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A business can collect software one small problem at a time. Ask why a tool was bought and the answer might be “it solved a problem that week.” That’s a fine reason to buy software. It’s a bad reason to keep it.

The costs creep up quietly, too. Ten tools at $30 a month is $3,600 a year, before anyone counts the time spent copying information between them.

Even big companies waste half

Zylo’s 2026 SaaS Management Index found the average organization uses only 54% of the software licences it pays for. Those are organizations big enough to run hundreds of apps, with budgets to match.

The once-a-year check-up

Once a year, set aside an hour and make a simple list. For every tool, write down:

• What it costs, per month and per year
• Who uses it, and how often
• The one job it does for the business
• Who has the login, and whether that person still works with you

The last one surprises people. Old accounts belonging to past staff, or to a freelancer from years ago, are common. They’re also a security risk. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security tells small organizations to remove accounts when people leave, to give everyone their own login instead of a shared one, and to use two-step sign-in wherever possible.

Look for pairs

Now look down the “one job” column. Two tools doing the same job are worth a closer look: two places to book appointments, two ways of sending invoices, two apps for team messages.

The fix is rarely a bigger tool. It’s usually one of these:

1. Delete one and move the job into the other.
2. Connect the two so information flows between them without anyone retyping it.
3. Keep both on purpose, because each does its job well, and write down why.

Custom software comes last

Custom software belongs at the end of that list, not the beginning. We say this as a studio that builds custom software. When something off the shelf fits, buy it, and spend the difference on the part of your business that actually makes you different.

Where custom work earns its place is the gap between tools: the booking that should become an invoice, the enquiry that should become a job, the customer who should be able to check their own status without calling.

What I’d do first

1. Today: open your bank or card statement and list every software charge from the last three months.
2. This week: check who has each login, remove anyone who’s gone, and turn on two-step sign-in for the important ones.
3. This month: find the pairs doing the same job, and cancel, connect or keep each on purpose.

If your list gets long and tangled, that’s a good conversation to have. See how we approach systems and automation, or start a conversation.