How to Map SaaS Applications to Departments for Clearer Visibility

SaaS adoption is often decentralized for an organization that struggles to stay organized. Marketing may use one tool, HR another, and engineering a different one, often without IT visibility. This leads to confusion, shadow IT risks, budget inefficiencies, and chaotic renewal planning.

You can solve this with SaaS mapping by linking applications to departments. This improves alignment between IT, finance, and business leaders. This brief introduces a practical process to layer organizational context to app data for stronger governance.

Step-by-step SaaS mapping to departments

These step-by-step instructions show you how to collect SaaS data, map it to departments, and present it in reviews to position your MSP as a strategic advisor for SaaS governance.

📌 General prerequisites: 

• Access to identity provider (IdP) logs (e.g., Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, JumpCloud)
• Department metadata from HR systems or Active Directory groups
• Reporting/visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, or PSA-integrated dashboards)

Optional: SaaS management platforms for advanced automation

Step 1: Collect SaaS usage data from Identity Providers

The first step in mapping SaaS apps to departments is to determine what tools are used across the organization. In this step, you collect usage data from your Identity Provider (IdP), such as Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) or Okta, to create a trusted inventory of app usage.

📌 Use Cases: Building a centralized SaaS inventory and detecting unauthorized or shadow IT usage.

📌 Prerequisites: Admin access to IdP platforms (e.g., Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, JumpCloud)

Steps:

1. Access your IdP dashboard (e.g., Okta Admin Console or Microsoft Entra Admin Center).
2. Extract app usage logs from your SSO/IdP provider.
3. Gather data points, including:
   • App name
   • User identity (email, role)
   • Login frequency
   • License status or activity
4. Export the data into a structured format (CSV, API feed, or direct connector) to create a base inventory of SaaS usage across client environments.

💡 Tip: Read related references for using Okta and Entra ID.

Step 2: Map users to departments

After collecting raw usage data, the next step is to add context by mapping each user to their department. This allows you to see which teams depend on which tools and builds a clear view of who uses what and where they belong in the organization.

📌 Use Cases: Identifying redundant tools across teams and ensuring that approved departments only access sensitive apps.

📌 Prerequisites: 

• Access to identity provider (IdP) logs (e.g., Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, JumpCloud).
• Department metadata from HR systems or Active Directory groups.

Steps:

1. Pull department attributes from HR systems, payroll tools, or AD group tags.
2. Join these attributes with SaaS login data using a common key such as user email or User Principal Name (UPN).
3. Enrich SaaS activity records with department metadata so each log carries department-level context.

Step 3: Aggregate usage by app and department

With enriched SaaS usage data, the next step is aggregating it into structured reports showing how departments interact with each app. Grouping the data by app, department, active users, and last login gives you a clear snapshot of usage across the organization.

📌 Use Cases: Identifying overlapping tools across departments and spotting unused or underutilized licenses.

📌 Prerequisites: Reporting or visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, PSA-integrated dashboards, or SaaS management platforms).

Steps:

1. Group SaaS usage data by app and department.
2. Calculate activity metrics, including:
   • Number of active users
   • Last login timestamp
   • License count
3. Build structured reports as tables or a dashboard. For example:

4. Spot redundant apps (e.g., multiple apps serving the same function across departments).
5. Identify unused or underutilized licenses for optimization.

💡 Note: Here is a reference about JumpCloud: SaaS Management Guide.

Step 4: Visualize and share findings

The next step is to turn raw reports into insights that stakeholders can understand and act on. Handing over spreadsheets is often confusing, especially for non-technical audiences. Visualization makes the data digestible, showing how teams use software and where improvements are possible.

📌 Use Cases: Delivering QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews) that showcase SaaS adoption, costs, and optimization opportunities.

📌 Prerequisites: Reporting or visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, PSA-integrated dashboards, or SaaS management platforms).

Steps:

1. Select KPIs that matter to stakeholders.
2. Build dashboards or reports to show:
   • App usage by department
   • Cost attribution per team
   • Redundant or unused apps
   • Login frequency and license utilization
   • Adoption trends over time
3. Deliver insights through regular reviews, such as client QBRs or monthly reporting with leadership.

Step 5: Identify shadow IT and risky apps

Next, check if the tools are safe, compliant, and approved. This means identifying shadow IT, which refers to apps being used without IT’s knowledge or approval, and flagging those that may create security or compliance risks.

📌 Use Cases: Detecting unauthorized or risky SaaS usage and reducing exposure to data breaches or regulatory violations.

📌 Prerequisites:

• A defined list of approved SaaS applications.
• Aggregated SaaS usage data (from Steps 1-3)

Steps:

1. Compare SaaS usage data against the approved app catalog.
2. Highlight SaaS apps that fall outside the approved catalog.
3. Flag apps that are not sanctioned but show high usage.
4. Escalate findings to security or compliance teams for further assessment.
5. Develop remediation plans:
   • Adopt officially (e.g., negotiate an enterprise license)
   • Restrict or block access (e.g., via firewall or CASB)
   • Educate users on approved alternatives

Step 6: Automate mapping updates

SaaS environments change constantly. Users switch departments, new apps appear, and usage patterns shift. To keep SaaS-to-department mappings accurate, you should automate the process. Scheduled scripts or workflows can refresh login data, re-map users to departments, and regenerate reports with minimal manual effort.

📌 Use Cases: Updating SaaS usage reports and reducing manual workload for IT and operations teams.

📌 Prerequisites:

• Access to SSO usage logs (e.g., from Okta or Entra ID)
• Access to user attributes via Active Directory or HRIS
• Script execution environment (e.g., PowerShell, Python, or Bash)
• Scheduling tool (e.g., Windows Task Scheduler, cron)

Steps:

1. Run scheduled scripts to refresh data weekly or monthly.
2. Import SSO usage logs:

$ssoLogs = Import-Csv sso_usage.csv

3. Map users to departments using Active Directory:

$results = $ssoLogs | ForEach-Object {
$dept = (Get-ADUser $_.User -Properties Department).Department
[PSCustomObject]@{
App = $_.App
Department = $dept
User = $_.User
LastLogin = $_.LastLogin
}
}

This script takes your SSO login logs ($ssoLogs), looks up each user in Active Directory, and tags them with their department. It then builds a consolidated dataset ($results) that shows who’s using what, which department they belong to, and when they last logged in.

Example output:

4. Aggregate and output results:

$results | Group-Object App, Department | Select Name, @{Name="Count";Expression={$_.Count}}

This script groups your dataset ($results) by app and department, then counts how many users fall into each group. It’s a quick way to see which teams use which tools and how active they are.

Example output:

Step 7: Embed into client reviews

The final step is to bring SaaS usage insights into strategic conversations. Embedding SaaS reports into QBRs or monthly client check-ins ensures SaaS governance stays active and visible at the business level.

📌 Use Cases: Helping leadership teams to make informed decisions on renewals, consolidations, and risk management.

📌 Prerequisites:

• Up-to-date SaaS usage reports with department mapping
• A regular cadence of business reviews (e.g., QBRs, monthly ops reviews)

Steps:

1. Include SaaS-to-department reports in QBRs or business reviews.
2. Highlight:
   • Top apps by department
   • Redundant or overlapping tools
   • Shadow IT or risky apps
   • Department-specific security risks
   • Renewal opportunities and underused licenses
3. Add visualizations to make insights easy to digest.
4. Recommend next steps (e.g., consolidate tools, adopt officially, renegotiate contracts).

💡 Tip: Position the MSP as a strategic advisor for SaaS governance.

Best practices summary table

Here’s a table summarizing the core components of SaaS mapping and the value each adds to the process.

NinjaOne integration

NinjaOne provides visibility into devices and software, but doesn’t break down SaaS usage by department. You can extend SaaS mapping in NinjaOne by connecting usage data with IT ops:

• Combine NinjaOne’s endpoint inventory with IdP usage logs to build a complete view of apps across devices and accounts.
• Use NinjaOne’s documentation module to store departmental app mappings for quick access and reference.
• Link findings to ticketing workflows to trigger SaaS decommission or renewal actions without manual effort.

Key takeaways

The steps above give you a clear process for mapping SaaS apps to departments and keep the data actionable. Here are the main points to remember:

• Use SSO/IdP logs to track SaaS usage.
• Enrich records with department metadata.
• Automate updates for fresh visibility.
• Deliver findings in dashboards or QBRs.
• Flag shadow IT to protect clients from unmanaged risks.

SaaS mapping to departments for better visibility and control

Mapping SaaS apps to departments turns raw login data into strategic intelligence. With this, MSPs can give clients clarity on who uses what and help optimize SaaS spend and licensing. It also allows you to spot shadow IT before it becomes a risk and act on it. This strengthens your role as a trusted advisor by embedding SaaS governance into reviews.

Related topics:

• The Top Five Benefits of SaaS IT Management Solutions
• Managing MSM App Updates in NinjaOne
• Top 5 MSP Strategies for Using Your QBR as a Sales Tool