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2025 has brought unprecedented complexity to SaaS. With the cost of software rising faster than portfolio growth, IT, Software Asset Management, and Procurement leaders face enormous pressure to manage spend, reduce risk, and maximize value. Yet most organizations still lack the visibility and governance required to manage SaaS effectively—let alone strategically.
That’s where SaaSMe 2025 came in. Zylo’s flagship virtual event brought together hundreds of practitioners and thought leaders for practical guidance, real-world stories, and expert advice to help organizations take control of their SaaS ecosystems.
Missed the event or couldn’t attend every session? Here are the most important takeaways. You can also watch all the sessions on demand here.
5 Key Takeaways from SaaSMe 2025 to Build a Winning SaaS Management Program
At SaaSMe 2025, leaders from some of the most advanced SaaS Management programs shared how they’re building scalable, data-driven strategies. From getting started to navigating AI pricing, these five takeaways give IT, SAM, and Procurement leaders a playbook to build and scale an effective SaaS Management program.
1. Start with What You Can Control
With an average of 275 SaaS apps per company, the idea of managing all of them at once is overwhelming. That’s why SaaSMe speakers advised starting with what’s within your reach—especially apps you already own or influence. For instance, if you’re in IT, look at the applications you’re directly responsible for.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need full organization-wide buy-in on day one. Start small, focus on known apps, and build momentum with early wins. These early wins become validation of your program’s effectiveness, which you can then share with other teams to garner their buy-in and support.
“If you want to drive early ROI, start with the apps you already own or influence. You can make decisions quickly without waiting for approval from other teams. That’s how you start stacking up wins, stress-testing your program, and building momentum that earns executive support and gets other business units to opt in.”
— Chad Hinen, Head of Implementation at Zylo
The foundation of action is a SaaS system of record. But it has to be more than a list. Your system must include the right metadata—owner, usage, cost, contract details—so you can prioritize.
Start with the critical apps. Build value. Then expand.
For more, watch Chad’s session, Fast Tracking Enterprise Application Onboarding.
2. Don’t Go It Alone—Build a Cross-Functional Team
SaaS Management is a team sport. It takes Procurement, IT, Finance, and business units working together to understand what’s used, what’s needed, and what can go.
When teams operate in silos, it leads to waste—renewals without usage data, deprovisioning risks, and missed savings. That’s why cross-functional alignment is essential.
“Data is greater than opinion any day of the week. Partnering with IT gives Procurement the insights to make smarter, faster decisions and avoid the guesswork that leads to waste.”
Follow these tips to ensure success:
- Schedule regular check-ins
- Share dashboards to ensure data visibility
- Align on renewals and usage
SaaS Management becomes exponentially more powerful when teams are aligned and informed.
For more on how IT and Procurement can partner on SaaS Management, watch Brittney’s Session, Partnering with IT to Become a Force Multiplier.
3. Build a Clear, Living System of Record
Visibility is non-negotiable. Especially as only 26.1% of SaaS spend is owned by IT today—70% is managed by business units, with shadow IT accounting for 3.8% of spend and 33.6% of apps.
That’s why a SaaS system of record is essential. It creates a single source of truth, aligning your teams with accurate, actionable data.
“It’s not enough to have a procurement system or an accounting system. To drive real value, you need software-level visibility. You need to clean your data, get into the right SaaS Management system, leverage the insights and innovation that comes with it—and then act on it. For me, that’s the secret of long-term data-driven success.”
A system of record isn’t static. It must evolve—with alerts, owner workflows, and enabling shared visibility across stakeholders to continuously maintain and act on data.
For more, watch Lucas’s fireside chat, The Power of a Complete SaaS System of Record.
4. Watch Out for Consumption-Based Pricing
AI and usage-based pricing are rewriting the SaaS rulebook. Every vendor has their own take on how they price—and it’s catching teams off guard. Not to mention, it’s becoming a budget buster.
In fact, according to our survey of IT leaders, 66.5% of respondents reported unexpected charges due to AI or consumption-based pricing. Without the right governance and forecasting in place, these costs can spiral.
“Every app has its own flavor of what they’re charging for—and AI is accelerating that into new pricing models we haven’t seen before.”
To get ahead, teams are aligning FinOps with SaaS Management—tracking usage, forecasting spend, and negotiating smarter contracts. The same principles that brought structure to cloud optimization are now being applied to SaaS.
Take a deeper dive into Ben’s insights from his session, Simplifying License Complexity in the Age of AI and Consumption Pricing.
5. Make Metrics the Backbone of Your SaaS Management Program
Business outcomes come first. Whether your organization’s goal is to cut costs, reduce risk, improve compliance, or enhance the employee experience—you must align your SaaS Management efforts to those goals from Day One.
That means:
- Defining clear business outcomes, aligned to what matters to your leadership team and business
- Prioritizing apps based on ownership and impact
- Involving the right stakeholders
- Tracking key metrics like license utilization, renewal ROI, and owner accountability
- Creating repeatable workflows and optimization cycles
“If you’re in a room with leadership and all they care about is reducing their business costs by 10%, and you cannot answer how you’re doing that in a favorable way, you have missed the mark. Make sure you know the desired business outcomes for your business and the executive team you are reporting to.”
To learn more, watch Samantha’s session, How to Measure What Matters: Essential KPIs for SaaS Management Success.
How Zylo Helps Companies Get Started with SaaS Management
SaaS Management isn’t just about software—it’s about having the right platform, data, and expertise to act. That’s where Zylo comes in.
Always-On SaaS Discovery
Zylo’s AI-powered discovery uncovers all SaaS apps from Day One—across expense data, SSO, contracts, and direct integrations. This full visibility is the foundation for reducing risk, eliminating waste, and improving operational efficiency.
Establish a SaaS System of Record
Zylo brings all your SaaS data—spend, usage, owner, renewal dates—into one centralized platform. Automated alerts and usage-based reports help you take the right action at the right time.
“Prior to Zylo, getting data was a manual process that would take hours, even days. The data was often incomplete and inaccurate, and presenting it to executives with confidence was a challenge. With Zylo, we now have a centralized platform that provides accurate and timely data, giving us full confidence.”
A Framework for Execution
Zylo’s Enterprise SaaS Management Framework provides the proven building blocks to stand up and scale a SaaS Management program. Paired with Zylo’s SaaS Management Platform (SMP), it helps you establish a strategy based on your desired business outcomes, implement the right tactics, and measure results.
We’ve developed the following resources to help you understand the framework and the steps to build a strong foundation for your SaaS Management program.
Expert Guidance and Managed Services
With nearly a decade of experience, Zylo’s team partners with your organization to accelerate results. From program strategy to hands-on renewal support, our managed services deliver both expertise and outcomes.
One customer shared their experience using Zylo’s SaaS Negotiator service:
“Our services manager has become an extension of our procurement team and has helped us save a lot of money. She accomplishes as much as a full-time employee—without us having to add additional headcount.”
SaaSMe 2025 Takeaways: Your Blueprint for Action
SaaSMe 2025 made one thing clear: SaaS Management is no longer optional. With rising costs, new pricing models, and complex portfolios, IT, SAM, and Procurement leaders must act now.
Start with what you can control. Build your system of record. Align your teams. Watch your metrics. And get expert support.
Ready to take the next step? Watch the full-length SaaSMe 2025 on-demand sessions for deeper insights. Learn what companies and leaders are driving SaaS Management excellence with this list of SaaSMe 2025 Award winners.