Field guide
Build a 90-day app inventory
You cannot simplify a stack you cannot see.
Collect the bills and logins
List every paid app, free account that holds company work, browser extension, domain service, and shared mailbox. Include tools that only one person knows about.
For each item, record its purpose, monthly or annual cost, renewal date, account owner, billing owner, and whether the team still uses it.
Mark the work each app owns
Tag each app by the work it supports: customers, scheduling, delivery, files, money, team communication, marketing, or administration. A single app may support several tasks, but every task should have a clear current home.
Look for duplicates that have the same job with no intentional difference. Those are review candidates, not automatic cancellations.
Review once per quarter
Set a 30-minute quarterly review before renewal dates pile up. Ask whether the app still has a named owner, a current use, a secure account, and a reason it cannot be consolidated or removed.
Never cancel first and sort out the records later. Export what you own, confirm where live work will move, and remove access after the handoff is complete.