I've been tasked with managing our organization's vendor stack, and I'm really struggling with the chaos caused by shadow IT. Initially, we tried to do things properly by signing a contract with a leading SaaS management tool, aiming to automate the discovery of tools and track renewals. Unfortunately, the experience has been disappointing. The tool has proven difficult to onboard, with minimal automation, leaving me manually inputting data from contracts and invoices. It's frustrating to feel like I went from using spreadsheets to another overly complicated system that costs a hefty amount.
Currently, I've identified a few challenges:
1. **Spreadsheets** are clearly not suitable for managing over 50 tools efficiently, especially concerning security and tracking.
2. **Enterprise tools** often seem like they require a dedicated admin just to keep everything tidy, yet the promised functionality isn't delivered.
At this point, I'm contemplating creating a simple script that could allow me to upload a PDF contract, extract key details like the renewal date, and organize everything on a calendar. Has anyone successfully found a practical middle ground tool that truly works, or are most people resorting to custom scripts? I'm eager to know if it's worth pursuing this "drop zone" tool idea or just reinventing the wheel.
6 Answers
We ended up building our own tool to deal with this kind of issue. It seems like many people have to create custom solutions since available tools are either very basic or way too expensive. Did your version have any significant integrations with other systems?
Your concerns seem centered around contract management and software asset management. If you're looking to build something to help scrape renewal dates and notice periods, it sounds like you're on the right track. It's an area that requires specific solutions, depending on how large your vendor list gets!
Wait, so you're telling me I can monetize what I've basically already created for over $10k? I'm stuck in a dead-end help desk job and ready to quit. If you need help achieving your goals, DM me and let's see if we can make some money together!
This seems a bit self-serving since you're already working on your own monitoring tool. It raises the question of whether you're genuinely managing a stack or just looking for exposure for your project.
Have you thought about creating a template for each type of contract? When you upload a PDF, a standardized template could help classify the info you need. You would define the necessary fields, which might allow the system to create its own PDF with the info formatted to your preferences.
That's a clever idea! But I ran into issues with that because vendors switch up their layouts every few months, which means constantly updating the templates. That's why I'm considering LLMs for extraction — they're more adaptable to layout changes.
We have a strict no-shadow IT policy at our company. If anyone tries to use unapproved services or practices 'bring your own SaaS', they face consequences. This keeps shadow IT from escalating. If everyone followed the handbook, IT wouldn't be burdened with these issues.
I wish it was as simple as that in our organization! There's always someone with a business card who bypasses the system, leading to visibility problems, just like you've pointed out.
Absolutely! With over 100 SaaS vendors, managing renewals becomes a mountain of work. It’s crucial to have a single view of all your tools, renewal deadlines, and cancellation procedures. This could significantly streamline onboarding new vendors.