| name | tool-stack-audit |
| description | Audits business technology stacks for redundancy, cost optimization, and integration opportunities. Use when reviewing and optimizing your business software spend. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Tool Stack Audit
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Audit your business software stack for redundancy and waste
- Identify cost savings by consolidating or replacing tools
- Evaluate integration opportunities between existing tools
- Create a rationalized, optimized tool stack recommendation
DO NOT use this skill for choosing a single tool (use saas-evaluation), building automation workflows, or technical infrastructure audits. This is for business software stack review and optimization.
Core Principle
EVERY TOOL IN YOUR STACK MUST EARN ITS SEAT — IF YOU CANNOT NAME THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM IT SOLVES AND THE TIME OR MONEY IT SAVES, IT IS A CANDIDATE FOR REMOVAL.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Business type | "What does your business do?" | No default — must be provided |
| Current tools | "List every paid tool or software you use for business." | No default — must be provided |
| Monthly spend | "What is your total monthly software spend?" | Unknown — we will calculate it |
| Pain points | "What frustrates you about your current tools?" | Overlap, cost, complexity |
| Must-keep tools | "Are any tools non-negotiable? Which ones and why?" | None specified |
| Budget target | "Do you have a target monthly spend you would like to hit?" | Reduce by 20-30% |
GATE: Confirm the tool list and goals before starting the audit.
Phase 2: Inventory and Assess
Tool Inventory Template
For each tool, document:
| Field | Details |
|---|
| Tool name | |
| Category | (communication, project management, marketing, finance, etc.) |
| Monthly cost | |
| Annual cost | |
| Plan tier | (free, basic, pro, enterprise) |
| Primary use | (what you use it for) |
| Usage frequency | (daily, weekly, monthly, rarely) |
| Integrations | (what other tools it connects to) |
| Users | (how many people use it) |
| Contract end | (when can you cancel?) |
Assessment Scoring
Rate each tool on:
| Criterion | Score 1-5 |
|---|
| Essential — Would your business break without this tool? | |
| Utilized — Do you use more than 50% of its features? | |
| Value — Is the cost justified by the time/money saved? | |
| Integrated — Does it connect to your other tools? | |
Action thresholds:
- Score 16-20: Keep — essential, well-utilized
- Score 11-15: Optimize — may be on wrong tier or underused
- Score 6-10: Replace — find a better or cheaper alternative
- Score 1-5: Cut — not earning its seat
GATE: Present the scored inventory and get confirmation before making recommendations.
Phase 3: Recommend
Optimization Actions
For each tool, recommend one action:
| Action | When to Apply |
|---|
| Keep | Essential, well-used, good value |
| Downgrade | Using less than the plan provides |
| Consolidate | Two tools do the same job — pick the better one |
| Replace | A better or cheaper alternative exists |
| Cut | Not used enough to justify any cost |
| Integrate | Connect to other tools to increase value |
Consolidation Opportunities
Identify tools with overlapping functionality:
## Overlap Analysis
**Communication:** Slack + Teams + email → Consolidate to one + email
**Project Management:** Trello + Asana + Notion → Pick one
**Email Marketing:** Mailchimp + ConvertKit → Pick one
**Design:** Canva + Adobe → Evaluate usage, choose one
**Storage:** Google Drive + Dropbox → Consolidate to one
Replacement Recommendations
For each tool marked for replacement:
- Current tool: [Name] — $[cost]/month
- Recommended replacement: [Name] — $[cost]/month
- Savings: $[X]/month
- Migration effort: [Low/Medium/High]
- Key trade-off: [What you gain vs. what you lose]
Phase 4: Polish
1. Savings Summary
## Stack Optimization Summary
**Current monthly spend:** $[X]
**Optimized monthly spend:** $[Y]
**Monthly savings:** $[X-Y]
**Annual savings:** $[X-Y x 12]
### Changes
| Tool | Action | Before | After | Savings |
|------|--------|--------|-------|---------|
| [Tool 1] | Cut | $29/mo | $0 | $29/mo |
| [Tool 2] | Downgrade | $49/mo | $19/mo | $30/mo |
| [Tool 3] | Replace | $39/mo | $15/mo | $24/mo |
| **Total** | | **$[X]** | **$[Y]** | **$[Z]/mo** |
2. Migration Plan
For tools being replaced or cut:
- Export all data before canceling
- Note contract end dates and cancellation requirements
- Sequence changes to avoid workflow disruptions
- Allow 1-2 weeks overlap during transitions
3. Quality Checklist
## Tool Stack Audit Checklist
- [ ] All paid tools inventoried with costs and categories
- [ ] Each tool scored on essential, utilized, value, and integrated
- [ ] Overlapping tools identified with consolidation recommendations
- [ ] Replacement tools researched with cost comparisons
- [ ] Total monthly and annual savings calculated
- [ ] Migration plan includes data export and timeline
- [ ] Contract end dates checked for cancellation windows
- [ ] Must-keep tools confirmed with user
- [ ] Integration opportunities between remaining tools identified
- [ ] Optimized stack documented for reference
Example
Business: Freelance marketing consultant, $487/month in tools
Audit finding:
"You are paying for Trello ($10/month), Asana ($11/month), and Notion ($10/month). All three are project management tools. Consolidate to Notion — it covers project management, notes, and client portals. Savings: $21/month."
Summary:
"Current spend: $487/month. After cutting 3 unused tools, downgrading 2 plans, and consolidating 2 overlapping tools: $312/month. Annual savings: $2,100."
Anti-Patterns
- Cutting tools without a replacement plan — removing a tool before confirming the workflow can survive without it causes chaos.
- Optimizing only on cost — a $49/month tool that saves 10 hours/month is worth $490 at $49/hour. Do not cut it to save $49.
- Ignoring annual contracts — some tools charge cancellation fees or have annual commitments. Check before recommending cuts.
- Too many changes at once — migrate one tool at a time. Changing 5 tools in one week guarantees confusion.
- Forgetting free tools — free tools still have costs (time to manage, integration complexity, data fragmentation). Include them in the audit.
Recovery
- User cannot list all their tools: Check bank and credit card statements for recurring software charges. Review browser bookmarks and app logins.
- User pushes back on cutting a tool: Ask them to track actual usage for 2 weeks. Data often changes minds when feelings will not.
- Migration breaks a workflow: Roll back to the old tool temporarily. Diagnose what broke and fix it before migrating again.
- Savings are minimal: The stack may already be lean. Focus on integration improvements and workflow optimization instead of cost cuts.
