Kingdon Diagnostics / BG-Demo – Check In
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Kingdon Diagnostics · 28 Sep 2026 10:30
Graeme Charlton, CFO, challenged around 28 active users against 150 licensed and asked for a business case before any renewal. He agreed to a finance team session first.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Graeme Charlton, CFO, challenged around 28 active users against 150 licensed and asked for a business case before any renewal. He agreed to a finance team session first.
What happened: Marcus Bell covered usage, two how-to tickets and the renewal. Graeme was short of time and asked for it to be kept simple.
Customer view: Graeme said that is a lot of seats nobody sits in and asked what the return is. He will not sign off a renewal because people are fond of it, and wants examples, not adjectives.
Commercial: The term runs to 5 Jan 2027 at one hundred and nineteen thousand pounds a year, matching the order form and invoices. Next year's budget is not yet planned, and Graeme wants Lewis Kerr to arrive with a view on the figure.
Watch: Graeme raised the key-person risk himself. Marcus promised the usage summary by the end of that week.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Seat value and business case
Importance
renewal
Sentiment
mixed
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Marcus Bell to send Graeme the usage summary and contract manager questions by the end of that week.
- Graeme to name who in finance should attend the session.
- Marcus Bell to tell Lewis Kerr that Graeme wants a clear renewal figure and a business case first.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Around twenty-eight active users against 150 licensed invites a challenge to the renewal price.
- Graeme will not sign off a renewal without a business case showing what the brain saved or showed.
- A few people asking most of the questions makes usage dependent on them.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- A thirty minute session could introduce the finance team to payment timing by trust.
- Widening use to operations, site leads and finance would support the value case for the renewal.
Transcript
Marcus BellMorning, Graeme. Can you hear me alright?
Graeme CharltonMorning, Marcus. Yes, loud and clear. What's changed since we last spoke?- Marcus BellNot a huge amount, to be honest, which is partly why I wanted to book this. Let me share my screen and I'll say what I'd like to cover. Usage first, then the two tickets we've had, and then renewal, because January is coming round quicker than it feels.
- Graeme CharltonFine. Keep it simple, please. I've got a board pack to finish after this.
- Marcus BellUnderstood. I'll be quick. Can you see the usage page?
- Graeme CharltonI can. It's quite small, but I can see it.
- Marcus BellRight, I'll make it bigger. So, I've pulled the numbers. Over the last thirty days we've had around twenty-eight people active on average. That's down a little on the quarter before, a handful of percent, nothing dramatic.
- Graeme CharltonTwenty-eight. And we're licensed for how many?
- Marcus BellA hundred and fifty. So yes, I know what you're going to say.
- Graeme CharltonThat's a lot of seats nobody sits in. What's the return on that?
- Marcus BellFair question. The people who are in there are using it properly. The contract managers are looking at each trust's referrals, the reporting-turnaround tickets and the invoices side by side, which is what you bought it for. What we don't have is the next ring of people. Operations, some of the site leads, maybe finance.
- Graeme CharltonFinance I can speak to. My team would use the invoice view, I'd expect, if somebody showed them. NHS payment timeliness is the thing I'm asked about.
- Marcus BellRight, yeah. That's a good example, actually. We could run a short session with your finance team, show them how to ask about payment timing by trust, and see whether it sticks.
- Graeme CharltonWho would run it?
- Marcus BellI would, happy to jump on a call with them. Thirty minutes would probably do it for a first look.
- Graeme CharltonMm. I'd need to ask who in my team has the time. I don't get into the detail of that myself. I'll find out who should be on it.
- Marcus BellThat's all I'd ask. Just a name, and I'll take it from there.
- Graeme CharltonGood. Tickets?
- Marcus BellTwo in the last month. Nothing urgent, nothing high priority. Both were people asking how to do something rather than anything being broken. I can send you the detail if you want it.
- Graeme CharltonNo, no. If it's two and nobody's shouting, that's what I need to know. Is the data up to date? Because that's what I'd hear about first from the contract managers.
- Marcus BellNothing on our side suggests otherwise. The nightly refresh has been landing and nobody has raised freshness with us. If your contract managers have a feeling that something's off, I'd rather hear it from them before it reaches you.
- Graeme CharltonUnderstood. I'll mention it.
- Marcus BellThanks. Then, renewal. Let me stop sharing that and just talk it through. Your term runs to 5 Jan 2027, and the renewal date on our side is 6 Jan 2027. You're at one hundred and nineteen thousand pounds a year at the moment, and that matches the order form and what we've invoiced.
- Graeme CharltonGood. Nothing overdue, I take it.
- Marcus BellNothing overdue, no.
- Graeme CharltonIs that within budget for next year? Honestly I don't know yet. We haven't started the planning round.
- Marcus BellYeah, and that's really why I'm raising it now rather than in December. On the commercial side, I'll be straight with you, that's Lewis. Lewis Kerr is your account owner and he'll come to you on terms. I look after how it's being used and the renewal conversation around that.
- Graeme CharltonLewis. Yes. We've spoken. I'd rather he came with a view on what the figure looks like, not a list of options.
- Marcus BellI'll pass that on exactly as you said it.
- Graeme CharltonAnd before any of that, I'll need a business case. I don't sign off a renewal on the basis that people are fond of it. What's the return? Show me what it's saved us, or what it's shown us.
- Marcus BellThat's fair, and it's the right thing to ask. What I can do is put together a short summary of how many questions are being asked, who's asking them, and what the contract managers say they use it for. I'd rather not guess at a money figure for you, though. If we can get your contract managers to give us an example or two, a trust where it changed a conversation, that's more use to you than anything I can calculate.
- Graeme CharltonYes. That's more like it. Examples, not adjectives.
- Marcus BellHa, right. Examples, not adjectives.
- Graeme CharltonOne thing. If a handful of people are doing most of the asking, is that a worry?
- Marcus BellIt's something I watch. When one or two people ask most of the questions, you're leaning on them. If they move on or get busy, usage drops off a cliff. Another reason to widen it a bit, so it isn't resting on a couple of individuals.
- Graeme CharltonHm. Fair. Let's do that, then. Finance first, since I can see the use. Then we'll see about the others.
- Marcus BellGreat. So, to recap. I'll send you the usage summary and a couple of questions for your contract managers about where it's helped. You'll tell me who in finance should have the session. And I'll let Lewis know you want a clear view on the renewal figure, and a business case before anything is agreed.
- Graeme CharltonThat's right. Sooner rather than later on the summary. The board meets before the planning round.
- Marcus BellYou'll have it by the end of this week. I won't make you chase.
- Graeme CharltonThank you. Anything else from you?
- Marcus BellNo, that's everything. Thanks for the time, Graeme. I know you're stretched.
- Graeme CharltonNot at all. Speak soon. Goodbye.
- Marcus BellCheers. Bye.
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