1. Getting SaaS Spending Under Control
One of the most important benefits of app rationalization is that it enables small businesses to reduce their spending on Software as a Service tools by identifying redundancy and waste hidden across a sprawling app portfolio.
The rationalization process includes conducting a detailed inventory of software running within an organization to uncover overlapping tools that serve the same function, unused or underused software licenses, and shadow IT that has been deployed outside an IT department’s visibility.
This process enables IT teams to retire software that may be redundant or unused and consolidate with a smaller set of applications to reduce costs.
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2. Reducing App-Related Cybersecurity Risks
Software that a small business’s IT team can’t account for represents a significant cybersecurity risk. Flexera notes that unvetted applications expand an organization’s attack surface, providing additional potential points of entry for cybercriminals and increasing the risk of a data breach.
Rationalization efforts can reduce these risks by building a complete inventory across an organization’s entire application portfolio. This enables IT teams to identify redundant or unvetted tools and retire them, reducing the number of systems that need patching, monitoring and access governance.
3. Minimizing the Complexity of Sprawling Software
By giving small businesses a clear, accurate picture of their software environments, app rationalization can also help them reduce complexity.
Complexity may pose an especially serious challenge for rapidly growing small businesses, whose IT teams must scale their software portfolios to meet increasing demands. Rationalization starts by addressing gaps in configuration management databases, then uses a reference architecture to map applications to business functions so overlap becomes visible. Automated tools can help IT teams speed up the process, shrinking the time needed to complete an inventory.
The results of these efforts leave the business with a simpler and more visible application portfolio. Rationalization also provides IT teams with a clearer picture of ownership over specific software and creates a stronger alignment between IT and business objectives.
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4. Creating a More Scalable Foundation for Future Growth
Application sprawl can limit the growth of small businesses. As teams add software ad hoc to solve immediate problems, they build up redundant, disconnected systems that become harder — and costlier — to untangle as the business gets bigger. However, application rationalization can help businesses manage this sprawl and put organizations on a path toward growth.
By requiring a disciplined inventory of every application and evaluating each piece of software against actual business value, rationalization helps small businesses maintain only tools that are secure, adaptable and built to scale. This improves agility and leads to a lean IT portfolio that can respond more rapidly as the business evolves.
Ultimately, app rationalization can help small businesses avoid issues such as runaway costs and unnecessary security risks while putting them in a position for better business outcomes.
