Enterprise Software Portfolio Rationalization - Case Study

Jan Malasek • July 19, 2026

Enterprise Software Portfolio Rationtalization Case Study By Mark Ball

To rein in fragmented software spend and strengthen its leverage with key technology vendors, a major regional bank with more than $210 billion in assets embarked on an enterprise software portfolio rationalization initiative. With overlapping applications spread across business lines and $12 million in addressable software spend, bank leadership needed a fact-based view of what it owned, what it actually used, and where consolidation could deliver immediate, low-risk savings.


OnDemand Professional Network Partner Mark Ball was engaged to lead the effort—bringing more than 25 years of experience in technology sourcing, strategic procurement, and financial analysis for Fortune 500 corporations, federal agencies, and private equity firms.


WHY SOFTWARE RATIONALIZATION MATTERS NOW

The bank's challenge reflects a much broader trend. Industry research consistently shows that unmanaged enterprise software users waste 25–30% of total software spend on unused licenses, redundant tools, and overlapping subscriptions. Gartner estimates that roughly 30% of global SaaS spend is effectively “wasted”—paid for but delivering no value—and forecasts that organizations without centralized software lifecycle management will overspend by at least 25% through 2027.


The root cause is decentralized purchasing: business units now control roughly 70% of software spending, and roughly half of all licenses purchased go unused. In banking, the stakes are amplified—regulators expect tight third-party risk oversight, and every redundant vendor relationship adds compliance burden on top of cost. Deliberate portfolio rationalization is one of the highest-leverage moves available: fewer, deeper vendor relationships mean better pricing, stronger service, and reduced risk exposure.


SITUATION OVERVIEW

The bank's application portfolio had grown fragmented across business lines, with overlapping tools in Sales/CRM, document generation, marketing, and related software categories—creating unmanaged cost and limited leverage with key vendors. Without a consolidated view of spend, usage, and contract terms, leadership lacked the foundation needed to prioritize consolidation opportunities or negotiate from a position of strength.


APPROACH / WORK PERFORMED

  • Partnered with the bank's CIO organization and Application Portfolio Management team to inventory and assess software spend across seven application categories
  • Conducted vendor capability assessments, contract and pricing reviews, and competitive market analysis for each category
  • Built financial models to quantify ROI for consolidation and standardization scenarios, prioritizing initiatives by savings potential and ease of implementation
  • Developed a phased business case and implementation roadmap for executive approval


VALUE DELIVERED

  • Identified $2M+ in annual savings opportunities against $12M in addressable software spend—consistent with the 25–30% waste benchmark seen across the industry
  • Pinpointed $1M+ in savings achievable through immediate, low-risk priorities and quick wins
  • Gave bank leadership a clear, financially validated roadmap for ongoing application rationalization and vendor consolidation


Industry statistics sourced from Gartner, Zylo SaaS Management Index (2025), and Flexera State of the Cloud (2025).


Meet Mark Ball – OnDemand Network Member since 2008

Mark Ball is a senior management consultant with more than 25 years of experience delivering measurable results across IT modernization, program management, procurement transformation, and business operations for Fortune 500 companies, federal agencies, and research institutions. His track record includes leading an IT modernization assessment across 600+ healthcare facilities that secured a $125M federal investment, managing a leveraged purchasing program across 100+ private equity portfolio companies that delivered $60M+ in savings, and driving $30M+ in pre-merger technology supplier savings as a subcontractor to McKinsey & Company. Earlier in his career, Mark held senior positions with A.T. Kearney and Fannie Mae, focusing on strategic sourcing, technology procurement, and operations consulting. 


Mark holds an MBA in Finance & Strategy from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Top Secret security clearance and is based in the Washington, DC metro area.


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