Enterprise Agreement Review & Optimisation

Many large businesses today acquire software from strategic suppliers via large and complex multi-year enterprise agreements. This can range from a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, an IBM ESSO/SSSO, an Oracle ULA to the latest Salesforce or Google multi-year commitments.

With rapidly shifting business and project requirements, complex licensing schedules that typically runs into multiple pages and many vendor specific special clauses, it is not unusual for procurement professionals to find it challenging to push back on vendor renewal quotes without support.

Furthermore, it is also not uncommon for the publishers’ account team to grant reductions in renewals in order to close a deal, knowing that the business is likely to be out of compliance after renewal. Companies can then be audited and eventually be forced to acquired additional licences at list price without discount.

We help businesses navigate their major software agreement renewals with confidence that the new agreement will be cost-optimised and audit-ready.

We have developed a 3-stage approach in assisting our client executing enterprise agreement renewals.

The process starts by establishing a factual licence consumption position either by collaborating with the customer’s SAM team or by performing our Licence Internal Audit. This is then followed by stakeholder interviews in order to establish a 3 to 5 year forecast on licence demand changes. The output of this exercise will be an optimised Bill of Material for licensing spend and a list of appropriate special clauses (such as Unlimited Use Agreement, Cross-brand Allotment or Enterprise Enrolment).

Stage 2 of our approach focuses on negotiation strategy and communication plan. This is to ensure the deal our customer negotiated not only covers a cost-optimised BOM but also minimises the risk of unplanned spend throughout contract lifecycle.

Finally, upon agreement in principle on commercial arrangements, we support the customers’ legal team to review and negotiate risk mitigation clauses such as audit waivers before the final paper is executed.

An optimised bill of materials that accurately reflects the customer’s current and planned future licence consumptions.

A renewed enterprise agreement that is cost optimised over the entire contract lifecycle.

A risk assured contract wording that removes unimplementable customer obligations and minimises audit risk.

As a Manager at FisherITS my main focus is our portfolio of IBM licensing related services. I’m passionate about helping our clients to understand and improve their complex IBM licensing estate and gain confidence in navigating through the IBM universe.

I started my career as a member of the IBM SAM team where I experienced all parts of everyday SAM operations while taking care of mid-sized and large customers. In recent years my focus has turned to assisting clients that are interested in internal audits to ensure their IBM estate is correctly and optimally licensed, and defending customers going through an IBM audit.

I also lead the FisherITS portfolio of services around the IBM License Metric Tool to help customers avoid sub-capacity non-compliant surprises.