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Consolidating AI tools bought separately by each team

This is a by-product of adoption speed, not a control failure. Teams bought what they needed when they needed it, which is not in itself wrong. But at some point it has to be tidied.

How to find it Consolidation criteria Migration

The short answer

Before starting: the goal is not to take tools away from teams. It is to stop paying several times for the same capability and to stop data scattering.

That distinction matters. Approach it as a control exercise and teams start hiding purchases, at which point finding them becomes impossible.

Step 1 — find it

Corporate card statements — The biggest source. Pull six months and look for recurring charges — small recurring amounts are usually subscriptions.

SSO logs — Tools using SSO list themselves. Personal accounts outside SSO will not appear.

Accounting categories — Sort the software or fees accounts by vendor name and the recurring items show.

A survey — How you fill the gaps. Be explicit that it is for consolidation, not sanction, and keep it short — tool, purpose, monthly cost, owner.

Step 2 — group by capability

Capability group	Typical duplication
Meeting notes and transcription	The most common — a different tool per team
Images and design	Marketing, product and sales each paying separately
General assistants	Many personal accounts alongside an organisational one
Translation	Free and paid tools mixed
Automation and workflow	A trial purchase by one team still running

Step 3 — consolidate and migrate

Pick one per capability group. Choose on usage and data terms — the one most used that passed security review. Avoid the trap of picking the one with the most features.

Migration needs preparation: exporting the old tool’s data, moving prompts and configuration, telling users. Ignore that workload and migration stalls halfway, leaving both tools running — the worst state.

Cancel last. Confirm the new tool is running stably before cancelling, and if a renewal date is close, extending by a month is safer.

Keeping it tidy afterwards

Keeping the list alive is the whole game. The clean-up happens once, but if the list dies you are back in the same state in six months.

Two mechanisms keep it alive: a request route for new tools, and payment approval consolidated in one place. Without a request route, people do not ask — they use a personal card.

And keep the approval light. A heavy process creates workarounds, and worked-around tools are not on the list. Tools that are not on the list are the dangerous ones.

Frequently asked questions

What if a team objects?

Usually the reason is "this one fits our work". That may be true, so allowing exceptions beats forcing one tool per group. But exceptions still belong on the list and still have to pass the data terms.

How do we find purchases on personal cards?

Expense claims will show some; a survey fills the rest. The structural fix is providing company accounts first — if the company account is awkward, personal purchasing continues.

Does consolidating always cost less?

Usually, not always — a higher seat count can push you to a higher tier. The data consolidation benefit remains, so do not judge on cost alone.

How often should we review?

A quarterly list check plus an individual review 30–60 days before each renewal is practical. Managing renewal dates alone keeps most of it under control.

Organise the cost

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The AI ROI calculator organises total cost per tool, giving you the basis for deciding what to keep.

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