Best SaaS Management Platforms For Managing Today’s SaaS Applications

Easily find SaaS Management Platforms & SAM tools that match your SaaS application requirements for controlling spending, tracking usage, and planning for purchases or disposals.

Why Organisations Deploy SaaS Management Platforms

SaaS management platforms (SMP) have become essential tools for those tracking cloud-based application stats and usage, like CIOs, CFOs, and IT admin. The reasons to consider an SMP solution are built around its 3 key features:

1. Discovery and Inventory

• Automatically detect all SaaS applications in use
• Categorise apps by department, function, and type
• Track usage metrics and adoption rates

2. Cost Optimisation

• Identify unused or underutilised licences
• Highlight opportunities for licence consolidation
• Forecast future SaaS spending

3. Security and Compliance

• Monitor data access and sharing settings
• Enforce compliance policies across SaaS applications
• Streamline offboarding by revoking access to multiple apps from a single interface

These features within SaaS management platforms give you and your team extra capabilities for your SaaS applications. By being proactive you will reduce risks and optimise costs while maintaining compliance. This makes your job easier and makes the IT department more visible to the rest of the business.

The Role of SaaS Management in Modern IT Operations

SaaS Management Platforms have become incredibly useful for several reasons:

1. Increased Visibility and Control: SMPs offer an extensive overview of all SaaS applications within your organisation. This allows IT teams to manage, monitor and control their own software ecosystem.
2. Better Cost Optimisation: Identifying unused licences and redundant applications allows organisations to reduce SaaS-related expenditure. Gartner research indicates that implementing software asset management practices can lead to software cost reductions of up to 30%.
3. Stronger Risk Management: SMPs also play a role in detecting security vulnerabilities in SaaS applications. This is particularly important given that the global average cost of a data breach is $4.88 million.

SMPs cover help organisations maximise the value of SaaS investments and offer an internal overview of SaaS adoption by users.

Real-World Scenarios: SaaS Management Challenges for IT Admins

As an IT Admin, you’re likely to come across SaaS management challenges. The upsurge of SaaS tools being adopted has created a lot of extra work for IT Admins. Issues like shadow IT scenarios, cost overruns and security risks all impact workflow.

Some industries face compliance issues when unsanctioned applications are used, making SaaS Management Platforms a must-have tool. They offer improved visibility, control, and optimisation of an organisation’s SaaS ecosystem.

Here are some common scenarios that you might come across as an IT Admin, and how you can keep on top of them with a SaaS management platform:

Shadow IT Discovery Scenario

You discover that the marketing team has been using an unsanctioned file-sharing application to collaborate with external agencies. This could potentially expose sensitive data and create a security risk.

SMP Solution: Continuous discovery features will alert you to new applications being used across the organisation. This allows you to quickly identify and address security risks before they become a problem.

Licence Optimisation Scenario

Your organisation is paying for 500 licences of a project management tool, but usage reports show only 300 active users.

SMP Solution: Licence utilisation tracking can help you identify unused and underused subscriptions, enabling you to right-size your licences. You can then reallocate or cancel unused subscriptions or licences, potentially saving thousands in unnecessary costs.

Compliance Audits Scenario

You’re preparing for a SOC 2 audit and need to demonstrate control over data access across all SaaS applications.

SMP Solution: You’ll need to show centralised user access management and detailed audit logs provided by an SMP. Having this data can significantly streamline the compliance process, saving time and reducing stress during audits.

Comparing SaaS Management Platforms With Spreadsheets, Legacy ITAM, and Manual Processes

Managing licences and subscriptions manually is a nightmare, and we’ve probably all been there. Most companies rely on a few tools and processes to manage their software assets with a lot of manual steps.

1. Scalability and Automation

• Spreadsheets: Limited scalability; require manual updates and are prone to human error.
• Legacy IT Asset Management Tools: Can handle larger inventories but often struggle with cloud-based assets due to restricted access and limited functionality.
• Manual Processes: Manual capturing takes too long and is usually more likely to contain errors.
• SMPs: Automatically discover and track SaaS applications, and scale as the software portfolio grows.

2. Real-time Visibility

• Spreadsheets: Spreadsheets only give you snapshots that quickly become outdated.
• Legacy Tools: Asset management tools provide periodic updates but lack features for checking online tools. They also lag in real-time SaaS usage data unless they have a purpose-built feature or module.
• Manual Processes: This usually relies on an individual person’s efforts. If they are not in the office, chances are that your data is not being updated.
• SMPs: SMPs provide you with the real-time data that you need, including usage, spending, and security notifications.

3. Integration Capabilities

• Spreadsheets: Integration with other systems is possible with database integrations, but data is not always available from a single source.
• Legacy Tools: Some older tools can integrate with on-premise systems, but SaaS integrations are not very common – especially for newer SaaS applications.
• Manual Processes: Again, this method relies heavily on human efforts and doesn’t offer much in the way of integration with SaaS. (Unless you count logging in and manually running reports as an integration.)
• SMPs: You want a solution that integrates with all of your IT systems, financial tools, and identity providers for proper visibility.

Traditional tools like spreadsheets still have a place. But, they’re not a good fit for licence and subscription management. Similarly, legacy IT asset management systems and manual processes still have a place. With a growing SaaS portfolio, they quickly become unmanageable.

SaaS Management vs. Traditional Software Asset Management

SaaS management shares some DNA with traditional software asset management (SAM), but there are some big differences. Below are some of the biggest that you should know about.

These differences show us why specialised SaaS management platforms are so powerful for modern IT operations. SaaS management platforms address the unique challenges that come with cloud-based software environments.

SaaS Management vs. SaaS Operations Management

SaaS management and SaaS operations management (SaaS Ops) are closely related, but they are not the same. This is confusing at first glance because they do have some overlap with certain products.

They focus on different aspects of handling SaaS applications within an organisation.

SaaS Management

• Has its main focus on the strategic aspects of SaaS usage within an organisation
• Its primary goals include cost optimisation, licence management, and overall SaaS governance
• SaaS Management handles tasks such as:
  • Discovery and inventory of SaaS applications in use
  • Tracking and optimising SaaS spending and budget tracking
  • Managing waste through licence allocation and utilisation
  • Compliance and security oversight across the SaaS portfolio
  • Oversees details about contract renewals and vendor relationships

SaaS Operations Management (SaaS Ops)

• Concentrates on the day-to-day operational side of SaaS applications
• Aims to maintain smooth running and integrations with SaaS tools within the organisation’s workflow
• SaaS Ops concentrates on things such as:
  • Provisioning and deprovisioning users
  • Access controls and permissions management
  • Configuring and customising SaaS applications
  • Troubleshooting and user support
  • Implementing and managing integrations between different SaaS tools
  • Monitoring performance and uptime of SaaS applications

We mentioned earlier that there is some overlap between these two areas, and you can now see why. The biggest difference is in what they focus on:

• SaaS management takes a high-level, strategic approach to optimising the organisation’s SaaS ecosystem.
• SaaS Ops is more hands-on, dealing with the practical, day-to-day aspects of keeping SaaS applications running smoothly.

For smaller businesses, an ideal SaaS Management Platform offers features from both SaaS management and SaaS Ops worlds. Enterprises usually have separate teams or roles dedicated to SaaS Management and SaaS Ops.

Smaller organisations sometimes share responsibilities with the same IT team or even the same individual. In that case, having more functionality in a single product makes sense.

Implementing a SaaS Management Strategy: Your Roadmap to Success

To maximise the value of your SaaS management platform, be sure to:

1. Have Clear Policies: You might love it or hate it, but most things in IT work best with policies and procedures. Policies cover everything from the approval process for new SaaS purchases to user licence procurement. Your guidelines for acceptable use of each SaaS product should be clear and easy to understand. The framework that you build will provide you with a standard approach to SaaS adoption and management.
2. Offer Employee Education: Consider providing training to staff on the risks of shadow IT. You should aim to promote the positives of centralised SaaS management. Many employees may not even be aware that using an unrecognised SaaS could put the organisation in danger. When users are educated, they make better decisions.
3. Prioritise High-Impact Areas: Focus on areas that can provide quick, measurable results, such as licence optimisation. These early successes can help build momentum and support for broader SaaS management initiatives. Easy wins can help with buy-in from leadership teams and the executive layer.

These example guidelines help you to establish a strong SaaS management framework of your own. You want to drive efficiency and reduce costs while mitigating risks when onboarding SaaS products.

How to Choose the Right SaaS Management Platform

When selecting a SMP, consider the following factors:

1. Discovery Capabilities: Make sure that the platform can detect all SaaS applications, including shadow IT. Comprehensive discovery is fundamental to effective SaaS management.
2. Integration: Select tools that integrate easily with your existing IT infrastructure and management systems. Effective integration enhances overall operational efficiency.
3. Reporting and Analytics: Evaluate the depth and customisability of reporting features. strong analytics capabilities support data-driven decision-making processes.
4. Security Features: Consider additional capabilities such as vulnerability scanning or application whitelisting. Enhanced security features are crucial in today’s complex threat landscape.
5. User Experience: Choose a platform with an intuitive interface to encourage adoption across the organisation. A user-friendly design promotes widespread utilisation of the SMP.

Top Recommended SaaS Management Platforms

It can be overwhelming when trying to choose a SaaS Management Platform. There are many choices out there, but we have highlighted three of the most popular solutions available right now.

Each has its own area of focus, so you’ll need to research to find your best fit. Here’s a basic look at some of the most highly recommended platforms in the market right now:

1. Zylo SaaS Management Platform

Best For: Large enterprises with complex SaaS environments
Pricing: Custom pricing based on organisation size and needs

Key Features

• AI-powered discovery of all SaaS applications
• Detailed spend optimisation recommendations
• Automated renewal tracking and alerts
• Employee app usage insights

Pros

• Comprehensive discovery capabilities
• Strong financial optimisation tools
• Intuitive user interface

Cons

• Can be pricier than some alternatives
• May have more features than smaller organisations need

2. BetterCloud SaaS Management Platform

Best For: Organisations prioritising security and automation in multi-SaaS environments
Pricing: Tiered pricing model, with specific costs available upon request

Key Features

• Extensive automation capabilities for SaaS operations
• Granular user lifecycle management
• Advanced security and compliance controls
• Wide range of pre-built integrations

Pros

• Powerful workflow automation
• Strong security features
• Extensive integration ecosystem

Cons

• Steeper learning curve for advanced features
• Some users report occasional performance issues with large data sets

3. Torii SaaS Management Platform

Best For: Fast-growing companies looking for scalable SaaS management
Pricing: Offers a free trial, with custom pricing based on needs

Key Features

• AI-driven insights for SaaS optimisation
• Automated workflows for app management
• Customisable dashboards and reports
• Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Strong automation capabilities
• Excellent customer support

Cons

• Some advanced features may require additional configuration
• Limited native integrations compared to some competitors