How Can I Improve My SaaS Operations?

In most cases, improving SaaS operations comes down to accomplishing three things:

• Automating repetitive tasks.
• Streamlining permissions audits. 
• Minimizing unnecessary spending.

SaaS management is only growing in complexity, with no signs of slowing down. As we add more software to the workplace, we also add more tasks for SaaS operations—more user requests, more security risks, and more onboarding/offboarding cycles. What can organizations do to keep their SaaS operations management running smoothly, without drowning their IT staff in ticket requests?

Sometimes, you have to fight fire with fire—or in this case, software with software. While it may seem ridiculous that adding technology is the solution, the right technology solution can simplify SaaS management for IT teams, leadership, and anyone in the org who uses software. Keep reading to learn about what SaaS operations management tools exist, and how a SaaS management platform like Lumos makes software simple for everyone involved. To start things off, let’s talk a bit about SaaS management strategy and how SaaS management platforms (SMPs) work.

What Is a SaaS Management Strategy?

A SaaS management strategy is the plan a company uses to make the most of its software spending. This of course applies to what software they decide to purchase (and why), but more importantly, it also applies to how the software is maintained. An organization’s SaaS management strategy must also outline how it will protect themselves—and their staff—from security breaches.

Monitoring who has access to what softwares is crucial to SaaS operations, meaning an IT team must keep constant watch over not just who is using software, but what user permissions they have. As employees are hired to the organization, leave it, or transition to other roles, SaaS operations need to make sure those people still have the appropriate level of access to each software they use. 

What can a SaaS operations strategy use to keep track of literally hundreds, if not thousands of user permissions all at once? Here’s where SaaS management platforms (SMP) shine their brightest, providing the tools and integrations to bring together an org’s software management goals. With an SMP, you’re not just adding another piece of software to the stack: you’re creating a way to unify, streamline, and expedite the handling of all your software. In many ways, you’re reducing the stack—that is, in terms of workload, cost, and time spent on repetitive tasks.

How Do You Manage SaaS Operations With an SMP?

SaaS management platforms provide several key functions for managing software, including:

• Spending Analytics | Identifying redundant software, unused licenses, and ways to reduce costs 
• Vendor Management | Creating a unified, single source for tracking all software vendors
• Task Automation | Offloading repetitive operations, such as troubleshooting and user requests
• Security and Compliance | Auditing, reviewing, and monitoring at much quicker paces

Each of these functions create value for both the IT team and anyone in the org using software—by saving money, time, and stress. SMPs make it easier to handle software issues, quicker for employees to onboard/offboard, and easier for the organization to adjust depending on what its SaaS operation strategy is. For example, if a company wants to reduce its software spending, a tool like Lumos can help them see how many licenses they’re paying for and which of those are actually getting used. And since the average company is only using half of its software stack, chances are there’s an opportunity for companies to save big without losing the software they do use.

How Can You Improve Your SaaS Operations? With Lumos!

Software doesn’t have to be a headache for your organization or your IT staff. A SaaS management platform can bring down costs, reduce workload, and free up your IT team to handle more tasks. And the best SMPs—like Lumos—come from vendors who know the struggles of IT professionals firsthand. We created this tool to make things easier for everyone, but most especially the IT heroes who keep things running.

Here’s how Lumos makes your software stack work for you, rather than the other way around:

• Control your software spending with detailed analytics, user audits, and more.
• Create a single source of truth for software vendor management.
• Maintain compliance and security through simplified license management.
• Quickly identify redundant software, unused licenses, and ways to make things simpler.
• Offload repetitive, time-consuming tasks to free up your IT heroes—so they can save the day!

‍Schedule a demo today and see how much easier it is to handle your software stack with Lumos. We look forward to working with you and making your operations run a whole lot smoother!