We've seen it again and again: an organization spends tends of thousands of dollars a year – sometimes much more – on cloud platforms they don't need, don't use, or don't even realize they're paying for.
At FireOak Strategies, we work with purpose-driven organizations that want to scale smartly. But smart scaling doesn't mean throwing money at every platform your team has ever heard of. In fact, some of the most common tech missteps we encounter stem from wasteful cloud spending – redundant platforms, overbought licenses, unnecessary high-tier subscriptions, and a whole lot of "just in case" provisioning that never gets used.
Sound familiar? You're not alone. Here's what's driving the problem – and how to fix it.
The Most Common Ways Organizations Waste Money on Cloud Platforms
Redundant Platforms
Multiple tools that do the same thing? It happens more often than you'd think. We've seen lots of organizations paying for Zoom and Microsoft Teams and Slack and Google Meet – all in the same organization.
Overbuying Licenses
A manager requests "all the tools" for every new hire – from Adobe Creative Cloud to DocuSign to Zoom Pro – whether or not that person actually needs them. Months later, there are dozens of unused licenses quietly draining the budget.
Paying for Premiums You Don't Use
Some vendors (we're looking at you, Adobe and DocuSign) are notorious for pushing high-tier service levels packed with features no one asked for. That "enterprise plan" might sound good – until you realize you're not using 90% of it.
Poor Visibility Into Costs
Too often ,teams don't even know what they're paying for. Without a centralized system or regular audits, it's easy for subscriptions to renew unnoticed, add-ons to accumulate, and vendors to keep increasing prices year after year.
No Governance Around Provisioning
We've seen organizations where the IT or Operations team has no idea how many licenses are in use – or by whom. In one case, a team discovered that none of their program staff were actually using the expensive data visualization tool they had requested...and renewed... three years running.
Four Ways to Cut Cloud Waste Without Sacrificing Functionality
Start with a Tech Stack Audit
Map out every platform (including free ones) your organization is using and/or paying for. Who owns it? Who's using it? What's it costing you each month? You'll likely uncover redundancies, zombie tools, and easy cuts.
Set Smart Provisioning Rules
Not every staff members needs every tool. Create role-based provisioning rules that define what tools each job function should get – and revisit these during onboarding and offboarding. Just-in-time provisioning beats just-in-case every time.
Watch the Upsell
When evaluating vendors, beware of sales tactics that push you toward high-cost tiers "for future growth" or "advanced reporting features" you won't actually use. Get clear on what your team needs today – not five years from now.
Implement Cost Governance
Assign a single point of accountability to oversee licenses, review renewals, and track usage. Set calendar reminders for major contact reviews and require justification for renewals above a certain threshold.
When Budgets are Thin, Waste Hurts More
For nonprofits, small businesses, and growing mission-driven teams, every dollar counts. Cloud waste may seem like a drop in the bucket, but it adds up fast – and often invisibly. Cleaning up your cloud stack doesn't just save money – it improves security, simplifies training, and reduces complexity.
Ready to rein in the sprawl? We help teams get clarity on their tools, costs, and strategy – and make smart, sustainable decisions about what to keep, what to cut, and what to consolidate.
Because smarter tech supports a stronger mission.
