What was said
What this says
Current to 10 Oct 26Marcus Bell's 23 May 2025 check-in with Liam Doherty: usage steady at around eight daily users, one closed ticket, a key-person dependency on Aisha, and an early heads-up that the Growth renewal falls at the start of December.
What happened: Marcus gave a short practical check-in covering usage, one closed ticket, the depot sessions and a renewal heads-up. Liam wants the depots using the brain more.
Customer view: Liam values Aisha highly and is comfortable with her taking on more admin work. He asked for more dashboard capability for directors, who want to open something and see it.
Commercial: Marcus stated Growth at forty-four thousand a year, forty users, matching the order form and invoices. Liam asked whether the number will change; Marcus deferred to Tom and said nothing on his screen shows a move.
Watch: Admin knowledge rests on one person, Aisha, and the value case for renewal still needs Liam's written early-warning example.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Marcus Bell to send the usage numbers and a one-page question cheat sheet.
- Marcus Bell to set up an admin and dashboard session with Aisha.
- Liam Doherty to send a few lines on the early-warning example.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- Admin knowledge rests mainly on Aisha, a key-person dependency.
- Liam asked whether the price will change and got no answer, so price could surface late.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- Use the dashboards builder in Growth to give directors a weekly view.
- Liam's early-warning example can anchor the value case for the renewal.
Transcript
- Marcus Bell NoneAfternoon, Liam, can you hear me? I think my headset's being a bit temperamental today.
- Liam Doherty NoneAfternoon! Yeah, you're fine. Bit crackly but fine. It's a bank holiday weekend coming so everyone's half gone already.
- Marcus Bell NoneIsn't it? I've got three days off and I'm already thinking about them. Any plans?
- Liam Doherty NoneTaking the kids to the coast if the weather holds. Salford to the seaside, very glamorous. You?
- Marcus Bell NoneWalking, if it doesn't rain. Which, being Manchester, is a big if. Right, shall I share my screen?
- Liam Doherty NoneGo on.
- Marcus Bell NoneOkay. I'll keep this one short and practical, it's a check-in, not a full review. I want to cover usage since we last spoke, the ticket you've had, how the depot sessions landed, and then just a heads-up on the renewal later in the year. Is there anything you wanted to add?
- Liam Doherty NoneJust the usual. Can we get the depots on it? But that's what you're going to say anyway.
- Marcus Bell NoneHa, it is. Okay, usage. On an average day last month you had around eight people active, which is a touch down on the previous quarter. So I'd call it steady rather than anything dramatic. I've pulled the numbers, I'll send them over after.
- Liam Doherty NoneSteady I can live with. Is that the same people though?
- Marcus Bell NoneMostly, yes. The core is the same, you and Aisha and a handful of the depot managers, plus a few newer faces from the short sessions we ran by depot after the new year. A couple of those have become regular, which is what I was hoping for.
- Liam Doherty NoneYeah, some of them took to it, some didn't. The Trafford Park lot ask it everything now. Others are still emailing me questions I could answer in ten seconds in the brain. I keep saying, ask it, don't ask me.
- Marcus Bell NoneRight. So what I could do is a one-page cheat sheet. Five or six questions that actually work, in plain English, the sort of thing a depot manager would ask on a Monday morning. Stick it on the wall, or in their inbox, whichever.
- Liam Doherty NoneLove that. Put the delivery exception ones in. Those are what they actually care about. And anything about when a retailer last rang us.
- Marcus Bell NoneWill do. Okay, tickets. You've had one in the last month, not high priority, and it's closed. Anything about it you want to flag?
- Liam Doherty NoneNo, I think that was Aisha's, just a small thing. She's been brilliant, honestly. She's basically become the person everyone goes to when the brain does something odd.
- Marcus Bell NoneShe has. I'd like to do a bit more with her on the admin side over the summer so it isn't resting on one person. Would that be okay with you?
- Liam Doherty NoneAbsolutely. I'd rather she knew it inside out than have it all in my head, to be honest. If I got hit by a bus, well, you know.
- Marcus Bell NoneLet's not plan for the bus. But yes, that's exactly it. Shall I set up a session with her, just the two of us, and she can bring any questions she's been saving up?
- Liam Doherty NonePlease. She's too polite to ask for it.
- Marcus Bell NoneNoted. Now, the value side. You said last time you wanted something for the leadership team about what the brain is worth. Have you had any moments since where it's caught something early? Even rough examples help.
- Liam Doherty NoneA couple, yeah. An account manager saw the exceptions building up on a retail account next to the last call notes, and rang them before they rang us. That's the whole thing, one view, that's the point. I can get you the detail, I've not written it up properly yet.
- Marcus Bell NoneThat's exactly what I want to write down. If you can give me a proper example, even a few lines, it goes straight into the value case for the renewal. No need to polish it.
- Liam Doherty NoneSure, I'll do it. Remind me when the renewal is?
- Marcus Bell NoneYour contract runs to the end of November and renews at the start of December. You're on Growth at forty-four thousand a year, forty users, and that matches the order form and the invoices, nothing overdue. So it's a way off, I'm only mentioning it so it's on your radar. I'll come back to you well ahead of the autumn for a proper conversation, and I'll bring Tom in.
- Liam Doherty NoneOkay, good. Will the number change?
- Marcus Bell NoneThat's Tom's side. I don't do pricing, so I won't guess. There's nothing on my screen that says it moves, and he'll be the right person to ask when you speak.
- Liam Doherty NoneFair. I'll ask him when he's next in touch.
- Marcus Bell NoneIs there anything about the brain you'd change, while I've got you? Anything that's annoying you or your people?
- Liam Doherty NoneA bit more on the dashboard side, maybe. Our directors like a picture. They don't want to ask a question, they want to open something and see it.
- Marcus Bell NoneRight, that's fair. You've got the dashboards builder as part of Growth, so it's already there to use. I could walk Aisha, or you, through building a simple one for the Tuesday review, and then it's something the directors can open without asking anyone.
- Liam Doherty NoneOh, that'd be good. If it looked the same each week they'd stop asking me for the pack.
- Marcus Bell NoneThen we do that in the admin session with Aisha. Okay, let me read back what I've got. I'll send you the usage numbers and the cheat sheet. I'll set up the session with Aisha, including the dashboard. You'll send me a few lines on that early-warning example when you get a minute. And I'll be back to you ahead of the autumn about the renewal.
- Liam Doherty NoneThat's it. Sounds right to me.
- Marcus Bell NoneBrilliant. Anything else before we let you go?
- Liam Doherty NoneNo, I think we're good. Enjoy the walking, try not to get rained on.
- Marcus Bell NoneNo promises. Thanks, Liam, speak soon.
- Liam Doherty NoneCheers, Marcus.