Plugging the SaaS Leak: How to Regain Control of Your Software Spend

According to a report by Productiv, 53% of SaaS licenses go unused each month. And Gartner estimates that organizations overspend on SaaS by as much as 30%. Without a clear and centralized system in place, managing subscriptions becomes a time-consuming guessing game, especially for small- to medium-sized businesses juggling multiple departments and financial obligations.

That’s where Boya comes in—with an all-in-one solution designed to bring visibility, control, and simplicity to subscription management.

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How Businesses Are Getting Tripped Up by SaaS Sprawl

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The core problem? Lack of visibility and control.

Many businesses, especially those growing quickly, find themselves in a reactive position when it comes to subscription management. As teams scale and needs evolve, more software tools are added to the stack—but not always with proper vetting or alignment. Some tools serve duplicate functions. Others go unused after a trial period ends. And sometimes, companies continue to pay for services long after an employee has left the organization.

SNDBX, an entrepreneur support organization based in Kenya, knows this struggle all too well.

“Subscriptions were previously managed via a prepaid card that would be loaded via M-Pesa or bank transfer every month ahead of the due date of the relevant subscription,” says the SNDBX team. “We also had other subscriptions that would be paid for using employees' personal debit/credit cards, then the employees would be reimbursed directly to their bank accounts.”

This system created friction—not only did it require constant manual oversight, but it also made it difficult to track who was spending what and whether those expenses were tax compliant, especially after recent changes in Kenya’s tax regulations.

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Auditing for SaaS Bloat: A Step-by-Step Framework

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Before plugging the leak, businesses need to locate the holes. Here’s a simplified framework to audit your organization’s software spend:

1. List Every Active Subscription: Include who owns it, cost, billing cycle, and the payment method used.
   
   
2. Assess Usage: Survey teams or use tracking tools to understand which subscriptions are actually being used.
   
   
3. Identify Duplicates or Overlaps: Are you using three tools for project management or video conferencing? Consolidation opportunities often exist.
   
   
4. Evaluate Value vs. Cost: Is this tool essential? What’s the ROI? Eliminate or downgrade subscriptions that aren’t providing enough value.
   
   
5. Create a Governance Plan: Set clear policies around how new tools are approved, tracked, and reviewed regularly.

Once the audit is done, the next step is centralizing and controlling subscription payments—which is exactly where Boya shines.

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Why Boya’s Subscription Management Stands Out

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Boya offers a modern solution with virtual cards designed specifically for managing recurring payments. Each subscription gets its own virtual card, allowing businesses to:

• Assign clear ownership and accountability
  
  
• Monitor usage and payment history
  
  
• Set monthly budgets and block overages
  
  
• Pause or cancel subscriptions in a click
  
  
• Easily reassign cards during staff turnover
  
  

For SNDBX, this has been a game-changer.

“We have a clear picture of all subscriptions in one place and we are able to know how much is required for each subscription. This allows for effective cash flow planning. We are also able to pause subscriptions as and when necessary to reduce unnecessary spend.”

The need for manual reimbursements has also disappeared. “There has been significant time saving on reimbursements as we no longer need to reimburse multiple team members for subscription payments that they made. Instead, subscriptions are paid for through the virtual cards, eliminating the need for reimbursements.”

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Favorite Features That Make a Difference

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One of SNDBX’s favorite features is the ability to enforce spending limits on subscriptions automatically.

“Once a budget has been set for a subscription, subscription management does not allow virtual cards to exceed the budget on that subscription, meaning transactions that exceed the budget are rejected. This is useful in ensuring that spending is within approved budgets.”

That’s critical, especially for businesses trying to manage lean budgets while still ensuring teams have the tools they need to do their best work.

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Centralized SaaS Spend = Strategic Growth

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The more a business scales, the more important it becomes to have centralized, automated systems in place. Managing software spend isn’t just about cost savings—it’s about clarity, control, and future-proofing operations.

Boya’s subscription management makes that easy, giving organizations a simple way to avoid surprises, prevent duplicate purchases, and keep teams aligned on the tools they use.

To sum it up in SNDBX’s own words:

“A feature that allows us to see all our subscriptions in one place and that enables us to effectively monitor and control them.”

If your company is feeling the weight of subscription creep or facing the administrative burden of decentralized software spend, it might be time to explore a smarter way to manage it all. Boya’s purpose-built features make it easy to turn a sprawling software stack into a streamlined system—saving time, money, and headaches along the way.

Ready to Stop the SaaS Spend Spiral?
Subscription chaos doesn’t have to be your norm. With Boya’s smart subscription management tools, you’ll gain real-time visibility, total control, and peace of mind over every software expense. Whether you're consolidating redundant tools or preventing budget overruns, Boya helps you streamline the process and cut waste.

📊 Ready to see the difference?
Talk to our team, experience a live demo, or run a risk-free pilot to see how Boya fits your workflow.

👉 Learn more and connect with an expert at Boya

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