Quick Wins: 12 Software Savings You Can Capture This Quarter
Twelve practical ways to reduce software costs within a quarter, from releasing leaver licenses to cancelling forgotten subscriptions and fixing auto-renewals.
By the MI Solutions SAM team10 min read2 exhibits
Not every software saving needs a transformation program. Many organizations can capture meaningful savings within a single quarter, using data they already have and decisions that affect almost nobody. Here are twelve, grouped by how quickly you can act on them: this week, this month and this quarter.
Exhibit 1
This week
These need nothing more than an export and a decision.
01Release licenses from leavers
Compare licensed users in your top five products with HR's leaver list. Every match is a license you can release this week. See offboarding.
02Cancel forgotten subscriptions
Search twelve months of expense and card data for software. Ask the owner of each unfamiliar subscription whether it is still needed. See shadow IT.
03Put every renewal in one calendar
List renewals for the next twelve months with their notice deadlines. Any agreement that would auto-renew without review is a saving waiting to be missed. See renewal calendar.
04Assign an owner to every major contract
Not a direct saving, but the change that makes all the others repeat every quarter.
This month
These need a short notification step or a check of the contract.
01Reclaim inactive seats
Pull last-activity data for your largest per-user products and reclaim licenses unused for 90 days, after notifying users. See license reclamation.
02Send notice on uncertain auto-renewals
Where the notice deadline is close and the decision is not made, giving notice preserves your options. Check the contract first. See auto-renewal clauses.
03Remove unused add-ons
Review add-on modules and premium features on your largest contracts. Anything not switched on can usually be removed at renewal.
04Clean the true-up count
If a true-up is due, remove leavers, duplicates and inactive users before reporting. See software true-ups.
This quarter
These change how much you pay per user or how many tools you pay for.
01Right-size premium tiers
Move people who do not use premium features to a standard plan at the next opportunity. See right-sizing.
02Consolidate duplicate tools
Pick one category with obvious overlap, such as video conferencing or file sharing, and choose a standard. See application rationalization.
03Switch monthly plans to annual where usage is stable
Annual billing is often cheaper than monthly for stable, well-used products. Only do it where you are confident the volume is right.
04Ask for price protection at renewal
Request a cap on future price increases in every renewal you negotiate this quarter. See price uplift clauses.
What a quarter of quick wins can add up to
Exhibit 2
Your quick-win tracker
How MI One helps
Frequently asked questions
How much can quick wins save?
It varies widely, but leaver and inactive licenses alone often add up to a noticeable share of per-user software spend.
Do quick wins replace a SAM program?
No. They fund it. Without a routine, the same waste returns within a year.
Which quick win should we do first?
The leaver check. It is fast, uncontroversial and almost always finds licenses to release.
See where your software budget goes
Bring your five largest vendors to a 30-minute call. Our SAM experts will show you where the savings usually hide, and how fast MI One can surface them.
