The MarTech Audit Template We Run Before Recommending a Single Tool

Step 1: inventory

List every tool, monthly cost, renewal date, owner, and primary use case. Most teams are shocked by the total — $200k–$500k in shelfware is the norm.

Step 2: usage audit

Log into each tool. How many active users? When was the last meaningful action? If a tool has 2 logins this quarter, it's a candidate for kill.

Step 3: overlap map

Group tools by category. How many overlap? Most teams have 3 tools doing similar jobs because vendors upsold each department separately.

Step 4: consolidation plan

Kill duplicates. Consolidate where one tool can absorb another's function. The savings typically fund the net-new implementation work.