Businesses rely on a multitude of SaaS applications to drive productivity and innovation. As business needs evolve, so do the SaaS applications they use. Applications become obsolete, contracts expire, or new solutions emerge. Unfortunately, decommissioning a SaaS tool within an organization and eliminating access isn’t as simple as turning off the lights and walking away. There are many intricacies involved in ensuring a smooth transition for your organization.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how software management tools can be a CIO and IT team’s best friend during this process, particularly focusing on removing user access.
The Software Decommissioning Process: A Quick Overview
Decommissioning software is a multi-step process that requires careful planning and execution. To fully decommission software, you need to:
- Issue notice to the vendor: Inform the software vendor about your intention to terminate the contract.
- Migrate all users off the platform: This involves transitioning users to alternative solutions or new processes.
- Take backups and delete data: Ensure all necessary data is backed up and any sensitive information is deleted, following any vendor requirements or data deletion requests.
- Disconnect integrated systems: If the software was integrated with other tools or platforms, you must sever these connections.
- Formally close the account: Complete any final paperwork and close the account with the vendor.
Step two (migrating users off the platform) is a significant undertaking. It requires coordination across teams, clear communication, and meticulous tracking of user access. This is where software management tools come into play.
Risks of Not Migrating Users
It’s easy to overlook what happens to software your company no longer uses. But when applications are retired or replaced, loose ends access caused by a haphazard shutdown can cause big problems:
- Security Vulnerabilities: Current or former employees or contractors might retain access credentials, creating security loopholes that can be exploited.
- Data Risk: Inactive applications might still harbor sensitive customer data, financial records, or intellectual property. Leaving this data accessible is risky and may also be a compliance issue.
- Hidden Costs: Forgotten subscriptions can continue to drain budgets long after the software is no longer in use. Unnoticed auto-renewals are a common culprit.
The Power of Software Management Tools
Software management tools, like FinQuery Software Management, are designed to give organizations a comprehensive view of their software landscape and can be a powerful ally in the decommissioning process. Look for a tool with these key features for decommissioning:
- Software Inventory: A detailed inventory of all software assets, including licenses, access, and usage data.
- Contract Repository: Centralized storage for software contracts, providing easy access to termination clauses and other relevant details.
- User Access Revocation: Streamlined processes for quickly identifying and revoking user access to the software being decommissioned.
- License Management: Ensures licenses are properly managed and that you’re not paying for unused software after decommissioning.
- Audit Trails: Detailed records of all changes to software and user access, providing transparency and accountability.
- Cost Optimization: Helps identify and eliminate unnecessary software costs, both before and after decommissioning.
Streamlining Access Removal: A Real-World Scenario
Imagine a scenario where your organization is decommissioning a legacy SaaS CRM platform. With a software management tool in place, your IT team can:
- Identify all users: Easily see a list of all employees with access to the CRM.
- Revoke access: Disable access for these users with a few clicks, ensuring a secure transition.
- Monitor usage: Track any lingering usage to ensure everyone has migrated to the new system.
- Manage licenses: Ensure you’re not paying for any unnecessary licenses after decommissioning.
- Document the process: Maintain detailed notes of all actions taken for audit trail compliance and future reference.
Choosing the Right Software Management Tool
There are numerous software management solutions available on the market and their use cases go well beyond software decommissioning to include eliminating shadow IT, tracking software licenses, automating tasks such as onboarding and offboarding, and uncovering cost savings. When selecting one for your organization, consider the following factors:
- Features: Ensure the tool offers the essential features you need for decommissioning and beyond, such as user access management and license tracking.
- Ease of use: The tool should be intuitive for both IT teams and end-users.
- Complete visibility: Look for a solution that provides a full picture of what’s going on including contracts, renewal dates, and payment information.
- Scalability: Choose a tool that can grow with your organization’s needs.
- Integration: Look for a tool that integrates with your existing IT infrastructure.
By investing in the right software management tool, you can not only simplify the software decommissioning process, but also gain full visibility into software at your organization to more efficiently manage the software still in use and optimize costs and resources.
