December is a natural checkpoint. Whether you're wrapping up budgets or closing out projects, it's also the best time to clean up your IT environment. Over the years, we’ve helped dozens of small businesses and IT managers tackle what we call the “end-of-year tech drag”: outdated users, forgotten software, and assets that quietly drain budget and increase risk.
Let’s walk through what to review and why it matters.
- Old Licenses = Wasted Money
Unused software licenses are one of the most common areas we find hidden waste. You could have added seats during a hiring push. A vendor bundled in more than you needed. Either way, if those licenses are still getting paid for but not getting used, they’re costing you.
At Solve iT, our team routinely audits M365, Adobe, Zoom, and dozens of other subscriptions. We match users to licenses and identify over-allocations in minutes. You’d be surprised how often clients find hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in unnecessary recurring costs.
- De-Provisioning: The Risk You Can’t See
One of the most overlooked risks we see is ex-employee access. A surprising number of SMBs don’t have a clear offboarding checklist. Former users often retain access to email, cloud storage, or SaaS platforms long after they have departed.
That’s not just a compliance issue; it’s a security gap.
This is where access audits come in. We compare your HR lists to your IT users, then walk you through revoking access, transferring ownership, and protecting shared credentials using a secure password vault.
- Retire Underused Assets
That server you keep rebooting? That legacy app no one’s touched since 2021? If it’s not pulling its weight, it’s time to consider retiring it.
Underused assets create performance drag and increase attack surface. Even if it’s “just sitting there,” old equipment still consumes energy, attention, and maintenance. And from a security standpoint, unsupported software or hardware is a ticking time bomb.
Instead of carrying the burden, our vCIO services help clients evaluate whether to consolidate, migrate to the cloud, or set a decommissioning plan with backups in place.
- Document What You’ve Got
This one is simple, but powerful. Clear documentation saves time, reduces confusion, and makes future upgrades less painful. We recommend updating:
- Hardware inventory (serial numbers, roles, warranties)
- Software and licensing list
- User access records
- Vendor contact info
If this sounds like a hassle, that’s because it is, unless you automate it. Our clients receive regular asset reports through Solve-iT’s monitoring tools, which are updated in real-time and delivered on a schedule.
- Use the Calendar to Your Advantage
The best part of tackling this in Q4? You’re already thinking about budgets, renewals, and staffing. Pairing a tech clean-up with strategic planning sets you up for stronger conversations with leadership, cleaner audits, and fewer surprises in the new year.
If you're already working with Solve-IT, this may be built into your QBR. If not, this is precisely the kind of review we cover in our Free Threat Assessment, which includes a license and access audit, phishing test, and cybersecurity posture review.
Don’t let old tech and loose ends follow you into next year. Take control now and start fresh, with confidence.
Book your free threat assessment today. It’s simple, practical, and gives you a clear map of what to fix and where to save.
