The Hidden Costs Inside Your Tech Footprint—and How to Reduce Them

If your IT costs keep creeping up and you’re not sure why, your tech footprint might be the culprit.

Your tech footprint includes all the tools, apps, vendors, and access points your business relies on each day. When it grows without a plan, costs increase, data spreads across systems, and oversight becomes harder.

Many small and midsized businesses rely on a collection of tools that grew over time. A new app solved a shortterm problem. A vendor needed temporary access for a project. A trial continued longer than planned. These changes feel minor in the moment but gradually create a digital environment that is harder to manage and costly. Even a handful of unused subscriptions can add hundreds of dollars to your monthly IT spend.

A reset brings clarity. Business owners gain a better understanding of what they use, what they pay for, and where business data actually lives.

How tools accumulate without a plan

Most tool growth is organic. Someone finds a quick fix, the team starts using it, and soon it becomes part of the workflow. When this happens multiple times, the business ends up with duplicate tools, overlapping features, and subscriptions that no longer align with today’s needs.

This creates cost inefficiency and a scattered tech footprint. The more tools in use, the harder it becomes to know what the business is paying for, what is still used, and where the associated data is stored. When tools go unmanaged, bills stack up quietly, and the risk of losing track of important information increases.

What to do once you’ve taken inventory 

After listing out all tools in use, business owners can narrow the list by asking a few straightforward questions:

• Is this tool actively used? If not, remove it or archive the account.
• Does it duplicate features of another tool the business already relies on?
• Is the team using only a small portion of what the subscription and we’re paying for features we don’t use?
• Does the tool store business data, and do we still need to keep that data there?
• Does the tool come with vendor access that is no longer required?

This review helps identify what to keep, what to consolidate, and what can be retired. The goal is a smaller, more intentional set of tools that support the business without adding unnecessary cost or risk.

The impact of shadow IT

Shadow IT refers to any tool, app, or service that teams start using without going through the business’s usual purchasing or approval process. This is common in small and midsized organizations because teams want quick solutions and don’t want to wait for formal reviews.

Shadow IT usually starts with good intentions, but it quietly expands the tech footprint in ways that business owners don’t always see.  A team signs up for a tool that solves a specific problem. Over time, the business loses track of who uses what, how the data is stored, and whether the tool is still needed.

This leads to:

• Confusing workflows that slow people down
• Overlapping subscriptions that push costs up
• Increased data exposure when information sits in tools no one monitors

When these tools slip out of visibility, the business takes on risk without realizing it. Regular reviews help surface forgotten tools, highlight unused accounts, and narrow the environment to what the business actively relies on.

Free tools and the risks they introduce

What we often see is that shadowIT tools are free or lowcost consumer apps that teams pick up because they’re quick and convenient. They seem harmless because they cost nothing, but free tools often:

• Lack the security features businesses expect
• Store data in ways the business cannot track or control
• Do not offer reliable backup or recovery options
• Change terms or features without notice

When teams rely on these free tools, business data ends up in places with little oversight. This increases the chance of data loss, unauthorized access, and inconsistent workflows.

Vendor access that remains open

Vendors often receive access to systems to help with onboarding, integrations, or support. These access windows sometimes remain open long after the work is complete. With more vendors connecting to more systems, the business’s digital perimeter becomes harder to monitor.

When vendor access remains open, it expands the tech footprint in ways that reduce control and introduce unnecessary risk. It also introduces:

• More people with potential entry points into systems
• Less clarity over who can access sensitive information
• A greater chance of overlooked activity because no one expects the vendor to be active anymore

Closing inactive vendor access reduces uncertainty and tightens control over who can reach business data.

Why renewal dates matter

Many tools renew automatically. Without a central review, the business pays for tools that may no longer fit its needs. These renewals often occur without anyone realizing a bill is coming. Over time, this inflates the tech footprint and results in

• Surprise expenses
• Multiyear contracts that the business no longer benefits from
• Paying for more seats or features than people use

Tracking renewal dates prevents these unnecessary costs and allows the business to make intentional decisions rather than reacting after a charge appears.

A simple review that brings clarity

A techfootprint review gives business owners a clearer sense of:

• What tools the business uses today
• Which tools overlap
• Where business data is stored
• What vendors have access
• What should be removed or consolidated

The result is a more manageable, costeffective environment.

How a managed services partner helps

A managed services partner monitors changes, tracks vendor access, and helps consolidate tools when it makes sense. Horizon supports businesses across Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary with ongoing oversight so the tech footprint stays lean, predictable, and easier to maintain.

Built-In IT Leadership With Horizon TotalCare 

Horizon TotalCare includes both strategic and operational IT leadership—so technology stays aligned with business goals without adding management burden.

A Virtual CIO (vCIO) leads Quarterly Business Reviews to assess IT strategy, system usage, vendor access, and upcoming needs, helping control costs and reduce risk.

A Technical Account Manager (TAM) provides ongoing oversight of day-to-day IT services, ensuring performance, security, and compliance standards are consistently met. 

Ready to simplify your tech footprint? Contact Horizon for a review.