maintaining regulatory standards.

## Details

Policy Compliance, often referenced as PC in the tech industry, ensures an organization aligns with established internal policy adherence and adheres to external regulatory compliance standards. It involves systematically identifying, assessing, controlling, and monitoring activities to comply with these standards. This encompasses a robust governance and compliance framework and various monitoring and reporting tools.

Note: Navigating policy compliance can be a daunting task, especially with the ever-evolving landscape of regulatory standards. Simplify your compliance journey with Torii's intuitive SaaS Management Platform.

What happens when the adherence to these rules comes into question? This is where the practice of compliance audit and risk assessment plays a pivotal role.

Audit Procedures: Audit procedures help identify potential risk areas, while compliance training programs equip staff to determine and mitigate risks promptly. These evaluations are documented per compliance documentation requirements, and any discovered contraventions are treated as compliance violations, carrying appropriate penalties.

Compliance Policy: However, ensuring policy compliance isn't just about 'fire-fighting'; it’s equally vital to strategize and enforce a comprehensive compliance policy. Vigilant compliance management software can streamline these processes, offering the ability to conduct compliance reviews and assessments frequently. Reviews typically include a compliance audit checklist and implement controls and measures to eliminate identified compliance gaps.

Builds Compliance Culture: To create a robust compliance culture, organizations must emphasize ethics and prioritization of policy compliance in their operations. Compliance training programs reinforce this culture and commitment, while a compliance certification process can confirm staff competencies. Remember, a robust compliance culture isn't solely reactive; it is proactive and prevents violations before they occur.

Risk Management: Finally, introducing advanced compliance monitoring tools and systems can provide real-time compliance risk management insights. Such tools offer automated compliance reporting systems that ensure conformity with policy compliance.

However, to maximize effectiveness, every compliance program needs periodic evaluation. Tools for compliance program evaluation help identify areas for further improvement, thus ensuring continual growth in an organization's compliance journey.

Examples of Policy Compliance

In IT, adhering to policy compliance is not just about ticking boxes; it's about safeguarding the integrity and security of data systems.

Financial Institution

One notable example is a financial institution's adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). They protect sensitive financial information by implementing strict access control measures, encrypting cardholder data, and maintaining a vulnerability management program, mitigating the risk of data breaches and fraud.

Healthcare Setting

Another example involves healthcare organizations complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These organizations protect patient privacy and trust through rigorous data protection strategies, such as securing patient records and ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive health information. This compliance is crucial not only for ethical reasons but also to avoid hefty fines and legal ramifications that can arise from data mishandling.

Technology Sector

Lastly, in the technology sector, companies often adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when dealing with EU citizens' data. This includes implementing transparent data processing procedures, ensuring data subject rights, and reporting breaches within 72 hours. By doing so, these companies comply with stringent European privacy laws and build trust with their users, demonstrating a commitment to privacy and security in the digital age.

Best Practices for Policy Compliance

Policy compliance is essential to any thriving IT organization's recipe for success. It ensures adherence to industry regulatory compliance standards while mandating internal policy adherence within the business.

Establish a Governance and Compliance Framework

The first step in a robust compliance program is to establish a sound governance and compliance framework. This framework helps provide a roadmap for meeting expectations and following laws, regulations, guidelines, and specifications relevant to your business.

Regular Monitoring and Reporting

Once the framework is in place, consistent compliance monitoring and reporting become critical. Regular audits and risk assessments drive this process. They help identify deviations and loopholes in the current system, which could lead to violations and penalties. In these instances, a comprehensive compliance audit checklist becomes invaluable, outlining everything needed for a thorough compliance review and assessment.

Cultivate a Compliance Culture

However, compliance doesn't solely hinge on checks and control measures. It would be best if you cultivated a vibrant compliance culture and ethics. The bedrock of this culture lies in a comprehensive compliance training program, ensuring that every employee understands the responsibilities, risks, and practices inherent within compliance.

Create Documentation

Compliance documentation requirements are a critical element. Ensure all essential documents, from policies and procedures to compliance certification process evidence, are readily available and stored securely. This collection feeds into the broader compliance reporting system, bolstering its reliability while ensuring transparency.

Use of SaaS Management Tool

While all these steps are crucial, it can be complex to manage the myriad elements of policy compliance. Tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform can significantly simplify matters for IT managers and directors.

Torii provides a single, intuitive platform for managing all aspects of your SaaS portfolio, supporting best practices in compliance management software. It aids in discovering Shadow IT and automates various SaaS operations such as on/offboarding, license optimization, and cost savings.

Ensure Risk Management

Additionally, Torii is adept at compliance risk management, offering an avenue to promptly identify, assess, and respond to compliance risks. Its ability to build custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps can supplement existing compliance controls and measures within your organization.

Regular Compliance Evaluation

Lastly, a regular compliance program evaluation is necessary to ensure continued policy compliance. This evaluation often includes a compliance gap analysis to identify improvement areas while validating the effectiveness of current measures. With these best practices, your organization's policy compliance is set on a sound footing.

Related Tools for Policy Compliance

Torii: SaaS Management Platform: Torii is a cloud-based tool designed to oversee and optimize Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures to ensure policy compliance.

SaaSLicense: SaaSLicense provides a platform to track, manage, and optimize SaaS usage, ensuring adherence to compliance policies.

Cleanshelf: Cleanshelf offers a solution for tracking and managing SaaS subscriptions, aiding in policy compliance and cost optimization.

Alpin: Alpin provides tools for managing and optimizing SaaS usage, aiding in policy compliance and cost control.

Blissfully: Blissfully offers a platform for managing SaaS applications, ensuring compliance with organizational policies.

Zylo: Zylo provides a SaaS management platform that helps companies optimize usage and ensure compliance with internal policies.

Bliss: Bliss offers tools for managing SaaS applications, aiding compliance with organizational policies and cost control.

Zluri: Zluri provides a platform for managing and optimizing SaaS subscriptions to ensure policy compliance and cost efficiency.

Vendr: Vendr offers solutions for managing SaaS subscriptions, assisting in compliance with organizational policies, and cost optimization.

Bettercloud: Bettercloud provides tools for managing SaaS applications ensuring compliance with organizational policies and security protocols.

Productiv: Productiv offers a platform for managing SaaS applications, aiding in compliance with organizational policies, and optimizing usage.

Related Concepts in Policy Compliance

Regulatory Compliance Standards: Organizations must comply with Industry-specific rules and regulations to ensure legal and ethical operations.

Internal Policy Adherence: Following an organization's internal policies and procedures.

Governance and Compliance Framework: A structured approach to managing and overseeing organizational compliance.

Compliance Monitoring and Reporting: Processes and systems that track and assess adherence to compliance requirements and generate reports for management or regulatory authorities.

Audit and Risk Assessment: Evaluating and reviewing processes, systems, and controls to identify potential risks and ensure compliance.

Compliance Training Program: Formal training initiatives designed to educate employees on compliance regulations and expectations.

Compliance Documentation Requirements: The documentation and records necessary to demonstrate compliance with relevant standards.

Compliance Violations and Penalties: Breaches of compliance requirements that can lead to legal consequences, fines, or other penalties.

Compliance Policy Enforcement: The active enforcement and implementation of organizational compliance policies.

Compliance Management Software: Software solutions that help organizations centralize and automate compliance-related activities.

Compliance Culture and Ethics: The shared values and ethical standards that promote an organization's compliance culture.

Compliance Certification Process: The process of obtaining official recognition or certification of compliance with specific standards or regulations.

Compliance Audit Checklist: A systematic checklist to assess compliance with regulatory requirements during an audit.

Compliance Review and Assessment: A comprehensive evaluation of an organization's compliance practices against regulatory standards.

Compliance Controls and Measures: Internal controls and measures are implemented to mitigate compliance risks and ensure adherence to regulations.

Compliance Gap Analysis: Evaluating the differences between current compliance practices and desired compliance standards.

Compliance Risk Management: The proactive identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks related to compliance.

Compliance Reporting System: A system that allows for collecting, analyzing, and reporting compliance-related data and information.

Compliance Monitoring Tools: Technology tools and systems used to monitor and track compliance activities and processes.

Compliance Program Evaluation: A systematic assessment of the effectiveness and performance of an organization's compliance program.

FAQs: Policy Compliance

Q: What is policy compliance?

A: Policy compliance refers to the adherence to rules, regulations, and guidelines set by an organization or governing body to ensure that specific guidelines and standards are met.

Q: Why is policy compliance substantial?

A: Policy compliance is crucial as it helps organizations maintain security, control risks, and meet legal and regulatory requirements. It also promotes consistency, transparency, and ethical conduct within an organization.

Q: What are the benefits of policy compliance?

A: Policy compliance provides several benefits, including improved data security, reduced legal and financial risks, increased customer trust, enhanced productivity, and better alignment with industry standards.

Q: How can policy compliance be achieved?

A: Policy compliance can be achieved by implementing comprehensive policies and procedures, providing employee training and awareness programs, conducting regular audits, enforcing consequences for non-compliance, and using technology solutions for monitoring and enforcing compliance.

Q: What is policy enforcement?

A: Policy enforcement refers to ensuring that policies and guidelines are followed and any violations or non-compliance are promptly addressed.

Q: How can policy enforcement be improved?

A: Policy enforcement can be enhanced by establishing clear and concise policies, creating a culture of compliance, providing ongoing training and education, implementing automated policy compliance tools, conducting regular audits, and enforcing consequences for non-compliance.

Q: What is policy non-compliance?

A: Policy non-compliance refers to instances where individuals or organizations fail to adhere to the prescribed policies, regulations, or guidelines.

Q: What are the consequences of policy non-compliance?

A: Consequences of policy non-compliance may include legal penalties, financial losses, reputational damage, loss of customer trust, decreased employee morale, and regulatory sanctions.

Q: How can policy compliance be measured?

A: Policy compliance can be measured through various metrics, such as the number of policy violations, completion rates of compliance training, audit findings, incident reports, and feedback from stakeholders.

Q: What is the role of technology in policy compliance?

A: Technology plays a crucial role in policy compliance by automating processes, monitoring activities, identifying non-compliance, providing alerts, enforcing policies, generating compliance reports, and increasing efficiency in compliance management.

Q: How can policy compliance be maintained in a remote work environment?

A: Maintaining policy compliance in a remote work environment requires clear communication, updated remote work policies, secure technology infrastructure, employee training on remote work security protocols, regular check-ins, and the use of collaboration tools with built-in security features.


# Page Title
What are RFI, RFP, and RFQ, and how do they differ? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/rfi-rfp-and-rfq-and-how-do-they-differ

## Page Description

Understanding RFI, RFP, and RFQ: A tech glossary Clear up any confusion around these terms and how they impact procurement.

## Details

In the world of technology procurement, RFI (Request for Information), RFP (Request for Proposal), and RFQ (Request for Quotation) are terms that IT managers and directors frequently encounter. These procurement tools are designed to streamline the process of vendor selection, negotiation, and contract finalization, allowing businesses to make the best choices for their IT needs.

Note: Enhance your RFI, RFP, and RFQ processes with Torii's all-in-one SaaS management platform. Elevate vendor selection, negotiation, and contract finalization with Torii's advanced capabilities. Check out Torii’s AI-powered SaaS Management

But what happens if you're not proficient in understanding these tools? Well, no worries, let's break them down.

RFI: An RFI, or Request for Information, is usually the initial step in the procurement process. It gathers data and insights such as vendor capabilities, specialization, and RFI responses to queries, usually distributed via an RFI template. It serves primarily as an RFI analysis tool for identifying potential suppliers, understanding RFI requirements, and gauging the landscape of the available solutions.

RFP: An RFP, or Request for Proposal, comes into play when you shortlist your potential suppliers from the RFI process. The RFP template outlines precisely what you need from your vendors and opens the forum for them to propose how to meet these needs. The RFP process includes RFP submission, RFP evaluation based on set criteria, and an RFP scoring system. It also consists of a detailed RFP timeline, specific RFP documentation requirements, and a careful RFP selection procedure. Then comes the RFP pricing analysis, negotiation, and finalizing of the RFP contract with the selected vendor.

RFQ: An RFQ, or Request for Quotation, is your instrument for nitty-gritty pricing details. Using an RFQ template, vendors are asked to provide a comprehensive price layout for the services or goods they'd like to procure. The RFQ process also involves scrutinizing the RFQ responses from vendors, clarifying RFQ requirements, analyzing the RFQ documentation, and understanding the RFQ pricing. It is crucial for RFQ negotiation and helps your final RFQ vendor selection.

These tools (RFI, RFP, RFQ) can significantly streamline the procurement process and help IT Managers and Directors efficiently handle software or hardware acquisition, setting clear goals and expectations and generating competition among potential vendors for better pricing and service quality.

Examples of RFI, RFP, and RFQ

RFI Process

A multinational corporation seeks to overhaul its global IT infrastructure to enhance efficiency and security. It issues an RFI to gather detailed information on the latest technologies and service providers capable of managing such a large-scale operation. The RFI process allows the corporation to understand various vendors' capabilities, experience, and innovative approaches, setting the stage for a more targeted RFP.

RFP Process

After evaluating responses to the RFI, the same corporation releases an RFP for the specific design and implementation of a new IT system. This RFP includes precise requirements for cybersecurity measures, data management, cloud integration, and user support services. Vendors respond with customized proposals outlining their solutions, implementation methodologies, timelines, and costs. The RFP process enables the corporation to compare these detailed proposals and select a vendor that offers the best value and alignment with the corporation’s objectives.

RFQ Process

Following selecting a vendor based on the RFP responses, the corporation issues an RFQ to procure the necessary hardware components for the IT overhaul. The RFQ specifies quantities, specifications, and delivery timelines for servers, network devices, and storage solutions. Vendors submit quotes with pricing for the requested quantities and specifications. The RFQ allows the corporation to secure competitive pricing for high-quality hardware, ensuring the project stays within budget while meeting all technical requirements.

These steps illustrate a comprehensive approach to procuring IT services and products, starting from broad information gathering with an RFI, moving to detailed proposals through an RFP, and concluding with specific pricing for goods via an RFQ, ensuring that every aspect of the project is optimized for success.

Best Practices for RFI, RFP, and RFQ

The Request for information (RFI), Request for proposal (RFP), and Request for quotation (RFQ) processes are critical stages in the procurement workflow, uniquely designed to fulfill distinctive needs in vendor selection, contract negotiation, and price determination.

Create a Request for Information (RFI)

RFI is the first step, aiding in formulating a comprehensive vendor list. Utilize an RFI template to streamline your RFI requirements and accessible collection of essential data. Emphasize the RFI questionnaire to filter out suitable vendors based on your needs. Conduct thorough RFI analysis for an in-depth understanding of the vendor landscape.

Draft the Request for Proposal (RFP) Template

Next comes the RFP process, which necessitates a well-structured RFP template to lay down project scope, budget, timeline, and technical specifications. An effective RFP submission articulates your strategies, manages the RFP timeline, and keeps the RFP documentation clear and comprehensive. Use RFP scoring during the RFP evaluation to objectively base your RFP selection, laying the groundwork for RFP negotiation.

Research and Produce the Request for Quotation (RFQ)

Lastly, the RFQ process focuses on pricing. Generate an RFQ template stating your RFQ requirements for the project cost. RFQ bid submission, RFQ documentation, RFQ pricing, and RFQ negotiation are all core components in deciding the RFQ vendor and final RFQ selection.

Use of SaaS Management Tool

While managing these processes, a platform like Torii can be instrumental. It can handle SaaS-related tasks, discover Shadow IT, automate operations, and provide visibility over expenditures, effectively scaling your SaaS. Use it to your advantage in the RFP and RFQ processes, particularly in project timeline scheduling and documentation management. It boosts efficiency and optimizes cost in the RFP procurement and contract phase, making the process more effective and beneficial.

Remember, each step in the RFI, RFP, and RFQ processes requires meticulous attention to detail and strategic planning to ensure successful procurement. Using the right blend of tools and best practices can simplify the journey, bringing more efficiency, transparency, and informed decision-making to your procurement process.

Related Tools for RFI, RFP, and RFQ

Torii SaaS Management Platform: A cloud-based tool that oversees and optimizes Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures.

Ariba: An end-to-end procurement and supply chain management solution facilitating efficient sourcing, procurement, and supplier collaboration.

Coupa: A comprehensive platform offering procurement, invoicing, and expense management functionalities to streamline business spending.

SAP Sourcing: An integrated solution within the SAP ecosystem that manages sourcing processes, supplier relationships, and procurement activities.

Oracle Fusion Procurement: A procurement suite offering advanced capabilities for strategic sourcing, supplier management, and procurement operations within the Oracle ecosystem.

IBM Emptoris: A procurement and supply chain management solution providing insights into supplier management, contract lifecycle, and sourcing optimization.

Jaggaer: A cloud-based procurement platform offering various solutions for spend management, supplier management, and procurement automation.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management: An end-to-end supply chain management solution within the Microsoft Dynamics suite, offering capabilities for manufacturing, inventory, and logistics management.

Zycus Procure-to-Pay Suite: An integrated procurement suite encompassing procurement, sourcing, contract management, and supplier management functionalities.

Basware Procurement: A procurement solution offering e-procurement, invoice automation, and supplier management capabilities to streamline procurement processes.

SciQuest: A cloud-based procurement solution designed for higher education, healthcare, and research institutions to optimize purchasing processes and manage supplier relationships.

Perfect Commerce: A procurement and sourcing platform enabling organizations to streamline purchasing processes, manage supplier relationships, and drive cost savings.

Bonfire: A cloud-based procurement platform specializing in sourcing and vendor management, facilitating collaboration and efficiency in procurement processes.

Procurify: An intuitive procurement software enabling organizations to streamline purchasing, control spending, and gain visibility into procurement activities.

SpendMap: A procurement software offering tools for purchase order management, expense tracking, and spend analysis to optimize procurement processes and control costs.

Related Concepts in RFI, RFP, and RFQ

Request for information (RFI): A formal document used to collect information from potential vendors or suppliers about their products, services, or capabilities.

Request for proposal (RFP): A detailed document that outlines the requirements and objectives of a project and invites vendors to submit their proposed solutions and pricing.

Request for quotation (RFQ): A document requesting vendors to provide a quote or pricing for specific goods or services.

RFP template: A pre-established document that provides a structure and format for creating an RFP, making it easier to gather consistent vendor information.

RFI response: The written submission provided by a vendor in response to an RFI containing the information requested by the organization.

RFI template: A pre-designed document that provides a format for creating an RFI, ensuring consistent information gathering from vendors.

RFP process: The overall steps and procedures followed to create, distribute, collect, evaluate, and select an RFP.

RFP submission: Sending an RFP response to the organization issuing the RFP, typically through a specified channel or platform.

RFI requirements: The specific information or criteria organizations include in their RFIs to elicit relevant and useful vendor responses.

RFP evaluation: The process of assessing and comparing the submitted RFPs based on predefined criteria to identify the most suitable vendor or solution.

RFP timeline: A predetermined schedule that outlines key milestones and deadlines for the RFP process, ensuring that all activities stay on track.

RFP documentation: Collect all relevant records, files, and materials related to the RFP process, including the RFP itself, vendor responses, and evaluation reports.

RFI questionnaire: A structured set of questions included in an RFI to gather specific vendor information, allowing for a more systematic evaluation.

RFP pricing: The proposed costs and pricing details vendors provide in response to an RFP are typically presented in a clear and itemized format.

RFP negotiation: The stage in the RFP process where organizations engage in discussions and reconsiderations with selected vendors to mutually agree on terms, conditions, and pricing.

RFP scoring: The systematic assessment of submitted RFPs against predefined criteria to assign scores and ranks, facilitating the selection of the best vendor.

RFI analysis: The examination and review of vendor responses to an RFI to understand their capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for the project.

RFP selection: The final decision-making stage in the RFP process, where an organization chooses one or multiple vendors based on the evaluation results and requirements.

RFI vendor: A potential supplier or vendor who receives and responds to an RFI, providing information about their products, services, or solutions.

RFP contract: The formal agreement or legal document that outlines the terms, conditions, and obligations between the organization and the selected vendor(s) after the RFP process.

RFP procurement: The process of acquiring goods, services, or solutions from vendors, often involving RFPs as part of the procurement process.

RFQ template: A pre-designed document that provides a structure and format for creating an RFQ, simplifying the process of requesting vendor quotes.

RFQ process: The steps and procedures followed to gather quotes, evaluate options, and select vendors when using an RFQ.

RFQ bid: The formal submission by a vendor providing the requested pricing and information in response to an RFQ.

RFQ response: The document provided by a vendor as a response to an RFQ containing the requested quote and any additional information specified in the request.

RFQ requirements: The specific details and criteria outlined in an RFQ, which vendors must address in their bid or response.

RFQ documentation: Collect all relevant records, files, and materials associated with an RFQ, including the RFQ itself, vendor responses, and evaluation reports.

RFQ pricing: The proposed costs and pricing details submitted by vendors in response to an RFQ are typically presented in a clear and itemized format.

RFQ negotiation: The stage in the RFQ process where organizations engage in discussions and negotiations with selected vendors to agree on terms, conditions, and pricing.

RFQ vendor: A potential supplier or vendor who receives an RFQ and submits a bid or response, providing pricing and other requested information.

RFQ selection: The final decision-making stage in the RFQ process, where an organization chooses one or multiple vendors based on evaluation results, pricing, and specific requirements.

FAQs: RFI, RFP, and RFQ

Q: What is an RFI, RFP, or RFQ?

A: RFI stands for "Request for Information," RFP stands for "Request for Proposal," and RFQ stands for "Request for Quotation." These are formal documents used in various industries to invite suppliers or vendors to provide information, proposals, or quotes for products or services.

Q: What is the purpose of an RFI?

A: An RFI aims to gather information from potential vendors or suppliers about their capabilities, products, or services. It helps organizations assess the market and identify suitable vendors before procuring.

Q: When is an RFI used?

A: An RFI is used early in a procurement process when an organization needs to gather information about available products, services, or potential suppliers. It is typically conducted before issuing an RFP or RFQ.

Q: What is the purpose of an RFP?

A: The purpose of an RFP is to solicit detailed proposals from potential vendors or suppliers. It outlines the organization's requirements evaluation criteria and allows vendors to propose solutions, pricing, and other relevant details.

Q: When is an RFP used?

A: An RFP is used when an organization has clearly defined requirements and wants potential vendors or suppliers to submit detailed proposals that address those requirements. It is typically used after the RFI stage and before issuing an RFQ.

Q: What is the purpose of an RFQ?

A: The purpose of an RFQ is to request price quotes from potential vendors or suppliers for specific products or services. It focuses on cost and allows organizations to compare prices and select the most suitable supplier.

Q: When is an RFQ used?

A: An RFQ is used when an organization knows exactly what products or services it needs and wants to obtain competitive price quotes from potential vendors or suppliers. It is used after the RFI and RFP stages when the organization has narrowed its options.

Q: What are the main differences between RFI, RFP, and RFQ?

A: An RFI is used to gather information about available vendors or suppliers, an RFP is used to solicit detailed proposals from vendors and an RFQ is used to request price quotes for specific products or services. They are used at different stages of the procurement process and serve other purposes.

Q: Is using all three (RFI, RFP, and RFQ) necessary?

A: It depends on the organization's needs and the complexity of the procurement process. Using only one or two of these documents may be sufficient in some cases. It's essential to determine the specific requirements and objectives before deciding which documents to use.

Q: How should I evaluate RFI, RFP, and RFQ responses?

A: Evaluating responses to these documents involves considering factors such as compliance with requirements, vendor experience, pricing, delivery timelines, support capabilities, and any other specific evaluation criteria defined in the documents. The evaluation process should be fair, consistent, and aligned with organizational objectives.

Q: How can I ensure a successful RFI, RFP, or RFQ process?

A: To ensure a successful process, clearly define your requirements, objectives, and evaluation criteria before issuing the documents. Engage with potential vendors or suppliers, provide them with the necessary information, and allow sufficient time to respond. Ensure transparency, fairness, and effective communication throughout the process.

Q: Are there any best practices for creating RFI, RFP, and RFQ documents?

A: Some best practices include providing clear instructions, defining comprehensive evaluation criteria, allowing vendors or suppliers to ask questions, incorporating timelines and deliverables, using standardized templates, and providing a well-defined process for submission, evaluation, and selection.

Q: Can I use RFI, RFP, or RFQ document templates?

A: Yes, using templates can help create consistent and well-structured documents. Many organizations and online resources offer template options specific to RFI, RFP, or RFQ. However, it's essential to customize the templates to align with your organization's particular requirements.

Q: How long does the RFI, RFP, or RFQ process typically take?

A: The duration of the process can vary depending on factors such as the complexity of requirements, the number of potential vendors or suppliers, response deadlines, and internal evaluation procedures. Typically, the RFI stage may take a few weeks. An RFP process can span several months, while an RFQ process may be shorter.

Q: How many vendors or suppliers should I invite to participate in the RFI, RFP, or RFQ process?

A: The number of vendors or suppliers to invite depends on various factors, such as the market, the complexity of requirements, the organization's capacity to vet responses, and the desired level of competition. Having a sufficient number to ensure competition while avoiding an overwhelming response is good.

Q: Can I issue an RFI, RFP, or RFQ electronically?

A: Yes, you can issue RFI, RFP, or RFQ documents electronically. Many organizations now use online platforms, emails, or procurement software to distribute and manage these processes electronically.

Related reading:

- Procurement Tools vs SaaS Management Platforms: When to Use Which [/articles/procurement-tools-vs-saas-management-platforms]


# Page Title
Who are Sailpoint's Competitors? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/sailpoints-competitors

## Page Description

Discover the top Sailpoint competitors Learn about the leading rivals in the identity governance market in our comprehensive glossary.

## Details

Sailpoint competitors, or the various alternatives, rivals, or replacement software options in the Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) market, offer several solutions similar to Sailpoint. These alternative software tools provide a choice beyond Sailpoint, with potentially distinctive features, functionalities, or pricing models that may better fit specific organizations.

Note: Effortlessly handle your software licenses, monitor utilization, and stay ahead of contract renewals. Take control today with Torii's intuitive platform. Discover why it's one of the top alternatives to SailPoint. Explore Torii now!

Who are the notable Sailpoint competitors? Suppose you are looking for a Sailpoint alternative or replacement. In that case, it's worth exploring comparable companies in the IGA space that have garnered a significant market share due to their distinctive offerings.

CyberArk, Saviynt, Oracle Identity Management, and Microsoft's Azure Active Directory are prominent Sailpoint rivals offering unique identity management solutions.

Regarding a direct Sailpoint comparison, each competitor offers critical functions like access management, identity governance, and user lifecycle management. However, the differences lie in the intricate details like system architecture, integration capabilities, user interface, support services, or cost structure. An IT Manager or Director should consider these elements when exploring Sailpoint and similar tools.

In conclusion, Sailpoint competitors offer a range of alternative software options in the identity governance and administration market. Regardless of whether the focus is on a Sailpoint rival with more advanced integration capabilities or a lower-cost Sailpoint replacement, the choice ultimately depends on your organization's unique needs and constraints.

Examples of Sailpoint Competitors

Regarding identity governance and administration, SailPoint is undoubtedly an industry leader. However, a few SailPoint competitors with similar tools are making a significant mark in the tech ecosystem with their unique offerings. Let's delve into these prominent SailPoint rivals.

Oracle Identity Governance

Oracle Identity Governance is a SailPoint alternative that offers a robust, scalable, and feature-rich platform that streamlines user access privileges across the entire IT landscape. Like SailPoint, it offers comprehensive provisioning, helps enforce compliance, and provides analytics for better decision-making. However, it extends its features to advanced role management capabilities, a paramount attribute in reducing enterprise risk and improving efficiency.

OneLogin

OneLogin is a preferred choice since this SailPoint replacement offers unified access management. It excellently combines simplicity, class-leading integration, and the ability to secure all apps with one click. They've charted a user-friendly course with their intuitive interfaces and effective automation, which IT managers find essential to save time and simplify workflows.

Torii SaaS Management Platform

However, the Torii SaaS Management Platform stands out in the realm of SaaS management. This unique SailPoint alternative focuses on managing cloud-based apps, shedding light on shadow IT, and contributing dramatically to SaaS cost savings. IT professionals can scale their work, automate operations, and optimize their software licenses. Its capacity to develop custom plugins and integrations offers more insights and better action, making it an excellent SailPoint replacement for SaaS-centric firms.

These SailPoint competitors, while distinct in their offerings, all contribute to enhancing identity governance and administration. Each potential replacement offers unique advantages and capabilities. Choosing SailPoint or an alternative will be driven by specific business needs, complexities, and the IT landscape. Either way, a vibrant SailPoint competitor landscape means more options, better services, and further advancements in the tech industry.

Best Practices for Sailpoint Competitors

If you're an IT manager or director seeking alternatives to SailPoint software or comparing various SailPoint similar tools, a tactical understanding of SailPoint competitors can assist in making the right choice for your organization.

Identify Your Organization’s Needs

Identify your organization's needs. Every business has unique requirements, which can impact the choice of SailPoint alternative software. You may be after advanced features or simplicity and ease of use, which are key for your team. Knowing your goals upfront can streamline the selection process.

Research Sailpoint Alternatives

Just as essential is performing a comprehensive SailPoint comparison. This step should cover pricing, integration capabilities, scalability, and customer support of different software providers. This way, you're choosing a SailPoint rival based on price and what fits your needs.

Check Reviews and Ratings

Look into user experiences. Before choosing a SailPoint replacement, consider reviews and ratings from users. Experiences can offer valuable insights into system performance, reliability, and user-friendliness.

Use Reliable SaaS Management Tool

Let's discuss how the Torii SaaS Management Platform fits this landscape. As a SailPoint alternative, Torii offers a comprehensive set of features designed to facilitate SaaS operations. Whether it's discovering Shadow IT, automating SaaS operations like on/offboarding, or optimizing SaaS licenses, Torii can be an attractive alternative.

Torii also stands out as a SailPoint competitor when providing visibility over SaaS expenditures. It allows for tracking and evaluation of costs effectively, enabling IT managers to make data-driven decisions.

Moreover, the ability to create custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps allows flexibility to grow with your business needs. This scalability makes Torii a SailPoint rival and a robust and versatile SailPoint alternative software.

Engage in Product Demonstrations or Trials

The last best practice we recommend is engaging in product demonstrations or trials when possible. Seeing firsthand how a SailPoint replacement performs can lend a thorough understanding of how it integrates into your work environment.

Following the suggested framework will ensure a strategic comparison of SailPoint competitors, enabling you to choose a SailPoint alternative software that is right for your needs today and well into the future.

Related Tools for Sailpoint Competitors

Torii SaaS Management Platform: A cloud-based solution facilitating oversight and optimization of Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures.  

Okta: A comprehensive identity management platform providing secure access to applications and data for organizations.  

OneLogin: An identity and access management solution offering single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and user provisioning functionalities.  

Microsoft Azure Active Directory: A cloud-based directory and identity management service by Microsoft, offering authentication and access control for applications and resources.  

Ping Identity: An identity security platform providing authentication, authorization, and single sign-on solutions for enterprises.  

IBM Security Identity Manager: An identity and access management system enabling centralized control and governance over user identities and access rights.  

RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle: A solution for managing user access rights and enforcing governance policies to ensure compliance and security.  

ForgeRock Identity Platform: An identity and access management suite offering authentication, authorization, and user management capabilities across various applications and devices.  

CyberArk Identity Security: An identity security platform providing privileged access management and identity governance solutions.  

Sailpoint IdentityIQ: A comprehensive identity governance solution offering access certification, compliance management, and provisioning functionalities for enterprises.

Related Concepts in Sailpoint Competitors

OneLogin: A sailpoint alternative software that offers unified access management, single sign-on, and identity lifecycle management solutions.

Oracle Identity Management: A sailpoint competitor that provides enterprises with a comprehensive identity and access management product suite.

Centrify: A sailpoint-similar tool that offers integrated solutions for privileged access management, single sign-on, and identity governance.

Okta: A sailpoint rival that provides identity management solutions, including single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and lifecycle management.

Microsoft Azure Active Directory: A sailpoint replacement that offers cloud-based identity and access management solutions, including single sign-on and user provisioning.

ForgeRock: A sailpoint competitor that provides a modern platform for identity and access management, including identity governance, adaptive authentication, and API security.

Ping Identity: A sailpoint alternative software that offers identity and access management solutions, including single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and identity governance.

IBM Security Identity and Access Manager: A sailpoint rival that provides a comprehensive set of identity and access management capabilities, including user provisioning, single sign-on, and access governance.

CyberArk: A sailpoint-similar tool that focuses on privileged access management, offering solutions for managing and securing secret accounts and credentials.

RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle: A sailpoint replacement that provides identity governance and lifecycle management solutions, helping organizations manage user access and entitlements.

FAQs: Sailpoint Competitors

Q: Who are Sailpoint's main competitors?

A: Some of Sailpoint's main competitors include Okta, CyberArk, OneLogin, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, and IBM Security Identity and Access Management.

Q: Is Sailpoint better than Okta?

A: It depends on specific requirements and preferences. Sailpoint and Okta are leaders in the identity and access management space, but the right choice will depend on an organization's particular needs and priorities.

Q: What are the critical features of CyberArk?

A: CyberArk offers privileged access management, session isolation, threat analytics, application identity management, and secure credentials sharing.

Q: How does OneLogin compare to Sailpoint?

A: OneLogin and Sailpoint are prominent players in identity management. While Sailpoint focuses on providing comprehensive identity governance solutions, OneLogin offers a cloud-based identity and access management solution with a strong emphasis on user experience.

Q: What is Microsoft Azure Active Directory used for?

A: Microsoft Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based identity and access management service primarily used to manage user identities, enforce security policies, and enable single sign-on across various applications and services in the Microsoft Azure ecosystem.

Q: What does IBM Security Identity and Access Management offer?

A: IBM Security Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions provide features like user lifecycle management, access control, identity governance, privileged access management, and strong authentication to help organizations protect sensitive data and mitigate security risks.

Q: Is Sailpoint a cloud-based solution?

A: Sailpoint offers on-premises and cloud-based identity governance solutions to cater to different deployment preferences.

Q: What are some alternatives to Sailpoint?

A: Some alternatives to Sailpoint include Okta, CyberArk, OneLogin, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle, ForgeRock, Omada, and Oracle Identity Governance.

Q: Does Sailpoint integrate with other software?

A: Yes, Sailpoint provides integrations with various software applications, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, human resources management systems (HRMS), and other critical business applications.

Q: How does Sailpoint handle identity governance?

A: Sailpoint's identity governance solution helps organizations manage user identities, control access to critical applications and data, ensure compliance with regulations, streamline user onboarding and offboarding processes, and provide detailed audit and reporting capabilities.


# Page Title
What is a Service Owner? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/service-owner

## Page Description

Learn what a Service Owner does: manage and optimize services, understand the impact and risks, and apply strategic solutions in the digital landscape.

## Details

A Service Owner (SO) plays a pivotal role in the IT sphere, shoulder to shoulder with the immense variety of titles in modern corporate organizations. Steering away from perplexity, a service owner resides precisely at the crossroads of IT domain expertise and tetra-directional communication. The balancing act between juggling technical depth and managerial breadth ensures their indispensable role within any thriving tech enterprise.

Note: Optimize your role in incident and problem management, change and release management, and service-owner training with Torii's comprehensive SaaS Management Platform. Take control of your SaaS landscape now

But what happens when this dynamism gets muddled? Unpacking the service owner's responsibilities, we find a canvas of several tasks contextualized within a different phase of a service's lifecycle. Service owner tasks may vary but are typically embedded within the incident, problem, change, and release management.

Services Aligned with User and Business Objectives: An essential part of the service owner's role is to ensure that the deployed services align with the expectations of the users and the overarching business objectives. This requirement necessitates rigorous service owner training to master technology and various soft skills like governance, communication, and collaboration.

Team Collaboration and Communication: Armed with a potent palette of service owner skills, SOs become responsible for fostering collaboration within and across teams, encapsulating a collective vision for the service. They also facilitate communication channels between stakeholders, ensuring transparent dissemination of information and constructive feedback.

Accountability: Accountability forms the backbone of the service owner definition. An SO is responsible for a service's delivery, performance, and continual improvement, underpinned by metrics for monitoring and assessments. They're also entrusted with managing service level agreements, undergirding the organization's compliance with expected service quality and performance.

Governance: Governance involves developing and implementing service policies and procedures. It also includes handling the escalation process when unprecedented incidents occur, or the service fails to meet specific established metrics.

A service owner's performance affects the viability of the service and the organization's ultimate success. Navigating the frontier between the technology and business world, SOs play an integral part in shaping the corporate journey into the future.

Examples of A Service Owner (SO)

Service owners are critical players in the tech world, taking on diverse responsibilities and roles to ensure efficient, effective, and optimal operations. The service owner definition is similar to a captain who steers the ship through stormy waters, manages risks, promotes collaboration, and leads teams to deliver high-quality services.

Enterprise Setting

A service owner at a digital marketing agency manages different online platforms to enhance collaboration among creative teams. Their role is to ensure smooth service delivery by addressing any emerging incidents promptly and responsibly, understanding service owner escalation as a critical mechanism for handling unforeseen challenges. Governing the usage of resources and receiving and implementing feedback from team members and clients upholds their accountability.

Small and Medium Businesses

An Information Systems Service Owner at an educational institution maintains and enhances the institution's technological infrastructure. Part of their tasks consists of managing databases, maintaining servers, and dealing with any technical issues that might impact the learning process. Skillful communication to handle service owner involvement with stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and students, and carefully managing service level agreements define their role.

Real-World Example

A service owner is the Lead of SaaS Management at a Fortune 500 company, and their daily tasks involve using the Torii SaaS Management Platform, which facilitates the discovery of Shadow IT, automates SaaS operations, and offers a clear view of SaaS expenditures. This service owner's role involves incident and problem management, change and release management, and service-owner training to optimize SaaS license usage and ensure cost savings. They handle service owner responsibilities conscientiously, with a keen eye on metrics to gauge service owner performance.

Thus, service owners constitute the backbone of operational effectiveness across various sectors and roles, addressing incidents, managing improvements, and ensuring fruitful, seamless interactions between teams and stakeholders in different configurations. Their varied tasks, underlined by consistent profiles of accountability, problem management, and insightful governance, ensure services constantly adapt, grow, and deliver their remit effectively.

Best Practices for A Service Owner (SO)

In the ever-evolving tech landscape, the service owner role has become pivotal, with responsibilities encompassing more than just overseeing a service's lifecycle. The service owner is the end-to-end authority for a specific service, ensuring its alignment with business objectives while managing governance and performance metrics. To understand this role better, let's articulate a practical step-by-step guide.

Define the Service Owner (SO) Role

Start by defining the service owner's role in your organization. This includes setting clear responsibilities like managing service level agreements (SLAs) and overseeing change, incidents, problem management, and escalations. Good service owner training should include these aspects to equip them with the required skills and knowledge.

Conduct Feedback Sessions

The key to success in the service owner role is effective communication. Regular feedback sessions with the IT team and stakeholders from the wider business can help foster collaboration and ensure everyone understands their tasks and responsibilities.

Review Performance Metrics

The role also takes on a strategic dimension, with service owners accountable for the successful delivery and maintenance of their service. They'll regularly review performance metrics to identify areas for improvement, keeping an eye out for recurring incidents.

Align with IT Governance Policies

Service owners must align their role with IT governance policies. Strong governance helps ensure operational integrity while addressing compliance and security risks.

Understand Problem, Release, and Change Management

Fundamentally, service owners understand problems and change management. They should be aware of any potential service disruptions that may arise from changes and have a plan to manage these risks.

Release management is another critical task for service owners. They must plan and manage service versions, coordinating deployment activities across different teams.

Use Advanced Tools

The Torii SaaS Management Platform can be a vital tool in a service owner's arsenal. Its ability to discover Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and provide visibility over SaaS expenditures reduces the complexity of managing varied tasks. Customizable to your needs, it offers the flexibility to build custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps, making it a valuable asset for any service owner.

Incorporate Feedback

Incorporating regular feedback into your service management process is crucial. This helps identify areas for improvement and fosters trust and transparency with your team. Lastly, always stay agile and willing to adapt as technology advances, the true mark of a dynamic service owner.

Related Tools for Service Owners (SO)

Torii SaaS Management Platform: A cloud-based tool facilitating oversight and optimization of Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures for service owners.

Flexera SaaS Manager: A comprehensive solution designed to manage and optimize SaaS applications, aiding service owners in cost control and utilization enhancement.

Xpenditure: A platform catering to service owners for streamlined expense management and reporting, simplifying financial tracking and analysis.

Expensify: A tool for service owners offering efficient expense management and reporting capabilities, ensuring streamlined financial tracking and reimbursement processes.

Asana: A project management tool empowering service owners with efficient task organization, collaboration, and progress-tracking capabilities.

monday.com: A versatile platform enabling service owners to manage projects, tasks, and workflows efficiently through intuitive collaboration and tracking features.

Jira: A powerful tool for service owners facilitating agile project management, issue tracking, and team collaboration for enhanced productivity and efficiency.

Trello: A user-friendly project management tool allowing service owners to organize tasks, collaborate with teams, and track progress using customizable boards and cards.

Slack: A communication platform for service owners facilitating real-time messaging, file sharing, and collaboration among teams, enhancing productivity and workflow efficiency.

Microsoft Teams: A collaboration hub for service owners integrating chat, video meetings, file sharing, and productivity apps to streamline teamwork and communication.

Zoom: A video conferencing tool enabling service owners to host virtual meetings, webinars, and collaborative sessions with ease and reliability.

Google Meet: A video conferencing solution for service owners, offering seamless virtual meetings, screen sharing, and collaboration features within the Google Workspace ecosystem.

Salesforce: A cloud-based CRM platform empowering service owners to manage customer relationships, sales processes, and business insights for enhanced productivity and growth.

HubSpot: A comprehensive CRM and marketing platform for service owners, providing tools for lead management, marketing automation, and customer engagement to drive business growth.

Zendesk: A customer service software enabling service owners to manage support tickets, provide self-service options, and analyze customer interactions for improved service delivery.

Mailchimp: An email marketing platform for service owners facilitating email campaign creation, audience segmentation, and performance tracking to drive engagement and growth.

Google Analytics: A web analytics tool empowering service owners with insights into website traffic, user behavior, and marketing effectiveness to optimize performance and ROI.

Microsoft Power BI: A business analytics platform for service owners providing interactive visualizations and data insights to drive informed decision-making and business growth.

Tableau: A data visualization tool empowering service owners to explore and understand data through interactive dashboards and intuitive analytics for informed decision-making.

Adobe Creative Cloud: A suite of creative tools for service owners, offering industry-standard applications for design, photography, video editing, and more to fuel creativity and innovation.

Dropbox: A cloud storage and file-sharing platform for service owners, providing secure access to files and collaboration features to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.

Google Drive: A cloud storage and collaboration platform for service owners, offering file storage, sharing, and real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Microsoft OneDrive: A file hosting and synchronization service for service owners, enabling secure storage, sharing, and access to files across devices for enhanced productivity and collaboration.

LastPass: A password management tool for service owners offering secure storage, generation, and autofill of passwords across devices and platforms for enhanced security and convenience.

1Password: A password manager for service owners providing secure storage, sharing, and management of passwords and sensitive information across teams and devices.

Related Concepts in the Service Owner (SO) Role

Service owner: Responsible for overseeing and managing a specific IT service within an organization. The service owner's role involves defining the service's objectives, strategies, and plans in alignment with business goals.

Service owner responsibilities: Include monitoring and measuring the performance of the service, ensuring it meets established metrics and service level agreements (SLAs).

Service owner training: Developing the essential skills and knowledge to manage the service effectively is necessary.

Accountability: This is a vital aspect of the service owner's role, as they are responsible for the overall success and delivery of the service.

Metrics: play a crucial role in evaluating service owner performance and identifying areas for improvement.

Feedback: Feedback from users, stakeholders, and other teams is essential for service owners to understand the service's strengths and weaknesses.

Release management: Falls under the realm of service owners, overseeing the deployment and rollout of new service versions or updates.

FAQs: Service Owner (SO)

Q: What is a Service Owner?

A: A Service Owner is an individual or a team responsible for managing and delivering a specific service within an organization.

Q: What are the critical responsibilities of a Service Owner?

A: The key responsibilities of a Service Owner include defining the service strategy, ensuring its alignment with business needs, managing the service lifecycle, overseeing service design and implementation, and maintaining overall service performance and customer satisfaction.

Q: What skills are required to be a Service Owner?

A: To be a successful Service Owner, one needs technical knowledge, project management skills, expertise in service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL), strong communication and leadership skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders.

Q: What is the role of a Service Owner in IT Service Management (ITSM)?

A: In IT Service Management, a Service Owner plays a crucial role in defining and managing service offerings, ensuring service quality, and supporting the overall delivery of IT services. They act as a single point of accountability for their assigned services.

Q: How does a Service Owner interact with other IT roles?

A: A Service Owner collaborates closely with other IT roles, such as IT managers, service desk staff, business analysts, and technical teams, to ensure the smooth delivery and continuous improvement of the service. They provide guidance, support, and feedback to these teams as necessary.

Q: How is a Service Owner different from a Service Manager?

A: While both roles are essential in IT service delivery, a Service Owner typically focuses on the specific service itself, ensuring its effectiveness, value, and customer satisfaction. On the other hand, a Service Manager is responsible for managing multiple services and the overall service management processes and functions within an organization.

Q: What are the challenges faced by a Service Owner?

A: Some common challenges Service Owners face include balancing competing demands, managing service risks and incidents, staying updated on evolving technologies, aligning services with changing business needs, and effectively communicating with various stakeholders.

Q: What metrics are used to measure a Service Owner's performance?

A: The performance of a Service Owner is typically measured using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as service availability, service level agreement (SLA) compliance, customer satisfaction, service cost-effectiveness, and the successful implementation of service improvements or innovations.


# Page Title
Software Reseller: Definition, How It Works & Examples | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/software-reseller

## Page Description

Software reseller definition: how reseller programs and value-added services work, with real-world examples across ERP, cloud, and cybersecurity.

## Details

A Software Reseller (SR) is your renowned bridge between the software providers, software vendors, and the end users or businesses that require these technology solutions. SRs are IT resellers in this intricate dance of technology distribution, often interacting directly with authorized software partners and vendors to ensure their customers access the required software quickly. Through this critical role, they strengthen the software distribution channel, making them an integral cog in the vast machinery of the IT distribution system.

Note: Ready to elevate your role or hire a trusted software solutions provider? With Torii's SaaS Management Platform, you can gain unparalleled value-added services to your business! Stay ahead of the curve and revolutionize your approach to software solutions with Torii.

But what does it entail to be a value-added reseller apart from being merely a link in the chain? By definition, an SR is more than a software sales point; they dive deeper into the realm of software consultation, implementation, and support. This means that as an SR, you have skilled professionals aboard who can guide businesses through their software procurement process and navigate the various aspects of software training, customization, and implementation.

Streamline Software Generation: In simpler terms, software resellers engage with various software programs, obtain their software licensing credentials, and then offer these solutions to businesses. Essentially, they are software solutions providers who streamline the process between software generation and its eventual use.

Structure System: A cornerstone for SRs is the reseller program, a structured system where software distributors provide authorized resellers the rights to sell their products. It's worth noting that these authorized resellers often acquire products at a lower cost, adding a competitive edge to their software sales.

A software reseller is your go-to technology reseller for comprehensive software services. They do not only sell. They act as consultants, trainers, implementers, and supporters to help businesses get the most out of the plethora of software solutions.

Examples of Software Resellers

A software reseller acts as an intermediary between software vendors and customers, offering value-added services such as customization, integration, and support. Here are three real-world examples of software resellers operating within different industry contexts.

Manufacturing and Retail Industries

In the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software market, a reseller specializes in providing solutions to manufacturing and retail businesses. This reseller sells licenses for leading ERP software and installation services, staff training, and ongoing technical support. They tailor the ERP system to fit the unique processes of each business, ensuring seamless integration with existing workflows and systems, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and data management for their clients.

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

A cloud services reseller focuses on small and medium-sized businesses looking to transition to cloud computing. This reseller partners with major cloud platform providers to offer bundled services, including cloud storage, software as a service (SaaS) applications, and cloud-based infrastructure. By providing a single point of contact for multiple cloud services, the reseller simplifies businesses' purchasing and management process, helping them leverage cloud technology to improve scalability and flexibility while reducing IT overhead costs.

Cybersecurity Sector

In the cybersecurity sector, a software reseller specializes in offering comprehensive security solutions to organizations of all sizes. This reseller combines various cybersecurity software products from different vendors into custom packages that address specific security needs, such as threat detection, data protection, and compliance management. In addition to selling software, the reseller conducts vulnerability assessments and implements security measures, providing a holistic approach to protect businesses against cyber threats and ensuring data integrity.

These examples illustrate the diverse roles that software resellers play in facilitating access to technology solutions, customizing offerings to meet specific industry needs, and providing added value through specialized services and support.

Best Practices for Software Resellers

As a software reseller, your success hinges on choosing the right software vendor and maintaining robust best practices. Managing relationships with software partners, becoming an authorized reseller, and understanding software licensing are all critical steps in this process.

Choose a Reputable Software Distributor

Software procurement should be approached with an eye for quality and partnership. Working with a reputable software distributor can provide access to a more extensive software distribution channel, impacting your value as an authorized reseller.

Enhance IT Distribution Strategy

Once the ideal software vendor is secured, consider your IT distribution strategy, particularly the role software training, consulting, and support play in providing a comprehensive software solutions package. These components add significant value to your software sales and are especially important if customization is involved in your reseller program offering.

Understand the Software License Agreement

An IT reseller must also understand the terms, benefits, and obligations to provide accurate guidance to clients. Employing software licensing agreements and a system for software implementation tracking can smooth out this process.

Use of SaaS Management Tool

This tracking system should be integrated with a technology to manage SaaS solutions like the Torii SaaS Management Platform. This platform helps you discover Shadow IT, automate operations, and optimize SaaS license usage. It contributes to SaaS cost savings for your clients and reshapes your role from mere technology reseller to an indispensably value-added reseller.

Furthermore, Torii can add a layer of transparency by providing detailed visibility over SaaS expenditures and performance. This can help you scale your efforts and solidify your place as a trusted software solutions provider.

Learn Key Trends

Lastly, constant learning and adaptation are essential. Stay updated with the latest in technology distribution, revisit your software procurement strategies often, and be open to pivoting your approach based on what works best in your market. Over time, your reputation as a reliable software reseller will flourish, and you will succeed in carving out your niche in the vast software sales arena.

Related Tools for Software Resellers

Torii: A SaaS management platform that streamlines software reselling processes.

Salesforce: A customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps manage sales and customer data for software reselling.

HubSpot: An inbound marketing and sales software that aids in lead generation and management for software reselling.

Slack: A team collaboration tool that facilitates communication and collaboration among software resellers.

Asana: A project management software that helps software resellers organize and track their selling activities.

QuickBooks: A popular accounting software that assists in managing financial aspects of software reselling.

Stripe: An online payment processing platform that enables secure payment transactions for software reselling.

Google Analytics: A web analytics tool that provides valuable insights on website traffic and user behaviors for software resellers.

Mailchimp: An e-mail marketing platform allowing software resellers to engage with customers through targeted campaigns.

Trello: A visual project management tool that helps software resellers track the progress of their sales efforts.

Related Concepts for Software Resellers

Software distributor: A company that buys software products from software vendors and sells them to resellers or end users.

Software vendor: A company that creates and sells software products to end users or resellers.

Software partner: A company that collaborates with software vendors to promote and sell their products.

Authorized reseller: A reseller officially authorized by a software vendor to sell their products.

Technology reseller: A company that sells a wide range of technology products, including software, to end users.

IT reseller: A company specializing in selling IT-related products and solutions, including software.

Software licensing: Granting legal permission and usage rights to individuals or organizations to use software products.

Software procurement: The process of acquiring software products for an organization through purchase or licensing.

Value-added reseller: A reseller that adds additional services or features to software products before selling them to end users.

Software distribution channel: The network of companies and individuals involved in distributing and selling software products.

Reseller program: A program software vendors offer to train, support, and incentivize resellers to sell their products.

Software solutions provider: A company that offers software products and services to address specific business or technical needs.

Technology distribution: Distributing technology products, including software, to resellers or end users.

IT distribution: Distributing IT-related products, such as hardware, software, and networking equipment, to resellers or end users.

Software sales: Selling software products to end users or resellers.

Software consulting: Expert advice and guidance on software-related matters, such as system implementation or optimization.

Software implementation: Installing and configuring software products to meet an organization's specific requirements.

Software support: Providing technical, troubleshooting, and maintenance services for software products.

Software training: Offering educational programs and resources to help users learn how to use software products effectively.

Software customization: Modifying software products to suit an organization's or individual's specific needs and requirements.

FAQs: Software Reseller

Q: What is a software reseller?

A: A software reseller is a company or individual that buys software licenses in bulk from software vendors and then resells them to end-users or other businesses.

Q: How does software reselling work?

A: Software resellers purchase software licenses at a discounted rate from software vendors and then sell them to customers at a retail price. They act as intermediaries between the software vendor and the end-user.

Q: Why would someone buy software from a reseller?

A: Buying software from a reseller often provides benefits such as discounted prices, dedicated support, customization options, and one-stop shopping for multiple software products.

Q: Can software resellers provide technical support?

A: Yes, many software resellers offer technical support services to their customers. This can include assistance with installation, troubleshooting, and general software usage.

Q: Do software vendors authorize software resellers?

A: Yes, software resellers are usually authorized by software vendors to sell their software licenses. They have an agreement with the software vendor to distribute their products.

Q: What are the advantages of becoming a software reseller?

A: Becoming a software reseller can provide advantages such as earning profit margins from software sales, access to a wide range of software products, and the ability to build relationships with customers.

Q: Can anyone become a software reseller?

A: Generally, anyone can become a software reseller. However, specific requirements might vary among software vendors, such as meeting particular sales volume targets or completing authorization processes.

Q: How do software resellers make money?

A: Software resellers make money by purchasing software licenses at a discounted rate from the software vendor and then selling them at a higher price to customers, earning a profit margin on each sale.

Q: Can software resellers offer volume licensing?

A: Yes, software resellers often offer volume licensing options, which allow businesses to purchase many software licenses at a discounted price.

Q: Are there any risks in buying from a software reseller?

A: While buying from a reputable software reseller is generally safe, there is some risk involved with unauthorized resellers. Ensuring the reseller is authorized and trustworthy is crucial to avoid counterfeit or illegal software licenses.


# Page Title
What is Tugboat Logic (TBL)? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/tugboat-logic

## Page Description

Discover the importance of Tugboat Logic in simplifying and automating your security compliance Stay protected and compliant effortlessly!

## Details

Tugboat Logic (TBL) exemplifies a leading-edge solution in cybersecurity risk management, providing a systematic approach toward control assessment, compliance management, and incident response. Seamlessly integrated within its security framework, TBL's robust set of security controls allows IT managers and directors to handle risk assessments and implement security policies effectively.

Note: Gain comprehensive control assessment, compliance management, and incident response capabilities seamlessly integrated into your security framework. Take charge of your organization's cybersecurity with Tugboat Logic's cutting-edge risk management solution, fortified with Torii's SaaS Management Platform today.

But what does Tugboat Logic mean for those who are already adept at handling security incidents and maintaining the sanctity of their security frameworks?

Automation: At its core, Tugboat Logic is an invaluable tool engineered to simplify and automate complex processes. Are you grappling with security controls and the associated complexity? TBL has your back. Its targeted vulnerability management feature streamlines the necessary security measures while facilitating security monitoring. The platform's security best practices are founded on proactive detection and prompt rectification, ensuring maximum safety on all fronts.

Compliance Management: Compliance management is another key offering of Tugboat Logic, with capabilities ranging from security audits to third-party risk management. TBL ensures a solid foundation for data protection and privacy practices across the organization. The compliance framework adheres to the highest industry standards while incorporating business continuity planning into its overall strategy.

Security Governance: Moreover, with Tugboat Logic, security governance is no longer an overwhelming. Instead, TBL makes it an achievable target via comprehensive security awareness training sessions, converting complex theory into practical, everyday procedures. Whether streamlining processes, optimizing controls, or managing cybersecurity risks effectively, TBL is a game-changer in IT security.

Tugboat Logic offers a holistic cybersecurity risk management and compliance approach. Whether addressing the everyday incident response or laying the groundwork for security governance, TBL equips IT leaders with the tools, know-how, and confidence to navigate the constantly evolving landscape of security challenges. With Tugboat Logic, you're not just managing risks but controlling them.

Examples of Tugboat Logic

Tugboat Logic, a security assurance and compliance automation platform, aids businesses in demystifying the complex processes of achieving and maintaining security compliance standards. Providing frameworks, automated evidence collection, and policy management enables companies to bolster their security posture efficiently. Here are three real-world examples of how different organizations utilize Tugboat Logic.

Small Businesses

A small fintech startup leverages Tugboat Logic to streamline its SOC 2 compliance process. The startup uses Tugboat Logic's automated evidence collection and readiness assessments to prove its security measures to potential banking partners and customers. This automation accelerates their compliance timeline and identifies real-time security gaps, enabling them to address issues promptly and maintain a robust security framework.

Medium Businesses

A healthcare technology provider adopts Tugboat Logic to navigate the complexities of HIPAA compliance. Given the sensitive nature of patient data, the company must adhere to stringent security and privacy regulations. Through Tugboat Logic, they automate the process of evidence collection, policy enforcement, and risk assessment. This helps them ensure that patient data is protected according to HIPAA guidelines and builds trust with healthcare partners and patients by demonstrating their commitment to data security.

Enterprise Setting

In the tech sector, a software development company utilizes Tugboat Logic to manage its ISO 27001 certification lifecycle. The company efficiently establishes and documents its information security management system (ISMS) with the platform's policy templates and control frameworks. Tugboat Logic's continuous monitoring and reporting features allow the company to maintain its compliance status, making annual audits smoother and less resource-intensive and ensuring that security practices always align with international standards.

These examples showcase Tugboat Logic's versatility in assisting organizations across various industries to achieve and maintain critical security compliance standards, enhancing their security posture while simplifying complex compliance processes.

Best Practices for Tugboat Logic

Tugboat Logic presents a strategic solution for eliminating cybersecurity risk management inefficiencies. It streamlines control assessments and compliance management, reinforcing security measures and ensuring the application of security best practices. Adding Torii SaaS Management Platform into the mix pushes seamless integration to the next level, as it provides a bird's eye view of SaaS operations, enhancing productivity and accountability.

Understand Tugboat Logic (TBL)

Understanding how Tugboat Logic works begins with leveraging its capabilities in risk assessments. The platform underscores the importance of complete knowledge about potential threats and vulnerabilities, providing ample data to create relevant security measures and governance. It strengthens your security framework by giving clear insights into areas of vulnerability.

Define Security Controls

Solution selection is another key aspect. Tugboat Logic simplifies this process by defining specific security controls to address identified risks. Each control forms part of a detailed security incident response plan, helping to ensure the team remains alert and ready.

Compliance Management

Tugboat Logic also excels at compliance management. It aligns with globally accepted regulations, ensuring data protection and privacy and fortifying against third-party risk management concerns. With cybersecurity being a dynamic field, updating security policies regularly is a well-entrenched practice here.

Enhance Cybersecurity Awareness

Being integral to building a culture of cybersecurity awareness is also part of Tugboat Logic's armor. By offering security awareness training, Tugboat Logic ensures that stakeholders are equipped with the knowledge and reflexes to swiftly detect and handle security incidents.

Create a Detailed Incident Response Plan

Incident response with Tugboat Logic follows a detailed plan. This includes real-time security monitoring and swift action to breach attempts, ensuring that business continuity planning remains unhindered even during crises.

Use of SaaS Management Tool

On top of these, Tugboat Logic’s collaboration with the Torii SaaS Management Platform manifests in seamless operational advantages. Torii offers unmatched visibility over SaaS expenditures and can streamline SaaS functions like on/offboarding, license optimization, and cost savings. This mutual functionality provides IT professionals with an elaborate canvas to build custom plugins and integrations for their cloud apps.

In essence, combining Tugboat Logic's vibrant security suite with Torii's scaled-up SaaS management reigns supreme in delivering a robust framework that fosters a secure cyber ecosystem. This tactical and practical blend ensures a simplified yet comprehensive approach to incident response, vulnerability management, and security audits. It embarks on a journey towards cybersecurity excellence, making risk management less tug and more logical.

Related Tools for Tugboat Logic (TBL)

Tugboat Logic: A software platform that helps organizations streamline their security audit process and manage compliance programs efficiently.

Torii: A SaaS management platform that enables IT managers and directors to gain visibility into their organization's software stack, track usage, and optimize costs.

Slack: A widespread communication and collaboration tool that allows teams to communicate in real-time, share files, and integrate with other software systems.

Jira: A project management tool that helps teams plan, track, and manage their work. It provides a centralized platform for issue tracking, task management, and agile project management.

Zoom: A video conferencing tool that allows teams to hold virtual meetings, webinars, and online training sessions. It offers features like screen sharing, breakout rooms, and recording options.

Salesforce: A customer relationship management (CRM) software that helps organizations manage their sales, marketing, and customer service activities. It provides a centralized platform for tracking leads, managing customer interactions, and analyzing sales performance.

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite): A productivity suite that includes tools like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. It enables teams to collaborate on documents, store files in the cloud, and communicate effectively.

Microsoft 365: A productivity suite that includes tools like Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. It offers features in e-mail management, document creation, data analysis, and team collaboration.

GitHub: A version control platform that allows developers to collaborate on code repositories. It provides features like code review, issue tracking, and project management tools.

Tableau: A data visualization tool that helps organizations analyze and present their data. It offers features for creating interactive dashboards, charts, and reports.

AWS (Amazon Web Services): A cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of services like computing power, storage, databases, and analytics. It allows organizations to scale their infrastructure and deploy applications quickly.

Azure: Microsoft's cloud computing platform that offers services for building, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers.

Related Concepts in Tugboat Logic (TBL)

Cybersecurity risk management: Identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing potential risks to an organization's digital assets and implementing strategies to mitigate and manage those risks.

Control assessment: The process of evaluating and testing the effectiveness of security controls within an organization's systems and infrastructure to ensure they are correctly implemented and functioning as intended.

Compliance management: Ensuring that an organization adheres to relevant laws, regulations, and industry data protection and security standards.

Incident response: The coordinated effort to handle and mitigate the impact of a security incident or breach, including identifying, containing, and resolving the issue.

Security framework: A structured set of guidelines and best practices that organizations can adopt to establish a comprehensive approach to managing and enhancing their security posture.

Security controls: The safeguards and countermeasures an organization implements to protect its digital assets, systems, and data from threats and vulnerabilities.

Risk assessment: The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing potential security risks and vulnerabilities to determine the likelihood and impact of the risks.

Security policies: Formalized rules and guidelines that govern an organization's approach to security, outlining how data, systems, and resources should be protected.

Security incident: An event or occurrence that indicates a potential or actual security breach, leading to unauthorized access, disruption, or loss of data or systems.

Vulnerability management: The ongoing process of identifying, classifying, and addressing vulnerabilities in an organization's systems, applications, and infrastructure to reduce the risk of exploitation.

Security awareness training: Educational programs and initiatives aimed at increasing employees' understanding of security risks, best practices, and their role in maintaining a secure environment.

Security governance: The framework and processes through which an organization makes decisions, sets goals, and establishes accountability for its security initiatives.

Security measures: The specific tactics and methods an organization employs to protect its digital assets and mitigate security risks.

Security monitoring: Continuous surveillance and analysis of an organization's systems and networks to detect and respond to real-time security events and incidents.

Security best practices: Industry-recognized recommendations, strategies, and techniques for effectively securing digital assets and managing security risks.

Data protection: Practices and measures implemented to safeguard sensitive data from unauthorized access, loss, modification, or destruction.

Third-party risk management: The process of assessing and managing the potential risks that arise from engaging with external vendors, suppliers, or partners.

Data privacy: The protection and management of an individual's personal and sensitive information, ensuring it is collected, stored, and processed in compliance with relevant privacy regulations.

Security audits: A systematic and independent examination of an organization's security policies, controls, and practices to ensure compliance and identify potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses.

Business continuity planning: Developing strategies, protocols, and contingencies to ensure critical business operations can continue or be restored during a disruption or disaster.

FAQs: Tugboat Logic (TBL)

Q: What is Tugboat Logic?

A: Tugboat Logic is a compliance automation company that simplifies achieving and maintaining security certifications.

Q: How does Tugboat Logic work?

A: Tugboat Logic's platform allows organizations to assess, manage, and communicate their security and compliance posture. It streamlines compliance processes by providing automation and intuitive workflows.

Q: What security certifications does Tugboat Logic support?

A: Tugboat Logic supports certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and more.

Q: How does Tugboat Logic help with compliance assessments?

A: Tugboat Logic provides step-by-step guidance for assessing compliance readiness, automates evidence collection, and generates audit-ready reports. It simplifies the complex compliance assessment process.

Q: Can Tugboat Logic be integrated with existing security tools?

A: Yes, Tugboat Logic can integrate with other security tools, such as vulnerability scanners and identity providers, to consolidate and streamline security operations.

Q: Is Tugboat Logic suitable for small businesses?

A: Tugboat Logic caters to organizations of all sizes, including small and medium-sized businesses. It offers an affordable solution for achieving and maintaining compliance.

Q: How does Tugboat Logic ensure data security?

A: Tugboat Logic uses industry-standard security practices to protect customer data. It encrypts data, follows strict access controls, and undergoes regular security audits.

Q: What are the critical features of Tugboat Logic?

A: Tugboat Logic offers features like compliance assessment workflows, evidence collection automation, risk management, policy management, vendor management, and reporting capabilities.

Q: Can Tugboat Logic help with ongoing compliance management?

A: Tugboat Logic provides continuous monitoring and alerts for compliance gaps, helping organizations manage and maintain their compliance posture over time.

Q: Does Tugboat Logic offer customer support?

A: Yes, Tugboat Logic offers customer support through various channels, including e-mail, phone, and online chat. They are responsive to customer queries and assist as needed.


# Page Title
What is Usage Monitoring? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/usage-monitoring

## Page Description

Discover the importance of Usage Monitoring in tech! Learn how it helps improve efficiency and optimize resources. #tech #monitoring

## Details

Usage Monitoring (UM), often referred to as usage tracking or activity monitoring, is a comprehensive process that involves the continuous measurement and recording of the use of resources within an IT system. This practice leverages usage analytics and usage data analysis to create an in-depth understanding of the performance and efficiency of a given system.

Note: Access invaluable insights into your software usage, pinpoint cost-saving opportunities, and effortlessly ensure compliance. Seize control of your software assets and amplify your ROI. Begin your Torii journey today!

How can you make the most of usage monitoring? Usage monitoring tools, whether in the form of usage monitoring software, systems, or platforms, offer real-time usage monitoring that gathers vital data for swift and effective decision-making processes. A well-designed usage monitoring dashboard allows IT Managers and Directors to generate usage monitoring reports conveniently and accurately.

These tools help identify usage monitoring metrics, critical indicators of system performance, and resource consumption.

Alerts: One common feature often offered is usage monitoring alerts; these are proactive notifications designed with usage monitoring best practices to inform stakeholders about deviations from established benchmarks or potential issues.

Compliance and Optimization: Usage monitoring is more than data gathering and analysis; it extends to essential aspects such as usage monitoring compliance and usage monitoring optimization.

Compliance: Adhering to usage monitoring compliance involves ensuring that the tools follow the necessary regulations and respect users' privacy, thus boosting usage monitoring security.

Optimization: Conversely, usage monitoring optimization focuses on improving the overall monitoring process based on the insights gleaned from the collected data.

Trends: IT professionals need to stay updated on usage monitoring trends. Incorporating this intelligence into the broader IT strategy will allow them to respond to evolving complexities and find novel ways to enhance system efficiency.

Therein lies the actual value of usage monitoring, not just in the raw data it provides but in the actionable insights that drive proactive management and optimization of an IT system.

Examples of Usage Monitoring (UM)

Enterprise Setting

Real-time usage monitoring shines in a scenario such as monitoring network usage in a managed IT service provider. By implementing a robust usage monitoring tool, IT Directors can monitor the bandwidth usage of their clients. Alerts can be set for certain usage thresholds, which trigger automatic responses or notifications to the involved parties. Additionally, usage monitoring reports provide managers with detailed analysis and insights for decision-making and service improvement.

Small and Medium Businesses

In the context of compliance, consider a pharmaceutical company holding sensitive patient data. A usage monitoring platform can be highly beneficial here. These platforms enable activity monitoring and usage tracking, ensuring all data access is logged and authorized. Implementing a usage monitoring dashboard allows for easy visualization of data access patterns, maintaining a solid stance on usage monitoring privacy and security. This aids in adhering to stringent compliance regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), thereby protecting the company from potential data breaches and costly fines.

Real-World Example

In a large enterprise, usage monitoring software such as Torii SaaS Management Platform comes highly recommended. Torii's usage monitoring system provides a clear and comprehensive view of all cloud-based software applications across diverse teams. By leveraging usage data analysis, IT Managers gain detailed insights into the usage trends of each application. They can identify underutilized software licenses and unnecessary subscription costs and track activity monitoring, optimizing the company’s investments in SaaS solutions.

These examples show the broad applicability and benefits of usage monitoring, from cost-saving measures to ensuring optimum service provision and maintaining strict compliance standards. The best practices involve a detailed understanding of the organization's specific needs, selecting the proper usage monitoring tool, and using its features to the maximum.

Best Practices for Usage Monitoring

Effective usage monitoring is critical in managing modern networks and applications, providing vital insights into performance, user behavior, and potential vulnerabilities. Implementing best practices for usage monitoring can drive operational efficiency, ensuring compliance, strong continuity, and reliability.

Define Metrics

Start with defining clear usage monitoring metrics. These metrics should include usage trends, session durations, the number of active users, and any other relevant metrics specific to your operations. Regular usage data analysis is crucial to identify any deviations or unusual patterns that may indicate problems or opportunities for optimization.

Establish Monitoring Process

Establish activity monitoring on your networks. This should be done in real time. Real-time usage monitoring allows immediate response to emerging issues, reducing downtime and optimizing performance. Usage monitoring software, such as the Torii SaaS Management Platform, can automate this process, streamlining IT operations.

Create a Comprehensive Usage Monitoring System

It’s vitally important to have a comprehensive usage monitoring system, which includes using the right tools. A usage monitoring tool like Torii can assist by providing a complete overview of SaaS licenses, expenditures, and the ability to automate SaaS operations. It can discover unauthorized software (Shadow IT) and drive cost savings and efficiency.

Invest in a Reliable Usage Monitoring Dashboard

Investing in a usage monitoring dashboard can further enhance your monitoring efforts. The dashboard visually represents usage data for ease of interpretation, convenience, and transparency, empowering IT Managers and Directors to make quick and informed decisions. Usage monitoring reports generated by these dashboards should be regularly assessed for updates and improvements.

Create Alerts

Create usage monitoring alerts, notifying relevant personnel when significant metric deviations or security threats occur. When coupled with a robust usage monitoring platform like Torii, this feature can offer profound security advantages.

Ensure Compliance

Compliance with privacy and security standards is not just a legal necessity but also guarantees trust with the users. Ensure your usage monitoring practices comply with data privacy laws and that all sensitive data is adequately safeguarded.

Assess and Adapt Strategies

Continuously assess and adapt your usage monitoring strategies per the latest trends and organizational requirements. Rigorous usage monitoring optimization ensures that your IT infrastructure remains robust, scalable, and ahead of evolving challenges.

By implementing these best practices, you can extract valuable insights from usage monitoring and utilize those to empower a more efficient, secure, and optimized IT ecosystem.

Remember, at the heart of all this activity is the need for a robust usage monitoring platform like Torii, which supports compliance, facilitates the discovery of Shadow IT, automates SaaS operations, and provides better insights for more productive actions.

Related Tools for Usage Monitoring (UM)

Torii: A SaaS management platform that helps IT managers and directors monitor software usage efficiently.

Freshservice: A cloud-based service desk software that includes usage monitoring features.

SysTrack: A comprehensive digital experience monitoring tool that provides insights into software usage.

Nexthink: A platform that offers real-time visibility into software usage and helps optimize IT resources.

Flexera: A software asset management solution that includes usage tracking capabilities.

Snow Software: A tool that enables IT managers to monitor and manage software usage and licenses.

Apptio: Provides IT cost management and analytics, including software usage tracking.

Splunk: A data analytics platform that monitors and analyzes software usage patterns.

Pulseway: An IT management software that offers remote monitoring and usage tracking features.

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor: Provides network usage monitoring to detect potential software issues.

Lansweeper: A network inventory and asset management software that includes software usage monitoring.

ManageEngine OpManager: Offers performance monitoring and includes usage tracking for software applications.

ManageEngine Applications Manager: Monitors software applications, including usage and performance metrics.

Nagios: An open-source IT infrastructure monitoring tool that can be customized to include software usage monitoring.

PRTG Network Monitor: A network monitoring solution that includes software usage tracking functionality.

Related Concepts in Usage Monitoring (UM)

Usage tracking: Keeping a record of the activities and behaviors of users within a system or application.

Activity monitoring: Observing and recording user actions and behaviors within a system or network.

Usage analytics: Analyzing and extracting insights from usage data to better understand user behavior and patterns.

Usage data analysis: Examining collected usage data to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies for decision-making purposes.

Usage monitoring tool: Software or application that tracks, analyzes, and monitors user activities and behaviors.

Usage monitoring software: Application or program designed to track and monitor user actions and behaviors.

Usage monitoring system: A comprehensive system that tracks and monitors user activities across multiple applications or networks.

Usage monitoring platform: A software framework or infrastructure that provides tools and services for tracking, analyzing, and monitoring usage data.

Usage monitoring dashboard: A visual interface that displays real-time usage data and provides insights into user activities and behaviors.

Usage monitoring reports: Summaries or detailed analyses of usage data, often presented in a visual or written format.

Real-time usage monitoring: Continuous tracking and monitoring of user activities and behaviors as they happen, providing immediate insights.

Usage monitoring metrics: Quantitative measurements and indicators used to assess user behavior and usage patterns.

Usage monitoring alerts: Notifications or warnings triggered by predefined thresholds or abnormal user activities, allowing for timely action.

Usage monitoring best practices: Industry-recognized guidelines and methodologies for effective and efficient usage monitoring.

Usage monitoring compliance: Adhering to legal and regulatory requirements for capturing and storing user activity data.

Usage monitoring optimization: Analyzing usage data to identify areas for improvement and optimizing user experience and system performance.

Usage monitoring trends: Patterns and tendencies observed in user behavior over time.

Usage monitoring insights: Valuable information and understanding derived from analyzing and interpreting usage data.

Usage monitoring privacy: Ensure user privacy is protected when tracking and monitoring their activities.

Usage monitoring security: Implementing measures to protect collected usage data, ensuring its integrity and safeguarding against unauthorized access or misuse.

FAQs: Usage Monitoring (UM)

Q: What is usage monitoring?

A: Usage monitoring is tracking and analyzing the use of technology or services to gather information about usage patterns, performance, and potential issues.

Q: Why is usage monitoring critical?

A: Usage monitoring helps organizations optimize resources, identify trends and patterns, detect anomalies or unauthorized activities, troubleshoot problems, and make informed decisions.

Q: What can be monitored in usage monitoring?

A: Usage monitoring can involve monitoring various aspects, such as network traffic, system performance, application usage, user behavior, device activity, and data usage.

Q: What are the benefits of usage monitoring?

A: Benefits of usage monitoring include enhanced security, improved performance, increased productivity, optimized resource allocation, better decision-making, and cost savings.

Q: How does usage monitoring work?

A: Usage monitoring typically involves collecting data through monitoring tools or software, analyzing the data, and presenting the findings meaningfully and actionable.

Q: What are the different methods of usage monitoring?

A: Common methods of usage monitoring include network monitoring, log analysis, application performance monitoring (APM), user activity monitoring (UAM), and data usage tracking.

Q: What tools are available for usage monitoring?

A: There are various tools available for usage monitoring, such as network monitoring tools like Wireshark, log analysis tools like Splunk, APM tools like New Relic, UAM tools like Veriato, and data tracking tools like Google Analytics.

Q: How can usage monitoring improve security?

A: Usage monitoring helps detect and prevent security breaches by identifying suspicious activities, monitoring user access privileges, identifying vulnerabilities, and proactively responding to threats.

Q: How can usage monitoring improve performance?

A: By monitoring system performance and identifying bottlenecks or inefficiencies, usage monitoring allows organizations to optimize their systems, improve response times, and enhance overall performance.

Q: How can usage monitoring help with compliance?

A: Usage monitoring helps organizations ensure compliance with industry regulations and internal policies by monitoring and tracking user activities, validating data integrity, and generating audit trails.


# Page Title
What is a Vendor Manager? | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/vendor-manager

## Page Description

Learn the ins and outs of the vendor manager. This critical role can save you headaches and cash with a few critical skills.

## Details

A Vendor Manager (VM) is a crucial role in any IT department, primarily for maintaining and nurturing the relationships between an organization and its system of vendors. Following a disciplined vendor management process, they handle everything from vendor selection to contract negotiations.

The role requires high-degree skills in vendor relationship management, which essentially means understanding vendors at multiple levels to ensure superior vendor performance management.

Note: Elevate your vendor management strategy with Torii's SaaS Management Platform. Gain invaluable insights to enhance vendor integration, streamline onboarding, and mitigate risks effectively.  Maximize your vendor governance, performance management, and strategy alignment today. Check Torii's Vendor Management Solution

What happens when a vendor fails to meet performance expectations? A vendor manager steps in, carefully assessing and monitoring the work executed by vendors against predefined benchmarks and scorecards.

Vendor Assessments: Vendor Managers frequently conduct vendor assessments and audits to ensure the performance aligns with the organization's goals. Essentially, they balance vendor compliance with the contract and the growth of an advantageous relationship.

Vendor Selection: Vendor selection is another high-stakes task the vendor manager performs. They use their knowledge of the vendor landscape to bring on board the best available resources, following a meticulous vendor onboarding process. This process includes integrating the vendors into company systems and strategizing for future collaboration and growth.

Contract Negotiation: Negotiating vendor contracts is an everyday task in the life of a vendor manager. Here, their role expands beyond paperwork as they manage vendor negotiations with a tact that secures reasonable pricing and fortifies the relationship for future collaboration.

Portfolio Management: A vendor manager is also responsible for vendor portfolio management, managing a diverse chorus of vendors to deliver a harmonious output. This often involves a degree of complex vendor governance to ensure each vendor's operation is in the organization's best interest.

Risk Management: Beyond this, vendor managers also shoulder the task of vendor risk management. They devise strategies to mitigate potential risks, ensuring the organization's interests are always safeguarded. They succeed in this through regular vendor reporting, providing comprehensive reviews on vendor performance and risk areas.

In conclusion, a vendor manager is a crucial pivot around the relationship between an organization and its vendors. From contract negotiation to strategic collaboration, the role extends beyond essential vendor management, acting as a linchpin in the complex, interlocking relationship between an organization and its vendors.

Examples of A Vendor Manager

In the realm of IT Management, Vendor Managers play a significant role. One such example is a Vendor Manager who is responsible for vendor selection and vendor assessment. This professional even uses a vendor scorecard to provide a quantifiable measure of each vendor's performance.

Enterprise Setting

In a large software development company, vendor managers will monitor and evaluate their software vendors to ensure they meet the quality and service requirements of vendor contracts.

Small and Medium Businesses

In the retail industry, Vendor Managers utilize vendor relationship management and vendor evaluation techniques to optimize their vendors' performance. A Vendor Manager in a multi-national retail chain uses vendor negotiations and vendor collaboration to foster healthy relationships with suppliers. They also perform regular vendor audits, monitor compliance, and manage the vendor portfolio to ensure all contractual terms are met.

Real-World Example

Lastly, notable in the tech sector, a Vendor Manager can use advanced software like the Torii SaaS Management Platform to streamline vendor management. This individual, perhaps in a fast-growing tech startup, can discover Shadow IT, automate SaaS operations, and optimize SaaS licenses. By using Torii, the manager ensures vendor integration and improves vendor onboarding processes. It becomes possible to gain visibility over SaaS expenditures, and the vendor risk management is significantly boosted through this system's insights. Custom plugins and integrations for their cloud apps, as provided by Torii, pave the way for more effective vendor reporting and, thus, more strategic decisions.

Thus, the role of the Vendor Manager, irrespective of the industry, is integral in maintaining vendor governance, enhancing vendor performance management, and crafting a sound vendor strategy that aligns with business goals. These real-world examples demonstrate a unique aspect of vendor management that can drive positive business outcomes.

Best Practices for A Vendor Manager

Mastering the art of vendor management is crucial in the IT world. Start by establishing an effective vendor strategy that defines your organization's vendor-related objectives, whether cost-saving, quality improvement, or risk management. A strategic map can guide vendor selection processes and ensure decisions align with your business goals.

Evaluate Vendor Performance

Use a Vendor Scorecard when evaluating vendor performance. This tool allows you to monitor whether vendors meet your expectations regarding quality, cost, delivery, and service. Regular vendor assessments and audits also go a long way in revealing any discrepancies or pain points in the vendor's operations.

Build Vendor Relationship

Invest time in vendor relationship management. Clear, consistent communication fosters a strong partnership and makes vendor negotiations smoother. You'll get more collaboration and better results in short- and long-term projects with solid relationships.

Assess Vendor Risks

Take into account vendor risk management, too. This involves assessing the potential risks associated with a vendor, ranging from financial stability to compliance with regulations. A well-rounded risk management strategy ensures service continuity.

Create Detailed Vendor Contracts

Remember to include vendor contracts in your strategy. These legal instruments protect you and the vendor, defining the expectations, responsibilities, and recourse for disputes. Stay on top of changes in terms and conditions, ensuring they meet your organization's current needs.

Monitor Performance and Progress

Regular vendor monitoring is vital, like checking if the service you are receiving matches the agreed terms. It acts as a preventive measure, alerting you to any issues before they escalate into serious problems.

Improve Vendor Integration Process

When onboarding a new vendor, following a structured vendor integration process is recommended. It'll help avoid future miscommunication about roles and responsibilities.

Create and Improve Vendor Governance

Vendor governance is crucial in managing the dynamics of your vendor portfolio. This involves defining the roles, responsibilities, and interactions between vendors and your organization. It requires regular reporting to measure vendor performance along predetermined criteria.

Utilize Management Platforms

Utilizing useful platforms like the Torii SaaS Management Platform can automate tasks such as SaaS on/offboarding, license optimization, and cost savings. This cutting-edge platform ensures you maintain order and control over your vendor environment.

With Torii, you can discover Shadow IT, gain visibility over SaaS expenditures, and build custom integrations for your cloud apps, increasing efficiency for IT professionals.

Remember, adapting and following these best practices is a continuous process. As business needs evolve, so should your vendor management practices. Adjust, refine, and innovate to get the most out of these partnerships.

Related Tools for a Vendor Manager

Torii SaaS Management Platform: A cloud-based tool facilitating oversight and optimization of Software as a Service (SaaS) usage and expenditures.

Aspera: A software asset management solution providing comprehensive insights into license management and compliance.

Flexera SaaS Manager: A platform offering centralized management and optimization of Software as a Service (SaaS) subscriptions and expenses.

Divvy Cloud: A cloud security and compliance automation platform enabling proactive monitoring and enforcement of policies across multi-cloud environments.

Intello: A software asset management tool specializing in SaaS optimization, providing visibility into usage and costs for improved decision-making.

Saviynt: An identity governance and cloud security platform offering capabilities for managing access, enforcing policies, and ensuring compliance across various cloud environments.

Related Concepts in Vendor Management

Vendor Management: The process of overseeing and managing relationships with external vendors to ensure effective and efficient delivery of products or services.

Vendor Relationship Management: Actively managing and cultivating vendor relationships to foster long-term partnerships and enhance vendor performance.

Vendor Performance Management: Monitoring and evaluating vendor performance against predefined metrics and standards to ensure compliance and drive continuous improvement.

Vendor Evaluation: The assessment and comparison of potential vendors based on expertise, price, quality, and capabilities.

Vendor Selection: Choosing the most suitable vendor(s) from a pool of evaluated vendors to meet specific business needs.

Vendor Contracts: Legally binding agreements that outline the terms and conditions of the relationship between the organization and the vendor.

Vendor Negotiations: Discussions and exchanges aimed at reaching mutually beneficial agreements on terms, pricing, and conditions with vendors.

Vendor Monitoring: The ongoing monitoring of vendors' activities, performance, and compliance to ensure they meet contractual obligations and service level agreements.

Vendor Assessment: The evaluation of vendors' capabilities, performance, risks, and compliance to determine their suitability for the organization's needs.

Vendor Audits: Comprehensive reviews of vendors' operations, processes, and controls to ensure compliance, identify areas for improvement, and mitigate risks.

Vendor Risk Management: Identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with vendor relationships to protect the organization's interests.

Vendor Portfolio Management: The strategic management and oversight of the organization's overall vendor ecosystem, including vendor selection, evaluation, and ongoing relationship management.

Vendor Governance: Establishing and enforcing policies, processes, and controls to govern vendor relationships and ensure compliance with contractual obligations.

Vendor Compliance: The adherence to laws, regulations, and contractual agreements by vendors to ensure ethical conduct, data security, and risk mitigation.

Vendor Integration: Integrating vendor products or services into the organization's systems, processes, or infrastructure.

Vendor Onboarding: The processes and activities involved in bringing new vendors into the organization, including contract negotiations, legal reviews, and system setup.

Vendor Scorecard: A predefined set of metrics and key performance indicators used to assess and compare the performance of different vendors.

Vendor Collaboration: The active collaboration and cooperation with vendors to achieve shared business objectives, innovation, and mutual success.

Vendor Strategy: The development and execution of a strategic approach to vendor management, including vendor selection, relationship development, and performance improvement.

Vendor Reporting: Regularly reporting and communicating vendor performance data, metrics, and insights to organizational stakeholders.

FAQs: Vendor Manager

Q: What is a vendor manager?

A: A vendor manager is responsible for managing relationships with external suppliers or vendors on behalf of an organization.

Q: What are the critical responsibilities of a vendor manager?

A: Key responsibilities of a vendor manager include sourcing and selecting vendors, negotiating contracts, monitoring vendor performance, resolving issues, and ensuring compliance with contracts and agreements.

Q: What skills are required for a vendor manager?

A: Skills required for a vendor manager include strong negotiation and communication skills, the ability to build and maintain relationships, analytical skills, and knowledge of vendor management best practices.

Q: What are the qualifications for a vendor manager?

A: Qualifications for a vendor manager may vary but typically include a bachelor's degree in business or a related field, relevant work experience in procurement or vendor management, and knowledge of industry regulations and standards.

Q: How does a vendor manager help a company?

A: A vendor manager helps a company by ensuring that the organization has reliable and cost-effective suppliers. They also enable maintaining good relationships with vendors, resolving issues, and securing favorable contracts and pricing for the company.

Q: What is the difference between vendor and procurement managers?

A: A vendor manager is responsible for managing relationships with specific vendors, while a procurement manager focuses on the overall procurement process and strategy of acquiring goods and services for the organization.

Q: What are some vendor management best practices?

A: Some vendor management best practices include conducting due diligence in vendor selection, regularly monitoring vendor performance, fostering open communication with vendors, and periodically reviewing and renegotiating contracts.

Q: What are the challenges of vendor management?

A: Vendor management challenges may include finding reliable vendors, negotiating favorable contracts, managing vendor relationships, ensuring compliance, and handling vendor-related issues or disputes.

Q: What is vendor performance management?

A: Vendor performance management is the process of monitoring and evaluating vendors based on predefined performance metrics, such as quality, delivery, responsiveness, and cost. It helps ensure that vendors meet the organization's expectations and requirements.

Q: What software or tools can be used for vendor management?

A: There are various software and tools available for vendor management, including vendor management systems (VMS), contract management software, supplier relationship management (SRM) software, and procurement platforms. These tools help streamline vendor management processes and enhance efficiency.


# Page Title
What is a Saas Integration? Examples and Best Practice | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/saas-integration

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Learn how to seamlessly integrate your SaaS applications. Discover the benefits of Saas Integration today!

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SaaS Integration, or Software as a Service integration, simply refers to the process where different cloud-based software applications are made to effectively communicate and share data with each other.

Now one may ask, isn't combining multiple SaaS application as easy as simply connecting the dots? The nuanced answer lies in the complexity of integrating SaaS applications. Think of it as conducting an orchestra, where your SaaS integration platform directs various cloud instruments. However, the hands directing this symphony needs an understanding of SaaS Integration architecture to ensure harmony and avoid cacophonies, hence the need for meticulous SaaS integration strategy. Various tools, such as SaaS integration APIs, assist in this performance but mastering their use requires insight into SaaS integration best practices and vigilance for potential integration challenges. In essence, a well-orchestrated SaaS integration can translate to greater efficiency and productivity, truly a symphony to behold!

Note: Torii's SaaS Management Platform optimizes IT operations. It provides complete shadow IT visibility, automates onboarding/offboarding processes, streamlines application lifecycle, and manages SaaS contracts effectively, saving costs. Learn more.

What Are Some Examples of SaaS Integration?

Salesforce and Mailchimp: This SaaS integration enables seamless syncing of contact data and campaign analytics. However, navigating API changes can be a challenge.
Slack and Google Calendar: By synchronizing these applications, employees receive real-time notifications on meetings and updates. Potential struggle: time-zone mismatches during global coordination.
Google Workspace and Trello: This brings task management into real-time collaboration. Be aware of access control issues with large teams.
Torii & Any SaaS Platform: As a SaaS management tool, Torii integrates with your various SaaS platforms, offering real-time insights, but API limitations might limit full data capture. View the full catalog of Torii integrations. Learn how you can build your own integrations between Torii and your SaaS tools
HubSpot and LinkedIn: Combining CRM and social media data enhances customer engagement. Consent requirements could be a potential hitch.

Best Practices for SaaS Integration
Identify Integration Points

Understand the areas where your SaaS applications will touch existing systems, databases, or other apps. Prioritize these points based on usage and dependence to lay the groundwork for your integration strategy.

Leverage SaaS Integration Platforms

Choose a platform designed for SaaS integration, like Torii SaaS Management Platform, that can simplify the process, reduce manual labor, and mitigate the risk of data loss.

Choose Integration Strategy for SaaS

Implement both vertical (data-driven) and horizontal (process-driven) integration patterns. While vertical integration ensures smooth data flow, horizontal integration takes care of end-to-end business process flows.

Implement SaaS Integration Architecture

Define an integration architecture to map out data flow. Prioritize a cloud-based architecture to ensure scalability and resilience while integrating SaaS applications.

Use App Integration for SaaS

Use apps that offer pre-built integrations to speed up the process and avoid potential bugs or discrepancy issues.

Incorporate SaaS Integration Tools

Use effective tools to automate the integration process where possible. Tools like data integration platforms handle data consolidation, data synchronization, and data transformation for SaaS with greater efficiency.

Deploy Integration Solutions for SaaS

Deploy solutions like APIs to allow different applications to communicate with each other effectively and enhance user experience.

Consider SaaS Integration Challenges

Take potential roadblocks into account in your integration plan. These can include security concerns, scalability, or company-wide acceptance, and should be addressed ahead of time.

Opt for Cloud Integration for SaaS

Choose cloud integration for achieving faster deployment, better scalability, and eased maintenance.

Implement SaaS Integration Services

Look into managed integration services. These can offer added benefits like 24/7 monitoring and proactive issue resolution.

Enjoy SaaS Integration Benefits

Reap the benefits of a successful integration. These include streamlined workflows, increased productivity, better data flow, and increased visibility over SaaS expenditures.

Utilize Torii for SaaS Management

Torii's platform can streamline app onboarding, optimize SaaS licenses, provide visibility over expenditures and streamline the integration process. It can identify Shadow IT and let you build custom plugins and integrations for cloud apps.

Documentation & Maintenance

To ensure long-term success, maintain thorough documentation, and plan for regular checks on the SaaS integration framework and its components. Plan for routine maintenance and updates to keep your integrations running smoothly.

By following these specific and actionable best practices, SaaS integration becomes a tactical and manageable process. With the right approach and the right tools, your business can maximize the benefits of SaaS solutions with minimal disruption.

Tools for Success: SaaS Integration

Torii: An AI-powered SaaS management platform for IT
Alation: Data catalog platform for collaboration and data governance
Workato: Integration and automation platform for workflows and apps
OneTrust: Privacy management software for compliance and risk mitigation

Going Deeper: Related Terms
Here are 5 critical terms that are related to Saas Integration:

API (Application Programming Interface): A set of rules that allow different software applications to communicate and exchange data with each other.
Middleware: Software that acts as a bridge between different applications, enabling them to work together seamlessly.
Data Integration: The process of combining data from multiple sources into a single, unified view.
ETL (Extract, Transform, Load): A process used to extract data from various sources, transform it into a common format, and load it into a target system.
Single Sign-On (SSO): An authentication method that allows users to access multiple applications with a single set of login credentials.

Remember, Saas Integration is a complex topic, and these terms provide a starting point to learn more. To explore further, check out our full glossary directory at https://www.toriihq.com/glossary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is SaaS integration?

A: SaaS integration is the process of syncing and connecting software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications with other systems to function seamlessly together.

Q: How does SaaS integration work?

A: SaaS integration works by leveraging APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to establish connections between different SaaS applications, enabling data exchange and interoperability.

Q: Why is SaaS integration important?

A: SaaS integration is essential as it allows businesses to streamline workflows, eliminate data silos, improve collaboration, and achieve a unified view of their data across multiple applications.

Q: What are the benefits of SaaS integration?

A: Some benefits of SaaS integration include increased efficiency, better data accuracy, improved decision-making, enhanced customer experience, and reduced manual effort in managing disparate systems.

Q: What challenges can arise during SaaS integration?

A: Challenges in SaaS integration may include data security concerns, dealing with varying data formats and APIs, system compatibility issues, potential downtime during integration, and ensuring seamless user experience.


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Application Rationalization: The Complete Guide | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/application-rationalization-the-complete-guide

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Learn the process of application rationalization, an evaluation method to optimize your technology stack. Understand your SaaS and save more!

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“You know my methods, Watson.”

Have you ever wanted to be a detective? Dreamed of being Sherlock Holmes?

The closest some of us will ever get will be a game of Clue, but IT leaders have a rare opportunity in their own field: application rationalization.

Application rationalization, put simply, is an evaluation process for applications. It helps IT understand what apps to keep, cease, or expand in usage.

But how is application rationalization like a mystery to crack?

Note: App rationalization is only possible with discovery. If you're not sure about your shadow IT, check out Torii Basic—the easiest way to uncover all of your shadow apps instantly. Learn more.

Here’s the case: Technology is integral in the operations of every operation. New applications are created for every function imaginable. This has led to increasing SaaS spend and complexity. How can organizations optimize the sprawling landscape of applications?

It might not be “The Hound of Baskervilles,” but IT is the only team up for the case, and their version of Sherlock’s infamous magnifying glass is application rationalization.

The most effective IT leaders must regularly undergo the process of application rationalization to optimize their tech spend and contribute towards their organization’s mission. By leveraging their understanding of technology, the questions of “why?” and “how?” become that much easier.

Are you ready for your briefing? Let’s gather clues on how your organization uses applications and crack the case of SaaS complexity and cost.

Why Undergo Application Rationalization?

Applications are the new digital workplace.

No different than how employees had passionate opinions on the office chair they were sitting on, they also hold viewpoints about what applications they use on a daily basis. When an employee is unhappy with the applications at their disposal, they often find their own solutions—Shadow IT. The cloud has made that easier than it’s ever been before.

If SaaS applications are the new norm, then their unmonitored adoption is the new symptom of that normalcy. Just as the old saying goes “everything is good in moderation,” — the ease of onboarding for SaaS applications has also enabled bloated budgets, frustrated employees, and new security vulnerabilities.

The good news for IT leaders is that every employee is working daily with a barrage of applications, producing key data for what applications are successful in their purpose (making rationalization easier for IT leaders that go looking for those clues).

Let’s consider those clues.

Clue #1: Shadow IT. Shadow IT is no longer a rare occurrence, it’s the norm at most organizations. Employees have stopped asking IT for permission to utilize applications they believe will help them level-up their productivity. Like a foggy looking glass, this has led to large portions of spend being invisible to IT leaders and creates information vulnerability after offboarding. Any productive application rationalization process should include identifying Shadow IT (more on that later).

Clue #2: Employee Experience. As of a recent study, 49% of workers say they’re likely to leave their current job if they’re unhappy or frustrated with workplace tech. The technology an organization utilizes is more than a tool, it actually shapes their culture. Interviews now commonly include conversations about what applications an organization uses day-to-day. Applications have almost assumed their own persona and personality at an organization, and can affect culture in a similar way to that of a toxic co-worker. After all, how many times have you dreaded doing a task, simply because of the application you have to utilize to get it done? Suddenly, IT leaders are working alongside their HR cohorts towards improving employee experience.

Clue #3: The Cost. As organizations scrambled to go remote due to the pandemic, IT put cost on the backburner to focus on action (or rather ensure that action didn’t cease). The mission was clear: make sure employees could do their jobs no matter where they were, and deploy whatever applications made that productivity possible. Now as the world slowly starts emerging from the pandemic, it’s time to move from “survival” to “sustainable”.

All of these clues create a case of complexity for IT leaders—optimize your SaaS stack, or let it continue to cause havoc to the detriment of your organization. Application rationalization is necessary, but it doesn’t need to be difficult.

Getting Started

So what is application rationalization?

As a reminder, application rationalization is an evaluation process for applications. It helps IT understand what apps to keep, cease, or expand in usage.

But, in order for IT to understand what to do with new apps, they need to gather certain information such as:

Inventory

Usage data

Cost data

ROI

And more

It’s also not a one-time task. Application rationalization is a cyclical process that organizations should continuously undergo in order to ensure that their tech stack isn’t bloating. Especially in the world of easy-to-utilize SaaS applications, organizations can quickly begin overspending and overcomplicating without realizing it. Think of SaaS overspending and complexity as your Professor Moriarty—the story is never quite over.

By making it part of your workflow, rather than a yearly or bi-yearly action, you'll continue to optimize with each new application.

The good part is that most of the application rationalization process is intuitive for most IT leaders. It’s all about transforming those instincts into consistent, data-backed habits.

With that in mind, let's first consider what the steps of application rationalization are:

Take an inventory: Take note of every application, sanctioned and unsanctioned, utilized at your organization.

Understand the why & how: Gather data on how and why those applications are being utilized

Understand the cost: Understand what usage of that application is costing your organization, both monetarily and emotionally

Understand value: Score applications based on value to better compare their ROI

Action: Leverage the information you’ve gathered to make decisions on what applications your organization utilizes

Evaluate & Review: Perform a post-op on the process you’ve accomplished to understand how to improve it next cycle.

Each of these steps also become easier each time you accomplish them, especially as your historical data improves. Let’s dive into each one, and discuss ways to make them easier

Step 1: Take Inventory

It’s impossible to solve the case of SaaS sprawl without knowing the suspects in question.

This could be the most difficult part for organizations that haven’t gained greater visibility on all the applications, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, utilized at their organization.

After all, how can you evaluate applications you can't see?

Application visibility is simple enough for sanctioned applications—as most IT teams have a full view of applications they’ve helped deploy. The difficulty comes in the form of Shadow IT. Shadow IT are applications or services utilized by employees that weren’t directly sanctioned by IT.

Legacy methods of application inventory struggle with accounting for Shadow IT. It’s time to put away the spreadsheet.

Utilize a SaaS Management Platform (SMP) that enables you to discover all applications in your organization, including Shadow IT.

The Torii Platform, for example, has real-time monitoring through various data sources (including a browser extension) that instantly make IT aware of a new application’s use.

With this level of discovery, you can easily view a full inventory of all applications currently in use at your organization and be sure you’re not missing any unsanctioned outliers.

By the completion of this step, you should be able to answer:

How many applications are in use at my organization?

What segment of applications are Shadow IT?

Step 2: Identify the “How?”, “Why?” and “Who?”

You know all the applications in existence at your organization; now it’s time to understand:

Are those apps used?

Who uses them?

How often are they used?

What purpose do they fulfill (and why?)

How often are they utilized?

This part is integral, as without understanding the usage of applications—it’s easy to cut value without realizing it. In the words of Sherlock, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”

How do you identify the value of an application? Without a system in place to empirically evaluate, it’s tough to measure success, and thus ROI.

At a quantitative level, you need insights into the real-time usage of each application. While you can learn about usage data by sending out surveys, that leaves your data-integrity in the hands of distraction coworkers guesstimating their app usage before their next meeting. This method of data gathering is unscalable and inaccurate at its best, and can waste some serious time at its worst.

With this data, you should compare usage across multiple applications, identify trends in usage, find wasted licenses, and determine cross functional redundancy.

Quantitative data will only get you so far, though. Questionnaires and interviews with power-users and macro-level teams on why they’re using an application can be extremely useful. For example, Asking questions such as, “Why are you using this X application vs. Y alternative?” can shed light on what functionality or UX friction leads to employee selections.

The decentralization of SaaS application adoption has motivated every knowledge worker to add a little bit of “IT” to their toolbelt. Each employee considers and values different parts of each application. By hearing and understanding from all levels of users, the rationalization of applications becomes cooperative. It removes the air of “IT made me do this” from the decision-making process and democratizes the manner in which your organization leverages technology.

By the completion of this step, you should be able to answer:

Are we paying for wasted app licenses?

Are we using multiple applications with similar functions?

Are there any noticeable usage trends across our applications?

What functions or traits lead to greater application adoption?

Step 3: Calculate the Cost

As with most crimes, money is almost always a factor. So it’s time to figure out the cost of each application.

Calculating cost quickly becomes complex when you consider the varying pricing models for applications. Traditionally, this involved going from contract to contract and gathering that information within a spreadsheet.

For applications not being actively managed by IT? Good luck tracking down that information from finance or individual account holders. Without proper tools to congregate all this information into one place, it becomes a terrible game of hide-and-seek.

Today, tools like SaaS Management Platforms pull this information from various data sources and sort it alongside your application inventory. For example, Torii integrates with NetSuite to automatically sync transactions and match them to the associated application.

Cost isn’t only monetary, either. Some applications cost very little from a financial perspective but can cost significant time and cause frustration.

To find these hidden time-costs, It’s time to find patterns in the data (a detective’s greatest tool towards conclusion). Utilizing your data from the last step, look for trends involving massive drops or increases in application adoption. These trends could indicate workflow changes due to frustration that weren’t communicated with your team.

By the completion of this step, you should be able to answer:

What’s the overall technology budget spent on sanctioned and unsanctioned applications?

What applications are up for renewal and require expedited rationalization?

What licenses are going to waste and have led to unnecessary spending?

Step 4: Analyze the Value

This step involves leveraging the data from the previous steps to make conscious determinations for each application. In the words of Holmes himself, “Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”

If you’ve been using a SaaS Management Platform until now, all of your data should be accessible and accurate.

Once you have all of your data, consider possibly creating a scoring system that will help you systematically distinguish value. If you’re looking to keep things simple, just compare the outcomes of each application with their cost and usage to determine whether or not it can be classified as “ROT” (Redundant, Outdated, Trivial).

Step 5: Act on the data

No great detective story is complete without a final chase. Once the case is cracked, it’s time to bring the culprit(s) to justice. In that same way, our work is not done until we’ve acted upon our newfound insight.

We recommend creating buckets of actions and determining where each application fits into them.

This could include three buckets such as:

Review: Applications with medium value and medium-cost that should be maintained at the current usage level in the organization’s tech stack

Reward: Applications providing high value at low cost that could benefit from greater adoption or investment

Remove: Applications providing minimum value at a high cost and should be removed from the organization’s tech stack

Once determining where applications land in these buckets of action, take those actions and communicate clearly with stakeholders to accomplish them.

By the completion of this step, you should be able to answer:

What applications should continue to be utilized?

What applications should cease operations?

What application functions should be replaced by current high-value applications?

Step 6: Evaluate & review results

Think of this as the epilogue that teases the next adventure. The last step of this cyclical process involves understanding ways to improve your process and actively communicating with other employees to help them also understand it.

The application rationalization process is relevant to the entire organization. If non-IT employees understand your decisions, it encourages them to consider your value-based strategy when they’re adopting technology.

To make the process more transparent, consider sending a communication why certain apps were eliminated and sending a survey after each cycle that asks for opinions based on the decisions.

By the completion of this step, you should be able to answer:

How to better improve your continued rationalization process

How to leverage Shadow IT as a positive sign of ingenuity at your organization

How to create benefit from the decentralization of IT

What IT Leaders Can Learn From Application Rationalization

At face value, the application rationalization process enables IT leaders to learn how to save costs and optimize their tech stack by reducing redundancies. At a more strategic level, it enables them to become the single source of technology truth for their organization.

Shadow IT isn’t going anywhere, but when IT is actively going through a cyclical application rationalization process, it enables them to be the subject area experts on all things “app.” The same ingenuity that develops into Shadow IT can also educate IT leaders on current app trends, help them better understand which applications deliver on promised value, and bring that information to the executive table.

Applications are no longer just “tools”; they are a core part of strategy.

Once you get into the groove of actively performing application rationalization, the process will become easier than ever—some would even say, “elementary!”

Interested in learning more about application rationalization? Reach out today, and we’ll guide you through building the best process for your organization. We promise to keep our detective puns and Sherlock Holmes references to the minimum.


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27 Tips for Software Cost Savings [Ultimate Guide] | Torii

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Discover actionable steps to find software cost savings , clean up subscriptions , and bring visibility to your spend management!

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Finding cost savings is hard. It often results in uncomfortable conversations, tiring negotiations, or difficult decisions without enough data. Frankly, it’s not fun!

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of strategies, tactics, and tips for controlling your app spending. For each tip, we’ve included a simple rating system based on its value, the amount of technical knowledge or new tooling it requires, and whether or not it could include an awkward conversation.

For example, the following rating would indicate high value, low technical difficulty, and the potential for moderate social discomfort!

Take every rating with a grain of salt. An extroverted IT Director will have different struggles than an introverted Database Admin!

Getting Started
- Communicate the importance

Let's start with arguably the most important action—communication. Changing company culture is really difficult, but once the communication is out there, it empowers you to take more action with more clarity. Explain to your entire organization why cost optimization matters—platitudes are nice, but data is better. Emphasize that these strategies aim to ensure resources are well-spent and the right tools are in place.

How to talk about it: Hold company-wide meetings, send out detailed emails, or create an intranet page dedicated to cost optimization goals.

Focus on benefits: Highlight increased efficiency, better allocation of resources for innovation, and the ability to invest in new growth areas when SaaS spending is streamlined.

Note: Your success will also depend on leadership's support—if you can get allies at the top level, this process becomes a lot easier.
- Schedule regular audits

Proactive reviews are crucial as usage patterns and SaaS options change rapidly. Quarterly or semi-annual audits are a good baseline. Without the right tools, the audit process can feel tedious, and follow-up actions often slip through the cracks.

Set calendar reminders: To ensure these reviews happen, put them on your calendar (and those of key decision-makers).

Audit template: A simple spreadsheet can be a starting point. List each SaaS tool, cost, renewal date, contract owner, and key features.

Consolidation & Optimization
- Identify redundant tools

Redundant tools are those that accomplish more or less the same task. The difficulty with this is that it relies on a lot of digging to uncover. Often, there will be a sanctioned solution and a shadow IT solution—the trouble comes with identifying those shadow apps (something that only SaaS Management Platforms are designed to do). Simple consolidation can produce some significant cost savings as well as simplify training, support, and integration efforts across the organization.

Look for ubiquitous tools: Things like file transfer tools (WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive...), productivity apps (Asana, Monday, Trello...), are often overlooked.

Tool Mapping: Create a list or diagram where you list each SaaS tool and its primary functions. Look for areas where multiple tools offer similar features.

Talk to users: Ask your teams which tools they actually use regularly and which feel unnecessary. This feedback is invaluable
- Right-size Licenses

One of the greatest sources of cost savings, your contracts probably include a number of unused license seats. If you can identify those seats, you're well on your way to massive cost savings via negotiation for contracts to match your needs.

Usage reporting tools: This process will require usage insights; fortunately, many SaaS management platforms provide detailed usage analytics. Identify if you're consistently under-utilizing the number of seats or features in your contract.

Reclamation: For unused licenses, be sure to reclaim them whenever possible. This will prevent purchasing unnecessary seats and provide clarity come renewal negotiations.
- Optimize feature adoption

When companies are searching for a "silver bullet," the knee-jerk reaction is to purchase a shiny new tool. Sometimes, the new tool is absolutely worth the purchase. However, those capabilities are often already available as an unutilized feature in your existing tech stack. Train users well on the full capabilities of your existing tools to avoid unnecessary new purchases.

Ask why they need a tool: When someone requests a new tool, start by asking what capability they need. Once you understand the "why," you can encourage some comparison research based on the existing stack.

Vendor resources: Most vendors offer tutorials, webinars, or knowledge bases to maximize the use of their products.

Internal champions: Identify tech-savvy users within your company who can train others, leading to better feature adoption.
- Cancel unused subscriptions

In terms of value against effort—this is one of the best ways to trim fat from the tech budget—proactively canceling any subscriptions your team isn't actively using anymore. Make this a regular habit instead of letting zombie subscriptions haunt your finances indefinitely.

Note: This tip is entirely dependent upon accurate usage data for the applications involved.

Centralized list: Keep a master list of all subscriptions with renewal dates and owners. This will make cancellation decisions easier.

Ownership accountability: Ensure contract owners are responsible for reviewing their tools and canceling unnecessary ones. Collaborate with app owners to understand purpose, usage, and other relevant information.
- Explore tiered pricing

You know those fancy, full-featured versions of software you've been paying top dollar for? Time for a reality check—does every single team actually need all those bells and whistles? Don't be afraid to open a dialog with the vendor and negotiate your way down to the tier that works best.

Strategic Procurement & Negotiation
- Centralize purchasing

Bringing all your software purchases under one roof can be a game-changer. It ensures everyone's on the same page and that your buys truly make sense for the business. Depending on the purchase's cost, you might find it necessary to implement different approval processes.

Note: Implementing this solution will require strong support from leadership.

Procurement forms: Create standard forms for requesting new tools, outlining the business need, budget impact, and other key details.

Approval workflow: Establish a clear chain of approval (IT, department heads, etc.) before any new tool is purchased.
- Implement approval workflows

In many ways, this goes hand in hand with the previous step. Centralized purchasing will only work if employees sense that there's a clear process in place. Otherwise, they will become dissatisfied or work to work around the process. That's why clarity is king.

Step-by-Step Process: Clearly articulate every step within this process with accountable parties at each phase of the approval.

Workflow tools: For complex organizations, consider procurement software that can automate these approval steps.
- Benchmark pricing

Sometimes, ignorance is just ignorance (not bliss). Compare prices with market averages to ensure you're getting competitive deals.

Review sites: Websites like G2 Crowd often have user reviews that mention pricing or allow you to filter and compare based on cost.
- Negotiate Renewals Proactively

If you want to save big, you have to master the renewal process. The first step to mastery is preparation. Ensure that you have full visibility and a proactive plan for engaging with vendors before the date. The more you can set expectations in advance and back up your positions with data, the better you'll fare. A little practice at negotiation can save your company big.

Renewal calendar: Track all renewal dates and set reminders to start negotiations 2-3 months beforehand. Ensure that you mark auto-renewals and other relevant details.

Automation to stay on track: Staying on top of renewals is difficult. Find automation that can help you stay on track and in the know. Don't find yourself scrambling 5 minutes before a call.
- Negotiate Payment Terms

Aiming for discounts with annual payments or seeking extended payment periods can be a surprising boost IT budgets. While it requires a good understanding of your company's software needs and some negotiation skills, the financial benefits can be substantial.
- Seek Volume Discounts

Securing lower pricing when purchasing licenses for multiple teams or departments is a straightforward way to reduce software costs. However, this technique won't offer a lot of value unless you're working with large contracts. On the plus side, though, it can also be an effective way to consolidate multiple contracts, making future cost savings exercises more focused.

Directly Ask Vendors: Initiate conversations with your vendors about volume discounts. These discounts are often available but may not be publicly advertised.
- Leverage Long-Term Contracts

Thanks to multi-year contracts, committing to a tool for the long term can net you better pricing. This approach is best suited for software that's core to your operations and where you're confident in its long-term value.

Calculate Trade-Offs: It's crucial to consider the potential cost savings against the loss of flexibility. Evaluate how much you're likely to save over the contract period versus the potential costs if your needs shift and you're locked into a less-than-ideal contract.
- Consider Usage-Based Billing

For tools that see fluctuating levels of use, switching to a usage-based billing model could lead to substantial cost savings. This approach aligns costs directly with consumption, potentially offering cost savings during lower usage periods.

Usage Analysis: Conduct a thorough analysis of past usage patterns to determine if your current payment model is cost-effective. If you notice significant variability in tool usage, it might be time to negotiate a usage-based billing plan with your provider. This model can be particularly beneficial for businesses with seasonal fluctuations or those in the process of scaling operations.

Visibility & Data-Driven Decisions
- Track and Find Shadow Spend

Like it or not, someone in your company is purchasing software via unsanctioned channels. Often, these purchases are small and insignificant via a company card. However, sometimes, these purchases can bloat and grow, adding new license seats and zeros to the final figure in the process.

Monitor company cards: the most common form of shadow spend is company credit cards. Ensure you have a handle on who spends what on what.

Communicate with procurement and finance: Have there been any surprise renewals recently? These surprises often stem from shadow spending left unchecked.
- Measure ROI

Ok, don't roll your eyes. Discussions of ROI are easy to initiate, but doing the analysis can feel frustratingly futile. In order to truly calculate ROI, you need to start with some basic details and some pass/fail criteria.

What was the tool purchased to do? Did it accomplish this work?

If yes, was that worth the cost?

If no, why not? Lack of adoption? Unrealistic expectations? Poor research?

After analyzing these basic starting points, you should know whether or not the product is even worth measuring ROI (of if it's time to say "au revoir"). If you believe it is worth the measurement, create a formula looking at time saved, cost savings, and other relevant metrics (like security enhancements, customer satisfaction, etc.). Make sure you consult other teams to create a report that is fair and honest.
- Centralize Data For Insights

Data in isolation is interesting, but data in context tells a story. To read that story, your data needs to be stored in a central location so you can interrogate the numbers. Identify trends, patterns, problems, and opportunities.

Keep data up to date: Make sure you are acting on the latest insight and keep your data current.
- Make Software offboarding a Priority

Offboarding is a top way to ensure better cost control and better security. Ensure subscriptions tied to departing employees are canceled. When you fail to deprovision software to a former employee, you are literally paying money to expose yourself to more threats.

Work with HR: Don't get left in the dark. Ensure that HR knows that you need to know when employees leave the organization.

Automate whatever is possible: Speed is of the essence with offboarding. To prevent IP theft, make sure employees are cut off from critical apps immediately.  Find automation solutions to ensure nothing critical slips through the cracks.
- Tackle Shadow IT

More than any other item on this list, shadow IT is highly dependent upon your tooling. Currently, a SaaS Management Platform is the only way to identify all your shadow IT, and even then, many platforms only show partial visibility. But, if you want to see cost savings and reduce headaches, shadow IT is a top culprit. Identify duplicate or redundant apps, identify shadow spend, and find out which tools the company truly uses.

Pick the right tool: Many SMPs specialize in financial driven discovery, which sounds good but often misses freemium tools or those procured through unsanctioned means. Looks for an SMP that uses multiple forms of AI powered discovery and mapping.

Additional Tips
- Explore freemium/open-source alternatives

Consider if these options could cover basic needs.

Freemium limitations: Understand what features/usage limits come with freemium plans before switching from paid tools.

Open-source support: Assess if your team has the technical know-how to maintain and potentially update open-source solutions.
- Improve Your Software Evaluation Process

Evaluate tools thoroughly and avoid purchasing before you're certain they're the right fit. Come up with a checklist complete with stories about how your company currently tries to accomplish certain actions and compare this with the process with the new tools. Be through and use trials whenever possible.

Prepare trial checklists: Have a list of key functions you need and test them out meticulously during the trial period.
- Promote internal collaboration

Encourage departments to share tools to minimize redundancy.

Internal knowledge base: Consider using a wiki or intranet page to list commonly used tools and their functions.
- Consider managed service providers (MSPs)

MSPs can help manage complex SaaS landscapes.

Assess your needs: MSPs excel if you have a large number of tools or lack internal IT resources to manage them effectively.
- Renegotiate existing contracts

Aim for better terms even outside of renewal periods, if circumstances warrant it.

Monitor the market: Stay aware of new competitors or pricing changes that can give you leverage in renegotiations.
- Review App Exchanges

For platforms like Salesforce, consider cost-effective add-ons to avoid extra standalone tools.

Know your needs: Define what extra functionality you need before browsing App Exchanges to prevent overspending.
- Ask About these Discounts

Believe it or not, you have a lot of leverage in negotiations. Be sure to ask about the following discounts and see if one of them might apply to your organization:

Non-profit: If your organization is a non-profit (501) or a B Corp, vendors might have specific discounts available. View this list of relevant non-profit organizations.

New-vertical: Often, vendors are excited to expand into new verticals and industries. If you think your company exists in one of these industries, be sure to ask about a discount.

End of Month/Quarter/Year: People want to hit goals. Those goals tend to align with the end of the month, quarter, or year. Ask if you can get a discount by pushing something over the line within that time frame.

Case-Study: Companies are desperate for customer stories and this could allow a win-win scenario. Offer to include the promise of a case-study in your contract in exchange for a discount.

Software Cost Savings Made Simple

While this list is long, most of it comes down to some core principles:

Visibility

Process automation

Consistency

If you have those ingredients, you'll save big in no time. If you need an ally in your cost savings efforts, check out how Torii might be the tool for you.

See Similar Success Stories

Lunchbox saved $430,000 in just 9 months

Paxful saved $715,000 in SaaS licenses

Hired saved $1.7 million in SaaS apps

Article saved +$100,000 within a few months via visibility

hhpberlin saved + €500,000 in one year and experienced continuous cost savings of ~ €40k per renewal period on right-sized subscriptions


# Page Title
GigaOm Radar for SaaS Management Platforms: Insights From the Report | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/gigaom

## Page Description

Learn about GigaOm's Radar for SaaS Management Platforms. Get insights and considerations before reading the report for yourself.

## Details

Are you searching for a signal in the noise? If you are just starting your SaaS Management Platform (SMP) search, one of the best resources can be analyst research if you know what data is relevant. 

The GigaOm Radar for SaaS Management Platforms has recently launched, providing a comprehensive analysis of the evolving SaaS management landscape today, the top vendors, how professionals can order their selection criteria, and the strengths and limitations of different vendors. This report is a crucial resource that will keep you informed and up-to-date in your SaaS Management Platform search. 

Market Context: SaaS application adoption is (still) increasing as companies strive to achieve their digital transformation goals. SaaS applications now represent a significant portion of many organizations' application inventories, much like what we’ve seen from Gartner’s Market Guide. This growth demands an integrated, data-driven operations model to effectively manage SaaS application spend, vendor sourcing, IT operations, and security compliance. 

While research is valuable, the most empowering thing is understanding the SaaS Management offerings today and how they compare to your organization's needs. This understanding will guide you in making the right decision for your organization. 

Key Findings From the Report
- Evolution of Full-Featured SMPs:

SMPs are rapidly evolving to combine SaaS Discovery, SaaS financial operations (SaaSFinOps), and SaaS operations (SaaSOps). These integrated capabilities allow platforms to deliver comprehensive visibility and functionalities and thus gain broader adoption than SMPs of the past. 

The evolution also reflects more judicious app rationalization among IT teams as they consolidate their tech stack. As a result, SMPs that do not evolve into full-featured platforms risk becoming obsolete niche providers and point solutions.
- Importance of Comprehensive SMPs:

Building on this theme, SMPs must provide comprehensive visibility and capabilities. At Torii, we have long championed the theme of the SMP as “software to manage software” without constraints. Now, this vision is becoming a reality with more powerful integrations and actions. 

As SaaS dominates our software and cloud apps define our workspaces, managing those apps becomes more critical than ever while simultaneously requiring more nuanced and multi-dimensional tools. 

Key Takeaway Summary: IT’s role is rapidly evolving, and so must the tools it uses to manage its tech stack. The SMPs that provide comprehensive visibility and actions will be well-positioned to support and enable organizations, while niche and point solutions will struggle to make the leap. 

Decision Criteria Comparison

The report advises potential buyers to view SMPs based on their capabilities divided into three categories:

Table Stakes: these are the “must-haves” for SaaS management. Vendors that fail to provide these basic capabilities will ultimately undermine their user’s ability to perform routine SaaS Management tasks. While these vendors may provide helpful point solutions, they lack the comprehensive capabilities necessary for SaaS Management. 

Key Features: Key features represent the differentiators between different vendors. This list is broader, and not every vendor excels with every feature. 

Emerging Features: These features are still in relative infancy and should be expected to become more mainstream within 12-18 months.

Table Stakes

Application discovery: The SMP identifies all SaaS applications used within the organization, providing a comprehensive view of the software landscape, including shadow IT, organized within a live repository. Typically, this insight is pulled from multiple sources, including expense information, IDP, SSO, primary integrations, etc. The breadth and depth of discovery are critical, as all automation and strategic decision-making are dependent on a solid foundation of discovery.  

Application catalog: The SMP maintains an organized list of sanctioned applications from which employees can select or request access. 

Usage tracking and analytics: Monitors and analyzes SaaS application usage, offering insights to optimize resource allocation and user engagement.

Application license management: Manages the allocation and usage of software licenses, ensuring compliance and cost efficiency.

Alerts: Provides real-time notifications for important events such as contract renewals, unauthorized access, license thresholds, and usage anomalies.

Key Features (Differentiators)

The report advises carefully considering the essential features made available by the vendor. Different platforms will have different strengths.

While a comprehensive solution is essential, so is a platform with the same priorities as your organization. 

Integrations: pulls data from applications to provide insight and enables workflow actions to automate the SaaS lifecycle.

Sensitive data management: Monitors sensitive data storage and access, ensuring proper controls.

Spend management: Identifies cost-saving opportunities by optimizing license usage, comparing redundant apps, recommending the closure of unused apps, and consolidating capabilities. The platform enables streamlined coordination between finance and IT through these spend management capabilities.

Contract renewal management: Provides visibility into contract terms, alerts for upcoming renewals, usage data for critical insight for contract negotiations, and workflows to enable smoother cross-functional work between IT and Procurement.

User access and license management: Automates user lifecycle events like access requests, approvals, onboarding, and offboarding. Some systems will also offer more nuanced capabilities around events such as parental leave, job transitions, etc. 

Insights and predictive analytics: Offers insights and future trend predictions based on usage data.

Governance support: Ensures compliance with internal policies and external regulations for SaaS usage.

User engagement capabilities: Provides intuitive methods for users to request access and perform tasks using familiar tools.

Emerging Features (Vision-setting)

The emerging features are just now entering the fray for most platforms and represent the direction of SaaS Management going forward. Features include AI features leveraging natural language processing (NLP, often through an LLM), security operations, and even MDM support as SaaS also starts to encompass local software.  

Summary of Decision Criteria

Features are fickle. Different vendors offer different features to different degrees. The most important thing is to understand the “must-haves” and the key features that matter most. From there, the emerging features can further indicate whether the SMP is trending in the right direction. 

GigaOm Radar

You can view GigaOm's Radar on their research site, but here is a quick guide to help you interpret the findings within the report.

Vendor Insights

Conclusion

For prospective SMP buyers, the Radar Report provides excellent insights and criteria for consideration. 

Ultimately, SMPs should be assessed based on their ability to optimize for the user's desired outcome, whether to improve spending, manage security, enhance operational efficiency, or provide comprehensive integration coverage.

Another consideration is the level of vendor support. Check case studies and implementations, ask for references, and pay attention to the platform's maturity. 

The report also offers advice for enterprises, such as deciding if a full-featured SMP provides enough value compared to extending existing IT systems. Consider readiness and growth to avoid managerial debt during rapid expansion. SMBs should justify SMP investment by assessing spending volume, user engagement, and operational efficiencies while keeping future growth in mind.

Ultimately, selecting the right SaaS Management Platform (SMP) hinges on aligning it with your organization’s needs, ensuring comprehensive feature sets, and preparing for future growth. The GigaOm Radar Report offers valuable insights to guide this process, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach and continuous market vigilance. Prioritize platforms that support digital transformation, scalability, and evolving operational demands to maximize long-term benefits.

The Radar for SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs) is available now.

About GigaOm

GigaOm provides technical, operational, and business advice for IT's strategic digital enterprise initiatives. Their research helps enterprises modernize, transform, and successfully compete in a rapidly changing business environment. Learn more about GigaOm.

About Matt Jallo

Matt Jallo, with over twenty years of IT experience, is an expert in Cloud, Infrastructure, Management, and DevOps, and has held key roles at American Airlines and GoDaddy.com.


# Page Title
What is a Compliance Tool? | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/compliance-tool

## Page Description

Discover what a Compliance Tool is and why it's essential for your business. Understand compliance with ease!

## Details

A Compliance Tool is a specialized software that aids organizations in adhering to legal, industry, and operational standards. It streamlines, ensuring corporate practices meet defined regulations, guidelines, and expectations.

Note: Enhance your compliance actions using Torii's SaaS Management Platform. It offers unmatched shadow IT visibility, automates the entire application lifecycle, simplifies SaaS ops, and streamlines license management. Check more info here.

A techie might wonder, isn't a compliance tool just another type of compliance management software? A compliance tool goes beyond managing data—it centralizes compliance monitoring, automates tedious tasks, and supports real-time reporting of compliance audits.

It's a comprehensive solution encompassing everything from compliance risk management to compliance policy enforcement. This handy tool sifts through the complexities of compliance frameworks, standards, and controls, leaving managers free to focus on decision-making. So, by integrating compliance workflows or streamlining compliance incident management, this tool effectively aids an organization in meeting regulatory compliance solutions.
Examples of Compliance Tools

Microsoft Compliance Manager: Helps navigate complex data compliance obligations with assessments, actionable insights, and a compliance score.
WPLP Compliance Platform - With this tool you can generate legal policies and manage cookie consent for WordPress with WP Legal Pages.
SolarWinds Access Rights Manager: A time-efficient tool that facilitates checking and managing user privileges and preventing data breaches.
Apptio Targetprocess: Offers foresight into strategic aligning and value delivery, enhancing visibility and compliance in project management.
IBM OpenPages: Streamlines risk management through an integrated approach and automated compliance workflows.
Torii: A SaaS Management platform that reviews and ensures third-party software is in line with company compliance requirements. Note its unique capability to track underused licenses for cost savings.
LogicGate: Focuses on governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) processes. Notably, its configurability supports evolving regulatory landscapes.

Best Practices for Compliance Tool

Choosing the Right Compliance Management Software

Search for software that adapts well to your operations and complies with the standards and controls relevant to your industry. Evaluate compliance case studies to identify which solutions best address your needs.

Establishing a Compliance Framework

Set a clear and consistent framework for compliance activities. Compliance tracking and analytics are used to pinpoint critical focus areas, and tools like the Torii SaaS Management Platform are used for comprehensive oversight.

Enforcing Compliance Policies

Set up stringent compliance policy enforcement mechanisms. Compliance management software makes identifying violations easy and initiating remedial action quickly.

Compliance Monitoring Tools Utilization

Use real-time surveillance to detect potential compliance issues early. Compliance automation can make continuous monitoring feasible, enabling quicker resolution of emergent risks.

Scheduling Regular Compliance Audits

Periodically assess your compliance risk management system's efficacy. These audits can uncover gaps that have been missed during routine monitoring, aiming to prevent future non-compliance.

Implementing Regulatory Compliance Solutions

Ensure your applications and processes are following relevant legislation and regulations. Use compliance automation to keep up with ever-changing regulatory landscapes.

Compliance Workflows Development

Develop streamlined workflows to simplify the compliance process. Use compliance software to automate this typically manual process, optimizing efficiency.

Compliance Incident Management

Create a well-defined process to manage any instances of non-compliance. Compliance management software can assist in logging, tracking, and resolving these incidents.

Maintaining Compliance Documentation

Continuously update and maintain comprehensive compliance documentation. It’s beneficial for internal reviews, audits, and regulatory inspections. Torii’s SaaS Management Platform can help manage and organize your compliance documentation.

Undertaking Compliance Assessments

Regularly examine your organization's adherence to internal policies and external regulations. Use analytics features of compliance tools to evaluate your compliance status and performance.

Ensuring Compliance Governance

Good governance is essential to maintain continuous compliance. Assign clear responsibilities, establish transparent processes, and implement a robust oversight mechanism using compliance tools.

Adapting to Compliance Standards

Standards offer guidance on industry best practices. By adjusting your processes to meet these standards, you secure your position as a trustworthy actor in your sector.
Related Tools for Compliance Tool

Torii: An AI-powered SaaS Management Platform for IT that helps businesses monitor and optimize their software usage.
Bizible: A tool that provides attribution and revenue analytics for marketing teams to measure success.
Checkbox: Enables organizations to create and manage compliance workflows and assessments efficiently.

Related Concepts in Compliance Tool
A Compliance tool is a vast topic; diving deeper into its intricacies can be enlightening. To help you on your journey, here are five critical terms related to Compliance Tool:

Data Retention: Keeping data to meet regulatory requirements or internal policies for a specified period.
Role-Based Access Control: A security approach that assigns users specific roles or permissions based on their job responsibilities.
Audit Trail: A record of all user actions and system activity, providing a detailed account for compliance and troubleshooting.
Vulnerability Assessment: Identifying and measuring potential security risks in a system or network.
Encryption: Encoding data to make it unreadable to unauthorized users, ensuring privacy and security.

FAQs: Compliance Tool
Q: What is a compliance tool?

A: A compliance tool is software or technology designed to help organizations meet legal, regulatory, and industry-specific requirements.

Q: What are the different types of compliance tools?

A: There are various types of compliance tools available, including governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) software, data encryption tools, identity and access management solutions, and vulnerability scanning tools.

Q: How can a compliance tool benefit my organization?

A: A compliance tool can streamline compliance processes, reduce manual efforts, help identify and address compliance gaps, provide real-time monitoring and reporting capabilities, and mitigate legal risks.

Q: How does a compliance tool help with regulatory compliance?

A: A compliance tool helps organizations align with regulatory requirements by providing frameworks, policies, and controls that ensure adherence, generating audit-ready reports, and facilitating continuous compliance monitoring.

Q: Are compliance tools suitable for small businesses?

A: Yes, compliance tools come in various sizes and complexities, making them suitable for small businesses. There are affordable, user-friendly solutions designed specifically for the unique needs of small organizations.


# Page Title
What is a Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool? | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/software-asset-management-sam-tool

## Page Description

Do you need a SAM Tool? It's a powerful software solution for monitoring and managing all your software assets.

## Details

A Software Asset Management (SAM) tool is a specialized software solution that oversees and optimizes all aspects of an organization’s software assets. It handles everything from software inventory management to license compliance, helping businesses maximize their software investments.

Note: Say goodbye to overpaying and contract headaches! Torii empowers you to manage your SaaS subscriptions effortlessly, ensuring optimal utilization and cost savings. Don't let your software assets manage you—take control with Torii today!

Is a SAM tool a software audit and license renewal management tool? Not. A robust SAM software does so much more than ensuring license compliance.

This software asset management solution takes charge of software deployment, software usage tracking, and software procurement. It dives into software entitlement, discovery, and asset lifecycle management. A SAM tool is a holistic approach to software optimization and cost management—providing vital SAM analytics, facilitating vendor management, and driving asset tracking rooted in SAM best practices.
Examples of Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

Snow Software: A comprehensive SAM specializing in compliance, cloud and software expense management, and software license optimization.
IBM Control Desk: IBM's solution provides a unified IT asset and service management software platform.
ManageEngine AssetExplorer: This tool focuses primarily on asset management but also covers software licensing.
Flexera Software Manager: Offers detailed insights for complex licensing situations, such as bundled software.
Torii: A SaaS management platform, Torii excels in integration capability and provides exceptional visibility of SaaS utilization across the organization.

Remember, choosing the right SAM tool depends on your IT environment's specific needs and circumstances.
Best Practices for Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

Choosing the proper Software Asset Management (SAM) software

The tool should offer features like easy integration, a user-friendly UI, software inventory management capabilities, and software audit functions. Torii's SaaS Management Platform can be a solid choice, capable of discovering Shadow IT and automating SaaS operations.

Determine your objectives

Implement a SAM solution that aligns with them. Prioritize functions like software deployment, software tracking, and license compliance.

Regularly monitor and manage your software licenses

Monitor and manage your software licenses to avoid violations of licensing contracts, enable timely license renewal management, and better predict software procurement needs.

Maintain Software Inventory Management

Maintain an accurate, real-time inventory of all your software assets to track usage, facilitate asset lifecycle management, and ensure license compliance.

Use Software Discovery

Discover and document all software used within the organization with tools like Torii that can find unknown or Shadow IT in your infrastructure.

Standardize Procurement

Have a centralized, standardized software procurement process to ensure consistency, better pricing, and better software entitlement management.

Execute and Deploy Software

Planned and executed software deployment meticulously, considering the user requirements and the organizational IT infrastructure to optimize software usage.

Maintain Vendor Management

Build strong relationships with your software vendors for more streamlined software procurement, better pricing, and improved license renewal management.

Ensure License Compliance

Regular audits and an accurate inventory will keep your company in license compliance, preventing costly legal disputes and showing areas of software optimization.

SAM Reporting and Analytics

Leverage analytics and reports generated from your SAM software to assess software usage, calculate cost savings, and gauge the need for software procurement.

Manage Lifecycle

Manage the entire lifecycle of your software assets, from procurement to disposal, to optimize efficiency and reduce costs.

Review and Implement Best Practices

Continual review and implementation of updated SAM best practices is a must. This can help businesses manage their software assets, improve their software cost management, and boost their software optimization efforts.

Using Torii's SaaS Management Platform, IT professionals can automate these processes, save on costs, optimize license usage, offer a clear picture of software expenditures, and scale their SaaS-related work efficiently.
Related Tools for Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool

SAM Tool: A versatile tool for managing project workflows efficiently.
Slack: Collaboration tool for communication and file sharing.
Trello: Organizational tool for task management and project tracking.
Google Drive: Cloud-based storage for documents, spreadsheets, and more.
Torii: AI-powered SaaS Management Platform for IT to optimize software usage and costs.

Related Concepts in Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool
SAM Tool is a vast topic with endless possibilities. If you're ready to dive deeper, here are five critical terms related to SAM Tool that can expand your knowledge:

Software Asset Management (SAM): SAM is a set of practices and processes to manage software licenses, usage, and compliance within an organization.
Inventory Management: This term refers to monitoring and controlling the flow of goods and materials within a business, ensuring efficient stock levels and availability.
License Compliance: License compliance ensures that an organization uses software by licensing agreements and regulations to avoid penalties or legal issues.
Usage Tracking: Usage tracking refers to monitoring and analyzing how software is used within an organization, providing insights into optimization and cost-saving opportunities.
Procurement: Procurement involves sourcing and acquiring goods and services, including software licenses for an organization's needs.

FAQs: Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool
Q: What is the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool?

A: SAM Tool is a software solution used for Software Asset Management (SAM), which helps organizations manage and optimize their software assets.

Q: How does the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool work?

A: SAM Tool collects and analyzes data about software installations, usage, and licensing. It helps organizations track licenses, maintain compliance, and identify areas for cost savings.

Q: What are the benefits of using the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool?

A: Using the SAM Tool offers several benefits, including improved software license visibility, reduced compliance risks, optimized software usage, increased cost savings, and improved vendor management.

Q: Is the Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool easy to implement?

A: Yes, SAM Tool is designed to be user-friendly and easy to implement. It offers automated data discovery and integration capabilities, making the implementation process more efficient.

Q: Can a Software Asset Management (SAM) Tool be integrated with other IT management systems?

A: Yes, SAM Tool can be integrated with other IT management systems, such as IT asset management, service desk, and procurement systems, to provide a comprehensive view of software assets and streamline processes.


# Page Title
What Are the Best ITSM Products for IT Teams? | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/itsm-products

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Discover the top ITSM products for IT teams! Explore tactics, best practices, and tips for navigating this crucial question. Elevate your IT operations! #ITSM #TechTools

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Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of IT Service Management (ITSM) products out there? You're not alone. Choosing the right ITSM solution for your IT team can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With countless options promising the moon and stars, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. But don’t worry, we’re here to cut through the clutter and provide you with clear, actionable advice on selecting the best ITSM products for your needs. Ready to streamline your IT operations and make a real difference? Keep reading. And if you're curious to dive deeper into App Lifecycle Automation, visit toriihq.com.

Top ITSM Products for IT Teams

When examining the best IT Service Management (ITSM) products for IT teams, it’s essential to look at tools that streamline service processes, automate incident resolution, and elevate service delivery. You want a product that allows central management of IT services, efficient handling of service requests, and self-service options for users. So, which platforms stand out?

ServiceNow

ServiceNow often tops the list. Why? It offers a comprehensive suite that includes incident, problem, and change management modules. Users love its automation capabilities, which reduce repetitive tasks. ServiceNow also shines with its configurable dashboards for real-time insights, helping teams monitor performance and optimize service operations.

InvGate Service Management

InvGate Service Management is the most flexible, no-code ITSM software in the market for IT teams and beyond. It comes packed with out-of-the box capabilities, ITIL-ready functionalities, AI-powered features, and a drag-and-drop workflow builder that makes it perfect for Enterprise Service Management.

BMC Helix ITSM

What about BMC Helix ITSM? It’s another heavyweight in the field. It integrates AI for automated incident resolution and predictive service management. BMC Helix also provides a unified interface for managing IT services, which makes it easier for IT teams to track requests and deliver quality services.

Jira Service Management by Atlassian

Jira Service Management, from Atlassian, is favored for its simplicity and integration capabilities. If your team uses Jira for software development, this is a natural fit. Jira Service Management helps align IT and development teams by providing seamless incident and change management processes, along with powerful reporting tools.

Freshservice by Freshworks

Next, consider Freshservice by Freshworks. It's particularly user-friendly and great for smaller to mid-sized teams. Freshservice offers robust automation, a clean interface, and comprehensive IT asset management. It includes a powerful self-service portal that helps users resolve issues independently, freeing up your IT team for more critical tasks.

Ivanti Neurons for ITSM

Ivanti Neurons for ITSM also merits attention. It utilizes machine learning to optimize service and operational efficiency. Ivanti's strength lies in its ability to integrate with other tools and provide a centralized platform for various IT workflows. The analytics and reporting features help teams track KPIs and improve service performance continuously.

SolarWinds Service Desk

Don’t overlook SolarWinds Service Desk. Known for its affordability and ease of use, it's a solid choice for SMBs. The platform is cloud-based and offers automated workflows, a user-friendly interface, and clear reporting. It excels at providing quick set-up times, making it a favorite for teams that need a solution up and running fast.

Each of these products has its strengths and complexities, from comprehensive reporting to advanced automation capabilities. Selecting the right ITSM product depends on your team's specific needs, the size of your organization, and the existing tools you use. Keep in mind, understanding your workflow and key requirements is essential before making a decision.

Best Practices for Implementing ITSM Solutions

Investing in the right IT Service Management (ITSM) solution is just the beginning. The true value of these tools comes from how well they are implemented and integrated into your IT workflows. Here are some actionable best practices to ensure a successful deployment and maximize the benefits of your chosen ITSM product.
- Define Clear Objectives and KPIs

Before you begin the implementation, outline clear, measurable objectives you wish to achieve with your ITSM tool. These could range from reducing resolution times, improving user satisfaction, or achieving higher levels of service availability. Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with these objectives to track progress and measure success over time.
- Conduct a Thorough Needs Assessment

A needs assessment helps identify the specific requirements that your ITSM solution must address. Engage key stakeholders, including IT staff, end-users, and management, to gather comprehensive input. This will assist in tailoring the ITSM product features to better suit your organization’s needs.
- Customize and Configure Thoughtfully

While most ITSM tools come with a range of robust features, it’s important to tailor the configuration to your unique workflows. Over-customization can lead to complexity, so focus on aligning the system with your most critical processes first. Set up workflows, notifications, and automation rules that streamline operations without overwhelming the team.
- Plan for Integration

Integrating your ITSM solution with other tools in your tech stack—such as monitoring systems, communication platforms, and project management tools—can enhance efficiency and provide a more cohesive workflow. For instance, if your organization uses Jira for development, make sure your ITSM tool seamlessly integrates with it. Learn more about this integration capability if you're considering products like Jira Service Management.
- Encourage Self-Service Adoption

Many modern ITSM solutions, including Freshservice and Ivanti Neurons for ITSM, offer powerful self-service portals. Encourage users to utilize these portals for common issues and service requests. This can drastically reduce the burden on your IT team, allowing them to focus on higher-priority tasks.
- Embrace Automation

Automation can take your IT service management to the next level. Tools like ServiceNow and BMC Helix ITSM offer advanced automation capabilities. Utilize these features to automate repetitive tasks such as ticket routing, incident categorization, and standard responses. This allows your team to focus on more complex troubleshooting and strategic initiatives.
- Train Your Team and End-Users

Proper training is crucial for successful adoption. Conduct comprehensive training sessions for your IT team to ensure they are adept at using the new system. Also, provide resources and training to end-users to familiarize them with self-service options and the new ticketing processes.
- Monitor and Optimize

After implementation, keep a close eye on system performance and user feedback. Use the analytic and reporting features of your ITSM tool to track KPIs and identify areas of improvement. Whether it’s through configurable dashboards in ServiceNow or predictive analytics in BMC Helix, continuous monitoring will help you fine-tune operations for optimal performance.
- Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement

An effective ITSM strategy is not a one-time setup but an evolving practice. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement within your IT team. Regularly review processes, incorporate user feedback, and stay updated with the latest features and best practices offered by your ITSM tool providers. For instance, if you decide to adopt a SaaS Management Platform (SMP) like Torii, ensure you keep abreast of their ongoing innovations. Learn more about Torii by visiting toriihq.com.


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How To Do Full Application Discovery | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/full-application-discovery

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How to do full application discovery: a step-by-step playbook for uncovering every SaaS app in your organization, including shadow IT, in 1-2 weeks.

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Info Box

Why It Matters:

Application discovery is the critical first step that makes every other play possible. Efforts to drive cost saving, compliance efforts, app contract renewals, and rationalization will all depend on a full inventory of all your applications.

How Many Apps Should I Discover?

According to our research, the number of applications your company uses is influenced by the number of employees. Based on our SaaS Benchmarks Report we found the following data:

These figures are intended as a general reference point and should be used to adjust your expectations. In practice, many IT professionals discover about three times as many applications as they initially anticipated.

These applications typically fall into three categories:

Sanctioned with Expected Use: Familiar IT-owned tools that are well understood and integrated within the organization.

Sanctioned with Unexpected Use: Known applications that may have multiple contracts, more licenses than expected, or are being used in ways not originally intended.

Unsanctioned (Shadow IT): Tools acquired outside of the IT approval process, often adopted by specific departments or individual employees without formal oversight.

Who Should be Involved?

Primary: IT, or Operations to lead the discovery process.

Secondary: Finance to review software spend, Procurement to improve vendor relationships, Department heads to validate findings, Security to audit usage for compliance and data risks.

What Tools are Needed?

A SaaS Management Platform (SMP) like Torii will perform full app discovery by integrating with your core apps.

Without an SMP, you will need access to some or all of the following tools:

Network Monitoring Tool (Firewall, Proxy Servers, Traffic Analyzer), Identity and Access Management, Cloud Access Security Broker, etc. We'll provide a more complete list in Step 1 below.

Spreadsheet to record findings

Survey Tool for employee feedback

Why Do We Need Multiple Data Sources?

No single data source will tell a complete (or accurate) story. Within Torii, our Discovery Engine cross-checks multiple sources to determine the truth behind app uses. Without multiple sources, your result will contain significant biases, blindspots, and inaccuracies. While anomalies or discrepancies will always exist, you'll suffer far fewer by cross-checking multiple inputs.

Steps for Successful Full SaaS Application Discovery

Step 1: Gather Data Sources

Identify where to find information about SaaS usage:

With a SaaS Management Platform:

A SaaS Management Platform like Torii is designed to connect to your core applications and centralize all of your data into one place. Typically, you will want to connect to the following sources:

Your Identity Provider (IDP)

Your Single Sign-On (SSO)

Your Mobile Device Management (MDM)

Your core SaaS tools (Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft, etc.)

Your expense software

Your contract management software

Deploy Torii's Browser Extension (Optional)

Without a SaaS Management Platform (Manual Discovery):

Without a SaaS Management Platform, you will need to spend more time manually identifying all the possible sources of data. Use this list to help you get started:

Network Monitoring Tools: Logs of outgoing network traffic to SaaS-related domains (e.g., Palo Alto, Fortinet, Zscaler, Wireshark).

Identity and Access Management (IAM): Connected applications, user authentication logs, and SSO activity (e.g., Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace Admin).

Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): SaaS applications accessing sensitive data or unauthorized APIs (e.g., Netskope, Microsoft Defender, McAfee MVISION).

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Applications installed on endpoints and unusual app activity (e.g., CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Carbon Black).

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM): A list of applications installed on employee devices (e.g., Microsoft Intune, Jamf, ManageEngine).

Expense Management Tools: Recurring charges or subscriptions tied to SaaS tools (e.g., Expensify, SAP Concur, Brex).

Email Activity: SaaS-related emails such as sign-up confirmations, invoices, or app invites (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Proofpoint).

Collaboration Tools: Bots, integrations, or links to unauthorized SaaS tools (e.g., Slack, Teams, Zapier).

Contract Management Software: Records of SaaS agreements and renewal schedules (e.g., DocuSign CLM, Ironclad, Conga).

Survey Tools for Employee Feedback: Insights on tools employees use that may not be officially approved (e.g., Google Forms, Typeform, Microsoft Forms).

Core SaaS Tools: Integrations and third-party app connections (e.g., Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft 365).

Step 2: Conduct Discovery

Begin collecting and validating data, and store it within a system of record:

With a SaaS Management Platform: [2-4 hours]

Automated Discovery:

Within a few hours of connecting your core applications, Torii will automatically scan and identify all SaaS apps used within your organization.

The apps will be visible in a centralized, filterable list that displays all your business applications, allowing easy access to crucial information like costs, status, and usage patterns.

Without a SaaS Management Platform (Manual Discovery): [1-2 weeks]

Review Network Infrastructure Tools:

Check proxy server logs. These tools log all web traffic and can help you identify SaaS application domains.

Review firewall logs, similarly, firewalls monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic, these can reveal SaaS services.

Use Network Monitoring tools/Intrusion Detection Systems as another means of monitoring network traffic.

Review Expense and Credit Card Reports:

Analyze financial documents to identify recurring charges or one-time payments associated with SaaS subscriptions.

Look for expenses categorized under software, subscriptions, IT services, or any unfamiliar vendors.

Survey Department Leads:

Reach out to team managers and department heads to gather information about the SaaS tools their teams are utilizing.

Request details on officially sanctioned tools as well as any unofficial applications adopted to meet specific needs.

Interview Employees:

Conduct interviews or distribute surveys to employees to uncover additional shadow IT tools not reported by department leads.

Encourage transparency by assuring employees that the goal is to enhance support and security, not to penalize unauthorized usage.

Compile Data into a Spreadsheet (System of Record):

Create a centralized spreadsheet to document all discovered SaaS applications. Be sure to include information such as:

Application Name

Department/Team Using the Application

Purpose/Functionality

Cost

Download your copy of our application discovery template

By systematically collecting this information, you establish a foundational system of record that captures all SaaS applications in use across your organization. This centralized record is crucial for effective management, cost optimization, compliance adherence, and mitigating security risks associated with shadow IT.

Step 3: Categorize and Analyze Findings

After gathering and verifying data, the next step is to classify applications by their status and determine which ones require further action. This phase helps streamline your remediation process—deciding which applications are officially sanctioned, which need additional review, and which should be discontinued. It also ensures you know who to follow up with to gather more details, locate missing contracts, or clarify usage.

With a SaaS Management Platform:

Assign Application Statuses:

Use Dropdown: In Torii, you can set each application’s status with ease by using built-in dropdown options like Sanctioned, In Review, Needs Closure, or Needs More Info.

Centralized Visibility: Quickly see all apps and filter them by their status in one place. This enables you to focus on the most critical applications first—such as those with unclear ownership or costly contracts.

Engage with Users and Owners:

Follow up with Users: Torii includes user lists for each app so you can reach out for more information.

Identify App Owners: Torii allows you to assign app owners for each app—this can include special visibility and actions to help that user better manage the application.

Identify and Locate Contracts:

Contract Integration: Torii integrates with key contract management tools, making it simple to see if a contract exists for each discovered app.

Follow Up on Missing Contracts: If an application is missing a contract or terms-of-service documentation, mark it as In Review and immediately flag it for a follow-up action. Torii can help you note this, ensuring nothing gets overlooked.

Without a SaaS Management Platform (Manual Approach):

Update Your Spreadsheet:

Add a Status Column: Manually categorize each application as Sanctioned, In Review, Needs Closure, or Needs More Info.

Include a Priority Column: Assign a priority level (High, Medium, Low) to focus your efforts. Start with the apps that pose the greatest risk or cost to your organization.

Identify Missing Contracts:

Manual Document Search: Refer to your contract management software or file repositories (e.g., shared drives, email archives) to find related contracts.

Document Status in the Spreadsheet: If no contract is found, mark that app as In Review and note in the comments column that you need to source this document.

Engage with Teams and Users:

Reach Out to Department Leads: Since you don’t have a built-in user directory tied to each application, revisit your previous surveys and interviews. Identify who mentioned the app and contact them via email or chat.

Follow Up for More Details: Ask relevant stakeholders for information on why the app is used, how integral it is to their workflow, and who should be considered the owner or administrator.

Prioritize and Schedule Follow-Ups:

Set Calendar Reminders: Without automated alerts, you’ll need to rely on personal reminders. Add calendar events or tasks for key follow-up dates (e.g., a week to find a missing contract or two weeks to confirm app ownership).

Iterative Review: Continue to refine your spreadsheet as you gather more information. Update the status column once you have clarity or have taken necessary action.

Step 4: Validate and Share Findings

After categorizing and prioritizing your SaaS applications, confirm the accuracy of your data and share it with stakeholders. Whether you’re using Torii or a spreadsheet, the goal is to ensure everyone can act on reliable, transparent information.

Validate Data: Cross-check application details—like ownership, costs, and compliance—against contract documents, expense reports, and user directories.

Create Reports: Summarize key insights (e.g., top spend, renewal schedules, security risks) for different stakeholders based on what is relevant to them. Focus on high level takeaways and visuals to ensure they understand the most important points.

Share with Stakeholders: Provide access to the data via shared views, links, or brief presentations. Notify relevant teams (Security, Procurement, Legal, Finance, Department Heads) so they understand the tools in your ecosystem.

Collect Feedback and Refine: Encourage questions and feedback from stakeholders. Update your records to correct inaccuracies, add missing details, and ensure everyone has the most current information.

Step 5: Establish Ongoing Management and Governance

Moving forward, implement a continuous process for monitoring and managing your SaaS ecosystem.

With a SaaS Management Platform:

Enable automated alerts to notify relevant teams whenever a new application is discovered.

Deploy in-the-moment user questionnaires to gather context on new apps and their intended use.

Schedule periodic reviews to reassess application portfolios, costs, and security needs.

Without a SaaS Management Platform (Manual Approach):

Set up calendar reminders or manual alerts to review expense reports, network logs, and employee surveys at regular intervals.

Conduct periodic check-ins with department leads to confirm ongoing app usage and compliance.

Keep your spreadsheet updated as new applications emerge, ensuring nothing goes unnoticed.

Key Outcomes

Complete Inventory: A clear, centralized view of all SaaS applications both sanctioned and shadow IT.

Better Decision-Making: Accurate data on costs, usage, and compliance informs strategic actions.

Stronger Governance: Reduced shadow IT and ongoing oversight improve security and efficiency.

By establishing a repeatable discovery and review process—either automated through a platform like Torii or managed manually—you ensure transparency, drive smarter spending, strengthen security, and maintain sustained control over your SaaS environment.

Related reading:

- What are Discovery Tools? [/blog/discovery-tools]


# Page Title
How to Make a Data Map: Risk Management, Compliance and Governance | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-to-make-a-data-map-risk-management-compliance-and-governance

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Unlock a 9-step framework to map your data landscape, identify vulnerabilities, and ensure robust data management, risk management, and compliance.

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Why Data Management Matters

Data is often called “the new oil.” It’s valuable, powers our digital revolution, and depends on refinement. Additionally, like fossil fuel, data requires care in collection, storage, transportation, and utilization because every step presents a risk of breach.

That’s why effective data management is so crucial.

What data is your company collecting?

Where is it being stored?

Who can access it?

And what’s the plan for it all?

Shockingly, few companies spend appropriate amounts of time refining their data management strategies. But in a world driven by data, this should be a top priority.

In this article, I will walk you through how to build a Data Map from start to finish.

About the Author

My name is Liz Benegas; I serve as a General Counsel to companies at various stages of growth—from early stage to post-acquisition and IPO readiness. Part of my daily work is to help company leadership tackle compliance challenges. I identify potential points of risk and guide companies through proven steps to prevent that risk.  

One of my most powerful tools is a data map, and in this guide, I will walk you through exactly how you can build one for yourself.

What is a data map?

Data mapping is the process of creating data element mappings between two distinct data models. It ensures data consistency and integrity across different systems, facilitating accurate data transfer, integration, and analysis. The data map is the end result of that process. It can take many forms (for example, I use a simple Google Sheet). 

Why build a data map?

With the rise of SaaS apps and shadow IT, the likelihood of data breaches is on the rise, and increasing regulatory scrutiny means those breaches become more impactful both monetarily and reputationally. 

In this environment, control over your data is critical. This is one reason a data map is an important piece of an effective data management program.  A data map shows what data your organization has, where that data flows, and who handles it, so you can spot vulnerabilities to help your company ensure compliance and mitigate risks. It also offers quick wins like spotlighting redundant apps or users and helping your company establish third-party risk processes. In the long term, it helps manage data, streamline processes, and boost IT leadership—which is essential for staying secure and compliant.

How to build a data map

Step 1: Establish a Source of Truth (SSOT)

A successful data map starts with a reliable, centralized source of truth. Choose a system for capturing your data—whether it’s a spreadsheet, diagram, or specialized tool—and stick to it. You’ll need to list all categories of data your organization processes, such as customer, employee, or financial data. The best place to start is with your apps. Remember, shadow IT can be a blind spot, so use tools like Torii to uncover unapproved apps. Keep in mind that your data map will only be as effective as the accuracy of the information it contains, so start with a clear structure.

Step 2: Conduct In-Depth Stakeholder Interviews

Your data map is only as strong as the information you gather from the people who work with the data every day. Organize interviews with department heads to understand how they use applications, what kind of data they process, and how data is shared. Pay close attention to unused and redundant apps during these interviews—they represent a cost-saving opportunity. Keep in mind that this step can be tedious but is crucial for building a comprehensive map. The more thorough you are here, the better your data map will reflect your organization's true data landscape.

Step 3: Identify Third Parties and Subprocessors

Data often leaves your organization’s control, so it’s important to know and track which vendors are handling it. Make a list of all third-party vendors your data interacts with, paying special attention to those dealing with sensitive data or personal information. This is critical for compliance with regulations like GDPR, which has strict requirements regarding subprocessors (third parties that handle personal data on behalf of your customers or clients). Don’t just stop at identifying third parties—make sure to assess their security controls and ensure they meet required standards. Keep in mind that each vendor or subprocessor may require different regulatory due diligence.

Step 4: Compile and Analyze Data

Once you have gathered data from various sources, it’s time to pull it all together and assess it for potential risks and opportunities. Aggregate all the information you’ve collected from stakeholder interviews, vendor SOC 2 reports, and vendor lists into one comprehensive view. Look for patterns or issues such as redundant tools, data silos, or potential security vulnerabilities. Identifying these pain points is where the real value of the data map comes in—don’t rush this step. Keep in mind that this is your opportunity to eliminate inefficiencies and shore up your security and privacy processes.

Step 5: Conduct a Risk Assessment and Prioritize

Risk is everywhere in data management, so prioritizing the biggest threats is key. Assess the risks associated with your data, focusing on the highest priorities like sensitive customer information. Once the risks are categorized, develop a plan for addressing them. Remember that not all data is created equal—some types of data (like health or financial information) may require stronger controls than others. Keep in mind that prioritization helps your organization focus its efforts where they will have the most impact.

Step 6: Craft and Implement Policies

With risks identified, it’s time to create policies to protect your data. Policies should address everything from data protection and retention to third-party risk management and deletion practices. Ensure that these policies are tailored to the specific needs of your organization and the data types you handle. Don’t forget that policies should be living documents—revisit them regularly to keep them aligned with the evolving data landscape and changes in your business practices. Keep in mind that a solid set of policies will act as a roadmap for your data management strategy.

Step 7: Maintain and Update the Data Map

A data map isn’t a “set it and forget it” document—it needs to be maintained and updated to remain accurate. Schedule regular reviews, ideally quarterly, to ensure all new applications, tools, and data sources are captured. Keep engaging with departments to understand any changes in how they use applications or handle data. Remember, accuracy over time is what will make your data map a valuable asset, so keep it dynamic and reflective of your organization’s real-time data practices.

Step 8: Present and Socialize the Data Map

Once your data map is created, you’ll need to communicate its value across the organization. Build a strong business case highlighting cost savings, compliance improvements, and risk mitigation benefits. Share quick wins, such as reduced application costs or immediate security improvements, to demonstrate the value of the map early on. Don’t forget to engage influencers in different departments—cross-departmental support will make or break your project’s success. Keep in mind that this step is crucial for getting buy-in and ensuring your data map becomes a tool that others use, not just a siloed project.

Step 9: Establish Long-Term Management and Compliance

Data maps help your organization stay compliant and secure in the long run. Integrate your data map into your broader security frameworks, ensuring it’s a central part of your risk management strategy. Schedule ongoing compliance checks using the data map as your foundation for audits and assessments. Collaboration between IT, security, and compliance teams will keep your data protected and aligned with regulations. Keep in mind that the strength of your data map will show its true value when it’s used to proactively prevent risks and meet regulatory demands.

Conclusion

Creating a data map might seem like a big undertaking, but it’s one of the most valuable steps you can take to protect your business and streamline your operations. Think of it as building a blueprint for your data—one that helps you see exactly where everything is, who’s handling it, and where potential risks might be hiding. It’s not just about staying compliant with regulations; it’s about finding opportunities to cut costs, improve security, and make smarter decisions. 

Start small and keep it manageable—your data map doesn’t need to be perfect right away. As long as it’s a living document that you update regularly, it will become a powerful tool that supports your business goals and keeps you ahead of the curve. 


# Page Title
Top 12 Cloud Migration Service Providers (Updated for 2025) | Torii

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https://www.toriihq.com/blog/top-12-cloud-migration-service-providers-updated-for-2025

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Compare the top 12 cloud migration service providers for 2025—full-service firms and niche specialists—rated on reviews, strengths, and weaknesses.

## Details

Below is a curated list of 12 leading providers for cloud migration services, split between full-service consulting firms and niche specialists. Each provider is chosen based on customer reviews (G2, Gartner Peer Insights, TrustRadius), industry analyst recognition (Forrester, Gartner, IDC), capabilities (breadth vs. specialization), key strengths (performance, scalability, security, etc.), and global reach. We include why each made the cut, along with notable strengths and weaknesses. These details are updated as of Feb, 2025. If you have corrections or suggestions, please send an email to contactus@toriihq.com and please include the URL for the page.

Introduction

Cloud migration is a critical step in digital transformation, enabling organizations to boost agility, reduce costs, and drive innovation. This guide is tailored for IT decision-makers looking to understand the landscape of cloud migration service providers. We base our evaluation on insights from customer reviews, industry analyst reports, and a mix of full-service and niche specialists. This article will help you navigate your options with clear, data-driven insights.

What Is Cloud Migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, data, and workloads from on-premises systems or legacy infrastructures to cloud-based environments. This transition not only modernizes IT operations but also unlocks benefits like scalability, cost savings, enhanced security, and improved performance. While the move offers many advantages, organizations must also address challenges such as integration complexities, downtime risks, and ensuring robust data security throughout the transition.

How We Chose

In evaluating cloud migration service companies, we consider a comprehensive set of criteria that addresses both technical and business priorities. We focus on performance and scalability, ensuring providers can handle diverse workloads and large-scale projects; security and compliance, to guarantee robust measures and adherence to regulatory standards; and the quality of support and expertise, which is essential for effective customer service and consulting. Additionally, we assess cost and value, looking for competitive pricing and a strong return on investment, as well as innovation and technology—specifically the use of unique tools, accelerators, and advanced methodologies. A provider’s global footprint is also key, ensuring the capability to support multinational organizations, and we carefully review customer and industry mentions from reputable sources such as G2, Gartner Peer Insights, and leading analyst reports. Finally, we include bonus “surprise picks,” recognizing niche specialists that excel in targeted areas despite lower overall market visibility.

Full-Service Cloud Migration Providers

These are large, end-to-end IT service firms with broad cloud expertise across multiple platforms. They typically offer comprehensive migration, modernization, and managed services on a global scale.
- Accenture – Full-Service Leader

Why Chosen: Accenture is a global consulting giant frequently recognized as a leader in cloud migration solutions. In a recent Forrester Wave, Accenture earned the highest scores in current offering, strategy, and market presence among Asia-Pacific cloud migration providers (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm). Analysts praise Accenture’s “scale, broad capabilities, and deep partnerships [with hyperscalers] that are hard to match.” Accenture’s cloud-first approach and extensive experience across 40+ industries make it a top choice for complex migrations (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm) (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm). Customers in regulated and complex industries value Accenture’s balanced technical and business acumen (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm) (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm), and G2 reviewers highlight its personalized, “surprisingly easy” migration process with strong communication (Accenture Pros and Cons | User Likes & Dislikes). Accenture has a presence in over 120 countries and a vast talent pool, underscoring its global reach (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm).

Strengths: Unmatched breadth of services (strategy through operations) and cloud partnership network (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm). Proven methodology (“cloud factories”) and proprietary accelerators for migration (Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by Leading Independent Research Firm). Highly rated for dedicated support during migrations – clients found Accenture’s communication and training effective, making cloud moves “surprisingly easy” (Accenture Pros and Cons | User Likes & Dislikes) (Accenture Pros and Cons | User Likes & Dislikes). Strong track record in complex, large-scale projects (named a Leader by Forrester and Gartner).

Weaknesses: Premium pricing and engagement size – as a top-tier firm, Accenture often comes with higher costs. Also, its vast resources can introduce complexity; one reviewer noted that navigating Accenture’s online support resources was “hit or miss,” although responsive support staff ultimately fill the gap (Accenture Pros and Cons | User Likes & Dislikes). For smaller clients, the size of Accenture’s teams and processes may feel overwhelming without proper coordination.
- IBM (IBM Consulting & Kyndryl) – Full-Service/Hybrid Cloud Expert

Why Chosen: IBM brings decades of enterprise IT experience and is a leader in hybrid-cloud migration, bolstered by its spin-off Kyndryl for infrastructure services. IBM’s cloud transformation services carry a high 4.7/5 rating on Gartner Peer Insights (based on ~100 reviews) (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), indicating strong customer satisfaction. Clients praise IBM’s organized, 24/7 available teams and “lower project cost” in some engagements (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). IBM’s deep technical R&D (e.g. Red Hat integration) and industry-specific solutions earn it industry recognition – it’s consistently ranked among leaders in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for cloud transformation (IBM Ecosystem & Offerings | HCLTech). IBM operates in 60+ countries, giving it global delivery capability. Its focus on innovation (AI, automation) and robust security/compliance makes IBM a go-to for large enterprises modernizing legacy systems to cloud.

Strengths: End-to-end offerings from mainframe modernization to multi-cloud management. Extensive tooling (Cloud Paks, IBM Cloud, migration factories) to accelerate migration while ensuring security and compliance. Customers commend IBM’s ability to solve complex integration problems and tailor solutions to requirements (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). IBM is also noted for very “organized” execution and round-the-clock support, leveraging its global workforce (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2).

Weaknesses: Cost and consistency of experience – IBM’s services are generally “on the higher end in pricing,” and clients need to scope engagements carefully given IBM’s myriad offerings (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Some reviews suggest variability in expertise (one noted not every IBM team member “serves with heart,” stressing the need to get the right specialists on the project) (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). A few customers have experienced slower response times during peak periods (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). In short, IBM excels in complex projects, but maintaining agility and uniform quality across such a large organization is a challenge.
- Deloitte – Full-Service Consulting & Transformation

Why Chosen: Deloitte is a global professional services network highly regarded for cloud transformation strategy and execution. Gartner’s 2024 Magic Quadrant named Deloitte a Leader with the furthest completeness of vision among public cloud IT transformation providers (Gartner® Magic Quadrant™: Public Cloud IT Transformation ...). Deloitte’s cloud practice (often branded as “Deloitte Cloud”) leverages its strengths in business consulting and change management on top of technical migration – an approach noted for delivering transformational outcomes, not just lift-and-shift. On G2, Deloitte’s cloud services are rated ~4.1/5, and comparisons between providers show Deloitte excels in “overall execution ability” (scoring 8.8/10, slightly above peers) (Compare Accenture vs. Deloitte Consulting | G2). Clients frequently cite Deloitte’s strong change management and technology partnerships – it scored a high 9.4/10 in breadth of cloud vendor partnerships (Compare Accenture vs. Deloitte Consulting | G2), indicating an ability to integrate diverse cloud tools. Deloitte’s global presence (150+ countries via member firms) and experience in regulated industries make it a reliable full-service partner.

Strengths: Holistic approach – integrates cloud migration with business process re-engineering, user adoption, and governance (beyond pure tech migration) (Cloud Migration - Deloitte). Praised for change management and adaptability, where it outranks competitors (Compare Accenture vs. Deloitte Consulting | G2). Strong alliances with major cloud providers; Deloitte’s technology partnership strength was rated above Accenture’s in one G2 analysis (Compare Accenture vs. Deloitte Consulting | G2), enabling it to bring advanced cloud capabilities and integrations. Good execution track record – a customer moving from on-prem to cloud noted the migration was “flawless” (Deloitte Cloud ERP Services Reviews, Ratings & Features 2025).

Weaknesses: Costs tend to be high due to Deloitte’s premium consulting model and large multidisciplinary teams. Some users have noted that Deloitte’s training and go-live support can lag behind peers (e.g. training services scored 6.7 vs. 8.1 for a competitor) (Compare Accenture vs. Deloitte Consulting | G2), which suggests room for improvement in hand-holding clients post-migration. As with any big firm, project success may hinge on the specific Deloitte team assigned; a few reviews mention variability in depth of technical expertise in niche areas.
- Wipro – Full-Service IT Provider (Cloud Focus)

Why Chosen: Wipro is a leading India-based IT services company that has made cloud modernization a core focus (branded under “Wipro FullStride Cloud”). Wipro was recognized as a Leader in Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services (cloud transformation journey, cloud business transformation, cloud transformation solutions, cloud transformation services - Wipro), highlighting its vision and execution. Gartner noted that Leaders like Wipro have a proven “track record of delivering high-quality, cloud-native modernization and managed services” (cloud transformation journey, cloud business transformation, cloud transformation solutions, cloud transformation services - Wipro). Customers similarly applaud Wipro’s cloud capabilities: on Gartner Peer Insights, Wipro’s cloud transformation services carry a 4.4/5 rating (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), with one customer stating “Wipro’s cloud capabilities are excellent” and that Wipro did “a great job with our Cloud Transformation program.” (Wipro Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews - Gartner) Wipro offers end-to-end migration (strategy, migration, DevOps, cloud management) across AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid environments. With 250,000 employees in over 60 countries (cloud transformation journey, cloud business transformation, cloud transformation solutions, cloud transformation services - Wipro), Wipro combines global scale with cost-effective delivery, making it popular for large migrations and app modernization, especially in banking, retail, and other domains where it has domain expertise.

Strengths: Comprehensive migration framework – Wipro handles assessment, planning, migration, security, and optimization, often using automation tools to accelerate each stage. It has an “extensive hyperscaler partnership ecosystem” (strategic partnerships with AWS, Microsoft, Google, etc.) allowing tailored, cloud-agnostic solutions (cloud transformation journey, cloud business transformation, cloud transformation solutions, cloud transformation services - Wipro). Wipro invests heavily in improving delivery quality through AI and automation to reduce costs ([PDF] Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services), which can benefit clients via faster, more efficient migrations. Customers also cite Wipro’s flexibility and willingness to customize solutions – a key strength for complex enterprise needs.

Weaknesses: As a large service provider, Wipro can face the usual challenges of consistency – success may depend on getting the right skilled team for a given project. (One Peer Insights reviewer advised ensuring Wipro’s resources match the project needs for best results (IBM Consulting Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2).) While generally cost-competitive compared to Western firms, Wipro’s projects can still run into budget expansions if not tightly managed. Lastly, Wipro historically had a stronger presence in application and infrastructure management than in consulting; some clients might seek more upfront strategic guidance (an area where Wipro has been improving via acquisitions and by leveraging its consulting arm).
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – Full-Service Global SI

Why Chosen: TCS is one of the world’s largest IT services firms and a pioneer in executing large-scale cloud migrations, especially in complex enterprise environments. TCS is rated 4.5/5 on Gartner Peer Insights for cloud transformation services (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights) and was included among top providers in Gartner’s assessments (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights). Known for its process-driven approach (the “Machine First” delivery model and automation through ignio™, etc.), TCS excels at migrating legacy systems (ERP, mainframes, etc.) to cloud with minimal disruption. It has a strong global footprint across 50+ countries and all major industries. TCS was a Visionary/Leader in earlier Gartner MQs and continues to be shortlisted for large multi-year transformation deals. We include TCS for its sheer scale of capabilities – from cloud advisory and architecture to migration execution and managed services – and for its high volume of positive customer feedback. For example, one enterprise client noted TCS delivered a “least disruptive” migration experience for a complex Oracle system (Capgemini Oracle Cloud Application Services Reviews - Gartner). TCS’s focus on talent development (e.g. thousands of cloud certifications among staff) and frameworks for cloud governance add to its strengths.

Strengths: Operational excellence at scale – TCS can mobilize large teams quickly and has well-honed frameworks to migrate and manage applications in AWS, Azure, GCP, and private clouds. Known for reliability: clients report TCS migrations are executed with “no major bugs or issues” and end-users often see improvements post-move (Capgemini Data Center Outsourcing and Hybrid Infrastructure ...). TCS’s cost efficiency and offshore leverage can make it a value choice for big migrations. It also offers strong post-migration support and optimization, helping clients continuously improve performance and cost (leveraging analytics and AI).

Weaknesses: TCS’s consultative and innovative capabilities, while growing, can lag behind firms like Accenture or Deloitte – it’s often seen as stronger in execution than in upfront cloud strategy. Some customers may find TCS to be conservative, sticking to tried-and-true methods (which is good for risk mitigation, but possibly slower to adopt cutting-edge cloud-native approaches). Like peers, communications in a large TCS project need careful management to avoid any “big firm” bureaucracy; however, TCS has been improving agility via its Agile working methods. Overall, few specific weaknesses are cited by customers beyond the general need for tighter coordination on large global projects.
- Capgemini – Full-Service European Leader

Why Chosen: Capgemini is a France-headquartered IT consulting firm with a strong global presence and a robust cloud services portfolio (bolstered by its acquisition of Altran and others). Capgemini has been identified as a leader in various cloud-related services; it scored 4.4/5 on cloud transformation in Gartner Peer Insights (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), and clients highlight its skilled people and smooth migrations. One review noted Capgemini “did a great job providing the right experienced and skilled people to perform the migration of our platform to the cloud.” (Capgemini Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews - Gartner) Capgemini’s strengths lie in cloud strategy, application modernization, and managing hybrid cloud environments. They are known for frameworks like Cloud Assessment 360 and strong partnerships in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and even industry-specific clouds. Capgemini’s global reach (300k+ employees in 50 countries (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights)) and onshore/offshore mix make it a reliable full-service partner, especially for European multinationals and public sector clients. We include Capgemini for its consistently positive customer feedback and industry recognition, including leadership positions in European market evaluations.

Strengths: Capgemini combines technical cloud proficiency with a “very collaborative working style,” as one Gartner Peer review noted (Capgemini Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Likes and Dislikes). It brings strong expertise in cloud cost optimization and “FinOps” (Capgemini was praised for cloud cost management in at least one case (Bespin Global Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews)). Transition experience is a plus – Capgemini has delivered some of the “best, least disruptive” migrations for clients, minimizing downtime and user impact (Capgemini Oracle Cloud Application Services Reviews - Gartner). Additionally, Capgemini’s industry-focused cloud solutions (for finance, manufacturing, etc.) and accelerators help speed up migration while adhering to compliance needs.

Weaknesses: Capgemini can be relatively expensive in certain regions (less offshore leverage than Indian counterparts for example). Some clients in reviews desired more proactive innovation – Capgemini excels in execution, but in cutting-edge cloud-native development or niche tools, they may rely on partners. Also, a few reviews suggest Capgemini’s user interfaces for cloud management could be more intuitive (Navisite Services Pros and Cons | User Likes & Dislikes - G2), indicating room to improve self-service portals or reporting. Overall, criticisms are mild: Capgemini tends to satisfy on projects, with one customer summing up that their cloud migration was handled with no major issues and positive end-user feedback (Capgemini Data Center Outsourcing and Hybrid Infrastructure ...).

How a SaaS Management Platform Can Assist Your Cloud Migration Journey

If you're concerned with visibility over your cloud applications, a SaaS management platform plays a vital role both before and after your cloud migration. Here’s how:

Pre-Migration Visibility: It inventories and assesses all SaaS applications, ensuring no hidden or redundant tools derail your migration plans.

Cost Optimization: By tracking usage and licensing costs, it helps fine-tune spend and prevent overspending as you shift to cloud services.

Enhanced Governance: It ensures that security and compliance standards are maintained across your new cloud environment.

Continuous Monitoring & Optimization: Post-migration, it provides dashboards and analytics to monitor performance, user adoption, and security, ensuring your cloud investment continues to deliver value.

Niche & Specialist Cloud Migration Providers

These providers specialize in specific cloud platforms, industries, or service niches (e.g. AWS-focused partners, multi-cloud managed service providers, etc.). They are often smaller than the full-service firms but highly rated for their expertise, agility, or innovative approaches.
- Rackspace Technology – Multi-Cloud Managed Services Specialist

Why Chosen: Rackspace is a well-known name in cloud services, transitioning from its managed hosting roots to a “multicloud solutions” provider. It is included for its strong customer reviews and broad capabilities focused purely on cloud migration and management. Rackspace is rated 4.5/5 on Gartner Peer Insights with dozens of reviews (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights), and was recognized in Gartner’s evaluations (a strong Performer/Visionary). Customers often commend Rackspace’s support and technical know-how: “exceptional customer support” and ease of integration across cloud platforms are highlighted in G2 reviews (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Rackspace offers migration services for AWS, Azure, GCP, and private cloud, making it a full-service cloud specialist (as opposed to a general IT consultant). It also acquired AWS specialists like Onica to deepen its expertise. With global data centers and operations in North America, EMEA, and APAC, Rackspace has a strong international presence catering to mid-market and enterprise clients seeking to move to cloud or optimize their cloud environments.

Strengths: User-friendly services and tooling – Rackspace’s platform and interfaces make it “straightforward to manage infrastructure and navigate various cloud platforms,” according to users (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). It provides end-to-end guidance from initial migration planning to ongoing ops (“Fanatical Support” is a Rackspace hallmark). Rackspace’s reliability and performance are praised; one reviewer noted “consistent performance” and effective load balancing once on Rackspace’s managed cloud (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Rackspace also excels in multi-cloud and hybrid scenarios, and has specialized security and compliance offerings (important for healthcare, finance clients it often serves). Their 24/7 support is frequently cited as a standout feature.

Weaknesses: Cost is sometimes a sticking point – “the cost…may be relatively higher compared to some competitors,” one G2 review noted (Rackspace Technology Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Rackspace’s premium managed service means it’s not the cheapest option for cloud hosting or migration. Additionally, a few customers have experienced inconsistencies in support quality during Rackspace’s organizational changes in recent years (e.g. turnover after its IPO and re-privatization). While many praise the support, there have been occasional mentions of support slowness or account management issues, though not common. Overall, Rackspace is a trusted cloud specialist, but clients should weigh the managed service cost vs. their in-house capabilities.
- 2nd Watch – AWS & Azure Migration Specialist

Why Chosen: 2nd Watch is a born-in-the-cloud service provider that specializes in migrating workloads to AWS and Azure. As an audited AWS Premier Partner (since 2015) (The 25 Best Cloud Managed Service Providers for 2025), 2nd Watch has handled large “lift-and-shift” migrations as well as cloud-native transformations, primarily for US enterprises. We included 2nd Watch because it garners strong customer feedback for expertise and commitment. On G2, it holds a high rating (around 4.5/5) and clients praise “[2nd Watch’s] expertise in cloud migration and management, particularly in AWS and Azure,” along with great customer commitment to success (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). 2nd Watch has also been featured in industry lists (e.g. “top cloud MSPs”) and was earlier recognized in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant as a notable niche player. Its focused size allows it to be agile and hands-on. With offices in the US and an expanding presence (now part of MSPCompass via merger, if recent news), 2nd Watch primarily serves North America but with multi-region cloud deployments. This provider is an “unexpected” inclusion in the sense that it’s smaller than giants, yet repeatedly cited for high performance in cloud migration projects.

Strengths: Deep AWS and Azure know-how – 2nd Watch has specialized tools and playbooks for mass migrations (e.g. data center exits) and cloud modernization. Customers highlight its “strong reputation” and ability to deliver cost optimization and smooth cloud operations post-migration (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). The company offers 24/7 support and resource optimization, themes that appear as top “pros” in G2 reviews (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). 2nd Watch also prides itself on security and compliance in migrations for regulated industries (they have competencies in areas like AWS Security). Overall, its mid-market size translates to personalized service – clients often work directly with very experienced architects and feel the team is “part of our success.”

Weaknesses: Pricing transparency and scope limitations – while 2nd Watch is highly regarded, some reviews mention that “pricing is not very transparent for some service packages.” (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) Being a specialist, certain services may be restricted or out of scope (one user noted some services were limited to certain customers) (2nd Watch Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). 2nd Watch may also rely on partnering for areas like Google Cloud or on-prem/hybrid gear, since its core strength is public cloud – a consideration if you have a diverse environment. However, for AWS/Azure migrations, its expertise often outweighs these minor issues, as reflected by an overall 4.7/5 star average from over 1,100 ratings in one customer survey (Find Cloud Migration Services 2021 - exIT Technologies).
- Cloudnexa – AWS-Focused Cloud MSP

Why Chosen: Cloudnexa is a niche AWS-centric cloud management and migration provider, one of the early AWS Premier Consulting Partners. We included Cloudnexa for its high-impact performance with smaller clients and its appearance in multiple “top provider” lists (The 25 Best Cloud Managed Service Providers for 2025) (The 25 Best Cloud Managed Service Providers for 2025). Cloudnexa emphasizes automated migration tools and managed services for AWS, making cloud adoption easier for companies with lean IT teams. Customer reviews on G2 are generally positive, with users saying Cloudnexa “stands with us [and] suggests the best AWS services…fine-tuning our workloads and modernizing the cloud architecture.” (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2) Small-business clients appreciated improved performance and cost-effectiveness post-migration with Cloudnexa (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Cloudnexa is US-based but serves international AWS regions via the cloud. It’s a strong choice for organizations primarily on AWS seeking a partner to both migrate and provide ongoing cloud management.

Strengths: AWS expertise and partnership – Cloudnexa’s knowledge of AWS services is deep, and they often act as a guide to help clients adopt the most suitable AWS offerings (one user noted Cloudnexa helped pick and configure the right AWS services to meet their goals) (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). They provide end-to-end support from initial architecture design to migration execution and even act as your AWS admin afterward. Clients mention that Cloudnexa made their deployment “easy” and delivered cost savings through an optimized architecture (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). Cloudnexa also touts a strong focus on security best practices in AWS (important for clients concerned about cloud security). As a smaller firm, they are praised for being responsive and for partnering closely as if an extension of the client’s team (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2).

Weaknesses: Market visibility and maturity – Cloudnexa is not as widely known, and one reviewer admitted “Cloudnexa was also new to the market…most [peers] warned us not to go with them” initially (Cloudnexa Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2). This indicates earlier concerns about their track record, though the same reviewer ultimately had a successful experience. Additionally, Cloudnexa’s size means they may lack some advanced services that bigger MSPs offer (e.g. multi-cloud support or extensive consulting for app modernization beyond AWS basics). In reviews, there were virtually no major dislikes noted aside from its relative newness and a possibly less polished customer portal. Overall, for AWS migrations, Cloudnexa is a high-performing specialist, but clients should ensure their needs align with Cloudnexa’s AWS-centric service scope.
- Navisite – Mid-Market Cloud Migration and Hosting Provider

Why Chosen: Navisite has evolved from a traditional managed hosting company into a cloud services provider focusing on migrations for mid-market and enterprise clients. We selected Navisite as an “almost leader” due to strong customer testimonials about reliability and support. One long-term client on G2 noted Navisite’s facilities and services are “99.9% reliable” with no outages in years, and praised “Navisite’s customer service” responsiveness (Navisite Services Reviews & Provider Details - G2). Navisite offers a wide range of migration services – from cloud readiness assessments to data and application migration – across AWS, Azure, Google, and hybrid environments. It also provides industry-specific cloud solutions (especially in healthcare, life sciences, etc.). With operations in the US, UK, and India, Navisite has a global reach to support multinational clients. It aims to give a more hands-on, customized experience than mega-consultants, which resonates well with clients who “just want the migration done right” with ongoing managed support.

Strengths: High reliability and ongoing support – Navisite is known for rock-solid uptime and smooth transitions. Clients rarely experience downtime during migrations or afterwards; Navisite’s infrastructure and processes have kept migrations “safe and simple”. Its customer service is often highlighted – “always there when you need them” with excellent after-hours support (Navisite Managed Hosting Reviews & Product Details - G2). Navisite also excels in cloud cost optimization and governance for clients post-migration. Being mid-sized, Navisite can offer more personalized attention; it often assigns a dedicated team for a client’s migration and cloud ops. It’s particularly strong for VMware-to-cloud migrations (Navisite has VMware cloud expertise) and Microsoft workloads (a long-time Microsoft partner).

Weaknesses: Navisite’s tools and portal aren’t as flashy as some larger competitors – one G2 reviewer wished “the web interface could be more interactive and informative” for managing their account (Navisite Services Pros and Cons | User Likes & Dislikes - G2). Some users also note that while it’s hard to find fault, Navisite should continue improving its support systems as it grows (Navisite Services Reviews & Provider Details - G2) (a hint that documentation or first-level support could be more robust). Another consideration is scale: very large enterprises might find Navisite’s global consulting presence limited compared to an Accenture or TCS (Navisite tends to focus on North America and Europe primarily). However, these weaknesses are relatively minor, and overall interaction with Navisite is reported as very positive.
- Bespin Global – Asia-Pacific Cloud Specialist (Multi-Cloud)

Why Chosen: Bespin Global is a rising star among cloud MSPs, originating in APAC (South Korea) and rapidly expanding to the Middle East and North America. We include Bespin as an unexpected high performer – it has a 4.7/5 rating on Gartner Peer Insights (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights) and has been recognized as a “Visionary” in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for cloud IT transformation services for two years running (Gartner2023 - Bespin Global US) (Bespin Global has been Recognized as a Visionary in the Gartner ...). Customers characterize Bespin as “a very committed and trustful partner for [our] cloud transformation journey” (Bespin Global Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews). The company specializes in cloud migration and managed services across AWS, Azure, and Alibaba Cloud, often focusing on cloud cost optimization and DevOps automation as part of the migration. Bespin’s strengths in cloud inventory and cost management are frequently noted (Bespin Global Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews) – important for clients migrating with an eye on controlling expenses. Its global delivery centers and multilingual support give it a broad reach beyond its home market. We chose Bespin Global to represent the new wave of cloud-native providers that combine technical expertise with agile service, and for its accolades in the industry (e.g. “Cloud MSP of the Year” awards in Asia).

Strengths: Cost management and cloud-native innovation – Bespin’s tooling for cloud cost governance and automated monitoring is often praised by customers (Bespin Global Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews). They ensure that when migrating, clients not only get a functional environment but also an efficient one (right-sizing resources, using cloud-native services to optimize performance/cost). Bespin is also known for strong technical expertise; one client noted “their proficiency in cloud technologies was impressive” (Capgemini Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Likes and Dislikes). As a relatively young firm, Bespin is very flexible and can adopt new technologies quickly (for example, they have advanced practices in Kubernetes, cloud security, and FinOps). They also emphasize customer training and handover, empowering client teams after migration. For companies in APAC or MEA regions, Bespin brings local knowledge combined with global best practices – often a best-of-both-worlds scenario.

Weaknesses: Limited global brand recognition – outside of its core regions, Bespin is not as well-known, which sometimes gives new clients pause. It’s in growth mode, which can mean rapidly scaling teams; ensuring consistency as they grow is a challenge. In Gartner’s view, Bespin as a Visionary implies innovative capabilities but perhaps not the full breadth of services of a global Tier-1 player yet. For example, Bespin may rely on partners for extremely specialized enterprise apps (SAP migrations, etc.) and some clients might prefer a single provider that also covers broader consulting. That said, Bespin’s trajectory is strong, and its high customer ratings indicate it competes by delivering great outcomes. Cost-wise, Bespin is generally competitive, but as they expand, maintaining their hands-on “boutique” service level will be key to avoid any dip in customer experience.
- Persistent Systems – Digital Modernization Specialist (Challenger)

Why Chosen: Persistent Systems is a mid-sized IT services firm (HQ in India and US) that has carved out a niche in application modernization and cloud migrations. We feature Persistent as an unexpected high performer due to stellar customer satisfaction indicators – it is “the most reviewed” vendor in Gartner Peer Insights for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services, with 80+ reviews and an overall 4.5/5 rating (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). Clients are exceedingly positive about Persistent’s outcomes: one client wrote “Persistent… far exceeded mine and the customer’s expectations” on a highly sensitive cloud transformation (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). Another review snippet reads: “Persistent is a great company to help you move to cloud… [they] provide good quality consultants with specialized knowledge.” (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). These testimonies, plus Persistent’s recognition as a Challenger in Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant (Persistent Named a Challenger in the 2023 Gartner® Magic ...), underscore why it made our top list. Persistent focuses on cloud migration combined with automation and DevOps – accelerating moves to cloud and then improving them. It has particular strengths in banking and healthcare cloud projects. While smaller than others here, Persistent’s growth (268% since 2020 in cloud services) and client-centric model (they emphasize a “practitioner-led” approach (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023)) make them a high-performing choice for cloud migrations.

Strengths: Quality and specialized talent – Persistent’s customers repeatedly mention the expertise and dedication of its consultants (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). The company is adept at application-level migration and modernization, not just infrastructure lift-and-shift. It brings IP and accelerators to speed up cloud re-platforming or re-factoring projects (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023) (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023). Persistent also leverages automation and AI in migration – for instance, automating parts of code or data migration – which can reduce errors and timeline. Because of its size, Persistent is highly client-centric (participating in Gartner’s Customer First program, reflecting commitment to customer feedback (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023)) and often more agile than larger firms. It’s noted for going above and beyond: a client sponsor felt confident recommending Persistent to peers after their experience of exceptional outcomes (Persistent Named a Challenger in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ 2023).

Weaknesses: Scale and breadth – as a Challenger, Persistent doesn’t have the sheer scale or worldwide office network of the big integrators. Very large, multi-country migrations might strain their smaller teams (though they do partner or staff up as needed). They also historically have been stronger in technology execution than upfront business consulting, so organizations needing extensive cloud strategy workshops might supplement Persistent with strategy consultants. That said, for many migration projects, these issues are minor compared to the value Persistent delivers. Ensuring a clear understanding of project scope is important (as with any provider); Persistent’s growth means it is rapidly expanding services, which is positive, but clients should verify that all needed capabilities (e.g., a specific legacy technology) are within Persistent’s wheelhouse or explicitly supported via partners.

Honorable Mentions

These providers nearly made the top 12 and are worth noting:

Infosys – A global IT leader with strong cloud credentials. Infosys was positioned as a Leader in multiple Forrester Waves (e.g. Multicloud Managed Services Q1 2023 and Cloud Migration APAC Q4 2022) (Infosys Rated a Leader in Multicloud Managed Services Providers and Cloud Migration And Managed Service Partners). Its Infosys Cobalt cloud unit and automation tools make it formidable in large migrations. (Peer Insights rating 4.1/5). Often a direct competitor to TCS/Wipro in big deals.

HCLTech – Recognized as a Leader in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud IT Transformation (IBM Ecosystem & Offerings | HCLTech) and in a Forrester Wave for cloud migration in APAC (IBM Ecosystem & Offerings | HCLTech). HCLTech has strong technical depth (including a history in data center services) and was praised for mainframe-to-cloud modernization. It narrowly missed our list but boasts similar capabilities to the full-service leaders.

Tech Mahindra – A large IT provider with a focus on telecom and digital services, included here for its exceptional customer ratings. Tech Mahindra’s cloud services have a 4.8/5 score on Gartner Peer Insights (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights) – one of the highest. It offers cloud migration as part of broader digital transformation, with strengths in network-cloud convergence. A bit more specialized in industries, but a high-performing choice according to customers.

Cognizant – A US-headquartered, global SI that is frequently in the mix for cloud projects. Cognizant is known for its engineering talent and has a 4.4/5 rating in cloud transformation services (Best Public Cloud IT Transformation Services Reviews 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights). It has made significant investments in cloud (e.g., acquiring multiple cloud consultancies). While it didn’t make the top 12 cut, Cognizant remains an industry leader with broad capabilities similar to Infosys and Wipro, and many successful migration case studies.

Each of these honorable mentions has strong points – for example, Infosys’s cloud automation (Cobalt) and AI integration, HCL’s legacy modernization expertise, Tech Mahindra’s customer focus, and Cognizant’s breadth of domain solutions – and they would be suitable for consideration in any cloud migration provider shortlist.

Conclusion:

When selecting a cloud migration partner, consider the provider’s alignment with your needs: full-service firms bring one-stop breadth and global scale, while specialist firms offer targeted expertise and often higher agility. The top 12 providers above represent a mix of both, all with proven records in customer satisfaction, recognized industry leadership, and the ability to deliver on critical cloud migration success factors (performance, security, cost optimization, support, and innovation). Each has its distinct strengths and minor weaknesses, but all are capable of driving a successful migration with the right engagement model. The “best” choice will depend on the complexity of your environment, the cloud platforms involved, and your organizational culture – but this list includes both the established leaders and a few high-achieving dark horses to cover the spectrum of excellent options available today.


# Page Title
Shadow AI Response Kit: A Framework for Discovery and Governance | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/shadow-ai-response-kit-a-framework-for-discovery-and-governance

## Page Description

A Shadow AI response kit for IT leaders: a practical framework for discovering ungoverned AI tools and building right-sized governance for any org.

## Details

The Rise of Shadow AI is Staggering

Shadow AI – the use of AI tools and applications outside of official IT oversight – is fast becoming the next evolution of shadow IT. By definition, shadow AI refers to AI systems that are unknown, untracked, and unmanaged by IT or risk management functions.78 In practice, this means employees or departments adopting generative AI platforms, chatbots, or machine learning tools without the knowledge or approval of IT. 

The rise of shadow AI is staggering.

Recent data shows AI-driven tools make up the majority of unmanaged applications, in the 2025 Annual SaaS Benchmarks Report, we found that the top four most frequently ungoverned apps in companies all being AI-driven (and four of the next five also AI-dependent).1516 Countless organizations have experienced a shocking surprise upon conducting their first Shadow IT discovery only to find that the number of unmanaged apps is far higher than expected and shadow AI accounts for a startling amount of those apps. These examples underscore a critical truth: you cannot manage what you can’t see, and shadow AI represents a massive blind spot for many organizations.

For IT Managers and Directors, tackling this challenge requires a strategic, action-oriented approach. The following framework – enriched with insights from recent industry discussions – offers a practical guide to discovering and governing shadow AI. It covers establishing ownership, scaling governance to organization size, ensuring industry compliance, and prioritizing risks. With the right strategy (and the right tools), IT leaders can turn shadow AI from a lurking liability into a well-governed asset.

AI Governance in Enterprises vs. Smaller Organizations

Large enterprises and lean startups alike are wrestling with how to govern this rapid influx of AI usage. However, the approach to AI governance can differ greatly by organization size:

Large Enterprises: Enterprises typically integrate AI oversight into existing risk and compliance programs​.3435 They often have formal governance bodies (e.g. AI committees or working groups) and established frameworks to evaluate AI initiatives. These companies may adopt standards like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework3637 or ISO 31000-based processes, ensuring every new AI application is assessed for security, compliance, and ethical impact. Heavily resourced IT and compliance teams in enterprises also work to enforce data policies and regulatory requirements from day one of AI tool deployment. The benefit is a thorough, if sometimes slower, process that catches risks early. The drawback is that stringent controls can dampen agility or user enthusiasm if not balanced with innovation goals.

Small and Mid-Sized Organizations: Smaller companies may not have dedicated AI governance teams, but they still must address key risks in an agile way​.4243 Without the luxury of large compliance departments, their AI governance tends to be leaner – focusing on the most critical risks and regulatory obligations. For example, a 50-person tech startup might not draft a comprehensive AI ethics charter upfront. Still, it can institute basic policies (e.g. “Don’t upload customer data to ChatGPT”) and conduct lightweight reviews of new AI apps. These are the kinds of policies and sequences which this response kit will go over. The goal for smaller firms is to mitigate major security or compliance exposures without introducing too much bureaucracy. In practice, this means prioritizing controls for high-impact scenarios (like any use of customer personally identifiable information in an AI tool) and otherwise relying on vendor trust and periodic audits. This flexible approach lets small businesses move quickly with AI. Still, it requires vigilance – a single unchecked AI integration could expose them to outsized risk if it touches sensitive data or operations.

In short, enterprises trade speed for assurance, embedding AI governance into robust risk management, while smaller organizations trade formality for agility, addressing AI risks in focused bursts. Regardless of size, a common thread is emerging: companies are realizing that some level of AI governance is necessary to avoid security, privacy, or ethical mishaps. Even a startup cannot afford a data breach or compliance fine, and even a Fortune 500 needs to empower innovation – so the governance model must scale appropriately. The following sections outline how industry regulations shape these efforts and then present a tactical framework to manage Shadow AI in any organization.

Industry-Specific Compliance: High-Impact Considerations

Industry and sector play a pivotal role in defining AI governance requirements. In highly regulated fields, unsanctioned AI usage can quickly escalate into compliance violations, whereas in less regulated industries, the focus may be more on best practices and reputational risk. Here are the most high-impact points to consider:

Heavily Regulated Sectors (e.g. Healthcare, Finance, Government)

These organizations face strict laws around data and AI usage. For instance, a hospital must ensure HIPAA compliance before an employee uses an AI transcription service with patient data.6768​ Banks and financial services have to watch for AI-driven decisions that could violate fair lending laws or SEC regulations. In such industries, Shadow AI can introduce severe legal liabilities if employees feed sensitive data into unvetted AI tools or use AI outputs in regulated decision-making (like loan approvals) without oversight. Compliance teams in these sectors often require that any new AI application be vetted for things like data residency, security controls, audit logging, and bias/fairness if it impacts customers. 

The tolerance for unsanctioned tools is therefore low.

High-risk Shadow AI use (say, an advisor using ChatGPT to generate investment advice for clients) might be blocked or urgently brought under governance. Industry-specific guidelines are increasingly clarifying these expectations; for example, forthcoming regulations like the EU AI Act explicitly categorize certain AI uses (e.g. social scoring, real-time biometric ID) as unacceptable or high-risk, effectively banning or heavily regulating them​.7-8 Thus, in regulated sectors, AI governance is non-negotiable – it’s about ensuring no AI experiment, however small, puts the organization out of compliance.

Moderate or Less Regulated Sectors (e.g. Retail, Manufacturing, Tech Startups)

Organizations in these arenas enjoy more flexibility, but they are not risk-free. They may not have explicit AI laws to follow yet, but general data protection and security regulations still apply. A retail company using a generative AI for marketing must worry about customer data privacy (to avoid violating laws like GDPR) and brand reputation (an AI error on social media could go viral). These businesses often emphasize ethical AI use and customer trust even without being forced by law. They might create internal guidelines to prevent AI from producing offensive content or misleading information. Industry standards can also influence them – e.g. a software company might follow emerging best practices for AI ethics to stay competitive and demonstrate responsibility. In practice, less regulated firms will allow more experimentation with AI (encouraging employees to find productivity gains). Still, they set guardrails: providing training on what data can/cannot be shared with third-party AI, requiring at least a security review of any app that gains traction, and monitoring for any signs of data leakage or misuse. 

The focus here is on preventive measures and rapid response. 

If an employee in a tech startup connects a new AI design tool to the company’s Slack, IT might not pre-approve it, but they will react swiftly if the tool starts requesting sensitive access. In these sectors, the biggest risk is often the unknown: without clear regulations, companies must self-police to avoid scandals (like an AI tool exposing customer info or biased AI outputs harming the brand). Shadow AI governance in this context leans on broad principles of data security, transparency, and corporate values rather than detailed regulatory checklists.

In all cases, aligning AI use with the organization’s existing security and compliance posture is key. 

Each industry will have unique red lines – a healthcare provider will outright prohibit AI that uploads PHI to external servers. At the same time, a game development studio might be more concerned with not infringing creative IP with generative AI. Knowing these high-impact points ensures that your governance efforts concentrate on what truly matters for your business context.

Framework for a Tactical Response to Shadow AI

This framework is designed twofold. To help you proactively manage Shadow AI and react to existing AI concerns within your organization that you might not yet see.  

To proactively manage Shadow AI, IT leaders should adopt a risk-based response framework. Within most organizations, the goal is not to eliminate all unsanctioned AI (this is unrealistic for most organizations and would require a significant cost), but to improve the organization’s security posture and compliance standing with regard to these tools. 

In essence, we want to shine a light on Shadow AI, assess its risks, and respond pragmatically. 

Below is a step-by-step framework, including a scoring system and heat map approach, to evaluate and address Shadow AI usage effectively:
- Establishing AI Ownership

The first step in reining in shadow AI is to assign clear ownership of AI governance within the organization before you even begin discovery efforts. Without defined roles and responsibilities, any attempt to inventory or control AI usage will falter. Executive sponsorship and cross-functional alignment are critical at this stage​.

In practice, this means forming a governance structure – often an AI steering committee – backed by a C-level champion to ensure AI oversight is taken seriously across the company.

At Torii, we’ve taken this approach and it has been pivotal in seeing broad adoption of policies. Behavior must be modeled from the top down if there’s any hope of establishing a process that will “stick.” Just like John Kotter’s Harvard Business Review article states “...most of the executives I have known in successful cases of major change learn to “walk the talk.” They consciously attempt to become a living symbol of the new corporate culture.”145146

Beyond the C-Suite, secure allies across key departments:

IT: Lead the charge by deploying discovery tools and integrating AI oversight into existing IT management. IT teams should coordinate with others to enforce policies and monitor AI usage in real time.

Security: Assess and mitigate risks by evaluating AI tools for vulnerabilities and data leakage. Establish policies (e.g., encryption and access control) and align closely with IT to flag any unauthorized usage immediately.

Legal/Compliance: Define acceptable AI uses based on applicable laws. Review vendor contracts to ensure data protection and update corporate policies to cover ethics, bias, and regulatory requirements.

Procurement/Vendor Management: Vet AI software rigorously. Enforce purchasing policies so that employees can’t simply buy AI tools without oversight. Work with IT to maintain an approved list, turning “shadow” tools into sanctioned, secure solutions.

Bring these functions together under a cross-functional AI governance committee—with executive sponsorship—to oversee AI initiatives. This committee should monitor AI usage, enforce policies, conduct regular risk assessments, and maintain a clear chain of command to decide whether to ban, sandbox, or formally adopt an AI tool.

Establishing clear governance ownership upfront is crucial. When leadership models the desired behavior, your organization is much better prepared to identify shadow AI usage and respond effectively, ensuring policies that truly “stick.”
- Discovery – Identify Shadow AI Usage

You can’t manage what you can’t see. The first step is to illuminate all AI applications and integrations in use across the organization. This includes obvious services like ChatGPT or Claude, as well as less overt cases (e.g. a marketer using Grammarly, or a developer plugging an AI API into a side project). Many organizations are surprised at the numbers – on average companies now manage hundreds of applications, and over half may be Shadow IT​. In our research, we found that in 2024, companies with employee counts of 100 or more experienced an app portfolio growth of 20%.177178 The majority of these newly adopted apps were Shadow AI. Your first priority 

Leverage SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs): Platforms like Torii can automatically discover cloud applications in use (via SSO logs, network traffic, expense reports, etc.), exposing hidden AI tools employees have signed up for​. For example, Torii’s multi-source discovery might reveal that several teams have begun using an AI data visualization tool that IT wasn’t aware of.

Employee Surveys and Culture of Transparency: Encourage staff to self-report useful AI tools. Make it clear the goal is not punishment but support – if certain AI apps are helping productivity, IT wants to know so they can assess and possibly officially support them. Sometimes a quick survey or a discussion in team meetings can uncover smaller “stealth” uses of AI.

Monitor Network and OAuth Connections: Use cloud access security broker (CASB) features or firewall logs to spot unusual API calls or traffic to known AI services. Also, review authorized OAuth app lists in Google Workspace or Office 365 – Shadow AI often enters organizations through users granting a new AI app access to company data like Drive or Outlook.

Shadow IT “Hotspots”: Pay special attention to departments known for tech experimentation (e.g. marketing, R&D). These are often hotbeds of Shadow AI as staff look for creative solutions. Identifying clusters of unsanctioned AI use can help prioritize where to investigate first.

By the end of this discovery phase, you should have a list of Shadow AI applications (and their usage context) to evaluate. Don’t forget to include AI features within larger platforms – for instance, if employees are using an AI-based add-on inside a sanctioned platform like Salesforce, it might not appear as a separate app but still deserves scrutiny. The discovery step lays the foundation for risk assessment by creating a “Shadow AI inventory” – essentially, your dataset for the next step. You can store this information within the Software Database of a SaaS Management Platform such as Torii. For more, learn how to conduct a full application discovery.
- Risk Assessment – Evaluate and Score Each AI Tool

Not all Shadow AI is equally risky. Once you have the inventory, perform a risk assessment. To do this, you will need to identify the:

Risks for various AI tools or classes of AI tools

The Impact (I) if those risks were to occur

The Probability (P) of those risks occurring

You will use this to establish a scoring system for each risk​.

RisksRisks can range from issues limited to a single application’s output to larger behavioral or systemic problems. Each AI tool presents unique threats based on its use. For a visual representation of the 30 common AI risks, see Appendix, Figure 1. For a more in-depth list, consult resources like MIT’s AI Risk Repository.241242

ImpactImpact measures the potential damage if the AI fails, is misused, or leaks data. Consider the sensitivity of the data involved, the tool’s role (e.g., customer-facing vs. internal), and possible repercussions. Remember, impacts are more than security. Financial, reputational, technological, strategic, and competitive risks also apply and should be considered. Rate impact on a 1–5 scale (with 5 being severe harm). Ratings should be considered within the context of your company and industry. 

ProbabilityProbability gauges how probable it is for AI use to cause incidents or non-compliance. Key factors include the AI vendor’s maturity, how the tool is deployed, and mitigating controls. Assign a score of 1–5 (1  = 1% - 20% probability, 5 = 80% - 100% probability).

Additional FactorsOther considerations may include data sensitivity (public, internal, confidential), relevant certifications (SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA), or risk velocity (how quickly harm could occur). However, Impact and Probability remain the core components of a simple yet effective risk assessment.

Once you have these factors, calculate a risk score for each Shadow AI application. A common approach is to multiply the Impact and Probability values​ yielding a composite risk score. For example, a tool rated Impact 4 (major harm if it goes wrong) and Probability 3 (possible to occur) gets a score of 12. In the next section, we will explore defining risk tiers by score ranges.

Example

You discover your organization is using an AI-powered coding tool (unofficially, as Shadow AI). You identify a number of risks such as:

Privacy Leakage

The tool may transmit proprietary or confidential information to external servers or inject it into the codebase.

Insecure Code / Vulnerabilities

Generated code could contain security flaws if not reviewed.

Intellectual Property (IP) 

AI models might inadvertently generate code snippets under restrictive licenses.

For each risk, you assign a score based on the probability of occurrence and the impact if the event were to occur. You then multiply the numbers  to calculate a Risk Score (P x I)
- Prioritization – Plot a Risk Heat Map

With scores in hand, the next steps are to:

Define risk tiers

Visualize with a Risk Heat Map

Prioritize

Define Risk Tiers:

Your tiers can be as broad or granular as you see fit. Most organizations will opt for somewhere between 3 and 5 tiers ranging from unacceptably high risk to low risk if monitored. 

It’s important to document the rationale for each score – essentially creating a mini risk register for Shadow AI. Note what data is involved, what potential non-compliance could occur, etc. This will not only guide your response but also serve as documentation if auditors or management ask later why a certain app was or wasn’t a priority. 

Note: Remember that risk assessment should involve relevant stakeholders: IT security will gauge technical risks, compliance or legal teams can speak to regulatory impact, and business unit managers can explain how critical the tool is to operations. This collaborative evaluation ensures your scoring isn’t done in a vacuum. As one legal advisory notes, an AI governance team should “identify and rank AI risks as unacceptable, high, limited, or minimal,” taking into account probability of harm and then mitigating or prohibiting as needed​.464465

In practice, this means you now have each Shadow AI application tagged as (for example) Unacceptable, High Risk, Moderate Risk, or Low Risk based on your scoring system.

Visualize with a Risk Heat Map

A risk heat map is an excellent way to visualize the potential risks in relation to one another. ​This helps IT leaders immediately see which Shadow AI instances land in the “danger zone” of high impact/high probability and which are lower priority. Here’s how to use the heat map approach for Shadow AI governance:

Create the Matrix: Set up a two-axis chart. The X-axis is Probability  (from Rare to Almost Certain, left to right), and the Y-axis is Impact (from Minimal to Severe, bottom to top). Each Shadow AI tool or use case will be placed as a point on this grid according to the scores you assigned. For example, an AI tool with Impact 5, Probability  4 would be near the top-right corner (a very risky spot). In contrast, a tool with Impact 2, Probability  1 would sit in the lower-left (relatively benign). Most risk management frameworks follow this probability vs. impact matrix concept​..

Prioritize

Color Code the Risks: The most effective way to reflect prioritization. Looking at your Risk Heat Map Matrix, assign a color to different boxes to indicate severity. Typically, you’ll use a traffic-light color scheme on the heat map. Green for low risk, Yellow for medium, Red for high. This visual coding makes it immediately clear which items demand attention​.503504

The heat map effectively communicates risk to stakeholders at a glance​. This visual language is helpful when you need to explain to non-IT executives why certain unsanctioned AI needs intervention.

Additional options: You may want ways to indicate other factors such as regulatory notes, speed at which a risk might occur (risk velocity), or how many employees use a tool. There are different ways to indicate these factors such as the size of the bubble or some other visual cue. However, this can be optional for a straightforward Shadow AI program.

The result of this step is a clear AI Risk Heat Map tailored to your Shadow AI landscape. You now have a visual risk register: perhaps a few items in red (e.g. that AI analytics tool being fed customer data without a contract in place), a handful in yellow (maybe employees using GPT chatbots with some internal data), and many in green (uses that are low stakes). This prepares you for informed decision-making and ranking generative AI use cases by severity on a heat map to drive action​.517518

Example
- Risk Treatment – Mitigate or Embrace (Based on Risk Level)

Now that you’ve identified and prioritized Shadow AI risks, the critical question is: 

What do we do about them? 

The answer will vary depending on the risk level of each AI tool, and this is where a tactical but nuanced response is key. 

The aim is to mitigate risks appropriately while still allowing the organization to reap the benefits of AI. 

We can outline response strategies by risk category. We will use our previous Risk Tiers example:

Unacceptable (Prohibited) – Immediate Containment: If any Shadow AI use was flagged as “unacceptable” or prohibited (for instance, it blatantly violates a law or company policy), you must stop it at once​. Examples could include uploading export-controlled data to a foreign AI service. 

In such cases, communicate clearly to the relevant users that this usage is not allowed and why, use technical controls if possible (block the service, disable accounts) until you can replace it with a compliant solution. 

The heat map likely showed these in the extreme risk zone (far top-right). Given their severity, risk avoidance is the only option – no reward outweighs the legal/ethical breach. (Thankfully, truly “red-light” AI uses​ are not common in most businesses’ Shadow IT; they’re usually edge cases you can quickly eliminate.)

High Risk – Mitigate Aggressively: Shadow AI applications in the High Risk zone of your heat map (high impact and high probability ) should be addressed as a top priority. However, mitigation doesn’t necessarily mean shutting them down; often, it means finding a safer way for the same function or putting controls around it. For each high-risk Shadow AI item, consider actions such as:

Bring It Under IT Governance: If the tool is genuinely useful to the business, see if it can be formally adopted or replaced with an approved equivalent. Ensure security measures are in place, enable enterprise controls, and integrate it with single sign-on and monitoring. Remember, sometimes an unsanctioned AI tool is popular because it fills a real need – your job is to make its usage safe. 

Restrict Usage Conditions: For example, you might allow the tool but only in non-production environments. Or require that outputs of the AI are reviewed by a human before being used in decisions. High-risk AI aiding in decisions like hiring or financial forecasts, for instance, should have checks for fairness and accuracy before reliance​.

User Training and Warnings: Educate the specific users of these high-risk tools about the dangers. Often, Shadow AI arises simply from ignorance of risk. 

Monitor Closely: Increase monitoring of these applications. This can include setting up alerts for any large data transfers to the AI service, reviewing logs frequently, or even manually auditing outputs for signs of issues. Integrate useful tools into IT governance under proper vendor agreements.

Moderate Risk – Control and Continue: Shadow AI uses that are of moderate risk, require caution but not outright halting. With some targeted controls, the risk can be brought to acceptable levels. Strategies for medium risks include:

Implement Policies or Guidelines: Create clear rules on how AI is used for internal memos. For instance, require fact-checking and management review before using AI-generated text externally. Clear guidelines help prevent misuse or misinformation.

Limited Access: Restrict the tool to users trained to handle its output safely. For example, only let the development team use an AI code generator, avoiding the risk of unverified scripts by general staff.

Periodic Review: Set a schedule (e.g., every 3 months) to reassess medium-risk tools. Check for changes in usage, features, or incidents, ensuring medium risks don’t escalate unnoticed.

Sandboxing: Use technical containment to reduce exposure, such as running AI in a local sandbox without external data access. This protects sensitive information while allowing experimentation.

Low Risk – Monitor and Embrace: AI uses that fall into the green zone (low risk) can be tolerated with minimal intervention. In fact, part of a healthy Shadow AI posture is recognizing low-risk use cases and not overreacting to them. If an employee found a harmless AI tool that improves their productivity and poses no meaningful threat, that’s a win for innovation. For these low-risk items, the framework’s response is:

Document & Track: Add them to your Software database (such as Torii) and simply keep an eye on them. It’s good to have it on record that IT is aware of these tools.

Reassess Occasionally: Schedule periodic reviews if the context changes (more users adopting it, or a minor risk factor emerging), and reassess the risk. 

Learn and Share: Low-risk tools might present opportunities. If one team has found a great AI solution with little risk, consider sharing it with other teams or even officially adopting it. Many sanctioned IT tools today started life as benign Shadow IT that proved its value. By embracing safe AI innovation, IT demonstrates it is a partner to the business, not a roadblock.

Remember, across all these levels, maintain the perspective that the objective is to reduce risk, not to shut down AI adoption. This framework is about improving your risk posture relative to Shadow AI. 

This also means that certain tools should be rescored. As actions mitigate risk, reflect those updates in your software database as well. Over time, you should see the heat map skewing toward the lower-risk colors as treatments take effect​. 

Remember, this work is iterative—avoid the worst, mitigate the bad, tolerate the acceptable, and continuously monitor​.
- Ongoing Monitoring and Adaptation

Managing Shadow AI is not a one-time project but an ongoing discipline. After the initial sweep and response, put mechanisms in place to continuously monitor for new Shadow AI and re-assess known ones. Shadow IT detection through a SaaS Management Platform, such as Torii’s Discovery Engine, plays a big role here: they can send alerts when a new AI app enters the environment. 

With real-time monitoring, you can catch emerging Shadow AI trends immediately. Additionally, stay updated on the external landscape – new regulations (like an AI law coming into effect) or vendor changes (a formerly benign AI tool changing its data policy) might raise the risk of an application overnight. By keeping your finger on the pulse, you can update your heat map and risk rankings proactively. The framework should be revisited periodically: maybe quarterly, run through these steps again, as there will always be new AI solutions cropping up. Over time, patterns may emerge that allow you to refine your policies. The tactical framework thus loops: Discover → Assess → Prioritize → Mitigate → Monitor, continually cycling to keep Shadow AI risk in check.

Throughout this process, tools and automation can be your ally. For example, SaaS Management Platforms, such as Torii, are now recognized as critical infrastructure to both monitor newly adopted apps and automate the tasks associated with access control, security, and more. According to the Gartner® Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms™, "Through 2027, organizations that fail to centrally manage SaaS life cycles will remain five times more susceptible to a cyber incident or data loss due to incomplete visibility into SaaS usage and configuration."​663664

 In summary, this tactical response framework arms IT managers with a structured, repeatable approach to handle Shadow AI. By prioritizing efforts based on risk, you ensure that the most dangerous exposures are dealt with promptly, and low-risk innovation is not needlessly smothered. IT becomes a facilitator of safe AI adoption – allowing the organization to embrace AI’s benefits while staying within the guardrails of security and compliance.

Conclusion & Key Takeaways

It’s time to manage Shadow AI practically. Rather than playing whack-a-mole or resorting to unwarranted bans—adopt a realistic strategy that works for leadership, security, and users. In closing, here are the key takeaways and best practices to remember:

Risk-Based Governance is Essential: Treat Shadow AI like any other business risk. Score and track AI risks so you can focus on what matters most. Extend existing cybersecurity and enterprise risk methods to manage AI—instead of starting from scratch, just add AI to your existing risk matrix.

Align with Existing Security & Compliance Posture: Weave AI risk management into your broader governance framework. Update policies and workflows to include AI, involve compliance and privacy officers in decisions, and use the same tools that track other IT risks. This keeps AI oversight efficient and consistent.

Ensure Continuous Visibility: Manual tracking won’t keep up with AI’s rapid spread. Use a SaaS Management Platform (SMP) to discover, monitor, and score AI apps automatically. Just like SIEM tools for security, an SMP provides real-time alerts and insights, preventing surprises.

Enable Innovation Safely (Don’t Just Block): Blocking AI entirely pushes it underground and misses business opportunities. Offer a clear path to adopt AI tools, create AI “sandboxes,” and fast-track approval for low-risk solutions. This encourages open collaboration and keeps usage visible.

Learn from Emerging AI Governance Practices: Keep tabs on evolving standards like the NIST AI RMF, industry guidelines, and what peers do. Many organizations already use “traffic-light” models (Red/Yellow/Green) and AI oversight committees. Adopting these proven approaches prepares you for looming regulations and strengthens internal controls.

Outcome: Mitigate Risks, Embrace Innovation: A balanced framework lets your company harness AI for productivity and growth without opening the door to security or compliance disasters. By managing Shadow AI, IT can say “yes” to the right AI tools, ensuring they’re used safely, legally, and in line with corporate values.

In the end, Shadow AI isn’t going anywhere—but with the right strategy, it can become less of a threat and more of an opportunity. A well-rounded governance framework, backed by tools that illuminate the shadows, creates a virtuous cycle: visibility guides risk management, risk management shapes smart policies, and those policies allow responsible innovation. Organizations already adopting this balanced approach—using risk matrices, heat maps, and continuous SaaS monitoring—prove that AI’s promise can be captured while its threats are contained. By adapting these steps to your own environment, you’ll move beyond “putting out fires” and instead prevent them, all while enabling your teams to explore the potential of AI in a secure and compliant manner. 

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https://www.mayerbrown.com/-/media/files/perspectives-events/publications/2024/01/conducting-an-ai-risk-assessment_kourinian.pdf

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https://hbr.org/1995/05/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail-2

https://www.toriihq.com/reports/saas-benchmark-annual-report-2026

https://airisk.mit.edu/

https://www.mayerbrown.com/-/media/files/perspectives-events/publications/2024/01/conducting-an-ai-risk-assessment_kourinian.pdf

https://www.balbix.com/insights/cyber-risk-heat-map

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/implementing-generative-ai-with-speed-and-safety

https://www.toriihq.com/reports/gartner-magic-quadrant-for-saas-management-platforms

Appendix

Figure 1. 30 Common AI Risks

Related reading:

- What are Discovery Tools?


# Page Title
It's Time to Measure Real Usage: Introducing Torii Research | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/its-time-to-measure-real-usage-introducing-torii-research

## Page Description

Introducing Torii Research: monthly, live rankings of workplace apps based on anonymized, aggregated usage data. No surveys, no spin.

## Details

Real usage, not opinions.

If you make decisions about software—whether you’re in IT, finance, procurement, ops, or security—you don’t need more hype. You need a clear read on what people actually use inside real companies. That’s why we built Torii Research.

Check out toriiresearch.com

Starting today, we publish monthly, live rankings of workplace apps based on anonymized, aggregated usage data.

No surveys. No vendor spin. Just signals you can trust.

Why Torii Research?

Buying software today is noisy. Vendors promote. Surveys lag. Opinions conflict. Meanwhile, your stack changes week to week, and “shadow” tools appear before anyone files a ticket.

Torii Research cuts through the noise. We show adoption patterns as they happen, so teams can:

Spot apps that are spreading fast (and decide whether to lean in or rein them in).

Compare categories month over month to see what’s rising or slowing.

Prep renewals and evaluations with evidence, not guesswork.

What we publish each month

Under the App Adoption Index umbrella, you’ll find four reports:

Adoption Index Report: This monthly report ranks the top 20 applications every month as measured by the number of orgs adopting the application. Each app is compared against a 12-month rolling average, so you see who’s truly outperforming the trend—not just having a one-off spike.

Viral App Radar Report: This is an annual report that shows the fastest-growing apps inside companies. We combine the number of organizations that have the app, its growth rate within each organization, and a shadow-IT factor into a single score. Details live on the Methodology page.

AI Breakout Report: The AI tools gaining real traction now. Expect churn here—new entrants appear often as teams try fresh models, agents, and workflows.

Shadow IT Index Report: Which tools are most often discovered outside sanctioned SSO/procurement flows. We normalize for well-known staples (e.g., AWS, Slack) so the ranking highlights true outliers, not detection quirks.

Aggregated, Anonymized, and Real-World

Anonymized by design. Our analyses use de-identified, aggregated data only. No customer, account, user, or organization is ever identified or linkable in what we analyze or publish.

No account association—ever. Nothing in the Index ties usage back to any specific customer environment. We publish aggregate ranks, counts, and percentages, not customer- or user-level records.

Real usage, not surveys. Signals come from anonymized workplace activity across hundreds of stacks, giving a clearer read than opinions or vendor claims.

Rolling context. Where possible, we benchmark results against a 12-month rolling average to separate durable trends from one-off spikes.

Read the details: Methodology & FAQ.

Who this helps

IT & Security: See what’s entering the stack before it becomes risk.

Finance & Procurement: Prioritize renewals and negotiations with adoption facts.

Ops & Team Leads: Understand what your people actually use to get work done.

What to look for this month

We’re kicking off with a broad view across categories—adoption, virality, shadow IT, and AI. If you’re tracking AI specifically, watch the AI Breakout Report for fresh entrants and fast movers; new names can show up quickly as teams experiment and operationalize workflows.

What’s next

We publish new rankings the first week of every month. Each drop includes highlights, charts, and links back to the full dataset and methodology.

Explore the live Index: toriiresearch.com

Get the monthly drop in your inbox: Subscribe on the site

Press or research partner? Contact John Baker (john.baker@toriihq.com) to talk about early embargo access.

Torii Research exists for one reason: to make SaaS decisions clearer with real usage not opinions. Let’s measure what matters.

Related reading:

- Introducing the Torii CLI [/blog/introducing-torii-cli]


# Page Title
The Future of IGA in a Sprawling World | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/the-future-of-iga-in-a-sprawling-world

## Page Description

The future of IGA: why identity governance must start with usage-based discovery as AI agents and machine identities outnumber humans 80 to 1.

## Details

Are you tracking identities, or just accounts?

Identity, application, and access sprawl all stem from the same problem: we can only control what we can see. It’s a familiar challenge, and it’s why we founded Torii in 2017.

Visibility built on purchase orders and official onboarding overlooked shadow apps, emerging AI tools, and the actual ways people work. That’s why Torii was built differently from other platforms. Rather than relying solely on the SSO to tell the story, we sifted through the shadow apps at the edges of a company’s ecosystem—the tools that dominated usage while remaining invisible to IT, procurement, and SecOps.

And it worked.

We uncovered orphaned accounts, role creep, and idle licenses that had been completely hidden from SecOps.

We know this because our discovery numbers revealed that most tools were drastically underestimating the reality. Per Okta in 2024: “The average number of apps deployed by organizations… we’re seeing a jump to 93 this year. Large companies with ≥ 2000 employees lead the way, with an impressive average of 231 apps each.” - source

By contrast, our SaaS Benchmarks Annual Report found an average of 668 apps (7x Okta’s estimate), with large organizations (2,000–5,000 employees) averaging 1,474 apps.

This discrepancy isn’t an accident; it’s a testament to the importance of discovery based on usage, not just sanctioned approvals.

That’s long been the limitation of IGA vendors: they start with policies and approvals, but policies can only govern what’s visible. Torii began with discovery because we knew blind spots were the greatest risk. Years later, that focus has proven correct: in a SaaS-driven world, governance built on visibility and automation is the only way to keep pace with the rapid rate of change.

The Next Acceleration

Today, identity management is more complex than ever. AI agents are multiplying machine identities (non-human identities, or NHIs) at an alarming rate. Service accounts, API keys, and bots now outnumber humans 80:1. And if you can’t spot them, you can’t govern them — and you can’t offboard them. In this world, visibility isn’t “nice to have.” It’s step zero.

I’ve spoken with countless security leaders who feel the pain of the legacy IGA dilemma. One CISO put it bluntly:

“I always have to rerun my quarterly reviews. Every time. We keep finding apps the IGA never knew existed. I can’t delegate sign-off when I don’t trust the inventory list, so my team babysits the process, and onboarding time suffers. We don’t need more forms. We need a higher standard of discovery.”

At Torii, we’re dedicating our discovery engine to enhancing visibility and control across identity, governance, and access.

The Future State of Identity

The next wave of identity governance won’t be built on forms, approvals, or quarterly attestations. It will be built on:

Automatic data ingestion

Real-time shadow IT discovery

Cross-system automation

Predictive and prescriptive analytics

In this world, every identity—human and machine—must be visible the moment it comes into existence. Governance must be continuous and cross-platform, and machine identities must be treated with the same rigor as human ones.

Legacy IGA platforms are still playing catch-up. They provide permissions and insights based on SSO logs, rather than predicting actions and preventing threats in the face of continuously sprawling identities.

Wholistic Visibility, Automated Control

At the end of the day, visibility without control is useless, and control without visibility is blind. The future isn’t about adding another dashboard or checkbox. It’s about uniting both halves of the equation: seeing everything and acting with confidence.

The rise of AI and non-human identities has made this shift unavoidable. You can’t govern what you can’t see, and you can’t prove what you can’t automate. That’s why we’re building the first platform where discovery and governance live side by side.

That’s what we’ve built at Torii — and what we’ll continue to build — because your team deserves a tool that can keep up with your organization, no matter what the future holds.


# Page Title
Heading to Oktane? Here's Every Networking Event | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/heading-to-oktane-heres-every-networking-event

## Page Description

Heading to Oktane 2025 in Las Vegas? Here's every networking event, reception, and mixer around the conference—mapped by date, time, and location.

## Details

Note: This year's Oktane is being held at the Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada, from September 24-26, 2025.

The best moments at Oktane rarely happen on a slide. They occur in the in-between: the coffee line, a quick chat on the expo floor, a dinner table where notes turn into next steps.

If you’re heading to Las Vegas, plan as deliberately for your conversations as you do for your sessions. Who do you want to meet? What problems are you trying to solve? A bit of intention turns “nice to meet you” into “let’s ship this.”

To help, we put together a simple guide that maps the most useful meetups and mixers around the conference. Use it to stack your evenings with high-signal chats, compare notes with peers, and come home with contacts and commitments you’ll actually use.

Date
Time (PT)
Event
Type
Location
Details
More

Sep 24, 2025
5:30–7:30 PM
Torii Networking Reception
Reception
Booth S8, Expo Floor
Visit Torii at Booth S8 for Plinko, daily Star Wars LEGO raffles, and great conversations over drinks.

Learn more

Sep 24, 2025
2:45–5:00 PM
Smallstep Happy Hour
Happy Hour
Booth S2, Expo Floor
Casual expo-floor happy hour by Smallstep. Swing by for drinks and quick chats between sessions.

Learn more

Sep 24, 2025
6:00–10:00 PM
Whiteboard Venture Partners: Cybersecurity Leader Networking Dinner
Dinner
MGM Grand, Las Vegas
Exclusive dinner for CISOs and cybersecurity executives.

Learn more

Sep 24, 2025
6:00–10:00 PM
WhiteSky & Partners: Cybersecurity Leader Networking Dinner
Dinner
Forum Shops at Caesars
Flagship dinner for CISOs: roundtables, industry insights, and new connections.

Learn more

Sep 24, 2025
6:30 PM
Tines & Alchemy Dinner
Dinner
Scarpetta, The Cosmopolitan
Relaxed, upscale dinner with fellow industry leaders.

Learn more

Sep 24, 2025
7:00–9:00 PM
Sift: Peter Luger Steak House Dinner
Dinner
Peter Luger Steak House, Caesars Palace
Private dinner and networking with the Sift executive team; open to attendees.

Learn more

Sep 24, 2025
8:00–10:00 PM
Verosint, Evotek, and IDMWorks Dinner
Dinner
Momofuku, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd S
Connect with peers, enjoy great food and drinks, and exchange ideas with identity & security leaders.

Learn more

Sep 25, 2025
4:30–6:00 PM
Okta Workflows Community Meetup
Meetup
AmeriCAN Beer & Cocktails
Community-driven meetup dedicated to Okta Workflows. Grab a beer and talk automation with fellow builders.

Learn more

Sep 25, 2025
5:30–9:00 PM
Ravenna Supper Club at NOBU Hotel
Dinner
NOBU Hotel, Las Vegas
Great food, good drinks, and a chance to connect with top industry peers in a premium setting.

Learn more

Sep 25, 2025
5:30–7:30 PM
Carahsoft Networking Reception
Reception
Vista Cocktail Lounge, Caesars Palace
Expect a crowd of IT decision-makers, vendors, and public-sector leaders at the Vista Lounge.

Learn more

And while you're at Oktane, be sure to swing by Torii at Booth S8 for a quick demo and a real conversation about cutting SaaS waste, tightening access, and cleaning up renewals. We’ll be there with practical ideas (and yes, daily Star Wars LEGO raffles).

See you at Oktane 👋

Related reading:

- How to Stop Paying for Idle Software Licenses [/blog/x-ray-view-of-your-software-license-utilization]


# Page Title
The Enterprise IGA Blueprint | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/the-enterprise-iga-blueprint

## Page Description

The Enterprise IGA Blueprint: a board-ready framework with reference architecture, KPIs, and a 180-day plan to reduce identity risk and prove ROI.

## Details

A board-ready framework to reduce identity risk, pass audits, and prove ROI in 2–3 quarters.

Executive Summary

Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) is no longer a back-office task. It is a board-level responsibility. Identity is now central to enterprise risk, regulatory compliance, and shareholder value.

The pressure is mounting from every direction:

Breach reality: Ransomware features in 44% of breaches, the human element is present in nearly 60%, and third-party exposure has doubled to 30%.

Financial impact: The average breach costs $4.4M, while most organizations hit by AI-related incidents lacked basic access controls.

Regulatory heat: Boards face direct accountability under DORA (resilience and third-party oversight), NIS2 (expanded obligations with active enforcement), and the SEC cyber rule (4-day disclosure of material incidents).

Business reality: Enterprises now run an average of 1,850 SaaS apps. Machine identities outnumber humans 82:1, and AI systems are emerging as new “users” with access needs of their own.

The good news is that IGA delivers results quickly. 

This blueprint gives boards, executives, and audit committees the tools to turn identity governance into a measurable, board-sanctioned program. Specifically, it will:

Outline clear accountability: Show exactly who should own which responsibilities—from board and committee oversight, to executive sponsorship, to daily operations through an IGA council.

Provide a reference architecture: A vendor-agnostic model of the essential layers of IGA (sources, control plane, Zero Trust, PAM, ITDR, AI guardrails, reporting) that boards can use to judge maturity.

Define a board-ready KPI framework: A concise set of metrics and targets mapped directly to regulatory requirements, so progress can be tracked quarter by quarter.

Map controls to standards: Demonstrate how IGA outcomes align with NIST CSF 2.0, DORA, NIS2, and SEC rules—simplifying reporting and audit prep.

Deliver a 180-day SaaS sprawl plan: A phased approach to bring shadow IT, vendors, and machine identities under governance, with quick wins in the first 30 days.

Show the ROI case: Translate governance outcomes into financial language—license reclamation, audit efficiency, and avoided breach losses—so CFOs and boards can clearly see value.

The takeaway is simple: IGA is the control plane for digital risk. It enables boards to prove compliance, reduce exposure, and demonstrate financial value—turning identity from a hidden liability into a governed asset.

IGA is a Board-Level Concern

For years, identity was treated as a back-office function. It was something that IT, SecOps, and vendor management dealt with. But today, that era is over.

Identity is a board-level concern because it directly impacts enterprise risk, regulatory compliance, and shareholder value. 

The facts are clear: stolen or misused credentials are still the easiest way for attackers to get in to the organization. 

According to  Verizon’s DBIR 2025 reports:

Ransomware was involved in 44% of breaches

The human element was present in ~60%

Third-party involvement doubled year over year to 30%

 IBM’s 2025 study pins the average cost of a breach at $4.4M.

Additionally, they highlight a massive AI oversight gap. Among the orgs reporting an AI-realted security incident, 97% lacked proper AI access controls.

As financial impacts grow, regulatory leashes tighten.

In Europe, DORA now requires boards of financial institutions to prove resilience across their ICT and vendor ecosystems. NIS2 is expanding the obligations across industries, and the commission is already escalating against 23 lagging states. In the US, the SEC cyber  disclosure rule now forces boards to disclose material incidents within four business days.

Each of these rgulations asks the same question of the board: Can you prove, right now, that you know who (or what) has access to what?

Along with the financial and  regulatory risk, there is the business reality. 

Organizations use:

More applications than ever, with enterprises often leveraging over 1,800 apps

Machine identities, outnumbering human identities 82 to 1 

More AI solutions than ever before

The takeaway is simple: IGA is the control system for digital risk, the foundation of zero trust, and the evidence trail that boards need for regulators and investors. Without it, companies risk breaches, regulatory fines, missed disclosures, and loss of market trust. However, there is also an opportunity. With an IGA architecture in place, boards gain measurable resilience, faster audits, and the ability to show ROI in just a few quarters.

In this piece, we’ll build out a reference architecture for your IGA Blueprint. This guide is vendor agnostic, instead it outlines the key building blocks and the relationships between them.

Reference Architecture: The Core Layers of IGA 

If IGA is indeed a board-level concern, the next logical step is to show the board what a good outcome looks like. That is the purpose of a reference architecture, it is a blueprint of the essential layers that every enterprise needs in place to govern identity effectively.

These layers are non-negotiable building blocks of modern identity governance. Different organizations might use different language to describe some of the business functions included, but the processes and outcomes should be similar. Each layer addresses real-world weaknesses that attackers exp[loit and regulators scrutinize. Together, they form the control plane that allows boards and executives to both reduce risk and prove compliance.

The Core Layers of IGA

Identity Sources & Context: The “source of truth” for who people are, who vendors are, and what machines or AI agents exist. Without authoritative sources, everything else falls apart.

IGA as the Control Plane: Where governance actually happens: automating joiner/mover/leaver processes, approving or denying access requests, enforcing segregation-of-duties rules, and running certifications. This is the heartbeat of the architecture.

Zero Trust Enforcement: Access is never granted by default. Instead, users must prove themselves continuously via SSO, MFA, device posture, and least-privilege rules, every time they connect.

ITDR (Identity Threat Detection & Response): Because policies aren’t enough, ITDR provides the ability to detect stolen tokens, anomalous logins, or suspicious privilege escalation and shut it down fast.

Privileged Access Management (PAM): Admin accounts are the master keys to the kingdom. PAM ensures they’re controlled, time-boxed, monitored, and rotated whether human or machine.

Third-Party & Supplier Access: Many of today’s breaches start with a vendor. Extending IGA controls to suppliers ensures that partners play by the same rules and that offboarding happens the moment a contract ends.

AI Identity & Data Guardrails: As AI systems become active participants in workflows, they must be governed as identities too. Who can they access? What can they see? How are their API keys rotated?

Evidence & Reporting: You need proof. Audit trails, attestation reports, and clear metrics that map directly to DORA, NIS2, and SEC requirements. This is what lets the board sleep at night.

We’ve laid out the core layers of the reference architecture, these building blocks make up an enterprise-grade identity governance program. But layers on a diagram won’t move the board. Now it’s time to establish KPIs and targets that you can measure against.

Board-Ready KPIs and Targets (90-Day to 3-Quarter Trajectory)

What directors, audit committees, and CFOs need is a scoreboard: a small set of measurable outcomes that prove whether the architecture is working and whether the investment is paying off. 

In this section, we’ll lock down KPIs and targets so you can see and prove your progress.

Think of these as your CEO/CFO-safe metrics. They’re clear, auditable, and can be tied directly to regulatory requirements or financial returns. They also have the advantage of being time-bound: progress can be demonstrated in as little as three quarters. 

We’ll break these KPIs into five groups.

Identity Hygiene & Lifecycle

Orphaned accounts (both human and non-human): Accounts without owners are a breach waiting to happen.

Target: Reduce known orphaned accounts by 80% in 2 quarters.

Tip: Reconcile IdP/IGA directories against HRIS and the vendor master/NHI registry. Prioritize by: app criticality, privilege level, data sensitivity, and last login.

Time-to-deprovision (JML): When someone leaves, or a vendor contract ends, access should disappear immediately.

Target: ≤ 4 hours for SaaS; ≤ 24 hours for infrastructure.

Tip: Start the clock at the HR “termination effective” timestamp; stop it when tokens/sessions are revoked. Automate HRIS → IGA → SSO/SCIM, add a one-click “kill switch,” and run monthly mystery-user tests.

% apps under SSO + SCIM-based lifecycle: Coverage is control; if it’s not behind SSO and SCIM, it’s hard to govern.

Target: 80% coverage; prioritize the top 50 apps by risk/use.

Tip: Build an app register (criticality, user count, SSO/SCIM support, owner). Migrate in waves (top 25, next 25, long tail). Require SSO/SCIM in new-app intake and vendor contracts.

Service/NHI with owner + rotation policy: Bots and keys are identities too; unowned secrets become permanent backdoors.

Target: 95% have an accountable owner; secrets MTTR ≤ 7 days (vs. DBIR’s 94-day median).

Tip: Discover NHIs via cloud IAM, CI/CD, and secrets scanners. Require Owner and Purpose fields for any token/key. Enforce TTLs and auto-rotation; break builds on expired/unknown secrets. Weekly reports: “NHIs without owner” and “secrets >7 days after exposure.”

Governance & Assurance

% access under review: Certifications keep real-world access aligned with policy.

Target: ≥ 95% on schedule (quarterly for critical apps; semiannual for the rest).

Tip: Scope by risk tier. Show delta-only changes to reviewers. Auto-revoke non-responses after X days with advance reminders; escalate misses to the app owner’s VP.

SoD violations (opened vs. closed) + age: Toxic combinations enable fraud; the point is how fast you burn down the backlog.

Target: ≥ 85% closed within 30 days.

Tip: Seed SoD rules from Finance (P2P/O2C/GL) and Cloud Ops (deploy vs. approve). Triage by monetary/material risk and privilege level. Track oldest open and repeat offenders; require compensating controls or removal.

Exception debt (temporary access): “Temporary” tends to become permanent unless engineered to expire.

Target: ≥ 98% auto-expire on time.

Tip: Default expiry (e.g., 7 days) for all exceptions; disallow no-end-date grants. Monthly leadership report: exceptions >30 days. Treat break-glass the same, time-boxed, recorded, reviewed.

Risk & Detection

Privileged accounts with phishing-resistant MFA: Admins hold the master keys; weak MFA isn’t acceptable.

Target: 100% coverage.

Tip: Inventory privileged roles (cloud/domain admins, root, CI/CD, finance superusers). Enforce WebAuthn/FIDO2 or platform authenticators; block SMS/voice for these roles. Maintain a short, dated exceptions list with remediation owners.

High-risk identity alerts MTTR (ITDR): Time-to-contain drives breach impact; automation wins.

Target: ≤ 1 hour to containment.

Tip: Pre-define “high risk” (token theft, impossible travel + privilege, lateral movement to crown-jewel apps). Auto-contain (kill sessions, revoke tokens, force reset). Measure start (alert create) and stop (containment evidence). Run a monthly game day.

Third-party/vendor identities governed: Vendors are part of your attack surface, and often the easiest path in.

Target: ≥ 90% via IGA/SSO/PAM; inactive vendor access = 0.

Tip: Integrate vendor master with IGA. Make IdP-only onboarding a contract term. Require named vendor managers who attest access quarterly. Auto-disable on contract end or 30 days of inactivity.

Regulatory Readiness

DORA/NIS2 control attestations: You can’t comply without evidence; mapping controls avoids audit surprises.

Target: Controls mapped and evidenced across third-party risk, incident playbooks, and continuity.

Tip: Build a control-mapping matrix: Reg requirement → Control owner → Evidence source → Test cadence. Store proofs in an “evidence locker” with timestamps. Do quarterly mini-audits instead of annual scrambles.

SEC 8-K readiness (4 business days): If identity failure triggers a material incident, the clock starts immediately.

Target: Able to determine materiality and draft disclosure within 4 business days; tabletop tested.

Tip: Define a materiality rubric, escalation tree (CISO–GC–CFO–IR), and pre-approved templates. Time the tabletop from detection → decision → draft and stage identity evidence (logs, revokes, certifications).

ROI & Efficiency

License reclamation via deprovisioning: Every orphaned seat is wasted spend; deprovisioning helps fund IGA.

Target: Report gross savings/quarter; make the number visible to Finance.

Tip: Focus on the top 10 apps by spend. Link revokes to seat removal (not just disabling). Publish a monthly “savings realized” report and forecast next-quarter savings from today’s pipeline.

Access request cycle time: Faster access improves productivity, without increasing risk when guardrails are solid.

Target: Reduce median hours; show productivity regained.

Tip: Offer pre-approved catalog roles for low-risk access with auto-approval. Route only sensitive requests to multi-step approvals. Instrument median by app and owner; spotlight bottlenecks.

Audit prep time: Continuous evidence shrinks effort and findings.

Target: Fewer hours vs. last cycle; fewer exceptions/findings.

Tip: Move to continuous evidence collection. Keep “audit-ready packs” per control (policy, config, sample, attestation). Give auditors read-only access to standard exports; track hours saved YoY.

This a comprehensive list of KPIs and Targets moving forward. The best way to operationalize this quickly is to pick the right denominators (i.e. top 50 apps by risk/spend + all privileged/NHI + all vendors), set a weekly burn-down goal for backlog KPIs (i.e. orphaned, SoD, exceptions), and automate timestamps for time-to-deprovision, mean time to respond/recover, and reviews (access certifications). 

A lot of organizations estimate numbers, but they aren’t measuring them. But, regulators and auditors don’t want your gut feel, they want system logs. Ensure that you are always measuring and making progress on those numbers. 

Operating Model & Governance

A blueprint and a set of KPIs is only half the job. The other half is making sure the right people own the right parts of the system. This is where your operating model is critical. 

Think of it as an accountability map:

Who sets the rules

Who enforces the rules

Who provides the oversight

The Board and Committees

The board and its audit/risk committee own the highest level of responsibility. They don’t manage the day-to-day minutia, but they do keep track of progress on a longer time horizon. 

Board and Audit/Risk Committee Responsibilities:

Set the organization’s risk appetite for identity and access.

Review KPI dashboards quarterly just as they do for financials

Oversee compliance with regulatory regimes such as the SEC cyber disclosure, DORA, and NIS2

Their job is to ask tough questions in response to what they see. As KPIs start to roll in and conversations with regulators proceed, the board must keep focus on what matters.

“How many orphaned accounts remain?”

“Are we within SLA for vendor offboarding?”

“Can we prove it if regulators call?”

Often, the most importan thing they can do at this level is say “Prove it to me before I have to prove it to someone else.”

The Executive Triad (CISO, CIO, CFO)

The executive triad consists of the CISO (accountable), CIO (co-owner), and CFO (controls). Together, these three roles create the charter, policy, and funding for identity governance. 

CISO: Ultimately responsible for IGA control effectiveness and for reporting the results to the board

CIO: Shares ownership, particularly around integration with infrastructure and the application portfolio

CFO: Responsible for cost controls, ROI measurement, and financial compliance

The IGA Council

Now we are at the level of daily execution. Your IGA council is a cross-functional team. A group that meets regularly (bi-weekly or monthly) to keep everyone in lockstep throughout the organmization. The IGA council should include representatives from: 

Security

IT/Identity Operations

HR

Procurement

Legal

Application Owners

The council is responsible for the practical elements like the Segregation of Duties catalog, the Joiner/Mover/Leaver SLAs, and Vendor Access Policies. Their work ensures that there is allingment across functions so no single team carries the full burder or stalls the entire initiative. 

In Summary: 

Board: Approves the risk appetite and receives regular attestations.

CISO: Accountable for IGA controls being effective and reported.

IT Ops/Identity Team: Responsible for lifecycle automation, connectors, SCIM integration, and operational execution.

App Owners: Approve or deny access, maintain SoD policies, and attest to who should have access.

Procurement/Vendor Management: Ensure contracts include identity requirements and that offboarding happens automatically when agreements end.

Controls Blueprint: Tying IGA to Frameworks and Regulations

Now that we’ve established the architecture and operating model, the next question a board or regulator will ask is, “How do these controls line up with recognized frameworks or laws?”

To answer that, we will now map your IGA program to relevant frameworks and regulations. This step is important because it shows that your initiative is anchored to external standards, it’s not simply a homegrown series of ideas. 

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 

NIST CSF 2.0 is one of the most known and respected playbooks for cybersecurity governance in the U.S. and abroad. From the framework, there are two areas especially relevant to identity.

PR.AA (Identity Mgmt, Authn & Access Control): From page 19 of the CSF 2.0, this section expects that organizations will manage identity lifecycles, enforce MFA, apply least privilege, vault and rotate credentials, prevent toxic access combinations, and conduct periodic access certifications. In other words, this is the day-to-day work of IGA. These are tasks for which the IGA council should focus to achieve. 

GV (Govern):  The “Govern” function is new in CSF 2.0 and makes identity governance explicitly a board responsibility. It expects boards to set risk appetite, assign roles and responsibilities, manage supply-chain identity exposure, and track metrics for continuous improvement. This is the board’s call for direct accountability.

DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act)

Effective in Europe’s financial sector since January 2025, DORA requires companies to prove they can withstand ICT and third-party disruptions. For identity, that means demonstrating:

Strong vendor access controls

Rapid revocation of third-party accounts

Tested incident playbooks and continuity plans

NIS2 Directive

NIS2 expands obligations well beyond finance, making identity and least privilege first-class controls across industries like healthcare, energy, and digital services. Boards need to show they’ve assessed supply-chain risks and put governance in place for all third-party and privileged access.

SEC Cyber Disclosure Rule

In the U.S., public companies must disclose material cyber incidents within four business days. This raises identity governance from a “back office” activity to a board reporting requirement. If an identity or access failure leads to a breach, the board must be able to demonstrate:

They had visibility into identity risks

They had tested playbooks for escalation and disclosure

They can provide evidence of access governance at the time of the incident

Why This Matters

By explicitly mapping your IGA controls to NIST CSF and overlaying DORA, NIS2, and SEC requirements, you create a single story for auditors, regulators, and the board. Instead of a patchwork of policies, you can show:

This control aligns with NIST.

This same control satisfies DORA/NIS2/SEC requirements.

Here’s the evidence (audit logs, certifications, revocations).

This reduces redundancy, simplifies reporting, and ensures the board can answer the toughest regulatory question: “Can you prove who had access, when, and why?”

Build the SoD/Access Policy Backbone

Once the architecture and governance model are in place, the next priority is to codify access rules; what combinations are allowed, what must be blocked, and how often they’re checked. This is your Segregation of Duties (SoD) and access policy backbone.

The SoD/Access Policy Backbone is a structured set of rules and guardrails that define who can do what across critical applications. It ensures no one person (or account) has too much unchecked power. 

Think of it like any other task. You want a separation of duties to ensure accountability and accuracy. You want different people creating a vendor and approving payments, or pushing code and approving its release. 

Core Components

The backbone of any effective identity governance program is built on a small set of practical components. These define where to focus, what rules to enforce, how exceptions are handled, and how often access is checked. Keeping this simple but structured makes it easier for teams to execute and for boards to oversee.

This backbone turns abstract “least privilege” into tangible, enforceable rules. It gives the board confidence that fraud opportunities are minimized, regulators evidence that toxic combinations are managed, and business leaders assurance that emergency access is possible without leaving permanent backdoors.

SaaS Sprawl Taming Plan (Fast Wins That Scale)

SaaS sprawl is no longer measured in the dozens or even the hundreds. Torii’s research shows enterprise organizations run an average of ~1,850 apps, far higher than the ~100–275 apps reported by Okta. For boards and executives, this is more than just a cost problem, it’s a governance and compliance challenge. 

Every new app brings new identities, new entitlements, and new opportunities for oversight failures.

The good news: taming SaaS sprawl doesn’t require boiling the ocean. A phased, 180-day plan delivers fast wins, scales to enterprise portfolios, and works for mid-market companies with leaner teams.

Phase 1 (0–30 days): Get Control of the Obvious

SSO coverage for top 25 apps. Bring your most-used, highest-risk apps under single sign-on, and enable SCIM where available.

Stop shadow IT invites. Put a hard stop on direct app invitations; enforce identity-provider onboarding only.

Automate deprovisioning. Tie HR terminations and vendor contract ends directly to automated revokes. This closes the biggest “back door” first.

Who owns it: IT Ops/Identity team executes; App Owners and HR ensure onboarding/offboarding events are properly triggered.

Phase 2 (30–90 days): Address Hidden Risks

Service account census. Inventory all non-human accounts, assign owners, and rotate high-risk secrets.

Certify access for top-risk apps. Run your first round of certifications on the most critical applications. Purge orphaned accounts and close aging SoD violations.

Normalize exception handling. Ensure temporary access is time-boxed, logged, and auto-expiring.

Who owns it: IGA Council oversees; App Owners validate; Internal Audit monitors exception debt.

Phase 3 (90–180 days): Scale and Mature

Expand coverage. Push SSO/SCIM to cover ~80% of the portfolio, not just the top 25 apps.

App-level SoD. Implement segregation-of-duties policies directly in SaaS apps that support it.

Vendor portals. Bring supplier-facing access into the same IGA, SSO, and PAM flows as employees.

Test response. Add ITDR detections across IdP/IGA/PAM, then run a red-team tabletop focused on identity misuse (we’ll cover more on IDTR in the next section).

Refresh KPIs. Update the board-level KPI dashboard, set new targets, and establish next-year benchmarks based on progress.

Who owns it: CIO sponsors; CISO validates ITDR readiness; Board reviews new KPI trends.

Why This Matters

For enterprises, the scale (1,850 apps on average) makes SaaS governance a board-visible risk. For mid-market firms, fast growth means sprawl sneaks up faster than expected. This plan delivers:

Quick wins in the first month (orphaned accounts gone, SSO on critical apps).

Risk reduction in the first quarter (service accounts, certifications, vendor offboarding).

Mature governance by six months (broad coverage, tested detection, refreshed KPIs).

ITDR Complements IGA (How They Work Together)

Even the best access policies can’t stop every attack. That’s why Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR) has become a critical partner to IGA. The two are designed to work hand-in-hand:

IGA prevents issues by ensuring the right people have the right access at the right time.

ITDR detects and responds when accounts, tokens, or policies are misused despite those guardrails.

Together, they close the loop: prevention on the front end, detection and containment on the back end.

Playbook Intersections (Examples)

Suspicious impossible travel If a login shows up in two countries within minutes, ITDR auto-challenges the session. If it’s confirmed malicious, IGA policy revokes access while ITDR invalidates sessions and rotates tokens.

Privilege escalation outside policy When a user suddenly gains admin rights outside approved channels, PAM cuts the session, IGA generates an exception ticket, and ITDR alerts the SOC while storing evidence for audit.

Leaked secret detected If a secret (API key, token, password) shows up in a repo or monitoring feed, ITDR raises a high-severity alert. Then IGA/PAM rotate and re-issue credentials, forcing the owner to attest, targeting a mean-time-to-remediation of ≤ 7 days, compared to the DBIR’s 94-day median.

Why This Matters

For boards and executives, the key takeaway is that IGA and ITDR aren’t competing tools frameworks, they’re complementary layers of defense. IGA minimizes the number of doors into the enterprise; ITDR ensures that when a door is picked, the alarm rings and the lock is changed immediately.

This combination is what allows organizations to not only reduce breach likelihood but also meet audit and regulatory expectations for continuous monitoring and rapid response.

Executive ROI Model (Make Finance Love This)

Identity governance only resonates at the board level if it’s framed in terms of financial outcomes. For directors and CFOs, the question is simple: “What’s the return on this investment?” The answer comes in two parts:1. Hard savings you can measure today2. Risk-adjusted benefits that protect against tomorrow’s losses.

Hard Savings

License reclamation through timely deprovisioning. Every orphaned seat costs money. By reclaiming SaaS licenses when users leave, you save directly: number of seats × monthly license cost × reclaimed seats. Finance teams see this as bottom-line savings.

Audit prep reduction. Automated evidence collection and continuous certifications cut the hours spent on audit prep. Multiply saved hours by blended staff rates, then add in the reduced fines and fewer exceptions. That’s efficiency in dollars.

Fewer privilege tickets. With cataloged roles and auto-approval guardrails, IT spends less time on access requests. The savings come in both reduced ticket volume and faster productivity for end users.

Risk-Adjusted Benefits

Expected Loss Avoided. The formula: (Reduction in breach likelihood) × ($4.4M global average cost, per IBM). Regionalize where possible. Even modest improvements in likelihood reduction translate into millions of dollars in avoided loss.

Ransomware containment and non-payment posture. Verizon’s 2025 DBIR shows that most organizations now decline to pay ransom. That makes response speed critical. Containing identity-driven ransomware quickly avoids secondary costs: PR damage, legal fees, downtime, and lost customer trust.

Time-to-Value

Boards don’t want ROI that takes years to materialize. Identity governance delivers visible results in 2–3 quarters if you focus on the right KPIs:

Orphaned accounts down

Time-to-deprovision reduced

SSO/SCIM coverage up

SoD backlog reduced

Each of these can be tracked quarter by quarter, giving executives clear evidence that the program is paying off.

Why Finance Should Care

Direct savings (licenses, audit prep) show up in the P&L quickly.

Risk-adjusted benefits protect against catastrophic losses that could wipe out annual earnings.

Faster time-to-value means this isn’t a long-term “trust us” program, it’s measurable progress within the board’s reporting cycle.

Conclusion: From IT Project to Boardroom Priority

Identity Governance & Administration can no longer be treated as a back-office IT exercise. The data is clear: identity failures drive the majority of breaches, regulators on both sides of the Atlantic are raising the bar, and SaaS portfolios have exploded into the thousands of apps. What once felt like a technical detail is now a board-level governance issue, with financial, regulatory, and reputational consequences.

The blueprint we’ve laid out shows how to take control. It starts with a reference architecture that unifies prevention and detection. It moves through board-ready KPIs that let directors measure progress the same way they measure financials. It establishes a governance model with clear accountability, ties directly to NIST CSF 2.0 and regulatory overlays, and translates into fast wins against SaaS sprawl. Finally, it delivers a finance-ready ROI story that connects identity governance to both hard savings and avoided losses.

For boards, the next step isn’t whether to invest in IGA, it’s how quickly to elevate it into the governance agenda. For executives, the challenge is execution: embedding identity controls into everyday operations, measuring results quarter by quarter, and keeping oversight tight as the business grows.

The takeaway is simple: identity is the new control plane for digital business risk. Treating it as such not only reduces breach likelihood, but also positions the organization to meet regulatory demands, satisfy auditors, and protect shareholder value.

Appendix

Glossary of Critical Terms for the Enterprise IGA Blueprint

Access Certification (Access Review)

A periodic attestation by managers/owners to confirm users still need their current access; removals and exceptions are recorded as audit evidence.

Access Request Catalog (Catalog Roles)

A menu of pre-approved role bundles that users can request; low-risk items auto-approve within guardrails to reduce ticket load.

ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control)

Authorization based on user/app/resource attributes (e.g., department, device posture), often layered with RBAC.

AD / Active Directory (incl. Entra ID)

Microsoft’s directory platforms that store identities, groups, and policies and act as core identity stores for many enterprises.

AI Identity & Data Guardrails

Policies that treat AI systems/agents as identities—governing what data they can access, which plugins/APIs they can use, and how their secrets are managed.

API Key / Token

A credential used by software and services (non-human identities) to authenticate to systems; must be issued, rotated, and revoked like user passwords.

App Owner

The accountable person for an application’s access policies, approvals, SoD rules, and certifications.

Audit Evidence / Evidence Locker

Time-stamped artifacts (logs, exports, screenshots, tickets, attestations) stored systematically to prove controls are operating.

Audit-Ready Pack

A pre-assembled set of policy, configuration, samples, and evidence for a specific control, prepared for auditors/regulators.

Auto-Revoke (Non-Response)

A rule that removes access if a reviewer does not complete a certification by the deadline.

Blast Radius (Business Impact)

The potential harm if a system or identity is compromised (financial, regulatory, operational); used to prioritize “top 50” critical apps.

Break-Glass (Emergency Access)

A tightly time-boxed, logged, and monitored elevation path used in emergencies; must auto-expire and be reviewed afterward.

CMDB (Configuration Management Database)

A repository of infrastructure/services metadata that helps discover machines, service accounts, and ownership.

Compensating Control

An alternate control that reduces risk when a preferred control (e.g., removing a SoD violation) is temporarily infeasible.

Credential Vaulting / Secret Vault

Secure storage for passwords, keys, and certificates, typically managed by PAM; supports rotation and access auditing.

CSF (NIST Cybersecurity Framework) 2.0

A widely used framework; this guide maps IGA to PR.AA (Identity/Access outcomes) and GV (Govern).

Deprovisioning (Termination Revocation)

Automated removal of accounts/entitlements when people leave or vendors/contracts end; measured as TTD.

Device Posture

Security state of a device (OS version, disk encryption, EDR present) used in Zero Trust access decisions.

Disclosure (SEC 8-K Item 1.05)

U.S. requirement to disclose material cyber incidents within four business days of determining materiality.

DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act)

EU regulation for financial entities focusing on ICT/third-party resilience; requires strong vendor access governance and tested response.

Entitlement / Permission

A discrete right in an application (e.g., “Billing Admin,” “Export Data”) that should be role- or policy-managed.

Exception / Exception Debt

Temporary access granted outside standard policy; becomes “debt” if not time-boxed and auto-expired.

Expected Loss Avoided (ELA)

Risk ROI metric: (Reduction in breach likelihood) × (Average breach cost); used to quantify the financial impact of IGA.

FIDO2 / WebAuthn (Phishing-Resistant MFA)

Modern authentication standards using hardware or platform authenticators resistant to credential-phishing attacks.

Form 8-K (Material Cyber Incident)

The SEC filing used to disclose material cyber events; requires timely, evidence-backed decisioning on materiality.

Govern (NIST CSF 2.0 GV)

Framework function assigning board-level accountability for risk appetite, roles/responsibilities, supply-chain oversight, and metrics.

HRIS (Human Resources Information System)

The source of truth for workforce lifecycle events (hire, transfer, termination) that trigger provisioning/deprovisioning.

IAM (Identity & Access Management)

Operational systems that authenticate and authorize users (IdP, directories, SSO, MFA); IGA governs policy on top of IAM.

IGA (Identity Governance & Administration)

The policy/control plane that governs who gets what access, why, when, and for how long, with auditability (JML, requests, approvals, SoD, certifications).

IGA Council

Cross-functional working group (Security, IT, HR, Procurement, Legal, App Owners) that runs the program: SoD library, JML SLAs, vendor policy.

IdP (Identity Provider)

The service that authenticates users and issues assertions/tokens for SSO (e.g., Okta, Entra ID, Ping).

Impossible Travel

A detection signal where successive logins from distant locations cannot be legitimate given the elapsed time.

ITDR (Identity Threat Detection & Response)

Detection/response focused on identity systems and usage (token theft, anomalous privilege, lateral movement), with automated containment.

JEA / JIT (Just-Enough / Just-In-Time)

Least-privilege patterns that grant only the specific rights needed, and only for the time needed—often enforced through PAM.

JML (Joiner / Mover / Leaver)

Lifecycle processes that create, modify, and remove access based on HR or vendor events; must be automated and auditable.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

An outcome metric used to manage performance (e.g., orphaned accounts ↓80%, TTD ≤4h/24h).

KRI (Key Risk Indicator)

A forward-looking signal of risk (e.g., % privileged accounts without phishing-resistant MFA).

Least Privilege

Granting only the minimum access necessary to perform a task; cornerstone of Zero Trust and SoD.

Machine Identity (Non-Human Identity, NHI)

Service accounts, workloads, bots, CI/CD and API credentials that require ownership, rotation, and certification.

Materiality (Cyber Incidents)

A determination of whether an incident is important to investors; triggers SEC disclosure timelines.

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)

Authentication that requires two or more factors; phishing-resistant MFA (FIDO2/WebAuthn) is preferred for privileged access.

MTTR (Mean Time to Respond/Recover)

Average time from alert to containment/recovery for identity incidents; measured from system logs.

NIS2 (EU Directive)

EU directive expanding cyber obligations and enforcement across sectors; includes supply-chain and access governance expectations.

NIST CSF 2.0 PR.AA

Outcomes category covering identity management, authentication, access control, SoD, credential rotation, certifications.

OAuth 2.0 / OIDC (OpenID Connect)

Standards for delegated authorization and federated authentication, commonly used for modern SSO.

Offboarding (Vendor / Workforce)

The process of revoking all access and reclaiming licenses at contract end or termination; must be automated and evidenced.

Orphaned Account

An account without an active owner (often after turnover or vendor churn); a high-risk hygiene defect and core KPI.

PAM (Privileged Access Management)

Controls for high-risk/admin access: session brokering/recording, JIT elevation, vaulting and rotation for human and machine credentials.

PBAC (Policy-Based Access Control)

Authorization using policies that evaluate context (risk, device, location) at decision time.

Phishing-Resistant MFA

MFA that resists credential phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks (e.g., FIDO2/WebAuthn, platform passkeys).

Privilege Escalation (Outside Policy)

A user or service gaining higher privileges through unsanctioned paths; should trigger PAM cut-off and ITDR alert.

Provisioning / Reconciliation

Provisioning: creating accounts/entitlements from IGA to apps. Reconciliation: pulling actual app entitlements back to detect drift.

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)

Authorization based on roles that bundle entitlements by job function; often combined with ABAC.

RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed)

A responsibility model clarifying who owns what across board, executives, council, and operations.

Risk Appetite (Identity)

The level of identity/access risk the board is willing to accept, used to set targets and thresholds.

ROI (Return on Investment)

Financial returns from IGA: hard savings (licenses, audit hours) and risk-adjusted benefits (Expected Loss Avoided).

SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management)

Open standard that automates account provisioning/deprovisioning across SaaS applications.

SaaS Sprawl

Rapid growth of applications and identities (often >1,800 in enterprises) that strains governance, offboarding, and SoD control.

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language)

A federation standard used for SSO, especially with legacy or enterprise apps.

SEC Cyber Disclosure Rule

U.S. rule requiring timely disclosure of material cyber incidents and governance reporting; pushes identity oversight to the board.

Secret / Secret Rotation

Any credential (password, token, key) used by humans or services; rotation is the scheduled or event-driven replacement of that secret.

Secrets MTTR

Time from detection of leaked/compromised secrets to rotation/reissue; target ≤7 days.

Service Account

A non-human account used by applications or automation; must have a named owner, purpose, and rotation policy.

Shadow IT

Systems acquired or used outside official IT/IGA processes (e.g., direct SaaS invites); increases risk and audit scope.

SoD (Segregation of Duties)

Policies preventing toxic combinations of access (e.g., create vendor + approve payment) to reduce fraud/error.

SoD Library

A documented set of toxic-combo rules across finance, engineering, cloud ops, and data domains, seeded by audits and incidents.

SSO (Single Sign-On)

One identity to access many apps via federation (SAML/OIDC); enables centralized policy and telemetry.

Supplier / Third-Party Access

Governed access for non-employees (vendors, partners, contractors) that must follow the same IGA/PAM rules and automated offboarding.

Tabletop Exercise (Identity/Disclosure)

A rehearsal of incident detection, materiality decisioning, and disclosure—validates playbooks and timing (e.g., SEC 4-day rule).

Target Coverage (e.g., SSO/SCIM ≥80%)

A measurable adoption goal that prioritizes the highest-risk or highest-use apps first, then scales to the long tail.

Threat Telemetry (Identity)

Signals from IdP, IGA, PAM, and SIEM used by ITDR to detect anomalies (impossible travel, token theft, privilege surge).

Time-to-Deprovision (TTD)

Elapsed time from HR/vendor termination event to last access revoked; measured from system timestamps.

Time-to-Value (TTV)

Window (often 2–3 quarters) to show KPI improvements (e.g., orphans ↓, TTD ↓, SSO/SCIM ↑, SoD backlog ↓).

Token Invalidation / Session Kill

Automated response that terminates active sessions and revokes tokens after suspected compromise.

Top 50 Critical Apps

The prioritized application set (by blast radius and data sensitivity) used for initial control rollout, certifications, and SSO/SCIM onboarding.

Vendor Master

System of record for suppliers/contractors used to trigger onboarding/offboarding and to scope third-party certifications.

WebAuthn / Passkeys

Standards enabling passwordless or phishing-resistant authentication using device-bound or roaming authenticators.

Zero Trust (ZTA)

“Never trust, always verify” architecture: continuous, context-aware access decisions (identity, device, risk) with no implicit network trust.

Resources & Further Reading

Breach & Threat Landscape

Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) — Executive summary (PDF)https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/2025-dbir-executive-summary.pdfKey stats on ransomware prevalence, human element, 3rd-party involvement, and leaked secrets remediation timelines.

Verizon 2025 DBIR (full hub)https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/Landing page with links to the full report, snapshots, and visuals.

DBIR Highlights Infographic (PDF)https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/2025-dbir-executive-summary-infographic.pdfQuick scan of the year’s key trends.

IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2025 (Main Report Page)https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breachSummarizes global average breach cost ($4.44M) and AI oversight gaps (97% lacked AI access controls; 63% lacked AI governance policies).

IBM Press Release (AI-specific findings)https://newsroom.ibm.com/2025-07-16-IBM-Report-Cybersecurity-AIHighlights AI-related security risks from the 2025 study.

Frameworks & Standards

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 (Full Document)https://www.nist.gov/cyberframeworkAuthoritative reference for governance and identity outcomes.

NIST CSF 2.0 — PR.AA (Identity Mgmt, Authentication & Access Control)https://csf.tools/reference/nist-cybersecurity-framework/v2-0/pr/aa/Category page to map IGA controls.

NIST CSF 2.0 — Govern (GV) Functionhttps://csf.tools/reference/nist-cybersecurity-framework/v2-0/gv/Board-level governance expectations and outcomes.

NIST CSF 2.0 FAQshttps://www.nist.gov/cyberframework/faqsHelpful clarifications for board/Audit & Risk discussions.

Regulations & Oversight

DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) — EIOPA Overviewhttps://www.eiopa.europa.eu/digital-operational-resilience-act-dora_enWhat’s in scope and what boards must evidence; in force since Jan 17, 2025.

NIS2 — European Commission Press Releasehttps://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-calls-23-member-states-fully-transpose-nis2-directiveEC opened infringement procedures against 23 Member States for missed transposition.

SEC Cybersecurity Disclosure Final Rule (Release No. 33-11216)https://www.sec.gov/files/rules/final/2023/33-11216.pdfThe source of the 4-business-day incident disclosure requirement (Item 1.05).

SEC Fact Sheet — Public Company Cybersecurity Disclosureshttps://www.sec.gov/files/33-11216-fact-sheet.pdfPlain-English summary for directors and GC/IR.

Identity Threat Detection & Response (ITDR)

Microsoft: Identity Threat Detection & Response (Overview)https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/solutions/identity-threat-detection-responseHigh-level overview of ITDR.

Microsoft Learn — Defender for Identity: ITDR Dashboardhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-for-identity/ops-guide/ops-guide-dailyHow teams operationalize detections and MTTR.

Microsoft Learn — What is Defender for Identity?https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-for-identity/what-isProductized ITDR capabilities and scope.

SaaS Sprawl & App Portfolios

Okta: Businesses at Work 2025https://www.okta.com/reports/businesses-at-work/App usage trends and average app counts by org size.

Zylo: 2025 SaaS Management Indexhttps://zylo.com/resources/guides/saas-management-index-2025/Portfolio size, category growth, and license utilization benchmarks.

Torii Research (2025) (internal)Enterprise portfolios average ~1,850 apps. Contact Torii for methodology and briefing deck.

Machine / Non-Human Identities

CyberArk 2025 Identity Security Landscapehttps://www.cyberark.com/resources/analyst-research/2025-identity-security-landscapeSource of the “machine identities outnumber humans 82:1” statistic.


# Page Title
How to Track AI Costs in 2026 | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/how-to-track-ai-costs

## Page Description

AI spending is growing fast and getting hard to control. Here's how to track AI costs across your stack in 2026, from manual methods to automated platforms.

## Details

Most SaaS costs fit a predictable pattern. You sign a contract, assign seats, pay the invoice. But AI spending doesn't always work that way. Hidden behind seemingly low costs (only $20 for Claude/month!) are usage caps, often with little warning when your allocated usage tips into incremental PAYG token-based costs.

Then you have shadow AI usage and tool overlap, leading to cost optimization questions like, "We use Google Workspace, which has Gemini built in. Why also pay for ChatGPT?" or "Why are we paying so much for Cursor when we could just use Claude Code instead?"

The good news: it's possible to track AI costs in 2026 down to the cent, as well as easily identify overlapping AI tools. This guide breaks down how to track AI costs in 2026: what to measure, how to do it manually, and how platforms like Torii give you a real-time view across your entire AI stack.

Why is AI Spending Harder to Control Than SaaS?

Traditional SaaS follows a predictable model: pay $X per month, or per seat per month. In either model, predicting costs is easy (it'll be the same cost unless you add more people). AI tools have upended this with their focus on 'token-based' pricing and generally opaque insights into usage.

Usage-based pricing is of course not new. Tools like Stripe (commission %), Twilio (PAYG usage), and Hubspot (cost per marketing contact) have used them for years. Not to mention Google Cloud and AWS's cloud compute costs. But these are much more predictable than AI token pricing, and the norm for SaaS is still monthly/yearly pre-set commitments.

Meanwhile, AI tool usage is...confusing? Odd? Misleading? Just take a look at this API pricing breakdown from OpenAI.

Understanding costs here is a nightmare. What model are you using? Are we caching or not? Is this batch, flex, or standard? How do I track how many tokens any given message contains? At least with standard request-based PAYG pricing you know that 1 request = 1 request to pay for.

On top of that, you have shadow AI. Employees are signing up for their favorite new AI tools, even though they may overlap significantly with tools your company already pays for. Then, of course, people may be signing up for ChatGPT themselves when a team plan would be much more economical.

The costs can compound quickly. A 100-person engineering team could be running Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Claude Code simultaneously, each doing roughly the same thing. At standard pricing, that's anywhere from $70,000 to $130,000 per year in coding AI alone.

This differs from traditional SaaS because normally it's easy to identify overlaps. If you're working with Box.com, it may feel weird to also work in Dropbox for some projects, since they are effectively the same tool. Gemini and MidJourney, on the other hand, may not feel that way. Yet, with the speed of AI innovation, the difference between AI tools is shrinking. Maybe you paid for Gemini Nano Banana because it was the best image generator, then switched to MidJourney the next month because it seemed better, and so on - until you just decide to keep paying for both. (Or, you were using MidJourney not knowing Gemini was also a great image generator).

How Do I Track AI Costs Manually?

The manual approach to AI cost tracking is where most companies begin. For small companies, it's relatively simple: you log into each tool's billing dashboard separately (the OpenAI usage page, the Copilot admin console, Cursor Teams billing), pull the numbers, and paste them into a spreadsheet. Then you cross-reference expense reports to catch anything employees bought on their own.

This approach works passably when you have two or three tools and one person keeping the spreadsheet current. It doesn't hold up as your AI stack grows.

The core limitation with manual tracking comes down to visibility lag between spending and awareness. Each billing dashboard gives you a static snapshot from a single vendor. You have no cross-tool view of what an individual employee is spending across their whole AI stack. You can't see that one developer has active subscriptions to Cursor, Claude Pro, and ChatGPT running at the same time.

A second blind spot with manual tracking is that it tells you nothing about license utilization. A billing dashboard shows what you're paying, not what's being used. You can have 50 Copilot seats and only 20 active users, and the invoice looks the same regardless. Finding that waste requires comparing the bill against actual login data, which most AI tool billing dashboards don't surface.

How Can I Track Costs with Torii?

Torii is an AI Management Platform that replaces the per-tool billing dashboard approach with a single consolidated view. Torii's AI Apps Spend dashboard pulls all your AI tool costs into one place: total spend by tool, last 30 days vs. last 12 months, user counts, and license utilization.

That last column is where the real value shows up. If Lovable is sitting at 38% license utilization, that means 62% of the seats you're paying for aren't actively used. That's not easily visible within Lovable alone. In Torii, it surfaces right next to the cost number so you can act on it immediately.

Additionally, the spend-over-time chart surfaces growth trends that a manual spreadsheet would never flag in time. Cursor spend jumping from roughly $1,400 per month to over $5,400 in two months is a signal worth investigating: is the team growing, or are a handful of power users burning through credits on a premium model? Seeing the trend is the first step to asking the right question.

How Do I Cut My AI Costs?

Seeing your AI spend is the starting point, not the finish line. Once you have a consolidated view, four actions consistently move the number down.

Reclaim idle seats. For AI tools with seat-based pricing, any AI license that hasn't been accessed in 90 days is waste. License reclamation at this threshold can cut AI tool costs by 20-35% in organizations that haven't been actively managing it. Set a policy, automate the reclaim, and redirect those seat costs elsewhere.

Identify tool overlap. Once you can see every AI tool in use, consolidation decisions become obvious. If multiple teams are each paying for a coding assistant, pick one standard. If you have three separate LLM subscriptions doing similar work, consolidate. A tool like Torii can help surface those duplicate tools easily.

Rightsize tiers. Actual usage data removes the guesswork from tier and contract decisions. If 60% of your Copilot users are only accessing basic features, downgrade those seats. Annual contracts save 10-20% over monthly billing for tools you're committed to keeping long-term.

Set ongoing guardrails. Treat AI spend like cloud compute: allocated per team, monitored monthly, with budget alerts at 80% of the limit. Require new AI tool requests to pass a lightweight approval that checks for overlap with existing tools. The goal isn't to slow down adoption. It's to stop paying for the same capability twice.

Monitor outliers. If a certain tool or user is causing costs to climb, why is that? Perhaps there is wayward automation running, or an expensive model is being used when a more cost-efficient one would suffice. Review and set guidelines on model and token usage.

AI tool adoption isn't slowing down, and neither is the spending that comes with it. Enterprise AI-native app spend grew 108% year-over-year in 2025, and with more tools hitting the market every month, the overlap problem will only compound. The companies that stay ahead of it are the ones that treat AI spend the same way they treat cloud compute: tracked by team, reviewed regularly, and tied to actual outcomes.

The path forward isn't complicated. Know what you have, know what's being used, and build a repeatable process to act on that data. Whether you start with a manual audit or a platform like Torii that consolidates everything into one view, the goal is the same: visibility that lets you make decisions before you get surprised by a five-figure invoice.

See how Torii tracks your AI spend across every tool. Book a demo.

Related reading:

- What Is a Toxic Combination in SaaS in 2026? [/articles/toxic-combination-saas]


# Page Title
Introducing the Torii CLI | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/introducing-torii-cli

## Page Description

Introducing the Torii CLI: an OpenAPI-driven command line tool to explore the Torii API, run calls, and pipe SaaS data into scripts and AI agents.

## Details

Your SaaS data shouldn't live behind a dashboard you have to click through every time you need an answer. With the Torii CLI, it doesn't have to.

The Torii CLI is an OpenAPI-driven command line interface that lets you explore the Torii API, inspect schemas, and run API calls directly from your terminal. Every command is auto-generated from the live OpenAPI spec, so it stays in sync with the latest API capabilities without manual updates.

If you're writing automation scripts, building data pipelines, or connecting Torii to AI agents, this is your starting point.

Why a CLI?

Point-and-click interfaces work for exploring. But when you need to pull license data into a report, trigger a workflow from a script, or pipe SaaS usage stats into another tool, a CLI is faster and more composable. Every response comes back as structured JSON, so it works out of the box with jq, shell scripts, and automation frameworks.

The Torii CLI is built for:

Automation scripts — schedule recurring data pulls or trigger actions on a cron

Data extraction pipelines — export application, user, and contract data for analysis

AI and agent integrations — feed Torii data into LLMs, Claude Code, or custom agents

Interactive exploration — browse available endpoints and test calls before writing code

Getting Started

Install globally via npm, or run it directly with npx if you just want to try it out.

# Install globally
npm install -g torii-cli

# Or run without installing
npx torii-cli discovery

Before running commands, set your API key as an environment variable:

export TORII_API_KEY="your-api-key"

That's it. You're ready to query your Torii instance from the command line.

How It Works

The CLI dynamically fetches the OpenAPI specification from the Torii API. This means you don't need to memorize endpoints or check documentation every time the API changes. Run the discovery command to see every available operation:

# List all available API operations
torii-cli discovery

This returns a JSON list of every endpoint, generated directly from the spec. From there, you can run any operation. For example, to pull your top 10 applications:

# List your first 10 applications
torii-cli apps list --size 10

All responses are structured JSON, which makes it easy to pipe into other tools or parse in scripts.

Pairing Torii CLI with AI Agents

One of the most practical uses for the Torii CLI is connecting your SaaS data to AI-powered tools. Because the CLI returns structured JSON and supports the same operations as the API, it works well as a data source for LLMs and coding agents.

Here's what that looks like in practice. Below, a user asks Claude Code how many people in their company are using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Claude queries the Torii API to pull real usage data and return an answer in seconds.

Instead of logging into a dashboard, filtering by app category, and exporting a spreadsheet, the user gets an answer through a natural language prompt. The CLI (and the broader Torii API) makes this kind of integration straightforward.

This pattern applies to more than just usage questions. You can build agents that flag expiring contracts, identify orphaned accounts, surface license optimization opportunities, or generate compliance reports, all powered by the same API the CLI uses.

What You Can Do With It

The CLI gives you access to the same data and actions available through the Torii platform. A few examples:

Pull application inventory — list all discovered apps, filter by category, and export for audits

Query user data — check who has access to what, identify inactive accounts, and track usage

Monitor contracts and spend — surface renewal dates, license counts, and cost data

Feed data into CI/CD or reporting tools — pipe JSON output into dashboards, Slack alerts, or ticketing systems

Build custom automations — combine CLI calls with cron jobs, shell scripts, or orchestration tools

Get Started

The Torii CLI is available now on npm. Install it, set your API key, and start querying your SaaS data from the terminal.

For full documentation, visit the Torii Developer Docs.

Already a Torii customer? Reach out to your Customer Success representative to get your API key and start building.

Book a demo to see how Torii helps teams manage SaaS with automation, visibility, and developer-friendly tools.


# Page Title
What's Behind Grammarly's 3x Enterprise Growth? Three Years of Usage Data Has Answers | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/grammarly-enterprise-growth-analysis

## Page Description

What’s Behind Grammarly’s 3x Enterprise Growth? Three Years of Usage Data from Torii Has Answers

## Details

Torii tracks SaaS usage across enterprise customers worldwide. One trend has been hard to ignore: Grammarly's footprint has grown roughly 3x in three years.

In January 2023, Grammarly appeared in just 17% of customer environments. By January 2026, it had jumped to 47%. The growth wasn't steady — it came in three distinct waves, each driven by something specific Grammarly did.

Here's what the data looks like, and what was happening at Grammarly each time the line jumped.

Period
Adoption Index
Notable Change

Jan 2023
17%
Baseline

Feb–Mar 2024
22% → 31%
Spike 1: +6 points in one month

Dec 2024 → Jan 2025
30% → 38%
Spike 2: +7 points and never dropped back

Sep–Oct 2025
41% → 46%
Spike 3: +5 points as Grammarly became Superhuman

Jan 2026
47%
Peak to date

Spike 1 (Feb–Mar 2024): Grammarly stopped being a spell-checker

On March 26, 2024, Grammarly launched Strategic Suggestions — AI-powered recommendations that went beyond fixing grammar to advising on audience, tone, and persuasion. The same week, it shipped App Actions, letting users trigger tasks in tools like Asana and Google Calendar from within Grammarly. For the first time, the product could make a real case to IT and procurement as a productivity platform, not a writing add-on.

Fast Company added fuel. Its 2024 Most Innovative Companies list (published March 19) named Grammarly in the AI category and cited some striking ROI numbers: one healthcare customer reported 28x ROI, and Grammarly claimed average savings of $5,000 per employee per year. That kind of coverage circulates in the procurement channels where enterprise software decisions get made.

Spike 2 (Dec 2024–Jan 2025): A new CEO, a new company

On December 17, 2024, Grammarly announced it was acquiring Coda — a collaborative workspace product competing with Notion and Google Docs — and that Coda's co-founder Shishir Mehrotra would become Grammarly's new CEO. The message was explicit: Grammarly was no longer a writing tool; it was building an AI productivity suite for enterprise teams.

That announcement closed a pipeline that had been building since October. Two months earlier, Grammarly had landed on the AWS Marketplace, giving companies with existing AWS commitments a way to apply cloud credits toward Grammarly Business — a procurement shortcut that removes significant friction. In the same October window, Grammarly launched Billing Groups, ServiceNow integration, and group-level security controls: the exact features IT admins need before they can deploy something organization-wide.

The jump from 30% in December to 38% in January reflects deals that probably started in Q4, enabled by the AWS listing and admin tooling, then accelerated by the Coda news.

Spike 3 (Sep–Oct 2025): The Superhuman rebrand

On July 1, 2025, Grammarly acquired Superhuman — the AI email client valued at roughly $825 million. Three months later, on October 29, Grammarly rebranded the entire company as "Superhuman" and launched the Superhuman Suite: four unified products (Grammarly writing, Coda workspace, Superhuman email, and a new AI agent platform called Superhuman Go). The rebrand landed across TechCrunch, Fast Company, Built In, and others simultaneously.

Usage in our dataset went from 35% in August to 41% in September and 46% in October. September also brought a Forbes Cloud 100 placement at #11 — the kind of analyst recognition that validates a platform to IT procurement teams evaluating AI investments. A $1 billion non-dilutive funding round announced in May, earmarked for sales and marketing scale, almost certainly put more reps in front of enterprise buyers during this window.

What this means for IT teams managing SaaS

Each of these spikes followed the same pattern: Grammarly expanded what the product does, and enterprise adoption followed. That creates a specific challenge for IT.

In 2023, most companies probably had Grammarly as an employee-purchased tool — a $12/month browser extension people expensed without telling IT. By 2026, the product has become a full AI productivity suite with admin controls, data governance features, and enterprise licensing that IT should be part of evaluating and managing.

If you're not tracking which tools are gaining momentum in your organization, you'll find out about the enterprise version of Grammarly (or Superhuman, now) after someone in marketing has already signed a contract. The best position is to see the adoption curve before the renewal conversation happens.

Torii surfaces that kind of usage data automatically — which apps employees are using, which ones are growing, and which ones have grown to the point where IT needs a seat at the table. Book a demo to see how it works.

Related reading:

- How to Detect OAuth Risks in Google Workspace and Who\u2019s Behind Them in 2026 [/articles/oauth-google-workspace-risk]
- What is a Log Analysis? [/blog/log-analysis]
- 7 Ways to Reduce Your SaaS Costs Without Losing Productivity [/articles/reduce-saas-costs]


# Page Title
Productiv Deleted Your Data. Here's How to Rebuild Your SaaS Estate From Zero. | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/productiv-deleted-your-data-rebuild-saas-estate-from-zero

## Page Description

Productiv permanently deleted all customer data. Here's what's actually gone, what you can rebuild, and a four-source plan to reconstruct your SaaS estate in 30 days.

## Details

Productiv announced its shutdown on August 2, 2026, and named August 6 as the sunset date. Operations did cease on August 6. But customer access to the platform ended on August 5 — a day earlier than announced, which cost some admins their last planned export window.

The data itself is not sitting in cold storage somewhere. Productiv's site states that "all production systems, data stores, and backups have been permanently and securely destroyed. No customer data has been retained." Productiv has never given a business reason for the shutdown.

One clarification, since the situation has been described loosely elsewhere: this was not a conventional bankruptcy. The public record shows that, effective June 25, 2026, Productiv, Inc. made a General Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors to PFS Productiv Liquidation LLC under California law, a state-law wind-down handled outside bankruptcy court in which a company's assets pass to an assignee who liquidates them for creditors. Claims are being administered by Stretto, Inc. at cases.stretto.com/Productiv, with a filing deadline of December 22, 2026. If you think you have a claim, that deadline is the one to calendar. Source: the Stretto case page, which lists the assignor, assignee, effective date, governing law, and claims bar date.

Worth saying plainly: this was a hard week for the people who built Productiv, not just the people who bought it. A team lost their jobs, and a lot of admins lost a tool they genuinely liked and had staked internal credibility on.

If you're one of those admins, the export advice everyone published in the first week — including ours — is now useless to you. So here is the version that still works: what's actually gone, what you can rebuild, and how to get most of it back in 30 days.

## What you lost versus what you can rebuild

Be precise about this before you promise anything to your VP, because the two halves have very different timelines.

Gone for good. Historical engagement and utilization trends — the multi-year record of who logged into what, how often, and how that curve moved. In-platform notes, tags, saved views, and workflow configuration. Your license-optimization baselines: the "we reclaimed 340 seats last year" numbers that justified the tool. Any benchmark data that was Productiv's own, not yours. None of this exists anywhere. There is no backup, no escrow, no partner copy.

Recoverable. Your application inventory. Your annual and monthly software spend. Contract terms, renewal dates, and notice periods. App owners and business sponsors. Purchased license counts. Vendor contacts. All of it lives in systems you still control — your identity provider, your finance stack, your contract repository, your endpoints. Productiv aggregated that data; it did not originate it.

That distinction matters commercially, too. If a vendor offers to "restore" or "recover" your Productiv usage history, they are selling you something that cannot be delivered. The honest offer is help reconstructing the recoverable half faster, and starting a new engagement baseline today.

## The four sources that get you to ~90% coverage

This is the core of the work. Four pulls, done in parallel by whoever owns each system, will reconstruct most of a mid-market or enterprise SaaS estate. Assign owners before you start — this stalls when one person tries to do all four.
- Your identity provider. Okta's System Log, Entra ID sign-in logs, or the Google Workspace audit log will give you every app users authenticated into, with unique user counts and last-sign-in dates. In Okta, export the app list with assignment counts and pair it with 90 days of sign-in events; in Entra, pull the enterprise applications list plus sign-in logs. This is your fastest path to the sanctioned app list and often takes an afternoon. What it misses: anything not behind SSO. Departmental tools bought on a card, free tiers, tools with local logins, and most of the AI apps that arrived in the last 18 months. Shadow IT is defined by its absence from this list.
- Your finance systems. Pull 24 months of vendor-level spend from the AP ledger (NetSuite, Coupa, or your ERP) plus corporate card and expense feeds (Ramp, Brex, Expensify). Filter on software and subscription GL codes, but also scan uncoded vendors — that's where the surprises are. This is your only real source for spend, and your best source for apps IT never knew existed. The obstacle is vendor naming: card descriptors like ADOBE *ACROPRO, resellers and marketplaces (AWS Marketplace, SHI, Insight) that mask the actual product, and parent-brand line items that cover several apps at once. Budget real time for normalization; it's the least glamorous and most valuable hour of this project.
- Contracts and email. Your contract repository, DocuSign's completed-envelope list, and the procurement and AP inboxes together reconstruct renewal dates, term lengths, auto-renewal notice windows, and purchased seat counts. Search the shared drive and inboxes for "order form," "auto-renew," "renewal notice," and "MSA." What it misses: month-to-month and click-through agreements, which usually have no paper at all and show up only in the finance pull.
- Endpoint and browser signals. OAuth grants (Google Workspace third-party apps, Entra enterprise app consents), browser extension inventories from your MDM, and installed-application reports from Intune, Jamf, or Kandji. This is the layer that catches free and freemium tools — the AI assistants, the note-takers, the design tools — that never touch finance or SSO. It's noisy and needs filtering, but it's the only source that sees them.

Then de-duplicate, and expect it to take longer than you think. The same app will appear in three sources under three names. Normalize on the vendor's root domain rather than the display name, decide up front whether a suite counts as one app or several, and keep a single alias column so Atlassian, Jira, and JIRA SOFTWARE-ANNUAL collapse to one row. Do this once, deliberately, or you'll ship an inventory with a 15% inflation rate and lose the room's trust on the first review.

This four-source pull is what automated discovery does continuously rather than once.

If a manual rebuild is not realistic
Torii pulls the same four sources and keeps the inventory current
Connect your identity provider and your finance system, and Torii reconstructs the app inventory, spend, contracts, owners, and license counts described above, then keeps collecting so your new baseline starts today. No agents, no services engagement, no implementation fee. See how Torii maps to what Productiv did, or add your work email for a personalized demo on your own stack.

## Triage renewals before you finish the inventory

Do not wait for a complete estate map. A renewal inside the next 90 days is money leaving the building while you build a spreadsheet.

As soon as the finance and contract pulls are underway, build a single triage list sorted by next renewal date, with known or estimated annual value in the second column. Work only the next 90 days. For each line, do three things:

Confirm the owner. Not the person who signed it two years ago — the person who will defend the spend this quarter. Unowned renewals auto-renew by default, every time.

Find the notice deadline, not the renewal date. Most enterprise agreements auto-renew unless you give 30, 60, or 90 days' written notice. The notice date is your real deadline, and for anything renewing in the next 60 days it may already have passed. Check this first; it changes what's negotiable.

Make the call: renew, renegotiate, or kill. You've lost your utilization data, so you can't argue seat reduction from a Productiv report anymore. You can still argue from purchased-seat counts versus IdP-assigned users, from headcount changes since the last renewal, and from department owners telling you plainly whether their team uses the thing. That's weaker evidence than you had two weeks ago, and it's enough to hold a renegotiation.

Two practical notes. Ask each vendor for their own usage numbers — most account teams will share seat activity on request, and for your largest apps that partially backfills what you lost. And if a renewal is genuinely un-triageable in time, a short-term extension at the current rate is almost always available and beats renewing blind for another year.

This list is also the artifact Finance actually wants. Send it to them at the end of week one, unfinished, with the coverage gaps labeled.

## Rebuilding an engagement baseline

Your usage history is gone, which means the new clock starts today. Every day you delay instrumentation is a day missing from the dataset you'll need at the next renewal cycle.

Set this up in week one, not week four. Confirm your IdP is retaining sign-in logs long enough to be useful and export them somewhere durable — default retention in most tenants is far shorter than a renewal cycle, and you will not get those days back. Connect directly to your ten largest apps by spend via API for last-active dates, license tiers, and seat assignments; those ten usually carry most of the negotiating leverage. Turn on SCIM where you can, so provisioning and deprovisioning generate a record instead of a ticket. Keep the endpoint and OAuth telemetry flowing rather than treating it as a one-time pull.

Do that and you'll have 90 days of real utilization data by mid-November, and a full renewal cycle's worth by next summer.

This is also the argument against solving the problem with a spreadsheet. A hand-built inventory is accurate on the day you finish it and starts decaying immediately — new tools appear, seats change, someone renews without telling you. Worse, a static inventory can't produce a utilization trend at all, because trends require continuous collection. The rebuild is a one-time project. The baseline is only worth having if something keeps collecting after the project ends.

## Doing this in Torii

Everything above can be done by hand. If you would rather not, here is what the same rebuild looks like in Torii, kept short because the method is the same.

Two connections start it. Connect your identity provider and your finance system. Discovery runs immediately against both, and the contract and endpoint sources layer in as you connect them. You are building workflows the same day instead of maintaining the spreadsheet you built last week.

Renewals come back first. Torii rebuilds the renewal calendar before the inventory is complete: current owner, the notice deadline rather than just the renewal date, and a renew, renegotiate, or short-extension decision for each line. That is the 90-day triage list from the section above, generated rather than typed.

What comes back. App inventory from the identity provider, software spend from AP and cards, contracts and renewal dates, app owners and sponsors, purchased license counts, and shadow SaaS and AI tools from browser and endpoint signals. What does not come back is the same for everyone: Productiv's historical utilization trends, in-platform notes, saved views, and workflow configuration were destroyed, and no vendor can restore them.

Who does the work. You make the two connections. A Torii specialist validates discovery and builds your workflows alongside you. There are no agents to deploy, no services engagement, and no implementation fee.

If we ever part ways. You can export your inventory, spend, contract, owner, and license data by API or CSV at any time, on your own schedule. That is the data egress test from the next section, and you should run it while you are a happy customer.

Torii was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SaaS Management Platforms. The Productiv replacement page maps each Productiv capability to what Torii does.

## What this changed about vendor selection

The obvious lesson is "pick a bigger vendor," and it's the wrong one. Company size is a weak predictor, and anyone using this moment to sell you their headcount is selling you a feeling.

The real lesson is narrower and more useful: ask about data egress before you sign, and test it while you're a happy customer. Three questions belong in every SaaS evaluation from now on:

- Is there a documented, self-serve export of all my objects — inventory, spend, contracts, usage history — not a CSV of the current view?
- Is continued data availability for some defined window after termination a contractual commitment, or a support-ticket favor?
- Can I pull all of it via API on a schedule I control?

Then actually run that export quarterly and put the file somewhere you own. That habit, not vendor selection, is what would have made last week survivable.

We'll publish the full vendor continuity questionnaire as a follow-up. In the meantime, the thing worth internalizing is that any promise of permanence — including ours — is worth exactly as much as your ability to walk away with your data.

Still comparing platforms? Our Productiv alternatives roundup covers the field, and the Productiv replacement page maps each capability to Torii.


# Page Title
Why SMP Adoption is Slow | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/competing-with-a-spreadsheet-not-a-vendor

## Page Description

Fewer than 30% of organizations ran a SaaS management platform in 2025. But that is starting to change...

## Details

## I noticed a recent trend

Most of the new customers we onboard are coming off a spreadsheet.

To be fair, this isn't new, it's the normal. But it still struck me as important.

This came up on a recent call at Torii: a batch of new customers had just signed, and someone noticed that most of them were coming from a SaaS management process that relied entirely on one person updating a spreadsheet.

## Is this a critical mass moment?

We've seen some recent consolidation in the SMP market with vendors like Productiv shutting down [https://www.toriihq.com/blog/why-did-productiv-shut-down]. And yet, the SMP landscape is only growing.

In 2025, Gartner claimed [https://www.usu.com/en/news/usu-recognized-in-the-2025-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-saas-management-platforms] that "Through 2028, over 70% of organizations will centralize SaaS application management using a SaaS management platform (SMP), an increase from less than 30% in 2025.”

Adoption of SMPs is growing, and in 2026, it's actually accelerating as more and more companies struggle to manage AI alongside SaaS.

## So why has it taken so long?

Nobody owns the problem.

If most teams have not bought a tool for this, the question worth asking is why not. It is not that the tools are bad or that nobody cares. It is that the SaaS stack belongs to no single person.

Think about who touches it. IT, finance, security, procurement, and department heads each hold a piece of it. multiple owners, multiple priorities, and no one whose job title says "the software estate is mine." A problem nobody clearly owns is a purchase nobody is clearly assigned to make.

Everything else about the slow adoption hangs off that. The spreadsheet is free, it is already open, and it mostly works right up until the renewal nobody caught. That renewal will not send a calendar invite, and the sheet is not going to volunteer that a seat quietly renewed for another year. When our offboarding conversations turn to the manual state, the way people put it is plain: "the list is only as good as the last time someone updated it". That is not a complaint about a tool. It is the honest ceiling of a shared sheet that four teams half-maintain.

"SaaS management" is also young enough that most teams do not yet expect it as a budget line or a slot on the org chart.

## So no, you're not late to SaaS management... yet

If you're still updating that spreadsheet by hand; bless you.

You're keeping things on track, trying to monitor adoption, track spend, inventory the un-inventoriable, and anticipate the new surprise renewal. It's not just hard work, it's impossible in the modern workplace.

We say it all the time, but SaaS Management requires cross team collaboration. Not a single hero, but a structured effort that comes from the top. Now, in a world of shadow IT and rampant AI adoption, that effort of managing your software is more important than ever. When the effort turns into a search for a platform, our SaaS management platform buyer's guide [/blog/buyers-guide-for-saas-management-platforms] lays out how to run it.


# Page Title
Your Offboarding Is Finished. The Bot They Built Is Still Running. | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/non-human-identity-sprawl

## Page Description

When an engineer leaves, IT revokes their SSO — but the Slack bot they wired up, the Zapier connection they authorized, and the AI agent they gave a service…

## Details

### You revoked their SSO. The bot they built is still running.

An engineer leaves. IT does what it always does: disables the account in Okta, pulls the SSO grants, reclaims the laptop. On paper, the person is gone.

In practice, the Slack bot they wired to a shared channel is still posting. The Zapier connection they authorized still moves data between two apps every night. The AI agent they handed a service account to still has its access, and nobody remembers it exists.

None of those were tied to their SSO login. They were separate credentials, OAuth grants, integration tokens, an agent's key, created directly against the apps. Deprovisioning a person doesn't touch them. So the tokens sit there. No owner, no review, no expiry. Live.

That is the gap offboarding misses. You can revoke a person cleanly and still leave a trail of working machine identities behind them. The customers we hear from already have names for what that produces:

"orphaned after projects end,"

"service account sprawl,"

"invisible, ungoverned, and overprivileged".

### How bad is the sprawl, really?

Bad, and worse than anyone can agree on.

Non-human identities now outnumber human ones by a wide margin, and the count is climbing fast. But the exact ratio depends entirely on what you measure, and where. Different vendors offer widely different counts on how many NHIs are running through your org:

So the number is contested. Different vendors measure different environments with different methods, and the spread, 17:1 to 144:1 depending on the study, reflects that, not sloppiness. What none of them argue about is the direction. The non-human surface is now the larger one, AI agents are its fastest-growing slice, and it is compounding. Read 144:1 as the ceiling of a range, not a consensus.

### So why can't your SSO see any of it?

Because it was built to find people, and none of these are people.

Your SSO and IdP are built around people. They govern who a human is, what groups they belong to, what they can log into. Most identity tooling does that work, and does it well. That part is genuinely hard.

Here's where it gets uncomfortable. It's a human-identity model in a world that has gone non-human. When CyberArk surveyed the field, 88% of organizations defined only human users as privileged. The machine identities, the OAuth grant one SaaS app holds against another, the integration token, the Slack bot, the MCP server an agent runs through, never touch the IdP at all. They were provisioned directly, app to app. So when the IdP deprovisions a person, it reaches everything that person logged into and nothing they authorized on the side.

The industry conversation points the wrong way, too. Most writing about machine identity is cloud- and infrastructure-first: workload identity, Active Directory service accounts, secrets in a CI pipeline. That matters. But it steps right past the SaaS-app layer, the OAuth grants, integration tokens, bot tokens, and agents that live between the apps your company actually runs on. That layer is where a departing employee's leftovers pile up. It is also the one nobody has claimed.

### What does governing these things at the app layer actually take?

The same three things you already give a human account.

None of this needs another vault or another scanner. Treat every token and agent at the SaaS-app layer the way you already treat a person: give it an owner, watch it for staleness, wire it into offboarding.

Owner. The first question about any machine identity is the one nobody can usually answer: who created this, and who is accountable for it now? A token with no owner is a "decommission candidate," in a customer's own words. Attach a human owner to each grant and agent, and an anonymous credential becomes something you can review.

Staleness. Is it still doing anything? "Hasn't authenticated in six months but still has privileged access" is how one practitioner named the exact failure. Last-use data sorts the tokens that earn their access from the ones that are pure standing risk.

Offboarding trigger. When a person leaves, their machine identities should surface as part of the same offboarding, the bot they built, the token they authorized, the agent they stood up. Then those credentials get a decision, instead of defaulting to "left running."

This is where Torii sits. Our SaaS discovery already maps the app-to-app graph; it can see the OAuth grants and integration tokens between apps and attach a human owner and an offboarding trigger to each one. Visibility, ownership, and a trigger at the point of offboarding.


# Page Title
Google shipped hard monthly spend caps for AI agents | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/2637-05-google-shipped-hard-monthly-spend-caps-for-ai-agents-the-5th

## Page Description

This summer, the companies that sell you AI tokens shipped spend cap after spend cap. Five of them, same season, same handful of vendors.

## Details

This summer, the companies that sell you AI tokens shipped spend cap after spend cap. Five of them, same season, same handful of vendors.

Not a coordinated announcement. Not one big FinOps push. A steady drip of native cost controls, one vendor after another, all landing between June and August. Once you notice the rhythm, the rhythm is the story.

### Who's building the meter?

The people who sell the tokens.

Count the native spend controls across the major model-and-cloud vendor surfaces this summer, one per surface, and you get five. OpenAI added them to ChatGPT Enterprise on Jun 18. Anthropic shipped an Enterprise Spend Limits API for Claude on Jul 2. OpenAI brought hard project and org limits back to its API on Jul 22. AWS added cost controls to Bedrock AgentCore on Aug 6. Google shipped hard monthly spend caps to Gemini Enterprise on Aug 26.

Five, from Jun 18 to Aug 26. About ten weeks. Same season, same handful.

The exact count is soft, and I'll say so. The inclusion rule is strict: one native spend control per major model-or-cloud vendor surface. Loosen it and the number goes up, not down. Anthropic shipped a session-budget control too. GitHub Copilot added budgets. Cloudflare's AI Gateway has spend controls of its own. Count those and the cadence gets faster, never slower.

So the ordinal is a footnote. The cadence is the fact: the companies whose revenue is the meter running spent the summer building the switch to cap it.

### Are these even the same kind of control?

No. There are two philosophies.

Anthropic and AWS bound a run. The limit sits on a session or a per-agent execution, and it fires when a single agent burns through its budget mid-task. OpenAI and Google bound a billing period. The limit is a monthly cap on the project or org, and it fires when the bill for the month crosses a line.

Bound-the-run versus bound-the-billing-period. Same anxiety, an agent doing something expensive when nobody's watching, and two bets on where to put the brake. One vendor thinks the danger is a single runaway execution. The other thinks it's the slow accumulation over thirty days.

What both bets share: each brake stops at the vendor's own wall. AWS can cap a Bedrock run because AWS can see the Bedrock run. It cannot see the Gemini one. Google can cap a Gemini project because Google bills it, and has no idea what that same team spends on Claude.

### Did all five vendors freshly build these?

Not quite. At least two are re-ships.

This is the tell worth slowing down on. OpenAI's Jul 22 API control isn't new. OpenAI had hard API spend caps, removed them earlier in 2026, and brought them back on Jul 22. Its Jun 18 ChatGPT Enterprise control isn't net-new either. It's a migration of an existing weekly limit to a monthly one. Anthropic, AWS, and Google are genuinely net-new to those surfaces. OpenAI, on two of the five, is adjusting a meter it already had.

That's the part a pundit reading only the August release notes can't write. Picture OpenAI shipping the hard cap, quietly removing it earlier in 2026, then reinstalling it in July and taking a bow for the new safety feature. A seller that can pull a hard spend cap and put it back whenever it suits the billing is telling you something plain: the meter isn't a fixed customer-protection feature. It's a dial the seller turns toward its own billing interest, on its own schedule. Which is exactly why a seller-built meter can't be the buyer's number. The buyer doesn't control when it exists.

### So the meter-builders are marginal players you can ignore?

The opposite. They're already everywhere.

The same handful shipping these caps already sit in nearly every stack we see. OpenAI and Anthropic each show up in about 96% of those stacks, Gemini in about 82%, detected via SSO, finance, and browser extension, so read those as detection floors, not exact usage.

One clause of daylight, because it matters. That presence is of the brand. We detect that OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google are in the building. We are not detecting use of the specific agent or API surface each cap governs, the Bedrock AgentCore workload, the Vertex or Gemini Enterprise project, the raw OpenAI API. Presence is not proof the cap already binds anything. It establishes the one thing the argument needs: the vendors writing the meters are not niche. They're the default.

And when the top work surface joins the cadence, the signal is loudest. Google Workspace is already the #2 app in our Adoption Index, ahead of Slack, Atlassian, and Microsoft 365, and that's behavioral adoption, where work happens, not a spend ranking. So when that vendor ships a spend cap, it's the surface most of your people already live on adding a meter.

### What's the actual problem with five good meters?

They're bounded. Every one of them.

This is the whole thing, and it's an argument from how the controls are scoped, not a number we measured. Each of the five caps is scoped to something the vendor bills: a project, a billing account, an API key, an org. That's correct engineering. A cloud vendor should let you cap a project. Nobody built a bad meter here.

But name the dichotomy the scoping creates. Per-vendor wall versus cross-vendor question. Every shipped control is bounded by one vendor's billing surface. The buyer's real question crosses all of them and lands on a person: what does this employee cost across OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini, added up. None of the five meters can answer that. None can see the other two, and none was built to join spend to a named human.

I'll concede the near miss, because it's real. Cross-vendor cost aggregation already exists. CloudZero, Vantage, and Finout roll up multi-vendor spend, typically drawing on the vendors' own Cost APIs. What none of those produce, and what the key-, project-, and account-scoped meters structurally can't produce, is the join to the individual: what one named person costs across every model they touch. The aggregators sum accounts. The meters cap projects. The gap is specifically the human.

And a buyer went looking in exactly that gap. One prospective buyer deprioritized the entire SaaS-governance category to ask us a single thing: what does each employee cost in OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini tokens, across all three. Five vendors spent the summer shipping per-vendor meters. A buyer walked in asking for the number that lives between them.

### So who wins?

Genuinely unresolved.

Two candidate units of account, and I don't know which one takes over. There's the vendor's per-project billing meter: native, scoped, shipping fast, five deep in one summer. And there's a cross-vendor, per-employee view of what each person costs across every model they touch, which nobody ships natively and which the buyer keeps asking for.

Maybe the per-project meter is enough. For a lot of orgs it might be, and the cross-vendor per-employee view stays a nice-to-have that never becomes the unit anyone budgets against. Or maybe the number that decides headcount and tooling is the one that crosses every wall and lands on a person, and the vendor meters end up as five inputs to a join none of them will ever make.

The vendors have placed their bet: the meter they own, scoped to the surface they bill. The open question is whether that's the unit the buyer ends up managing by. And if it isn't, who ends up owning the number that crosses all five walls.


# Page Title
974 patches in one Tuesday. 2026 has already doubled the worst year on record, with a quarter still to go. | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/974-patches-in-one-tuesday-2026-has-already-doubled-the-worst-year

## Page Description

For most IT teams, Patch Tuesday was a monthly chore with a familiar shape. Microsoft published its fixes, security sorted them by severity, and ops pushed…

## Details

### Microsoft's 974 patches in September: The troubling trend for vulnerability management

For most IT teams, Patch Tuesday was a monthly chore with a familiar shape. Microsoft published its fixes, security sorted them by severity, and ops pushed them through testing and out to machines. The volume shifted, but it stayed within a range you could plan staffing around.

That model is breaking. Microsoft's September release fixed at least 974 flaws in one day, and its year-to-date count has already passed the previous annual record, with a full quarter to go. The industry-wide numbers are climbing too.

#### Microsoft shipped 974 fixes in one day

On September 8, Microsoft patched at least 974 vulnerabilities, 113 of them rated critical, its largest Patch Tuesday on record, according to Krebs on Security [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/microsoft-plugs-nearly-1000-security-holes/]. Two were zero-days already under attack: CVE-2026-81963 and CVE-2026-85880, both Windows privilege-escalation flaws (Krebs on Security [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/microsoft-plugs-nearly-1000-security-holes/]).

That's the headline most outlets ran. The more useful number is what came before it.

#### Four months of releases show a trend

Here are Microsoft's monthly counts this summer, all from Krebs: roughly 200 in June [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/06/a-record-breaking-patch-tuesday-for-june-2026/], 570 in July [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/07/microsoft-patches-a-record-570-security-flaws/], 398 in August [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/08/microsoft-plugs-nearly-400-security-holes/] and 974 in September [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/microsoft-plugs-nearly-1000-security-holes/].

The line isn't smooth. August came in below July, so this isn't a curve bending steadily upward. But the direction over four months is hard to miss.

The running total makes the point more plainly. Microsoft has patched more than 2,600 CVEs so far in 2026, more than double the 1,245 it patched in 2020, the previous record year (Krebs on Security [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/microsoft-plugs-nearly-1000-security-holes/]). Krebs calls this the worst year on record, and October, November and December haven't happened yet.

For a team that sized its patch process around 2020, that means more than twice the work flowing through what's likely the same testing windows, and probably the same people.

#### Microsoft blames AI, and FIRST's forecast points the same way

Microsoft's explanation for the surge is AI-aided vulnerability discovery: better tooling finding more flaws in its code (Krebs on Security [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/microsoft-plugs-nearly-1000-security-holes/]). That's Microsoft's account of Microsoft's numbers, and nobody outside the company has verified it. It's also a slightly awkward thing to announce. The good news is the bug-finding got much faster; the bad news is whose bugs they are.

The second signal comes from somewhere else entirely. In June, FIRST, the forum of incident response and security teams, published a mid-year forecast covering every vendor, not only Microsoft (FIRST.org [https://www.first.org/newsroom/releases/20260615]). It contains two numbers that are easy to blur together, so here they are separately.

- The forecast moved up. FIRST now expects about 66,000 CVEs across the industry in 2026, up from the 59,427 it forecast in February. That's a revision of roughly 11%.
- Reality is ahead of the old forecast. Actual CVE disclosures were running 46.3% ahead of what the February forecast projected for that point in the year.

The second figure is the one I'd pay attention to. It compares what actually got disclosed against the path FIRST itself expected, and the gap is wide. Both are mid-year figures, and they're the most recent FIRST has published.

Keep the two signals apart. FIRST's forecast says nothing about Microsoft, and Microsoft's explanation says nothing about the industry. Neither explains the other. They're two independent readings pointing the same direction: a lot more vulnerabilities are being found and published.

#### Volume is climbing faster than FIRST's risk-filtered tally

But here's the catch. The same FIRST release filters the pile down to vulnerabilities with real-world risk signals. That means entries in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog or an EPSS score above 10% (FIRST's threshold for "likely to matter" in real-world context). On that filtered view, FIRST says the patching burden "has not materially increased, despite the surge in raw volume" (FIRST.org [https://www.first.org/newsroom/releases/20260615]).

EPSS, the Exploit Prediction Scoring System, estimates a probability of exploitation; it isn't a record of attacks, and FIRST's counts date from May. What FIRST is saying is that the slice of vulnerabilities flagged as most likely to matter hasn't grown in step with the total. But the dangerous fraction is shrinking relative to volume, which makes it harder to find, not easier to manage.

September's two exploited zero-days might seem to contradict this, but they don't. Two actively exploited flaws inside a release of 974 fits the pattern FIRST's numbers imply: a small number of dangerous vulnerabilities sitting inside a much larger pile of ones that carry little near-term risk on their own. A flat aggregate doesn't mean no month contains live exploits. It means the dangerous fraction is shrinking relative to everything around it, which makes it harder to find.

FIRST's own people frame it the same way. Éireann Leverett, FIRST's liaison, put it this way: "The challenge for defenders is no longer the discovery of vulnerabilities; it's the capacity to verify, coordinate, and prioritize them at a scale the industry has never seen before" (FIRST.org [https://www.first.org/newsroom/releases/20260615]). Jerry Gamblin, a co-author of EPSS, was blunter: "In 2026, the rain doesn't stop. The job is no longer counting the drops. It's knowing which ones will overrun the levee" (FIRST.org [https://www.first.org/newsroom/releases/20260615]).

So the planning problem is a search problem. Finding the exploitable few gets harder as the pile grows, and that search starts with knowing what you're running.

#### Microsoft is one software provider in a stack of hundreds

Everything above is about Microsoft or the industry total. Your exposure depends on your own stack, and Microsoft is one entry in it.

Our 2026 SaaS Benchmark report [https://www.toriihq.com/saas-benchmark-annual-report-2026] found the average organization runs 831 discovered applications (median 680), and the average enterprise with 4,000 or more employees runs 2,191. Those counts cover the whole discovered inventory: sanctioned apps, shadow IT, and apps that are blocked or still under review.

Most of those apps will never ask you to patch anything. A typical SaaS tool gets fixed by its provider on its own servers, and the customer never sees an update. So I'm not arguing that patch work scales with app count. It shouldn't.

The obligation sits in a smaller, harder-to-see group: on-prem components, self-hosted instances, agents installed on endpoints, browser extensions. Those are the places where a vendor's fix does nothing until someone on your side applies it.

Which raises the question the benchmark can't answer. With hundreds or thousands of discovered apps in a typical stack, how many teams could actually name which ones carry a Microsoft-style patch obligation? Our report counts apps, not how each one is hosted, so it doesn't measure how big that group is. My guess is that most teams couldn't answer quickly, because the people who own the patch queue and the people who own the app inventory are often different teams, and the shadow part of the inventory frequently has no owner at all.

That's why this lands well outside the security team. Security can triage a list of CVEs, but it can't triage an app nobody knows is installed. The IT or ITAM lead owns the list that says what's there. And the finance lead pays for all of it in hours, because every fix that needs testing and deploying is somebody's time, and Microsoft's volume alone has more than doubled.

An application discovery tool is one way to build the first half of that answer. Torii, for example, maintains an inventory of discovered applications across sanctioned and shadow IT, which is where the benchmark figures above come from. It doesn't scan for vulnerabilities, track patch status or classify apps by hosting type, so it tells you what's there, and someone still has to work out which of those apps need patching on your side.

#### A quarter is left in a year that has already doubled the record

Three Patch Tuesdays remain in 2026. Even three quiet months would leave it as Microsoft's biggest year by a wide margin, since the total is already more than double 2020's.

The standard advice this cycle, which Tenable's Satnam Narang also gave in Krebs's coverage [https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/microsoft-plugs-nearly-1000-security-holes/], is to prioritize remediation by risk context rather than volume. That's right as far as it goes, but prioritizing assumes you already have the list.

FIRST's numbers say the risky slice is holding roughly steady. Microsoft says the pile around it keeps growing. Next year, will vulnerability management budgets go to patching faster, or to finding out what there is to patch in the first place?


# Page Title
AI is the Industrial Utility of Today | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/ai-is-the-industrial-utility-of-today

## Page Description

Two buyers this week asked what a token costs before they asked what their SaaS costs. The unit of concern moved.

## Details

This week, we heard from multiple prospects all looking for one thing: track and control what AI costs, down to tokens, users, and projects, and put everything else on the maybe-later pile.

A year ago, those same conversations would have been a mix of offboarding, license use monitoring, and NHI detection. But today, it's all AI.

One CTO said that tracking their monthly LLM costs was like "open brain surgery." Another put it more simply: they had been early adopters of AI, and now those bills were becoming a massive liability.

### AI is not a feature, it's a utility

AI consumption is the only number that matters, and it's also the only number nobody can see.

Software used to be a fixed cost. You negotiated it once a year, signed, and the number sat still until renewal. You bought 500 seats, used 180, and argued about the difference twelve months later. Painful, but predictable. The decision that set the bill was made at signature.

A utility doesn't work that way. You don't buy it, you draw on it. It meters by consumption, it scales with usage rather than headcount, and it runs whether or not anyone is watching. The bill isn't decided at signature. It's decided every day, by behaviour, by thousands of small choices nobody logged.

That's the shift. The buying unit used to be seats. Now it's tokens. And the control point moved with it: procurement governed software, but metering is the only thing that governs a utility. You cannot negotiate your way out of a consumption curve.

Which is the problem, because a monthly bill for tokens tells you almost nothing. You don't know who the heavy users are. You don't know which teams or use cases are driving it. You don't know whether the spend was worth it. You don't even know what next month looks like. You just know the bill is growing.

### The steam engine was never the expensive part

Nobody remembers what a steam engine cost. Ask an industrialist in 1870 about the price of the engine and you'd get a shrug. The engine was a one-time line item that stopped mattering the day it was installed. The fight that decided who won was over coal. Priced per ton, burned forever.

And the operators who pulled ahead weren't the ones who negotiated the cheapest ton. They were the ones who learned to read what a ton of coal actually produced, output per ton, before their competitors could read it, and before the instruments that measured it were standard equipment.

That's the part worth borrowing. Not "tokens are the new coal," which is a fine line and a taken one. Palantir's Shyam Sankar said it almost verbatim on the Q1 2026 earnings call [https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/05/04/palantir-pltr-q1-2026-earnings-transcript/], and every FinOps vendor has said it since. The narrower lesson is the one that mattered in 1870: the price of the input is the easy half, and the operators who win are the ones who read the output half first.

Tokens are further along that curve than coal ever was on day one, which is exactly the trap. The input meter is already precise. You can look up published list rates [https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/anthropic-claude-api-pricing/] to the million tokens, Claude Sonnet 5 at $2 in and $10 out, Opus 5 at $5 in and $25 out. Compared to the old seat math, a per-token price reads clean. It reads like the problem got simpler.

It didn't. It moved.

### The input meter is nearly built. The output meter isn't.

Two questions get blurred together, and the difference between them is the whole thing.

The first is what did we spend and who spent it. That's cost attribution, and it's getting solved. Not finished, but close enough that you can see the finish line from here. FinOps Foundation's State of FinOps 2026 [https://data.finops.org/] found that 98% of practitioners now manage AI spend, up from 31% two years ago [https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/state-of-finops-survey-ai-value-and-skills-top-priorities-as-finops-matures-across-technology-value-98-manage-ai-90-saas-64-licensing-48-data-center-1]. The same report names granular AI-spend monitoring, tokens and requests and GPU, as the top-cited missing capability.

Read that carefully, because it's easy to misuse. The gap they're describing is finer metering on the cost side. Even the input meter isn't fully installed yet. That tells you the easy half is nearly done, not that the hard half has started.

The second question is what did the spend buy. And that one has no meter at all.

It shows up the moment the CFO question changes, which it already has. It used to be "what are we spending on AI." Now it's "what did we get for it," and the answer is mostly silence: only about 7% of senior leaders report established AI ROI [https://www.uctoday.com/productivity-automation/senior-leaders-ai-roi-study/]. Ninety-three out of a hundred can increasingly tell you the bill and cannot tell you the return.

That gap isn't a pricing problem. It's a measurement problem, and the instrument for it hasn't been built.

### The spend moves fast enough to matter

Look at the spread rather than the average. Ramp's 2026 business spend data [https://ramp.com/blog/ai-token-cost-for-businesses] puts median monthly AI spend at $2,246 and average monthly AI spend at $140,842.

Sit with that for a second. The median company spends about the price of a decent laptop each month. The mean is dragged two orders of magnitude higher by companies running orchestrated, agentic workloads. That spread is the entire risk profile of the category. One unchecked agentic workflow is how you travel from the median to the mean without anyone filing a purchase order.

The mix underneath it is moving the same direction. On the same Ramp data, premium models account for 45.8% of tokens but 55.9% of AI cost [https://ramp.com/data/ai-index-august-2026], up from a rounding error a year earlier. And the cost of a single interaction has climbed with the shape of the work: roughly $0.04 for a single 2023 linear call [https://www.silicondata.com/blog/llm-cost-per-token], roughly $1.20 for a 2026 orchestrated agentic task [https://spendark.com/blog/machine-learning-cloud-cost/]. About 30x.

The mechanism isn't exotic. Output tokens cost exactly five times input tokens across the entire Claude lineup [https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/anthropic-claude-api-pricing/], and an agentic task consumes 5 to 30 times the tokens of a single chatbot turn [https://neuralwired.com/2026/06/20/gartner-llm-inference-cost-enterprise/]. A tool that talks back and forth to itself twenty times before answering is not twenty questions. It's one question with a bill that fans out.

Gartner has put a stake in the ground on where this heads. In June 2026 it predicted AI coding token costs will surpass the average developer's salary by 2028 [https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-06-24-gartner-predicts-ai-coding-costs-will-surpass-average-developer-salary-by-2028-as-token-consumption-surges]. Two months later it went further, predicting AI inference costs per agentic workflow will rise more than fivefold through 2028 [https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-08-17-gartner-predicts-ai-inference-costs-per-agentic-workflow-will-increase-more-than-fivefold-through-2028], with a warning worth keeping in one line: product leaders cannot rely on more efficient token economics to rationalise AI costs.

The cheap tokens get cheaper. The expensive work gets more expensive and less predictable. The average hides both.

### Two instruments, one wall

The input meter reads price times volume. It's nearly finished, it's improving, and it's the half every vendor is racing to perfect.

The output meter reads what the spend produced. Per token, per user, per project, across every AI tool actually in use. That instrument doesn't exist as a product yet.

And the place it's darkest is the place IT never approved. The AI tools people adopted on their own, the shadow AI stack, where the spend is real and the attribution is nothing.

That's the ground worth naming, because it's the ground the current tools don't cover. Cloud FinOps platforms like CloudZero [https://www.cloudzero.com/platform/ai-hub/] and Vantage [https://www.vantage.sh/solutions/ai-workflows] do genuinely deep token attribution, but they face engineering and infrastructure and stop at the infrastructure layer rather than spanning the application layer or the tools nobody filed a ticket for. SaaS management peers work the other side of the house, the procurement and approved-spend layer. Zylo's AI Consumption Cost Management [https://zylo.com/product/ai-consumption-cost-management] shipped in 2026, alongside Vertice [https://www.vertice.one/platform/ai-cost-optimization] and Productiv [https://productiv.com/platform/]. Flexera calls itself the only complete AI cost management platform [https://www.flexera.com/about-us/press-center/flexera-launches-ai-cost-management-platform-to-address-growing-ai-cost-crisis], and it's infrastructure-first.

Line them up and the coverage map has a hole in the exact shape of the question buyers are walking in with: token and user and project, across many AI tools, including the ones nobody approved, read from an IT or ITAM seat. That's where an output meter would have to live, and it's where none of them live yet.

### So what did the token buy?

Nobody can tell you yet. That's the point.

Every AI tool can already tell you what a token cost. None of them can tell you what it bought, and the second number is the only one that was ever worth having.

The industrial analogy makes one more prediction, and I don't have the answer to it. Coal got its output metrics eventually. Thermal efficiency, cost per horsepower-hour, all of it became standard, and the edge that came from reading output first went away once everyone could read it.

So the real question isn't whether someone builds the output meter for tokens across the whole stack, shadow AI included. Someone will. It's whether the years before they do are long enough, and the edge wide enough, that reading output first is worth as much now as it was for the operators who learned to read a ton of coal before their rivals could.

I don't know. But the people who dropped everything else to ask are betting it is.


# Page Title
11 Ways to Use Torii's AI Management Platform | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/11-ways-to-use-toriis-ai-management-platform

## Page Description

Torii's AI Management Platform gives you one live view of who is using which AI tools, what it costs, and whether it's paying off. Here are 11 ways to put it to work.

## Details

Your company runs on AI now. ChatGPT in marketing, Cursor in engineering, Claude in legal, and a Lovable app someone in RevOps built over a weekend that half the sales team now depends on. The bills are real and they keep climbing. The visibility? Not so much.

Torii's AI Management Platform [/products/ai-management-platform] closes that gap. It pulls AI usage and spend from browser-based tools, developer CLIs, vendor admin APIs, and the integrations you already run. Then it cross-references everything against your HRIS, your identity provider, and your financial data, so you get one live view of who is using what, what it costs, and whether it's paying off.

The AI Module hit general availability on September 3, 2026, and the updates haven't slowed down since. Here are 11 ways to put it to work, from the first "wait, we use how many AI tools?" moment all the way to governing the apps your non-engineers are vibe coding.

The 11 at a glance
- Find every AI tool in the building
- Put a name and a team on every dollar
- Break your AI bill into the four ways AI charges you
- Forecast next quarter's AI spend before the budget fight
- Give every department its own AI spend story
- Learn what your power users know
- Get full value out of every AI seat
- Coach adoption instead of just counting it
- Bring engineering's AI coding agents into view
- Go deep on any single AI vendor
- Bring vibe coding out of the shadows

## Part 1: See it, then price it

### 1. Find every AI tool in the building

You can't manage what you can't see, and AI is the fastest-growing blind spot in the stack. Torii's own data found 694 new AI-native apps in 2025, and 26 of the top 50 shadow apps are pure-play AI. Odds are good some of them are already running in your org.

Source: Torii SaaS Benchmark Annual Report 2026, covering January to December 2025.

Torii maps your AI footprint from four directions at once:

- The Torii AI Lens browser extension picks up SaaS AI platforms like OpenAI, ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Lovable, and Base44.
- AI Telemetry tracks developer CLIs like Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Codex.
- Vendor admin APIs bring in what each vendor actually bills you.
- Integrations you already have do double duty. Microsoft 365, for example, now feeds Copilot adoption data with zero extra setup.

That includes the tools nobody expensed. Torii flags unapproved AI in active use, even when it never touched a corporate card.

Why it matters: your AI inventory stops being a guess. IT, security, and finance all start from the same list.

### 2. Put a name and a team on every dollar

A big AI invoice raises one question fast: who did this? Torii answers it. Usage and spend are cross-referenced against your HRIS and identity provider, so every token rolls up to a person, a department, a manager, and a cost center.

And for the spend that doesn't belong to any one person? The Cost Overview now has an Unattributed category. Click it and you get a breakdown by tool that explains why the cost landed there: org-level API usage, service accounts and automations, or credits billed at the workspace level. No more mystery line items.

Why it matters: chargebacks and budget conversations start with facts instead of finger-pointing.

### 3. Break your AI bill into the four ways AI charges you

AI doesn't bill like SaaS. One tool charges per seat, another burns credits, a third meters every API call. Torii's Cost Overview shows your total AI cost and splits it into:

- Subscriptions (the seats you pay for every month)
- On-demand credits (usage that runs past the plan)
- API and platform costs (metered model usage)
- Vibe coding (credits on platforms like Lovable)

Here's the insight that makes this view so useful: as an AI program matures, spend tends to shift from subscriptions toward API and on-demand usage. Watching that mix over time tells you where your program actually is, not just what it costs.

For Cursor, OpenAI, Claude Platform, and Claude.ai, Torii syncs billed costs straight from the vendor admin APIs, daily, in USD. That's the real invoice number, not an estimate.

Why it matters: you can explain your AI bill in one slide, and you can see which cost model is growing fastest.

### 4. Forecast next quarter's AI spend before the budget fight

Torii tracks your AI spend over time and projects where it's headed, so you know which numbers you'll be debating next quarter before the meeting gets booked.

Two recent updates make this a finance team favorite:

- Finance-aligned time periods. Pick "Last month," "Quarter to date," or "Last quarter" to line up AI reporting with vendor invoices and your close.
- Export any AI Module table to CSV. Spend tables, adoption dashboards, and connected tool data drop straight into your planning model.

Why it matters: AI spend becomes something you plan for, not something that surprises you.

## Part 2: Understand the people behind the usage

### 5. Give every department its own AI spend story

Every team uses AI differently, and Torii's department breakdown shows exactly how. Pick a team and see its top AI tools, whether each one is billed on demand or by subscription, and where the money goes.

Take a sales team, for example. You might expect a CRM copilot to top their list. Instead, most of their spend is in Cursor, with a sizable Lovable bill right behind it. That's not a problem to shut down. It's a signal that reps are building their own tools, and it's the start of a much better conversation with the sales leader.

Why it matters: department heads get a clear, specific picture of their AI footprint, and you walk into every budget review with context.

### 6. Learn what your power users know

Every organization has AI power users. Torii shows you who they are and what they're actually doing.

Open any individual's AI profile and you'll see:

- Total token value, sessions, requests, and tokens used
- Activity over time
- Their model mix compared to the org average, thanks to the new model heatmap

The heatmap works at the team level too. The Adoption Groups view lays out groups against models, so you can spot which teams lean on premium models and click into any cell to see who's driving it. Filter by provider, and switch between token share, absolute tokens, and value.

Why it matters: your power users are your best playbook. Find what they do well, then spread it.

### 7. Get full value out of every AI seat

AI seats are expensive, and an idle one is money on fire. Torii's subscription efficiency metric shows how much value each person gets from their license. Subscriptions hand out tokens at a different rate than API billing, so this number tells you whether a seat is a great deal or a quiet waste.

From there, right-sizing gets easy:

- Spot the extremes. Surface inactive licenses, users on the wrong tier, and people ready for an upgrade.
- Catch idle seats early. Developer CLI tracking flags seats with no activity after 30 days. Microsoft 365 Copilot tracking flags seats unused for 90+ days, along with purchased, assigned, and unassigned counts.
- Take action automatically. Revoke, reassign, or notify without a ticket queue. With the new ChatGPT Enterprise integration, Torii workflows can invite, remove, change roles for, and manage group membership of ChatGPT members.
- Keep seat data fresh. Claude.ai Enterprise members, seat tiers, spend limits, and pending invites now sync nightly through Anthropic's Admin API.

Why it matters: you pay for the AI people use, and the savings show up at renewal.

### 8. Coach adoption instead of just counting it

AI adoption isn't a straight line. Some people can't wait to try every new model. Others hold back, because of their role or just how they approach new tech. Both groups need attention, and the earlier you talk to them, the better.

Torii gives you three views to work from:

- The Usage dashboard shows company-wide token value, active users, sessions, tokens, daily model use, and an auto-generated AI summary.
- The Adoption dashboard breaks adoption down by department or org hierarchy and calls out the biggest movers.
- The AI Pulse dashboard is the live view: active users right now, AI calls per minute, token value rate, and a projection for the day, all over a continuously refreshing window of roughly the last five minutes. It even includes a map of where active users are and a "Model Pulse" that shows which models are busiest.

The aggregate view also highlights the people making the most efficient use of their tokens. Those are your champions for the rest of the company.

Why it matters: you can run an AI enablement program on data. Find the champions, find the stragglers, and help both.

## Part 3: Go deeper where AI moves fastest

### 9. Bring engineering's AI coding agents into view

Some of your heaviest AI usage never shows up in a browser. It runs in the terminal. Torii tracks LLM token usage from developer CLIs, including Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, and GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code, across macOS, Linux, and Windows.

For each session, Torii captures the user, the model, input and output tokens, and errors. For Claude Code, it also records which tools and MCP servers ran, so security can see what agents are actually doing. The Productivity dashboard adds engineering signals like commits and code changes.

And it's built to earn developer trust. Prompt contents are off by default, model responses are never captured, and there's no keystroke logging, screen capture, or shell history collection. Roll it out however suits your team: through MDM (Jamf, Kandji, Intune, JumpCloud, and more), through an existing OpenTelemetry collector, or with a one-liner install for a quick pilot.

Why it matters: engineering AI spend gets the same attribution and governance as everything else, without slowing anyone down.

### 10. Go deep on any single AI vendor

Sometimes you need to zoom all the way in. Open any AI application in Torii and get the full picture for that vendor.

Open OpenAI, for example, and you'll see how many members you have, projects ranked by spend, your daily spend rate, the last 30 days of spend, and recent billing history. Claude Platform costs break down by model and workspace. Microsoft 365 Copilot shows prompts and active days over 7, 28, 90, and 180 days, plus usage across Teams, Outlook, and the rest of Office.

Torii also keeps the data honest. If an AI source stops collecting, it shows a Failed status so you can fix the gap fast. If a custom OpenAI key expires or hits a rate limit, AI Settings tells you exactly what went wrong.

Why it matters: vendor reviews and renewals come with real usage behind them, not a sales rep's slide.

### 11. Bring vibe coding out of the shadows

This is where things get exciting. Vibe coding gave non-engineers a superpower: anyone can build a working app in an afternoon. Until now, most organizations had no idea what those apps were, who used them, or what they connected to.

Torii changes that. For platforms like Lovable, you can see your credits, your spend, and a breakdown of your published apps. Then it goes a level deeper. The Integrations tab maps every internal app to the systems it connects to. One app might touch GitHub, Gong, and Segment. Another might reach into AWS, Gong, and Slack. Flip the view around to see every internal app connected to a single system, like GitHub.

Connect Lovable or Base44 to Torii and each internal app becomes a regular Torii app. You see who has access and how many users it has, user lists stay in sync automatically, and the apps flow into your existing offboarding, access reviews, and reports.

Why it matters: security knows exactly where to start, IT can set policy it can measure against, and your builders keep building.

## One platform, every AI question answered

Those 11 use cases add up to one shift: AI goes from something that happens to your company to something you actively run. IT gets the inventory. Finance gets numbers that match the invoice. Security gets a map. And leadership finally gets a straight answer to "is this AI spend worth it?"

Bonus: you don't even need to open a dashboard to get answers. The Torii MCP Server is now an official connector in Claude's connector directory, so you can bring Torii data right into your AI conversations.

Ready to see your whole AI footprint in one place? Book a demo [/request-a-demo] and find out what's really running in your company.


# Page Title
The SaaS renewal playbook for 2027: negotiate with usage data, not gut feel | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/the-saas-renewal-playbook-for-2027-negotiate-with-usage-data-not-gut

## Page Description

For years, a SaaS renewal negotiation went roughly the same way. The vendor sent a quote a few weeks out. Someone checked it against last year's invoice,…

## Details

### The SaaS renewal playbook for 2027: negotiate with usage data, not gut feel

For years, a SaaS renewal negotiation went roughly the same way. The vendor sent a quote a few weeks out. Someone checked it against last year's invoice, asked for a few points off, and signed. The seat count rolled forward because nobody had time to argue with it.

That model is breaking, and Microsoft is the clearest example of why. Its July 2026 price increase is the one on every renewal calendar this winter. But the change that did the most to your bargaining position happened eight months before that, and it came with a lot less noise.

Here's the uncomfortable part. The vendor walks into the call knowing how many seats you bought and how many people actually log in. Most buyers walk in with last year's invoice and a spreadsheet called something like licenses_FINAL_v3.

This piece is about closing that gap. It covers what to pull 90 days before a renewal, how to model the tier mix and the metered charges, what to ask for and when, and what to write into the contract. Microsoft is the worked example because it's the renewal everyone is watching. The method is meant for every renewal on your list.

### Microsoft's 2026 price increase started in November

On November 1, 2025, Microsoft removed its Level B through D volume discounts on Enterprise Agreement and MPSA online-services renewals (Microsoft Licensing [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/online-services-pricing-consistency-update]). Those tiers used to reward larger customers with a lower per-seat price. The change doesn't bite on the day it was announced. It takes effect at your next agreement renewal or new purchase, with on-premises and Government/Education excluded.

SoftwareOne estimated the impact on affected EA and MPSA customers at 6 to 12% (SoftwareOne [https://www.softwareone.com/en/blog/articles/2025/08/14/microsoft-pricing-model-updates]). That's a third-party estimate, not a Microsoft figure, but it gives you the order of magnitude. And it lands before the July list prices even enter the math.

Then came the headline change. On July 1, 2026, Microsoft's US commercial list prices moved like this (Microsoft 365 Blog [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/blog/2025/12/04/advancing-microsoft-365-new-capabilities-and-pricing-update/]; US Cloud [https://www.uscloud.com/blog/microsoft-365-price-increase-july-1-2026-what-enterprise-buyers-need-to-know-part-1/]):

- Office 365 E3: $23 to $26 per user per month (13%)
- Microsoft 365 E3: $36 to $39 (8%)
- Microsoft 365 E5: $57 to $60 (5%)
- F3: $8 to $10

Put the two together and the picture changes. If you're on an EA or MPSA and your renewal falls in the Q4 or January cluster, your quote can carry both increases at once: the lost volume discount and the new list price. A team that budgeted 5% for its E5 renewal because that's the number in the press coverage is probably budgeting low.

Two caveats before going further. These are US list prices, and very few large customers pay list. And the November change applies only to EA and MPSA (Microsoft Licensing [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/online-services-pricing-consistency-update]). If you buy through a Cloud Solution Provider or on an MCA-E, your price and discount are set by the partner and aren't published anywhere, so treat the numbers here as a way to size the change, not a quote.

None of this is secret. Some licensing advisers have written about the November-to-July connection. What your reseller's renewal email usually won't do is hand you the numbers you'd need to push back on it.

### Pull four numbers 90 days before the renewal

Ninety days gives you time to find the problems, fix some of them, and still have a position before the vendor's quote arrives. If you'd rather have software start that clock, our comparison of renewal management software [/articles/seven-best-renewal-management-software] scores seven tools on lead time and usage data. Four numbers do most of the work.

Active users vs. licensed seats. How many seats you pay for, and how many people used the product in the last 30 or 90 days. One way I've heard the gap put is "owned vs. used vs. assigned," and it's a useful split: seats you bought, seats assigned to a person, and seats that person actually uses. Each gap has a different fix.

Last-login distribution. A single average hides the story. You want the spread: how many users logged in this week, this month, this quarter, and not at all. The long tail of people who haven't logged in for 90 days is where the easy savings sit.

Feature usage by tier. A premium seat is only worth it if the person uses the premium features. For Microsoft, that means knowing who actually touches the capabilities that separate E5 from E3.

Contract value vs. invoiced spend. What the contract says you committed to, against what you were actually billed. Mid-term additions, true-ups and add-ons drift, and the renewal quote usually starts from the higher number.

What does this kind of pull turn up? Our benchmark report puts license non-utilization across a dozen widely deployed enterprise apps between 24% for Slack and 55% for Salesforce (Torii [https://www.toriihq.com/saas-benchmark-annual-report-2026]). Read that as seats not earning their keep rather than a precise, defined rate; the report doesn't publish its method. It also doesn't include Microsoft, so don't carry those percentages over to your 365 estate. The same report found about 2.5% of seats in paid apps still assigned to people who had left the company (Torii [https://www.toriihq.com/saas-benchmark-annual-report-2026]). That's roughly 1 in 40, sitting on an invoice, belonging to nobody.

Your numbers won't match these. But almost nobody's come back clean.

### Match each seat to the tier it needs

Once you know who uses what, you can model the tier mix. This is where Microsoft's price gaps matter more than the increase itself.

At the new US list prices (Microsoft 365 Blog [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/blog/2025/12/04/advancing-microsoft-365-new-capabilities-and-pricing-update/]), Microsoft 365 E5 costs $21 per user per month more than E3, or $252 a year. E3 costs $29 a month more than F3.

Here's an illustrative example, using list prices. Take a company with 1,000 users, all on E5. The July increase from $57 to $60 adds $36,000 a year to that bill. Now say the usage pull shows 200 of those users never touch an E5-only feature. Moving them to E3 saves 200 × $252, or $50,400 a year.

Right-sizing a fifth of the seats saves more than the entire price increase. That's the argument for doing the tier work before arguing about the sticker price.

The same logic runs down to F3, Microsoft's frontline tier. It's far cheaper and far more limited, so check what each group of users actually does before moving anyone. A blended model, meaning the count of seats on each tier multiplied by its price, is what you take into the call.

One trap sits inside E5. Security Copilot is included with Microsoft 365 E5 and E7 as a monthly capacity allowance: 400 Security Compute Units per 1,000 licensed users, with no rollover (Microsoft Learn [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/security/security-copilot-inclusion]). Unused units disappear at the end of the month. That's worth knowing in both directions. If you cut E5 seats, you also cut the allowance. If your security team leans on Security Copilot heavily, the allowance may run out, which matters for the next section.

### Model the metered charges as a range

Seat prices are the easy part to forecast. The harder part is anything billed by consumption.

Microsoft has announced a pay-as-you-go rate of $6 per SCU for Security Copilot usage beyond the included allowance. As of this writing, it isn't live. Microsoft says it will start "at a future date," with 30 days' notice (Microsoft Learn [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/security/security-copilot-inclusion]). You'll see some renewal coverage describe it as an active charge. Microsoft's own page says otherwise, and it's worth checking before you budget against it.

So how do you plan for a charge that doesn't exist yet? As a range, not a number. Your low case assumes you stay inside the allowance. Your high case assumes your heaviest month of use continues after the overage switches on. If the 1,000-seat example above ran 100 SCUs over its 400 in a month, that's $600 a month at the announced rate. Small on its own; not small once agents and other metered tools stack on top.

That stacking is the bigger pattern. More software is shifting to a seat price plus a usage charge, and the usage part is what surprises finance mid-year. I covered who ends up owning that bill in "FY2027 is the year finance takes over the AI budget," the previous part of this series. For renewals, the practical step is simpler: give every metered line a floor and a ceiling, and show finance both.

### Run the negotiation in a set order

With the numbers in hand, the sequence matters as much as the asks.

Start with utilization. Open with what you use, not with what you'd like to pay. "We have 1,000 E5 seats and 200 of them don't use E5 features" is a different conversation from "can you do better on price?" It turns the call from a discount request into a correction of the bill.

Then ask for flexibility, not just a lower rate. Two terms carry most of the value:

- Swap rights, so you can move seats between tiers during the term as usage changes
- True-down rights, so you can reduce seat counts at set points instead of only adding them

A discount helps once. These terms keep helping every time your headcount or usage shifts.

Then time the ask. Vendor sales teams work to quarterly and annual targets, and a deal that closes inside the period counts toward them. For Microsoft, aim to have your position ready well before its fiscal year closes, and before the end of whichever quarter your renewal falls near. Getting your numbers together in the final week of the quarter is too late to be useful.

### Write the terms into the contract

A good call is worth nothing if the terms don't make it onto paper. Four clauses do most of the protecting:

- Price caps on renewal increases, stated as a percentage
- True-down at defined dates, with the minimum seat count spelled out
- Benchmark clauses that let you revisit pricing if the market moves
- Notice periods long enough to run this whole 90-day process before auto-renewal kicks in

Microsoft's own language shows why term length is a pricing decision. Its FAQ on the 2026 changes says: "Customers on existing multi-year agreements will continue at their current pricing until renewal" (Microsoft Licensing [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/2026-m365-packaging-pricing-updates-faq]).

Read that from the other side. A multi-year agreement protects you from repricing during the term, and the full weight of every change lands on the day it renews. So the price you lock in this winter is the base for the next cycle too. If the tier mix is wrong at signing, you're locking in the wrong mix at the new price.

### Repeat it for the rest of your top ten

Microsoft is the example, not the whole job. The same four numbers work for any renewal: seats against active users, the login spread, tier fit, and contract value against invoiced spend.

The benchmark range above suggests where to look next. If a widely deployed app can sit anywhere from roughly a quarter to over half non-utilized (Torii [https://www.toriihq.com/saas-benchmark-annual-report-2026]), your other large renewals probably deserve the same pull. Rank them by renewal date and contract value, and start the clock 90 days out for each.

The hard part is getting the data together, especially across ten vendors with ten admin consoles. Torii is one way to do that. For Microsoft 365 Copilot specifically, it syncs purchased, assigned, and unassigned seats, plus prompts and active days over 7, 28, 90, and 180-day windows (Torii Product Updates [https://product-updates.toriihq.com/]).

So start with one. Find your largest renewal in the next six months, count back 90 days, and put the seat pull on the calendar for that date. If the 90-day mark has already passed, pull the numbers anyway. A late count still tells you which tier mix to ask for, and it's cheaper to find the wrong mix now than to lock it in for another term.


# Page Title
Torii Signs Agreement to Join Freshworks | Torii

## Page URL

https://www.toriihq.com/blog/torii-freshworks-acquisition

## Page Description

Torii has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Freshworks. CEO and co-founder Uri Haramati on why this is the right next step for our customers and our team.

## Details

Torii has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Freshworks (NASDAQ: FRSH). We expect to close in Freshworks’ fourth fiscal quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. Until then, we continue to operate as two separate, independent companies, and nothing changes for our customers today.

## Why this is the right next step

Tal, Uri Nativ, and I started Torii in 2017 with a problem we could not get anyone to care about. Software was piling up inside companies faster than any team could keep track of it, and every tool we looked at covered one slice of the picture. Nobody could answer the basic questions. What do we have? Who uses it? What does it cost? We wanted one piece of software to manage all software. Most of the people we pitched told us that was not a real category, so we built it ourselves.

Others followed, and SaaS management became a category. This year, Torii was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SaaS Management Platforms, for the third consecutive year.

Nearly a decade later the problem is bigger, and AI has made it harder. Consumption pricing does not fit the way anyone budgets for software, and most of these tools arrive without IT hearing about them. Fixing that at scale means software management cannot sit in a tool of its own. It has to run inside the systems IT already uses: the service desk where access gets granted and offboarding happens, the CMDB where the rest of the estate is tracked, and the ITAM and ITSM workflows where contracts, renewals, and approvals already live. Software is the layer that has been missing from all of it.

So today, we’re sharing our news: Freshworks has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Torii. Freshservice is already where IT teams across industries and geographies run their day-to-day operations, and Torii extends that same footprint into software and AI spend.

Freshworks has spent years on the hardware and infrastructure side of the estate, and on the service desk that runs on top of it. The piece it has not had is software: which applications are actually in use, who is using them, what the licenses cost, and what AI is quietly running up in consumption charges. That is what we have spent nine years building. Put the two together and IT teams can manage all of it in one place instead of stitching it together across separate tools.

## What this means for customers

Between signing and closing, Torii operates as an independent company. Your instance, your integrations, your workflows, your support contacts and your renewal terms are exactly where they were yesterday. The roadmap has not changed, our product teams are working on the same projects they were working on last week, and we are still shipping and still signing new customers.

What changes over time is what stands behind the product. Freshservice already runs inside IT organizations around the world. The software and AI governance you bought from Torii will sit next to the service desk, the CMDB, and the asset management those teams use every day, instead of living in a separate tool somebody has to remember to open. Many of you brought Torii in when this problem was not on anyone’s priority list, and you argued for it internally before it was obvious. That is the reason we are here. Thank you. Once the deal closes, we’ll share more about what we’re building together.

If you have questions, please reach out to your Torii contact.

This post contains forward-looking statements. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and there can be no assurance as to its timing or completion.