How to Build Recurring SaaS Review Cycles SaaS adoption is accelerating across every client environment. While decentralized purchasing increases agility, it also introduces subscription sprawl, shadow IT, compliance gaps, and unnecessary spend. In this video, we'll show you a structured, repeatable SaaS review framework you can standardize across clients. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT video hub or our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. How to Build a Recurring SaaS Review Cycle in 6 Steps Step 1: Define a Review Cadence Choose a cadence aligned with client complexity: Quarterly reviews for high-change environments, ideally aligned with QBRs. Semi-annual reviews for stable clients with limited SaaS churn. Annual baseline reviews before renewals, after mergers, layoffs, or compliance audits. Reviews should occur 60–90 days before major renewals to allow time for optimization. Step 2: Establish SaaS Visibility Start by integrating your SaaS management platform with Microsoft Entra ID or Okta. This allows you to inventory applications accessed with corporate credentials. Your reporting should focus on four core metrics: Full application inventory by department, Active versus dormant users, License allocation versus actual utilization, Security posture (MFA, SSO, and access controls). This data becomes the foundation for renewal decisions and risk assessments. Step 3: Standardize Your Review Framework Each SaaS review should consistently evaluate four categories: Usage and adoption: dormant accounts represent both waste and security risks. Cost and licensing: eliminate redundant platforms performing overlapping functions. Security and compliance: identify unsanctioned shadow IT applications that may introduce audit exposure. Business value: if an application's ROI is unclear, evaluate consolidation or retirement. Step 4: Automate Data Collection Between Reviews For ad-hoc checks or smaller environments, you can standardize reporting using PowerShell. This is an optional step, but one that's highly recommended. Export login data from Microsoft Entra ID into a CSV file, such as sso_logs.csv, then run: For the full automation workflow, including export configuration and scheduled reporting, refer to the complete script in the blog. Step 5: Conduct Structured Review Sessions Start each session with a dashboard summarizing: app inventory, usage trends, license waste, renewal timelines, security gaps. Go through these findings with your client. Then decide whether to retain, consolidate, replace, retire, or renew an application. Step 6: Document Decisions and Automate Reminders Maintain a centralized SaaS decision log that captures application name, decision, justification, and follow-up actions. This creates an audit trail for renewals and compliance reviews. To prevent missed renewals, automate reminders in your PSA or RMM. For lightweight automation, configure reminder workflows using your preferred notification platform. For the complete sample script and step-by-step implementation guide, check out our blog linked below. By implementing a recurring SaaS review cycle, you create structured visibility into application usage, license efficiency, renewal exposure, and security posture. Proactive lifecycle control is key to strengthening client trust. For more information, check out our official blog post on how to build recurring SaaS review cycles to optimize spending, curb shadow IT, and ensure compliance, linked in the description below.