The SaaS Management Platform Mega Checklist: How to Buy an SMP and Stop a Helpdesk Meltdown

This post is an adapted excerpt from our new checklist of the same name, The SaaS Management Platform Mega Checklist. Download the full checklist to get everything you need to know to buy the right solution for your IT department.

The pandemic forever changed the modern workplace. Throughout 2019, SaaS adoption was already exploding. Managing all that SaaS left IT with endless open tabs, growing ticket queues, and a whole new set of security challenges. 

But in early 2020, “shelter in place” orders required offices to close. In just a matter of days, IT had to enable remote work for entire workforces. New tools were frantically put in place. Everyone suddenly needed Zoom, a laptop, and a secure, reliable internet connection just to have a meeting. IT had to hustle, scramble, and work overtime to support remote workers—all while working remotely themselves.

Getting through the pandemic required a heroic effort from IT. However, much of the extra effort had to continue after offices reopened, because not everyone came back. To retain workers and attract new talent, many companies permanently chose to become hybrid or even go fully remote. 

This “new normal” is a double whammy for IT. Managing a large SaaS portfolio was already straining lean IT teams. Supporting a permanently remote workforce added a whole new set of demands—from shipping laptops to answering tickets coming in across time zones and continents. 

While SaaS management platforms (SMPs) have been around for several years, IT has never needed one more than now. With an SMP:

• IT can get back desperately-needed time by automating onboarding, offboarding, app access request tickets, and more.
• Environments can be kept safe from the actions of negligent employees (and even malicious actors) with alert-based workflows that revoke OAuth access, unshare files, and block the creation of super admin accounts.
• Remote employees stay productive with immediate access to shared resources and new apps.

When fully implemented, an SMP can make life better for IT in weeks—not months. Over time, more processes are automated, security posture improves, ticket queues become manageable, and app visibility enables smart purchasing.

Every year, the ROI of an SMP continues to grow. To keep up with the new demands of “remote-first” workplaces, an SMP has now become a foundational tool for IT.

With the need for an SMP becoming more urgent as workplaces evolve, you need to make sure you select the right one for your IT team. The market for SMPs (and other point solutions) has grown crowded, with lots of tools claiming to offer the same capabilities. 

To make sure you get the right solution for your environment, we created this helpful, comprehensive checklist to make sure the tool you choose:

• Is purpose-built for IT (not finance, procurement, or engineering)
• Includes a workflow builder your team can actually use
• Will deliver benefits across your company (not just for IT)
• Doesn’t cost more time than it saves