Case Study

Validating and Enforcing Compliance to Reduce Technology Spend by 24%

Executive Summary

  • Audit-led engagement validating enterprise technology spend in a regulated financial institution
  • 24% reduction identified and realized across voice, mobility, SaaS, and infrastructure services
  • Findings supported by invoice-level and contract-level evidence suitable for audit review
  • Savings validated only after appearing on vendor invoices
  • Engagement established a defensible operating baseline aligned to regulatory and audit requirements


The Challenge

The institution managed a broad technology environment spanning voice services, mobile devices, SaaS platforms, and underlying network infrastructure. Over time, vendor changes, contract renewals, and organizational growth introduced complexity across billing, inventory, and contract enforcement.

Leadership suspected inefficiencies and overbilling but lacked confidence in existing documentation and prior assessments. Any corrective action needed to be accurate, defensible, and aligned with regulatory and audit requirements. Cost reduction alone was not sufficient. Results needed to withstand scrutiny from Finance, Internal Audit, and Compliance teams.

The DBC Audit Approach

Dev-Byrne & Company conducted an audit-led review focused on enterprise technology expenses, not just invoice-level discrepancies. The engagement included:

  • Validation of billed services against active inventory across voice, mobility, SaaS, and infrastructure
  • Review of vendor contracts, rate structures, and applied discounts
  • Identification of unused, duplicate, and legacy services across multiple technology domains
  • Historical billing analysis to confirm compliance and claim eligibility
 

All findings were supported by invoice-level and contract-level evidence and documented to meet audit and regulatory review standards. Recommendations were prioritized based on financial impact, execution risk, and compliance considerations, ensuring corrective actions could be implemented without introducing operational or regulatory risk.

The Outcome

  • 24% reduction in technology spend identified and validated
  • Material annual savings across voice, mobility, SaaS, and infrastructure services
  • Sustained monthly cost reductions confirmed through invoice review
  • Improved visibility into technology inventory, billing accuracy, and contract compliance
  • Clear separation between identified, approved, and realized savings supporting audit and compliance requirements
 

Savings were only counted after appearing on vendor invoices, reinforcing confidence in reported results.

What Changed

Beyond cost reduction, the institution established stronger governance over its technology expense environment. Inventory accuracy improved across multiple domains, billing validation became repeatable, and execution ownership between Finance and IT was clarified. This reduced recurring discrepancies and lowered the ongoing effort required to maintain compliance and cost control.

Why It Worked

  • Audit-informed methodology applied across multiple technology domains
  • Vendor-neutral execution focused on accuracy and defensibility
  • Disciplined validation that prevented regression
  • Clear documentation suitable for audit and compliance review
 

The institution transitioned from reactive cost review to a more controlled, defensible approach to managing enterprise technology spend.

Considering Your Approach

Organizations managing complex technology environments often benefit from a disciplined review of inventory accuracy, contract alignment, execution ownership, and sourcing decisions. A structured discussion can help determine whether audit, consulting, or sourcing support is appropriate for your environment.