This playbook distils what an independent, buyer side advisory looks for when it cuts a bloated software stack. It is written for mid market CFOs, IT leaders, procurement, and SaaS and FinOps managers who suspect their digital workplace cost optimization opportunity is larger than any single vendor review would reveal. It is practical, vendor neutral, and built to be acted on.
What the playbook covers
The playbook walks through the entire method, from diagnosis to durable governance, with worked guidance for each major part of the stack. It is the field manual that sits behind our pillar guide to digital workplace cost optimization.
Table of contents
- The six core sources of digital workplace overspend
- How to inventory your stack and quantify recoverable spend
- Right sizing and rationalization: the fastest, cleanest savings
- Microsoft 365 tier and agreement mechanics, including E3, E5, F1 and F3
- Resolving collaboration and storage tool overlap
- Renewal negotiation from an accurate usage baseline
- Ongoing governance to stop the waste returning
- A 90 day action plan for finance and IT
Key takeaways
- Most overspend sits in six places: over licensing, inactive seats, the wrong tier, duplicate tools, unreviewed auto renewals, and shelfware.
- Sequence is everything. Right size and rationalize first, then negotiate, then govern, because acting out of order leaves money on the table.
- Microsoft 365 is usually the largest line item and the richest source of recoverable spend, so it deserves priority attention.
- The biggest savings appear when you look across the whole stack at once, because the duplicates and the leverage live in the gaps between tools.
- Independence matters. Advice from anyone paid on what you buy will rarely lead with cuts.
For the deeper engagement behind the playbook, see our Microsoft 365 optimization service, which usually addresses your single largest line item.