Posted by: Aubrey Felix on December 18, 2025 at 10:29 am
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
Start the Year Strong: Why A Review Matters More Than You Think
If you’re like most business owners we talk to, you probably feel like you have a pretty good handle on the tools your team uses day to day. Maybe a few apps, a CRM, email, Teams, and accounting software… nothing too overwhelming. Maybe even a handful of other tools sprinkled in. But here’s the truth: the average small or medium-sized business uses far more technology than they realize.
According to Okta’s SMBs at Work 2024 report, SMBs deploy around 58 different applications on average. Even the smallest businesses, with 50 employees or fewer, still use roughly 36 apps. And these aren’t just productivity tools. SMBs today actively adopt a wide range of software, like design tools, legal, security platforms, cloud services, CRMs, and more. And that’s just the software you know about. Not long ago, an MSP shared a story in our peer group: their client confidently insisted they were using “maybe 50 apps, max.” After running a tech-stack analysis, the actual number wasn’t 50. It wasn’t even 200.
It was over 1,000.
While that number is extreme, it highlights a truth every business must confront: Your tech stack is bigger than you think, and it’s costing you more than you realize. Most of those tools weren’t malicious or unnecessary when they were added. They were solutions to real problems at the time, they just never went away. This is why the beginning of the year is the perfect time to step back and take a real look at your technology.
What’s Actually Included in Your Tech Stack
When people hear “tech stack,” they usually think about the software they log into daily. But your tech stack stretches across your entire organization, whether you realize it or not.
Marketing teams often rely on website tools, WordPress plugins, email platforms like Mailchimp, analytics, and social media software. Sales teams may use CRMs such as HubSpot or Salesforce, along with tools like DocuSign or Microsoft Dynamics 365. Operations frequently involve ERP systems, project management platforms like Asana, and various workflow or security tools.
Finance almost always includes QuickBooks (Desktop or Online), billing and expense tools, reporting dashboards, and sometimes even systems tied to cyber insurance requirements. HR and administrative teams depend on payroll platforms, internal operating systems, and security training tools. And then there’s the core infrastructure — Microsoft 365, Teams, cloud storage, backups, and the hardware everything runs on.
None of this is unusual. What is common is that each department makes these decisions independently, throughout the year, often without a centralized view of what’s already in place. Someone signs up for a free trial here. Another tool gets bought for a quick project there. Marketing adds a plug-in. HR spins up a training system. Someone in operations installs a workflow app. Individually, none of those decisions seem like a big deal, but that’s how tech stacks quietly grow out of control.
Do You Have “Shadow AI” In Your Tech Stack?
We’re now seeing this same pattern play out with AI tools.
You may hear the term “Shadow AI,” which simply means employees are using AI tools without IT or security oversight. AI itself isn’t the problem. It’s powerful, useful, and here to stay. The risk comes from using it without guardrails.
Unmanaged AI tools can expose sensitive company information, generate inaccurate or misleading results, and introduce compliance or data-handling risks that don’t show up until something goes wrong. When AI becomes part of your tech stack, and it already has for many businesses, it needs the same visibility and governance as any other business system. Don’t get us wrong. We aren’t discouraging AI use. AI is incredibly valuable when it’s deployed safely and intentionally. But unmanaged AI, just like unmanaged software can create invisible vulnerabilities for your business.
A tech stack review helps you get ahead of this, set policies, and make sure your team is using AI tools responsibly.
Image created with AI
Why Reviewing Your Tech Stack Actually Matters
A tech stack review isn’t about cutting tools or making life harder for your team. It’s about clarity. Most businesses that take time to review their technology uncover the same things: outdated apps, unused accounts, duplicate tools doing the same job, and subscriptions no one remembers approving. And yes, forgotten renewals happen more often than anyone likes to admit. But cleaning this up has real benefits.
From a security standpoint, fewer abandoned tools and unused accounts means fewer entry points for attackers. From a financial standpoint, it’s one of the easiest ways to regain control of IT spending without sacrificing capability.
Technology costs add up quickly, especially when you’re paying for licenses no one uses or upgraded tiers no one actually needs. A review helps you understand exactly where your money is going, whether those tools still support how your business operates now, and clean up renewals before another year passes by unnoticed.
There’s also a productivity side that often gets overlooked. When teams juggle too many tools, work slows down. People bounce between systems, lose track of information, and waste time figuring out where things live. A cleaner, more intentional tech stack reduces friction and helps people get more done with less frustration.
How to Actually Do a Tech Review
A comprehensive review doesn’t need to be complicated — it just needs to be intentional.
Many businesses start with simple steps: pulling usage reports from Microsoft 365, reviewing credit card statements for recurring subscriptions, and documenting what each department actually uses. That alone often surfaces more insight than expected. The most important part isn’t the tools you use to audit your stack, it’s making the review a regular habit. Doing this once a year, before issues arise, is far more effective than reacting after a security incident or surprise invoice.
Most businesses don’t need fancy tools to get started. They just need visibility. You can do something as simple as pulling software reports from Microsoft 365, or reviewing credit-card statements for subscriptions. Then document what each department is actually using. But I’ll say it again: The key is to do it every year, not just when something goes wrong.
Don’t Forget About Your Personal Tech Stack
Interestingly, the same thing happens outside of work. People often underestimate just how many recurring charges they’re paying. A C+R Research survey found that consumers thought they spent about $86 per month on subscriptions, but when asked to list them individually, actual spending averaged $219, and 74% said they find it easy to forget about those recurring charges. That’s $133 more a month than they thought they were spending. That adds up so quickly. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The same forces that create business tech sprawl exist in our personal lives too. Taking a few minutes to review your own subscriptions can free up money, reduce digital clutter, and reinforce the value of visibility.
Final Thoughts
Your tech stack is at the heart of your business. The more it grows quietly in the background, the easier it is for costs, security risks, and inefficiencies to pile up without anyone noticing. As the year gets underway, reviewing your tech stack is one of the simplest ways to start strong. It improves visibility, strengthens security, and ensures your technology is actually supporting the way your business works today. So as January comes around it’s the perfect moment to hit pause, look at what you’re really using, and decide what should stay, what should go, and what needs improvement. It’s one of the simplest ways to make your security stronger, your team more productive, and your business more efficient all year long.
If you want help reviewing your tech stack or improving visibility across your environment, the TAZ Networks team is here to support you. Especially if you’re a growing business here in Southeast Michigan.
Start the year strong and stop spending money on things you don’t use. Make your technology work for you.