To get off to a good start, you need to centralize the presentation of the various tools that make up your SaaS Stack. Reference all the SaaS tools that your company uses. For more clarity, don't hesitate to indicate which ones are specific to each department. You can classify the tools according to their characteristics such as:
Here are some categories of SaaS frequently found in companies: CRM, expense management, project management, workflow automation, ERP, CMS and e-commerce platforms, HR solutions...
What are the functionalities of your services software? If you want your employees to take ownership of your tools, they need to perceive their potential. Here are some examples of features that can be highlighted:
Now that your employees know which tools they have access to, you need to explain how to access and use each one. The best way to do this is with detailed instructions on how to log in to the various tools. Manage your employees' access to SaaS tools by following these steps.
Depending on their day-to-day roles and responsibilities, your employees will not all use the same software. Establish upfront the profiles of each of your employees, and give them access to the tools they really need. Then define access permissions for each user account.
This policy should define the rules and procedures for using the company's SaaS tools, as well as the responsibilities of employees.
You should create user accounts for each employee who will have access to the company's SaaS tools. These accounts should be created with strong passwords and regularly updated.
You also need to think about how you will identify your users across all your different platforms. This is very important to recognize users in general. To do this, use unique, neutral and robust identifiers, preferably avoiding email addresses.
Bonus: Implement multi-factor authentication.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to protect your company's data. By requiring employees to enter a unique code sent to their cell phone when they log into a SaaS tool, you can reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Note: When onboarding a new employee to the company, provide them with a support with all their login credentials.
A quick start guide is an explanation of the steps to follow to get started quickly with the tools. To help your employees, your start-up procedure should at least contain the following information:
Your quick start guide should be clear, concise and easy to follow, so that your employees can quickly get to grips with your SaaS tool and get the most out of it from the start. Where relevant, include screenshots to help your employees visualize what you're talking about and get up to speed on SaaS more easily.
For employees who make full use of a tool, or simply want to learn more, here are examples of additional resources to tap into.
Tutorials and online help
SaaS tool vendors' websites typically offer detailed tutorials on how to use their products. You can also find free online training videos and articles on sites such as YouTube. User manuals, in print or digital format, can provide a quick reference for users who need additional help. SaaS also often provides this type of support.
Online forums
Beyond the sources provided, you can find many user forums on the Internet about using software. You or your employees can find answers to your toughest questions there.
Internal training
Are some of your software applications central to your business? Do your employees have difficulties with certain SaaS applications? In-house training is the ideal solution. Although they require a commitment of resources, they are still very effective in getting straight to the point in real conditions of use.
Ask your service providers, because in some cases, you can ask representatives of SaaS tool vendors to come and present their product to employees or train members of your team.
User groups
To encourage collaboration among employees, you can create user groups, as is easy to do with email tools. This way, more experienced users can share their knowledge with less experienced users. You can also appoint referees who undergo in-depth training on SaaS, and thus advise other employees.
When needed, groups can meet regularly to discuss issues, share tips and tricks, and explore new features of the SaaS tool.
In order not to be frightened by the SaaS Stack, your employees must know that they can rely on an efficient technical support. You should therefore include a "Support Contacts" section in your user guide, containing information on who to contact in case of problems or questions about the tools.
Technical support can be internal (your company) or external (usually the SaaS publisher) and can be based on different communication channels:
You can find the technical support contact information on the publisher's website or in the SaaS tool's user interface.
SaaS tool vendors also typically offer several options for contacting their technical support, including:
Now you know how to convince your employees to use your tool stack to its full potential. The information about your Stack can be presented in files like Excel or on Notion.
Don't forget to end your sheet with a thank you to employees for their time and commitment, as well as an encouragement to explore the tools to get the most out of them.
The SaaS Stack sheet will need to be customized to your company's specific needs and your employees' knowledge level.
Wondering how much your IT tools are costing you? Calculate your SaaS expenses in 3 minutes with our savings calculator.
Is your SaaS stacking up? Find out why SaaS proliferation is a risk to your business.
Shadow IT is present for a company of any size and we always identify 3x more tools than our customers thought. If you spend less than $400k annually on SaaS tools, we'll identify fewer saving opportunities than a client who spends millions, but we'll help you quickly implement a data-driven buying strategy to prevent this wasteful situation from occurring and keep you focused on your business.
The security of your data is our primary concern. Which is why we have taken appropriate measures to protect your business.
You are free to add any budget owners or anyone involved in SaaS purchasing to streamline your procurement buying process at no additional cost to our platform.
Managing users and identities is a separate business that we don’t do. However, to bring you value and help you with this process, we have partnered with industry leaders like Okta and Auth0 so that we can help you in your Zero Trust Identity process.
We have developed a simple and intuitive solution allowing you to analyze all your SaaS inventory data through dashboard and dynamic list views based on search criteria and filters.
Spendesk is an enterprise expense management solution that allows all employees to pay for SaaS tools. Welii will provide you with insight and support to help you optimize your spending, add leverage to your negotiations, and remove the headaches associated with SaaS purchasing.
