Inventory before deciding
Record annual cost, active users, criticality, duplicated function and renewal date. Call a reduction potential until the billing change is verified.
- List every subscription
- Check owners and users
- Compare overlapping functions
- Review renewals
- Apply the approval filter
Build an inventory from billing and actual use
Compare payment records with the subscriptions people say they use. Capture the owner, purpose, billing interval, renewal date, seats and important integrations. Annualise recurring costs for comparison, but keep the actual payment schedule visible so a renewal does not become a surprise.
Separate an unused seat from an unused service. A tool that few people open may still run a critical integration. Ask the owner what would stop working if it disappeared and how they checked the answer. 'I do not use it' is not evidence that nobody depends on it.
Illustrative example: remove duplication safely
A team has two scheduling tools with overlapping functions. Before cancelling either, check which booking links are public, which calendars are connected and whether a customer workflow relies on one of them. Test the replacement route and update links before making the billing change.
Record the proposed reduction separately from verified savings. A cancelled subscription may remain paid through the current term, and moving work may create another cost. Confirm the new bill or renewal position before describing the reduction as money saved.
Use a decision gate for each change
For each subscription choose keep, reduce, consolidate, investigate or cancel, with a named approver. Check notice periods, data export, retention needs and access ownership before acting. Where the dependency is unclear, assign an investigation rather than using a low login count as permission to remove it.
Create a recurring review before renewals and when a team changes. Keep a route for people to request software with a clear purpose and owner. The aim is a stack that earns its cost and remains supportable, not the smallest possible software bill at any operational cost.