SaaSMe Unfiltered: The SaaS Management Podcast

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SaaS Management has become a fundamental business practice within the enterprise. Yet, many IT, software asset management, and procurement leaders are still wrapping their brains around what it is and how to do it successfully. In this episode, Ben Pippenger breaks down what SaaS Management is, its importance, and why now is the time to get started.

Have a question you’d like answered on SaaSMe Anything? Submit yours here.

Key Takeaways

[00:08 - 00:36] SaaS is fundamental, so how do we make SaaS management successful?
[00:37 - 01:15] SaaS management is a holistic business practice, requires cross-functional collaboration
[01:15 - 02:14] The problems SaaS management solves — visibility into tech stack, reductions in software spend, and governing shadow IT security risks
[02:14 - 03:14] Wasting money and overspending on unused SaaS licenses
[03:14 - 05:31] What does a SaaS management practice look like? Inventory management, license management, and renewal management
[05:31 - 05:55] SaaS management is a holistic business practice that won't yield effective results when done piecemeal

SaaSMe Anything is the bi-weekly podcast that brings clarity to the chaos of SaaS, hosted by your resident SaaS expert and Zylo co-founder Ben Pippenger. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn here.

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To achieve operational excellence, save money, and drive innovation, IT leaders must have effective processes in place. But, what’s the best approach? Look no further than Trenton Cycholl. As VP of Digital Business at ModMed, Trenton has a software management process on lock to not only reduce administrative burden for IT, but to also drive usage and adoption. In this episode, get an inside look at this process and how to crawl-walk-run your way to a successful SaaS Management program.

Key Takeaways

[06:26 - 07:42] Strategically aligned partnership with IT for go-to-market goals and customer experience goals
[07:43 - 08:46] The innovation budget, what it looks like. A flywheel effect for supporting innovative culture and tools.
[10:47 - 12:05] Legacy software practices and keeping up with the agile world of SaaS, a wakeup call to managing application inventory
[16:40 - 17:18] Insights into the discovery exercise, emotions around specific applications
[17:18 - 18:38] Balancing individual preference of needed tools, while reducing sprawl and inefficiency. Sometimes it isn't a balance.
[20:16 - 21:44] Operationalized usage and adoption of tools, using Zylo to glean insights compared to what used to be cumbersome spreadsheets
[23:39 - 25:08] The walk phase, what prevents successful license management, difficulty establishing inventory management
[26:32 - 27:35] Finding out thousands of licenses are unused, a security and financial concern

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SaaS is often your biggest blindspot but also your greatest opportunity for optimization. As you embark on your SaaS Management journey, getting visibility is half the battle. Once you have it, what happens next? In this episode, Ben Pippenger breaks down five actions you can take to start making progress toward your strategic business goals.

Have a question you’d like answered on SaaSMe Anything? Submit yours here.

Key Takeaways

[00:07 - 00:35] "With great power comes great responsibility"
[00:35 - 01:09] Five topics to unlock visibility into your SaaS stack
[01:07 - 01:41] Inventory Management
[01:39 - 02:18] Shadow IT
[02:18 - 02:50] Application Rationalization
[02:50 - 03:14] License Optimization
[03:14 - 04:08] Operationalizing your renewal process

SaaSMe Anything is the bi-weekly podcast that brings clarity to the chaos of SaaS, hosted by your resident SaaS expert and Zylo co-founder Ben Pippenger. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn here.

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How many applications, redundancies, and duplicative tools are in your stack? The sprawl and inefficiency is real, and the opportunity to optimize is massive. In this episode, learn how IT procurement and software asset management expert Daniel Garcia uses SaaS app rationalization as a key lever in Coinbase's cost reduction strategies. Discover how to align your sourcing approach with organizational outcomes and leverage data-driven decisions to optimize your software stack.

Key Takeaways

[00:00 - 02:39] Introduction to Daniel Garcia, and background at Coinbase leading IT procurement and SAM
[02:39 - 04:17] Aligning SAM strategy to overall company outcomes in the cryptocurrency industry
[04:18 - 06:02] Cost optimization and innovation, rationalization with software solutions
[06:01 - 08:26] Examining app redundancy, data-driven decisions driven by Zylo that enable better governance
[08:27 - 10:16] A clearer picture of SaaS use and data, thinking about the lifecycle of software
[10:20 - 13:12] Infrastructure and on-prem, a convergence of cloud similar to legacy SAM and SaaS coming together
[13:13 - 14:38] Processes and utilization data, fueling better negotiations in renewals
[16:17 - 18:19] The sacred cow of the product, avoiding deprecation as a necessary software
[18:18 - 20:57] What businesses miss out on by not taking care of low-hanging fruit software expenses, monumental savings in cost
[20:59 - 23:35] Managing different department software beyond IT, a robust process and building self-serve options
[23:35 - 26:11] The most surprising app or piece of technology Daniel has seen expensed

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It’s easy for cost to be top of mind when it comes to SaaS. After all, the average organization spends $45M a year. But there’s something else lurking in the shadows that is arguably costlier: security risks. In this episode, Ben Pippenger breaks down the security risks lurking in your stack and key steps to address them and strengthen your security posture.

Have a question you’d like answered on SaaSMe Anything? Submit yours here.

Key Takeaways

[00:07 - 00:50] Introduction – 2024 SaaS Management Index found 65% of employee expenses have poor security scores
[00:50 - 01:17] Losing visibility into apps and how organizations conduct business
[01:18 - 01:38] Most unknown security risks lie with employee expenses and Shadow IT
[01:38 - 02:22] Cost is being managed, but security risks linger
[02:22 - 03:05] Cost, data breaches, and legal impact
[03:05 - 03:28] Loss of trust with customers
[03:26 - 03:56] Decentralization of SaaS buying, making a business secure
[03:55 - 04:35] Focused on visibility and risk

SaaSMe Anything is the bi-weekly podcast that brings clarity to the chaos of SaaS, hosted by your resident SaaS expert and Zylo co-founder Ben Pippenger. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn here.

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In 2023, organizations spent an average of $45M on SaaS. Yet, $18M of that is wasted. This isn’t chump change – it’s your second largest operating expense. That’s why we’re calling 2024 the year of opportunity for software management.

Between rampant license waste, heightened security risks, and surplus of renewals, it’s hard not to feel like you’re treading water. Add in rising vendor costs and tight budgets, and you’re soon gasping for breath.

In this episode, Zylo co-founder Ben Pippenger and Cloud Ratings founder Matt Harney examine trends from the 2024 SaaS Management Index and how IT, Software Asset Management, and Procurement leaders overcome these headwinds and come out on top.

Key Takeaways

[00:00 - 01:12] Episode overview, introducing guest Matt Harney from software research analyst firm Cloud Ratingson the state of SaaS stacks
[01:11 - 03:50] What to focus on in 2024, rallying behind SaaS management, and more on Matt's background
[03:51 - 04:36] Covering trends in the SaaS Management Index Report
[04:36 - 06:05] Employee purchases and "Shadow IT"
[06:05 - 07:04] Risk and spend are huge for SaaS, from cost and data perspectives
[07:02 - 07:49] Stacks are shrinking, prioritizing SaaS as a strategy
[07:49 - 08:58] Stats on SaaS rationalization
[08:58 - 10:47] Three key opportunities to calm SaaS chaos
[10:47 - 13:36] Matt talks about cloud cost optimization maturity throughout the years, trends he sees
[13:37 - 15:26] Different pricing models for software, and the rise of fin-ops
[15:28 - 16:34] What inning is SaaS management in?
[16:33 - 19:06] Cost per employee in SaaS and NRR
[19:08 - 20:05] NRR and pandemic bloat, a sign of digital transformation?
[21:04 - 22:42] Improving SaaS governance
[22:42 - 25:13] How Netflix is tackling SaaS governance
[25:13 - 26:09] Decentralization in SaaS, talking about Lindsay Stokes from Netflix and last season's episode
[26:09 - 27:05] Adopting AI
[27:05 - 29:05] The AI Interest Index
[29:06 - 30:25] Enabling employees to be responsible with SaaS purchasing

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Every company today is using SaaS. And with it comes uncontrolled sprawl, risk, and spend. Yet, many IT, SAM, finance, and procurement leaders are just now having their Eureka moment, recognizing the need to manage it.

How is managing SaaS different from on-premise software? Where do you get started? What’s going to move the needle?

In Season Three, we introduce an exciting new series that brings clarity to the chaos of SaaS – SaaSMe Anything! Have questions about SaaS? Ben Pippenger’s your guy. Your resident SaaS expert, providing answers to questions that, frankly, aren’t always easy to find.

You can also expect to hear all-new interviews from the experts knee-deep in SaaS – from their fantastically terrible Oh Shit Moments to wildly successful SaaS management programs. Plus, get to know a new face on the show, Zylo Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Host Meredith Albertson!

Your Hosts

Connect with SaaSMe Unfiltered Co-host Cory Wheeler on LinkedIn
Connect with SaaSMe Unfiltered Co-host Meredith Albertson on LinkedIn
Connect with SaaSMe Anything Host Ben Pippenger on LinkedIn

Resources

Have a question you’d like answered on SaaSMe Anything? Submit yours here.
Learn more about Zylo, the leader in SaaS management and optimization
Subscribe to Zylo’s monthly newsletter for podcast updates and other resources

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Growth at all costs. Sounded great at the time, right? Now that we’re staring down economic uncertainty, we’re seeing companies go back to business fundamentals. Grow smart, accomplish more with less.

At Zylo, we’ve long known that SaaS management is paramount to enabling this mindset. And will be even more crucial to driving business impact in 2023. From doubling down on cost-saving initiatives to helping employees be more efficient with the tools they use.

To understand why, we examined trends in our 2023 SaaS Management Index – sourced from more than $30B in SaaS spend under management. In this episode, Ben Pippenger explains what it all means for your business and SaaS management journey.

Key Takeaways:

[00:05 - 01:59] Cory introduces Meredith Albertson, your new co-host!
[02:45 - 03:33] Zylo's 2023 SaaS Management Index Report
[03:43 - 05:24] Talking SMI highlights and insights from Ben Pippenger
[05:29 - 07:25] SaaS growth trajectory and trends in buying habits in the current world environment
[07:31 - 11:26] Unmonitored SaaS spend can become a huge problem, even with the best intentions
[11:28 - 13:27] Visibility and the optimization engine
[13:30 - 14:30] A reckoning in post-pandemic SaaS spending and uncertainty?
[14:35 - 16:44] Ben's "oh shit" moment with Salesforce and tools for editing cat content
[16:47 - 19:33] Optimization opportunities, and what the average companies SaaS stack looks like?
[19:39 - 23:14] Without an SMP companies are overspending on SaaS by 25%, and how to find those optimization opportunities through licenses and cost-savings
[23:19 - 26:09] Making insights actionable, and what the SMI data says about renewals
[26:10 - 29:23] Renewals are an opportunity to impact the business' bottom line, and common mistakes in the process
[29:26 - 32:12] SaaS Management is a team sport, and how a SaaS management problem puts you in the driver's seat
[32:13 - 34:56] Freedom of a framework concept, aka dealing with Shadow IT
[34:59 - 36:04] Why aren't leaders prioritizing the risks associated with shadow IT?
[36:06 - 40:04] Providing a great experience as part of the overall IT governance strategy
[40:05 - 42:55] This is your opportunity to save millions of dollars
[42:57 - 46:14] Rapid Fire

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Digital transformation spread in waves over the last 20+ years for many areas of business – from marketing and sales to finance and HR. For procurement, that time is now. ProcureTech CEO and Founder Lance Younger believes digitalization is paramount for Procurement to realize their full potential. In this episode, Lance shares his philosophy on digital procurement – why it matters and how to be strategic about it.

Episode Highlights

[00:00 - 01:57] Introduction to Lance Younger
[01:58 - 05:21] Hot Takes with Thom: Responsible business growth vs responsible growth at all costs
[05:24 - 08:16] Lance talks about ProcureTech's vision and enabling the future of digital procurement
[08:23 - 10:31] How ProcureTech is changing how procurement is done digitally
[10:33 - 14:11] Operating at scale and still driving innovation
[14:13 - 17:16] How the procurement process has had to adapt for SaaS
[17:16 - 19:05] Completely democratized IT compared to the recent past
[19:09 - 21:50] Solutions exist, but people are not finding the right match
[21:51 - 22:40] Cohorts of digital solutions
[22:42 - 24:29] The current state of the economy and procurement strategies, and did Europe get a headstart?
[24:29 - 27:07] High-level predictions for the procurement space in 2023
[27:20 - 30:45] A fight for relevance in the procurement field
[30:59 - 34:02] Rapid fire

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With Netflix’s mission to “entertain the world”, the company culture has a deep-rooted effect on how they manage SaaS. But how do you balance tool autonomy with cost-saving initiatives? In this episode, IT Asset Program Manager Lindsay Stokes sheds light on Netflix’s Freedom & Responsibility approach and how they’re addressing the abundant cost-saving opportunities at their fingertips today – and long-term.

Episode Highlights

[00:00 - 02:07] Episode introduction
[02:43 - 06:16] Hot Takes with Thom: Why don't homegrown tools cut it for SaaS?
[06:20 - 11:25] Lindsay's journey building and leading SAM at Netflix
[11:40 - 13:54] Netflix employee enablement and reining in SaaS sprawl
[13:55 - 15:31] The intricacies of managing SaaS organizationally: waste and redundancies
[15:35 - 17:20] Netflix's process of getting actionable data with Zylo
[17:23 - 19:55] The fundamentals and priorities of SaaS management at Netflix
[19:57 - 22:29] Balancing cost optimization with freedom and responsibility
[22:30 - 23:51] A proactive versus reactive perspective
[23:55 - 26:13] Lindsay's role in helping application managers manage SaaS and spend
[26:17 - 28:02] Critical ingredients for success in SaaS
[28:04 - 30:43] Missteps and misadventures in addressing SaaS strategies
[30:52 - 32:36] Rapid Fire

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Sprawl. Unchecked spend. Surprise renewals. Procurement is well-positioned to manage the chaos that comes with SaaS. In fact, Brett Bartolai, the procurement director at GrubHub, equates the role to air traffic controller. In this episode, Brett shares how increased scrutiny over their software stack and spend has helped GrubHub surface shadow IT, reduce costs, and stay ahead of renewals.

Key Takeaways

[00:00 - 02:26] Introduction to Brett Bartolai
[02:33 - 05:18] Hot Takes with Thom: Businesses aren't taking full advantage of procurement
[05:16 - 05:57] Procurement as the connective tissue that unites organizations and SaaS
[05:57 - 06:59] Brett's procurement journey
[06:59 - 08:43] Procurement finds you
[08:43 - 10:27] What drives Brett is team building and making an impact every day
[10:27 - 12:58] Differences in procurement at a Fortune 100 company versus a startup
[12:59 - 14:54] Procurement's role in facilitating software purchases for the company, groups, and individuals
[14:55 - 20:28] How GrubHub is positioning cost containment and value in 2023 and beyond
[18:15 - 20:45] A shift to a more pragmatic approach to a software review board
[20:45 - 22:22] And oh shit moment with freemium models
[22:22 - 23:26] Who all is involved in SaaS management at GrubHub?
[23:27 - 24:05] Good things discussed and moving as quickly as possible
[24:07 - 26:14] How does Brett look at program success internally at GrubHub
[26:16 - 28:08] Rapid fire

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Do you know where your data is going? If there’s one thing that David Stoicescu believes, it’s that SaaS security begins with visibility. In this episode, David shares how he takes a risk based approach to managing software at Deepwatch and addresses the pitfalls he sees companies succumbing to when it comes to SaaS.

Key Takeaways

[00:00 - 01:31] Introduction
[01:31 - 03:52] Gauging the levels of risk some apps and their security practices pose to customers
[03:52 - 06:14] Mechanisms to identify shadow IT spend
[06:16 - 08:09] Compliance and governance at Deep Watch
[08:09 - 09:58] Delivering at scale
[09:58 - 12:05] A team sport scenario for IT and skill sets
[12:07 - 13:47] The biggest mistake David sees is companies not paying attention to SaaS at all
[13:50 - 17:54] Determining responsibility and ownership, disciples of data
[17:58 - 20:30] A look into next year's goals and KPIs
[20:31 - 22:04] Rapid Fire

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The more SaaS applications you have, the more information security problems you’re likely to face. From unsecure information and data leaks to risk of a data breach, to name a few. At Deepwatch, CISO David Stoicescu looks at everything from a risk lens. In this episode, David shares why InfoSec is a critical business function, how to lead a high-performing team, and why visibility is key to avoiding damaging and embarrassing security mishaps.

Key takeaways:

[03:01 - 05:07] Hot Takes with Tom: InfoSec
[05:10 - 07:45] How David got into InfoSec, and what drove him?
[07:46 - 09:24] New methodologies and baking security into the lifecycle
[09:27 - 11:15] Deepwatch and SOC
[11:17 - 13:33] David enjoys the journey
[13:43 - 15:58] What made David strengthen a SaaS program early on
[16:02 - 18:42] How a lack of SaaS management could go off the rails, and the kind of problems it causes

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A lack of visibility into your SaaS stack can mean plausible deniability. But, if you want to protect your business from risk, you must have a complete picture. In this episode, Coupa’s Director of IT Compliance, Gürkan Berkan, shares how using a SaaS management tool has helped them shed light on risks like shadow IT, security, compliance, and spend – and how they’re staying on top of it today.

Episode Highlights:

[01:02 - 04:27] Meet Gürkan and learn about his career progression
[04:31 - 05:46] Coupa's core use cases and overview
[05:48 - 06:17] Gürkan's love of nature and the outdoors
[06:42 - 08:38] Hot Takes with Thom
[08:54 - 10:41] Experience prior to Coupa, and a lack of SaaS management
[10:43 - 11:55] Using Zylo to make informed decisions in the procurement process
[11:58 - 13:54] Freedom of choice in daily application preferences, and uncontrolled chaos
[13:57 - 16:22] Coupa's business objectives and how SaaS factors in
[16:37 - 18:02] Taking pride in spend management and reacting to an economic slowdown
[18:10 - 20:01] Thinking about how to manage and measure risk compliance internally
[20:02 - 21:01] Compliance reviews
[21:02 - 23:04] Measurement of shadow IT
[23:10 - 25:26] Mergers & Acquisitions
[25:27 - 27:19] Closing out with rapid fire questions

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For the vast majority, the Cloud is the way of the future. According to Byron Deeter, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, that march is well underway and inevitable. In this episode, we dive into the BVP State of the Cloud report to reflect on the criticality of SaaS to your business – from macroeconomic factors and shifting monetization approaches affecting adoption and SaaS spend, to Cloud marketplace procurement and the future of tooling. Plus, a peek at what Byron predicts for 2023.

Key Takeaways:

[00:00 - 02:46] Meet Byron Deeter
[03:15 - 04:12] Byron's State of the Cloud Report, insights and trends
[04:13 - 05:55] SaaS companies evolving in phases alongside sibling technologies like connectivity and AI
[05:57 - 08:18] How macroeconomic conditions like COVID affect opportunities for cloud software and SaaS companies today
[08:19 - 09:48] Understanding software cost savings and productivity levers in figuring SaaS into the budget
[09:52 - 12:08] Cloud is the new middleware layer, removing friction for enablement
[12:15 - 14:47] Cost optimization and product security
[14:48 - 17:37] 80% of companies will be actively selling in marketplaces in the next two years
[17:38 - 19:49] The Year of the Centaur, a shift from unicorn status to something more stable
[19:50 - 21:47] A thriving cloud economy ahead, with more realistic valuations
[21:51 - 24:34] How some of the predictions in The State of the Cloud Report hold up six months later
[24:37 - 25:55] Trading growth for profitability and the impact on innovation
[26:01 - 29:11] Rapid fire

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IT and Finance leaders at today’s most progressive organizations get it. SaaS has permeated every part of the business and responsibility for managing it sits across a range of stakeholders. What makes their partnership a game-changer for SaaS Management? In this episode, recorded live at SaaSMe 2022, hear how leaders at LinkedIn, Salsify, and Fresh FP&A are fostering alliances across the organization to drive maximum impact with SaaS.

Key Takeaways:

[00:00 - 02:12] Introduction to SaaSMe panel, LinkedIn, Salsify, Fresh FP&A
[02:15 - 04:19] Get to know Chris Ortega, Shravya Ravi, and Gordon Atkin
[04:53 - 06:20] Gordon on his responsibilities and outcomes he is focused on
[06:20 - 07:55] How Shravya is growing a SAM strategy, and how she measures KPIs
[08:15 - 10:32] How most companies Chris works with address SaaS
[10:05 - 12:17] Why Chris cares about SaaS and OPEX
[12:16 - 12:44] Managing risk
[12:47 - 13:22] Budget season
[13:24 - 15:54] Shravya describes collaboration and critical connections that are part of the SaaS program at LinkedIn
[15:54 - 18:07] Who Gordon enlists as partners in crime to drive optimization and scale
[18:10 - 19:49] The partnership element
[19:48 - 21:21] The prepaid report and CFO visibility
[21:33 - 23:10] How did the business receive the SaaS initiative?
[23:12 - 25:17] Executive sponsorship, and a dedicated professional with experience
[25:22 - 26:25] Help people understand what is in it for them
[26:51 - 27:45] A prediction for SaaS and spend management in 2023
[28:19 - 29:53] What Gordon sees happening for SaaS management, and spend in 2023
[29:55 - 30:42] Procurement and IT
[30:42 - 31:42] Chris' 2023 predictions

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Gordon Atkin, VP of Technology and Business Platform at Salsify, believes that having a SaaS management program is an imperative business practice. And you need a dedicated tool to do it effectively. In this episode, Gordon divulges his secrets to a successful SaaS management practice, why traditional asset management solutions just don’t work for SaaS, and what to look for in your SaaS management tool.

Key Takeaways:

[00:00 - 02:22] Introduction to Gordon Atkin
[02:39 - 04:59] Hot Takes with Thom: Four reasons why you need to manage SaaS
[04:59 - 08:48] What needs to happen in an IT organization as a CIO for taking a company public
[08:50 - 10:03] Gordon's playbook for navigating IPOs and being an effective CIO
[10:04 - 12:38] Aligning the company with where you want to be, and how that affects tooling efforts and budget internally
[12:45 - 16:07] Establishing a complete inventory of SaaS
[16:08 - 17:10] Transparency in benchmarking and a more holistic view
[17:43 - 20:14] Renewal and intake, how Gordon assesses and defines SAM programs
[20:24 - 21:01] Off-boarding and deprecating apps
[21:05 - 22:23] SaaS Management is a must have
[22:48 - 27:59] Rapid Fire

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Software Asset Management rose with the need to manage on-premise software. However, the birth of SaaS and cloud-based applications has changed the game. In this episode, former Nike SAM pro and Zylo SAM evangelist, Lance Giles, shares what a golden opportunity software asset managers have in front of them and the lessons he’s learned diving head-first into SaaS management.

Episode Highlights

[01:55] Lance Giles reflecting on shifts in his software asset management experience
[05:20] Building and running a global SAM project at Nike
[08:31] Visibility and support from leadership for SAM goals after an external audit at Nike
[10:42] A process of elimination in deploying a SAM strategy and effort
[13:02] Centralize and bring data together, bring decision-making together
[15:14] Everybody in the company was a software asset manager
[17:34] Classic missteps Lance has seen in rolling out a SAM strategy, and lessons learned
[19:37] Pay reasonable attention to what is happening at the software market
[22:28] On SaaS products shifts and the opportunity in SaaS

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Starting a career in sports sales, Aaqil Kassamali never imagined his journey would take him to building and leading a Procurement team at Hootsuite. From creating broader visibility to turnkey internal processes, it’s become the heart of their SaaS management program. In this episode, discover the lessons Aaqil and his team have learned and his advice for positioning Procurement as a valuable business partner.

Episode Highlights:

[02:14] Aaqil's background experience in sales
[04:56] Being in sales and building empathy
[06:39] The moment Hootsuite realized it needed to cenralize IT and SaaS efforts
[08:28] Building out purchase orders
[11:04] The branding of procurement and showing value to hesitant minds
[12:52] What SAM and SaaS ownership looks like at Hootsuite
[14:03] Software sits in legal at Hootsuite, how to balance function and needs?
[]15:56 Metrics and KPIs Aaqil reports to his boss
[18:17] The process and people being fearful for time
[21:30] Important areas of focus for a sound SaaS management strategy internally
[23:29] The rise of SaaS and distribution
[25:47] Tackling the transformation
[26:13] Discussing renewal fatigue and downstream effects
[27:33] Aaqil's thoughts on budgeting around SaaS for fast growing organizations
[31:53 ] The next evolution of procurement at Hootsuite
[32:52] Data and insights

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Mergers and acquisitions are a strategic decision that can deliver great benefits to your business. However, it can be completely disruptive for new employees. At Salesforce, Jason Owens and his software asset management team transform the M&A process by practicing empathy. In this episode, discover how Salesforce approaches SaaS software integrations and evangelizes the SAM practice across the organization.

Episode Highlights:

[01:19] Discussing Jason's mature process for defining business strategy and the growth of SAM
[06:19] What are the Big Rocks?
[08:50] Mergers & Acquisitions of SaaS companies
[14:03] Balancing empathy with speed
[16:00] A recommendation to start or stop doing for those in SaaS
[18:24] Rapid Fire and all about the Indy 500

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Building a world-class software asset management team from the ground up isn’t for the faint of heart. But SAM leader Jason Owens has done just that at Salesforce. In this episode, learn about the early days of Salesforce’s software asset management program and how they’ve assembled their dream team to tackle SaaS and drive collaboration and results across the business.

Episode Highlights:

[02:17] How Jason's leadership has evolved at Salesforce
[04:53] Why and how Salesforce built a roadmap for SaaS
[10:48] What made Salesforce realize they needed better visibility into SaaS
[14:58] The four-level maturity roadmap, QBRs and milestones
[19:56] Salesforce's strategy and plans moving forward into 2022

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Trying to wrangle SaaS as your organization scales requires a delicate balance of creating a culture of choice while still ensuring governance. Leah Tubb, Program Manager of IT Architecture, Planning and Innovation, shares her approach to peeling back the layers of SaaS at Atlassian to foster better partnership between IT and the business and ultimately drive business value.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Overview, meet Leah Tubb
[02:24] When did scale catch up with Atlassian?
[04:39] Peeling back the SaaS onion with Atlassian IT
[08:27] Connecting SaaS management and enterprise architecture moving forward
[10:28 ] Maximizing business value and looking at security
[15:42] Operational rhythms and sustaining them
[17:40 ] Jira Work Management
[19:50] "What I love about Zylo is that it lets you manage SaaS the Atlassian way."
[22:38] Data privacy and scaling
[26:31] Portfolio rationalizations and hurdles in scaling
[28:40] Wins early on
[29:27] Rapid fire

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SaaS management is not one and done – it’s an ongoing practice. One that enables you to organize, optimize, and orchestrate your SaaS stack. In this episode, Zylo’s own Ashley Hickman shares what a successful SaaS management practice looks like and how some organizations are approaching it today.

Episode Highlights:

[1:53] Ashley's background in the Italian language and culture
[4:39] Translating a focus in the Italian language and IT consulting to her role in SaaS at Zylo
[8:13] Defining best practices in SaaS management
[10:07] Data-driven strategies for guiding customers
[16:24] What Ashley is focused on in 2022
[19:28] Executive buy-in and and how customers iterate with their goals as indicators of success
[23:51] Budgeting season and how it affects SaaS management

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Listen and learn. Redis VP of IT Chris Asing lives by this mantra in his approach to SaaS governance. But it’s not all just policies and procedures. In this episode, Chris gives an inside look at his progressive approach and the power partnership, flexibility, and data have in SaaS transformation.

Episode highlights:

[2:02] How Chris got into IT, and background on Redis
[3:43] Thoughts on offices opening up post-pandemic
[5:27] What a "cloud forward" mentality looks like at Redis, and metrics it causes them to track
[8:00] What does Chris need to lead IT at Redis?
[9:23] IT structure at Redis, and where it sits in the organizational hierarchy
[12:56] Governance and centralization efforts at Redis
[16:24] Feedback from businesses is a two-way street
[18:24] Balancing threats to risk and security as a core focus of IT
[20:27] The rise in SaaS and its implications on the number of tools we use
[25:51] Enterprise architecture as core to a company's DNA

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From sales to sourcing to software asset management, Sam Griffin’s career has taken an unconventional path - but one that has ultimately set her up for great success. In this episode, learn how Genesys started tackling their SaaS problems, how Sam’s addressing the head and tail of software spend today, and how she’s able to do more with less thanks to automation and data.

Episode highlights:

[2:31] Background on Genesys and software for interacting with customers better
[3:41] Samantha's journey from archeological lab assistant to software asset management at Genesys
[6:04] How Samantha operates day-to-day, and her experience with Zylo
[8:21] Partnering with IT, forecasting for the business, and optimizing for architectural fit
[10:20] Software at every level of the organization and doing more with less
[11:55] Automation and thinking about how data drives efficiency and saves money
[13:49] The magic want approach to reclaiming licenses
[16:28] The maturity roadmap and setting priorities
[18:27] Projects Samantha is tackling right now
[21:27] Highlighting strong female leadership and support at Genesys
[24:02] Advice and helpful mindsets for future SaaS superheroes

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What do you get when you combine music and technology? You get Brad Pollard, former CIO at Tenable. From dreams of becoming a rockstar to leading early 2000s cloud migrations to navigating Covid-19, he’s been through it all. In this episode, Brad shares how SaaS is impacting organizations for the better and ways progressive CIOs can help their companies enable employees without hindering innovation.

Episode highlights:

[6:31] Leveraging emerging tech to help move forward and scale business
[9:15] G-Suite migration and communication improvements with collaborative software
[10:50] Change management and steering human behavior to access new processes during the pandemic
[13:23] COVID-19 as a forcing function to push mass adoption of remote and balanced work
[16:13] Strong leadership with a knack for quick change and finding a needle in a haystack
[20:15] Shadow IT, partnership, and figuring out problems together
[22:43] Brad's thoughts on reporting to CFOs, and using technology to reduce costs, solve problems, and work efficiently
[26:06] Accountability and having people to curate experiences with SaaS integrations
[28:54] Discussing the tipping point where having a SaaS management provider and platform becomes necessary

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SaaS has taken over the world – and your organization. Skyrocketing innovation. Empowering workforces. And embracing flexibility. All things to help your team and business move at the speed of SaaS. But with it comes a new set of challenges.

SaaSMe Unfiltered, a new podcast by Zylo, explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of SaaS Management and what innovative tech leaders are doing to make the most of their SaaS investments.

Join hosts Cory Wheeler and Ashley Hickman as they speak with IT, SAM, and Procurement leaders about their real-life experiences. And gain an unfiltered view of how you can excel in your role and drive the business forward.

Links and Resources:

Connect with Co-host Cory Wheeler on LinkedIn
Connect with Co-host Ashley Hickman on LinkedIn
Learn more about Zylo, the leader in SaaS management and optimization
Subscribe to Zylo’s monthly newsletter for podcast updates and other resources

SaaSMe Unfiltered: The SaaS Management Podcast: Recent Episodes

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