Stop Paying Twice for Software You Already Own

The problem is that many businesses do not know what they already own.

Staff and departments therefore purchase additional software to solve problems that Microsoft 365 may already handle.

The Hidden Cost of App Creep

It usually starts with a small subscription.

Someone needs a survey tool, task manager or booking system. They find an application online and charge £10 or £20 a month to a company card.

One subscription becomes five. Five become fifteen.

Individually, the costs appear insignificant. Across 50 employees, they can quietly add thousands of pounds to your annual expenditure.

This is app creep, and the licence fee is only part of the cost.

Every additional application creates more administration:

• Another contract and renewal date
• Another invoice to process
• Another set of users to manage
• Another password and security risk
• Another leaver process to remember
• Another place where company information is stored
• Another system staff must learn and support

The more applications you accumulate, the harder it becomes to understand what your business is paying for, who is using it and whether it is still required.

You Already Have the Answer

Depending on your licences and requirements, Microsoft 365 Business already provides:

• Planner for team tasks, deadlines and straightforward projects
• To Do for personal tasks and reminders, integrated with Outlook
• Forms for surveys, questionnaires and information gathering
• Lists for tracking enquiries, equipment, actions and processes
• Bookings for customer and internal appointments
• SharePoint and OneDrive for storing and sharing business documents
• Copilot Business for drafting, summarising, research and data analysis

Because these tools belong to the same Microsoft 365 ecosystem, they are designed to work together. For many everyday requirements, this removes the need to buy another platform or build a complicated connection between separate systems.

Carry Out an App-Creep Review

Create a list of every application and software subscription used across the business.

Include:

• Application name
• Business purpose
• Department responsible
• Number of users
• Monthly or annual cost
• Renewal date and notice period
• Information stored within it
• Whether Microsoft 365 offers an alternative

Do not rely solely on your accounts records. Check company cards, staff expenses and department budgets. Some subscriptions may never have passed through a central purchasing process.

Then ask:

1. Is anyone still using it?
2. Are we paying for unused licences?
3. Do different departments have competing products?
4. Could Microsoft 365 deliver the same outcome?
5. What administration would disappear if we removed it?
6. When can the contract be reduced or cancelled?

You may be astounded by the savings.

Reduce Cost Without Creating Disruption

Do not cancel software simply because Microsoft offers something similar.

First confirm that the alternative meets the business requirement, that important information can be retained and that staff receive appropriate guidance.

The aim is not to force everything into Microsoft 365. It is to stop paying twice where an existing tool can already do the job.

Get More From the Subscriptions You Already Pay For

At FOS.net , we help clients get full value from their Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

We identify duplicated applications, unnecessary licences and opportunities to bring everyday tasks into a simpler, integrated environment.

The result can be lower costs, fewer systems to administer and less time wasted managing a growing collection of applications.

Is app creep quietly increasing your monthly costs?

Ask FOS.net to review your software subscriptions and map them against Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Copilot Business.