Udemy
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
Subscribe
Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.
Learn More
Your cart is empty.
Keep shopping
SaaS Procurement, Negotiation & Cost Optimization
Rating: 4.1 out of 5(29 ratings)
1,718 students

SaaS Procurement, Negotiation & Cost Optimization

Reduce SaaS costs, negotiate better software deals, optimize licensing, control renewals, and improve vendor management.
Created bySergii Dovgalenko, FCIPS
Last updated 6/2026
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • Overview of the modern SaaS negotiations pillars, trends, and challenges
  • Critical problems in SasS negotiations like the information asymmetry between buyers and sellers
  • Key aspects of negotiations, e,g,, licensing model and a sourcing strategy
  • Practical cases and examples of negotiations with well-known vendors

Course content

3 sections • 29 lectures • 1h 37m total length

  • Introduction (2025 SaaS industry trends)1:16

    A few essential facts about the SaaS industry and the vital importance of demand and asset management.

  • 2025 SaaS Performace Benchmarks and Negotiation Levers2:27

    2024 SaaS industry performance benchmarks and related negotiation levers.

  • G2 Report "AI: Always Included" (2025)1:45

    Capture critical insigths in SaaS procurement from G2 report (2025). 

  • Microsoft AI Licenses and Software Insflation. Practice #1.6:06

    This session unpacks Microsoft’s AI licensing through real-world usage of Power Automate, AI Builder, and Copilot Agents. We explore what each Copilot actually does (and costs), how AI features drive silent software inflation, and what smart organizations do to stay in control. From message-based billing to license segmentation and cost governance — you’ll leave knowing exactly what to ask, what to monitor, and what not to overspend on.

  • SaaS Vendor Quarterly Report Analysis3:42

    Atlassian quarterly report analysis to prepare for negotiations.

  • Modern dynamics of SaaS negotiations5:23

    SaaS negotiations are so much more than just price wars with suppliers. We will touch upon critical pillars, opportunities, and challenges of SaaS negotiations.

  • Information asymmetry between a buyer and a seller in SaaS negotiations.2:43

    We will analyze a classical economic problem of the information asymmetry between buyers and sellers in the SaaS context.

  • Practice #2 : TCV, ACV, and NPV in SaaS context.7:01

    We will explain how the Annual Contract Value (ACV) leads to the NPV benefit, so one may use it in SaaS negotiations.

  • Buyclasses from the Buygrid Theory.4:35

    The Buygrid Framework (1967) classical procurement theory analyzes the industrial (B2B) buying behavior and business processes.

    It presents industrial buying not as a single event but as an organizational decision-making process where multiple individuals decide on a purchase.

  • Buygrid Theory Applied to the Supplier Selection.3:31

    We will employ the Buygrid Theory to identify different supplier selection scenarios.

  • NIST Cloud Computing Model3:12

    Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

  • Cloud Services2:53

    Three types of cloud services as per NIST standards.

  • Dropbox Case Study.2:58
  • Software license units of measure4:33

    Understanding the SaaS sizing logic is as vital as knowing the license cost. We will provide some critical hints and discuss the license units of measure.

  • Practice #3: Workday licensing model3:10

    Workday Work Order demonstrates using FSE (Full Service Equivalent) and a few more valuable tips for your SaaS negotiations.

  • Product vs. Service2:13

    We will explain the SaaS transformation from a commodity into a complex technology service.

  • Software maintenance and support3:49

    Although support and maintenance are included in the SaaS subscription fees, there are some aspects we have to be mindful of, e.g., perfective and adaptive maintenance.

  • Importance of the Software Asset Management and ISO 19770-1:2017 Standard5:40

    We will briefly touch upon the ITAM Framework of digital asset management and its vital importance.

  • SAP and Oracle Licensing Disputes.3:35
  • Thank you for Studying!0:07

Requirements

  • Basic understanding of cloud computing services
  • Any experience in SaaS negotiations to recognize familiar situations and issues
  • Willingness and capability to learn

Description

(CHECK OUT THE COURSE CURRICULUM FOR UNIQUE BONUSES NO OTHER TRAINING PROVIDES)

Most organizations overspend on SaaS.

Unused licenses, weak renewal governance, automatic price increases, overlapping tools, poor visibility, uncontrolled scaling, and opaque pricing models create unnecessary cost and long-term vendor dependency.

This course explains how SaaS procurement works in practice. You will learn how to control SaaS spend, prepare for renewals, improve license visibility, negotiate stronger commercial terms, manage vendor risk, and avoid common SaaS procurement mistakes.

Unlike theoretical procurement training, this course focuses on practical commercial application.

You will work with SaaS procurement scenarios, negotiation considerations, cost-optimization approaches, and contract risks that arise in real-world business environments.

Common SaaS Procurement Problems This Course Addresses

This course helps you understand and respond to problems such as:

  • Uncontrolled SaaS spending and subscription growth

  • Weak renewal negotiations and automatic price increases

  • Vendor lock-in and reduced commercial leverage

  • Poor license visibility and unused subscriptions

  • Difficulty comparing SaaS pricing models and contract structures

  • Limited procurement involvement in SaaS purchasing decisions

  • Scaling problems caused by rapid SaaS adoption

  • Weak governance over decentralized software buying

  • SaaS contract risks, compliance issues, and vendor dependency

What You Will Learn

By the end of the course, you will understand:

  • SaaS procurement fundamentals and commercial models

  • How SaaS differs from traditional software procurement

  • How to prepare for SaaS renewals and negotiations

  • How to identify cost optimization opportunities

  • How to improve license control and subscription governance

  • How to manage scale-up, scale-down, and usage-based pricing risks

  • How to assess SaaS vendor dependency, contract exposure, and operational risk

  • How procurement can create value beyond price reduction

Topics Covered

The course covers practical SaaS procurement topics, including:

  • SaaS pricing structures and subscription models

  • Pay-as-you-go and consumption-based licensing

  • SaaS contract negotiation considerations

  • Renewal governance and price increase control

  • Cost predictability and license optimization

  • Scale-up and scale-down management

  • SaaS TCO and benefit realization

  • Security, compliance, and operational risk considerations

  • Vendor dependency and lock-in risks

  • Practical SaaS procurement exercises and case examples

Additional Resource Included

The course includes a downloadable SaaS Cost Optimization Checklist covering:

  • SaaS renewal governance

  • ITAM and license control

  • SaaS negotiation preparation

  • Year-on-year price increase controls

  • AI spend governance

  • Vendor dependency and lock-in risks

  • SaaS TCO and benefit realization

  • Procurement participation in IT governance

Who This Course Is For

This course is suitable for:

  • Procurement professionals involved in software and SaaS sourcing

  • IT procurement and category managers

  • Contract and commercial managers working with SaaS vendors

  • Professionals responsible for SaaS cost management and vendor negotiations

  • Finance, IT, and operations professionals involved in SaaS purchasing decisions

  • Anyone seeking a practical understanding of SaaS procurement and commercial control

Who This Course Is Not For

This course is not designed for:

  • Software developers seeking technical SaaS implementation training

  • Users looking for product-specific software tutorials

  • Learners expecting deep technical cloud architecture training

  • Anyone looking for a generic procurement theory without a practical SaaS application

Result

By the end of this course, you will understand how SaaS procurement differs from traditional software sourcing and how to manage SaaS commercial, contractual, operational, and cost considerations more effectively.

You will be better prepared to control SaaS spend, challenge renewals, improve vendor leverage, manage license usage, and reduce the hidden costs created by uncontrolled software subscriptions.

Who this course is for:

  • SaaS current or prospective buyers or IT vendor management experts
  • IT professionals engaged in the SaaS acquisitions
  • General business public
  • IT procurement professionals and rookies

Report abuse