Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is all about organizing key information and communication in one system to ensure efficiencies and that no minor detail goes unnoticed. The tracking and reporting capabilities of CRM software can be a big advantage for small and medium-sized businesses.

Software management requires a CRM platform as well to streamline workflows and overcome communication gaps between team members and departments. The goal of every business is to achieve speed, ease, and efficiency, a software management CRM can offer just that.

The Evolution of Software in SMBs

Gone are the days when SMBs had no other option but to rely on manual spreadsheets and physical record-keeping. The rise of the SaaS era have made various software tools easily accessible. Tools like Microsoft Excel and QuickBooks became the buzzwords, and CRM tools were born. Cloud-based software solutions not only became accessible but were also made more affordable, eliminating the need for on-premise infrastructure.

With more advancements in software and technology, global expansion among online e-commerce and marketplaces became simple. It’s now easier than ever to start, operate, and grow a business. Every business function now has a corresponding software tool. All SMBs have to do is choose the right ones and use them well.

However, with the explosion of SaaS tools, software management eventually became a problem as SMBs can no longer manage and keep an eye on every software subscription. Things that remain overlooked remain chaotic, this is where a software management tool can come in handy.

Challenges Faced by SMBs in Software Management

Saas overload has brought various challenges not only in SMBs in large enterprises as well.

• Financial Challenges:

A user with personal software subscriptions tends to forget about their free trials and software renewals, so can you imagine how much more complicated it is for businesses with hundreds of software subscriptions to manage. Not being able to keep tabs on their tech stack means wasted SaaS spend due to redundant tools, underutilized software, and forgotten free trials and renewals. For SMBs, it is especially crucial to manage their runway and spend their budget wisely to strategically support growth and expansion.

• Operational Challenges:

Instead of new employees hitting the ground running, they have to wait for software access and provisions which translates to poor productivity and inefficient operations. Delayed de-provisioning also poses risks and security concerns due to prolonged unauthorized access.

• Collaborative Challenges:

Communication about software usage is typically ineffective and collaboration is increasingly difficult especially in remote companies. These communication gaps, overlaps, and inefficiencies are not the fault of the employees. Better support in the form of a centralized communication platform and software management tool is the key to increasing collaboration and efficient communication.

The CRM Approach to Software Management

CRM is usually associated with customer interaction and management, but the CRM approach can also prove to be useful in software management. Let’s draw some parallels:

• Customer identification vs Software Inventory

In the usual CRM, you’d segment customers based on their lead stage and demographics. In software management, you organize your software inventory according to their type, departments, and usability.

• Data Gathering and Analysis

CRM collects customer data for insights and analyzes sales metrics and performance. Software management requires similar functionality to monitor data on software costs, usage, and performance.

• Security and Access Control

CRM systems protect sensitive customer information through access control features. Software management also covers efficient provisioning and de-provisioning to ensure maximum data security.

• Scalability and Growth

CRM accommodates expansion and scalability. Using a CRM platform, you can manage more customers with ease. Using a software management tool, you can also manage as many software tools as you need while ensuring efficiency, productivity, and cost savings.

• Cost Management

Managing costs is also a crucial aspect of the CRM approach. Using the right CRM analytics, you can manage the costs of acquiring and retaining customers. In software management, you can better oversee your software spending and get on top of your software licenses and subscriptions.

The CRM approach can lead to centralized information, streamlined operations, and improved cross-departmental collaboration. If you can translate all these benefits to software management, you and your team can save a lot of time, effort, and resources.

Enter Talisman: The CRM for Your Software Needs

Talisman is an existing CRM approach to software management. We understand how software management is an underserved need in the market. Anyone who has tried manually tracking their SaaS spend and implementing SaaS audits can agree that managing SaaS is not as easy as it sounds. Getting the right information to make the right decisions takes more time and effort. Completing manual SaaS audits regularly can negatively affect your team’s productivity and inaccurate SaaS audits will only cause you to lose money on unnecessary SaaS expenses.

With Talisman, SMBs can enjoy the following:

• Cost Savings: Using Talisman, you can avoid unnecessary renewals by instantly discovering unused subscriptions and getting rid of redundant tools.
• Operational Efficiency: You can also streamline onboarding and offboarding processes by logging in to your Talisman account and giving or denying access to the selected user(s) with the click of a button. You no longer need to visit each of your individual software platforms to make the changes.
• Security and Compliance: It would be easier for the IT department to monitor Shadow IT or unauthorized software subscriptions because Talisman will show any new activities along with who’s responsible. Delays in offboarding and de-provisioning will also be avoided, ensuring security and compliance.

Your software investments should generate returns. If not, you should let go of them immediately. Knowing which software to let go of no longer needs to be a challenge.

Talisman's Unique Features in Action:

• Visibility: Talisman gives you full visibility of your software inventory, providing a comprehensive overview of all your tools, their costs, and user access.
• Alert System: Talisman proactively sends alerts, informing you of any required actions, like upcoming renewals or unused tools.
• Facilitated Communication: We can help enhance collaboration between departments by providing a centralized platform for software discussions and data-driven decision-making.

Case Study

Let’s feature the software management journey of OneSeven Tech. They acquired more software tools to accommodate their growing team and business. In the whirlwind of new projects to take care of and new clients to onboard, subscription management was either lost in the shuffle or became a manual nightmare.

To gain visibility of their SaaS portfolio, they had to sift through emails, QuickBooks records, and bank account transactions to gather all the correct information. They also had to communicate with multiple team members to confirm whether a subscription was active or not. It was all too time-consuming until they used Talisman for automated SaaS audit and management.

Hours and days of manual work were cut down to 30 minutes. Most importantly, the automated SaaS audit led to crucial decision-making which then translated to cost savings. The team was shocked when they realized they managed to save as much as $14,000 by simply canceling forgotten, underutilized, or redundant subscriptions. The process also improved inter-departmental collaboration. Now that One Seven Tech has found their ultimate SaaS CRM, they intend to never look back.

SMBs should make the most of every opportunity that allows them to save time and money. Talisman is an investment that takes care of your other SaaS investments. Especially if you’re dealing with dozens or hundreds of SaaS tools, managing them manually will cost you more money and manpower. Not managing them at all could be worse as you never know how much wasted SaaS spend has been flying under the radar all this time.

Do a quick SaaS audit and claim efficiency and cost savings today! Book a 15-minute phone call to get started.

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