How to Audit and Optimise Your Martech Stack (Cut Costs Without Losing Capabilities)

A step-by-step Martech stack audit process to remove redundant tools, save budget, and streamline your marketing operations for faster, smarter growth.

You know that moment when you look at your Martech stack and realise it’s starting to resemble a cluttered garage — full of things you might need but haven’t touched in months?

Most B2B tech scale-ups hit a tipping point where their Martech stack stops being a growth driver and starts being a drag. New tools get added in a hurry, older tools stick around “just in case,” and soon you’re paying for overlapping features, unused licenses, and complex integrations that slow everyone down.

According to Gartner, marketing technology now accounts for 25–30% of the average marketing budget, often making it the single largest controllable expense in marketing. And a study by CabinetM found that companies typically eliminate 10–20% of tools after a structured Martech audit — freeing budget, improving adoption, and simplifying operations.

For young companies, a Martech audit is even more critical. Why? Because early overspending on tools often locks you into costly contracts and unnecessary complexity before you’ve even established consistent marketing processes. That wasted spend could be fueling pipeline growth, building your team, or expanding into new channels.

A Martech stack audit is the fastest way to reclaim budget, improve adoption, and simplify your marketing operations — without losing the capabilities your team relies on. Here’s my proven 5-step process.

Step 1: Audit Before You Cut

Before cancelling anything, run a comprehensive Martech stack inventory.

The easiest way to do this is with a Martech Scorecard — a simple scoring system that rates each tool on:

• Business value (impact on revenue, pipeline, or productivity)

• Adoption rate (how many intended users actually use it)

• Cost efficiency (ROI relative to license or subscription fees)

• Integration quality (how seamlessly it works with other tools)

Score each tool on a scale (e.g., 1–5 for each category) and total the points. This makes it much easier to see, at a glance, which tools are mission-critical, which are “nice to have,” and which can be cut without hurting performance.

Pro tip: Look for “zombie tools” — still charging your card, but no one’s touched them in months. The scorecard will make these stand out immediately.

Step 2: Define Your Core Stack

An efficient Martech stack should excel in four essential categories:

1. CRM (your system of record)

2. Marketing automation platform (your campaign engine)

3. Analytics & reporting tools (your decision-making lens)

4. Data management & enrichment tools (your quality control)

   
   

Everything else should be evaluated against your strategic priorities. If it doesn’t directly support your goals, it needs a strong case to stay.

For early-stage companies, defining this core early prevents overbuying — avoiding the “we might need it someday” trap that can quietly drain tens of thousands per year. And let's not forget about the shiny object (or rather "tool") syndrome..

Step 3: Apply the “One Job” Rule

Each tool should have one primary function it does exceptionally well.

Ask yourself:

• Is this tool the best option for this specific job?

• Could this function be covered by another tool we already have?

• Does it integrate seamlessly into existing workflows?

In younger companies, this mindset helps you prioritise flexibility and scalability — ensuring your tech can evolve with your team rather than boxing you into rigid workflows too soon.

Step 4: Consolidate and Negotiate

Sometimes cost savings come from combining tools, not just removing them.

• Explore bundled solutions from the same vendor.

• Negotiate license counts and contract terms before renewal.

• Remove duplicate functions to simplify workflows.

For startups and scale-ups alike, this can mean freeing up 10–15% of your Martech spend for revenue-generating programs without sacrificing capability.

Step 5: Make Stack Health a Habit

A one-time Martech audit helps now, but ongoing stack governance keeps things lean long-term.

• Review usage quarterly.

• Align tools with updated marketing and sales priorities.

• Retire low-value tools before they become cost sinks.

In a scale-up environment where strategy shifts quickly, this ensures your stack remains an enabler — not an anchor.

The Payoff of a Lean Martech Stack

By regularly auditing your Martech stack, you can:

• Reduce software costs without losing critical functions.

• Improve campaign speed with fewer tech bottlenecks.

• Boost adoption by keeping tools relevant and easy to use.

• Protect data quality with fewer integration points.

Whether you’re an early-stage company guarding every dollar or a fast-growing scale-up fighting operational complexity, a regular Martech stack audit is one of the highest-ROI habits you can adopt.

Ready to simplify your Martech stack? I help B2B tech scale-ups run fast, effective stack audits that cut waste and boost ROI. Book a free Martech Audit Consultation and let’s make your tools work for you — not the other way around.