What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Usage is up and tickets are quiet, but the CFO still questions why the renewal at £125k is above the £104k contract. He will agree nothing without a written line-by-line comparison.
What happened: Marcus Bell reported active users up on the previous quarter, more provisioning staff in the brain, and questions less concentrated. Tickets were three how-to questions, none high priority, and Shona Baird said the refresh has been behaving.
Customer view: Robert Lindsay called the difference material and asked what he tells his board about paying more for the same product. He asked for a first term against renewal comparison, line by line.
Commercial: Tom Ashdown again quoted £104k as the executed order form and £125k as the renewal deal in the CRM. Heather Gillespie asked for the same layout as the order form, new lines marked, and quarterly invoicing kept.
Watch: Contract ends 27 Aug 2026, renewal date is 28 Aug 2026, settlement aimed for 18 Aug 2026. Robert wants the comparison this week.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Who was there
BG-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Tom Ashdown sends the line-by-line comparison and payment terms in writing this week.
- Marcus Bell sends users, questions asked and ticket categories in the same email.
- Robert Lindsay and Heather Gillespie review the paperwork, then a follow-up call is booked.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- The CFO sees a material gap between the contract and the renewal figure and has no explanation of its content yet.
- Usage is still a fraction of the 150 licensed users, so cost per customer served remains his challenge.
- A lapse at the end of the contract would remove fault history from Shona Baird's team in a busy period.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Rising active users and broader provisioning use give a better value case than the June call.
- Headroom against 150 licensed users supports a case for adoption before renewal.
Transcript
- Tom AshdownMorning, all. Can you hear me? Great. How's the week started? Nothing on fire, I hope, Shona.
- Shona BairdMorning, Tom. Only a small fire, a provisioning date that I'm still checking. Nothing worth a call. We're fine.
- Robert LindsayGood morning. I will start with the invoice, as usual. Heather, anything outstanding?
- Heather GillespieMorning. No, nothing outstanding. Everything has matched to the order form and been paid. I've nothing open with you.
- Robert LindsayGood. Then to the renewal paperwork. Tom, I have read what you sent. I would like to check it against the order form. Which figure is the contracted one?
- Tom AshdownThe current contract is £104,500 a year, Enterprise, 150 licensed users. That's the executed order form and it's what you've been invoiced. The renewal deal sits at £125,000 in our system, which is the total value of the deal, and that's what the paperwork breaks down.
- Robert LindsayYes. I can see it. The difference is material. I would like to understand what is in it.
- Tom AshdownFair. I'm going to be straight, Robert, and I won't quote the split from memory. I'll confirm each line in writing after this call. What I can say is it's a renewal, so I'd expect it to be set against what you pay today, not against a new purchase.
- Robert LindsayI'll need that in writing. I will not agree terms on a call.
- Tom AshdownUnderstood. That's how I'd want it anyway. Marcus, shall we show them the usage? I think that's better news than last time.
- Marcus BellYeah. I'll share my screen. I want to cover usage, tickets and then what happens in the weeks before the renewal. Can you see it okay? Right.
- Marcus BellSo active users are up on the previous quarter. Not a huge jump, but a clear move in the right direction. More people from provisioning are in there than were in the spring, and questions asked are less leaning on two or three people.
- Shona BairdThat's the session you did with my team leads. They've been using it for fault history on Monday mornings. It's become a habit, which is what I wanted.
- Marcus BellGood, that's what I hoped. It's still a fraction of the 150 licensed, I'll say that, so there's room. But it's heading the right way.
- Robert LindsayA fraction, yes. I would like to be sure I understand the cost per customer served, not the licence count. How is that moving?
- Marcus BellI can't give you a cost per customer from our side, you'll have your own number for that. What I can give you is how many customers' faults and bills are being looked at through the brain. That's gone up, and I'll put it in the note with the user numbers.
- Robert LindsayThat is helpful. Please do.
- Heather GillespieOn tickets, I saw three this month. None of them looked urgent.
- Marcus BellRight, three tickets and none high priority. They were all how-to questions, people finding their way round. I'd read that as people getting on with it, to be honest, not as a worry.
- Shona BairdAnd the refresh has been behaving. I haven't had a fault list that was behind for a good few weeks now. I'd say if I had, you'd have heard.
- Tom AshdownI'd have heard it from a long way off, Shona. Ha. No, that's good to hear.
- Robert LindsayTom, back to the paperwork. Your renewal figure is higher than the current contract. What do I tell my board about why we are paying more for what is, as I understand it, the same product?
- Tom AshdownIt's a fair thing to ask. I'd rather you had the answer on paper than from me rambling. What I'd say is, the thing you bought is the same thing, and usage is heading up. If you want me to look at how the first term compares with the renewal and what can move, I'll do that, but I can't promise you anything on the call and I'd be guessing.
- Robert LindsayThen I would ask for a clear comparison of the first term against the renewal, line by line. Heather will check it.
- Heather GillespieYes, please. Same layout as the current order form. If there are any lines that are new, mark them. And keep it quarterly invoicing, that's how we've got it set up.
- Tom AshdownQuarterly. I'll note that. I'd want to confirm the payment terms in the paperwork as well, so you're not relying on me remembering them.
- Shona BairdCan I come in? I don't do price, Robert, that's yours. But I'd hate us to be sat here in August with a gap. If it lapses on the 27th, my people lose the fault history in the middle of a busy week. Let's not make it complicated.
- Robert LindsayI do not intend for there to be a gap, Shona. I intend to see the numbers first.
- Shona BairdFair enough. That's all I wanted on the record.
- Tom AshdownSo just so we're all on the same dates. The contract ends 27 August 2026, renewal date is 28 August 2026. On our side we're working towards having it settled by 18 August 2026, so there's a decent gap before it runs out.
- Robert LindsayThat is acceptable, provided the comparison arrives this week.
- Tom AshdownThis week, no problem. Marcus, you're sending the usage?
- Marcus BellYes. I'll send users, questions asked and ticket categories, in the same email, so Robert and Heather have it all together. If anything looks off in it I'll say so.
- Heather GillespieThank you. Is there anything you need from us?
- Tom AshdownOnly a view from you on whether anything has changed on your side that we should know about. If there's a new team coming in, or a system changing, I'd rather hear now than in August.
- Shona BairdNothing I know of. I'll shout if there is.
- Robert LindsayNothing from finance. I will wait for the paperwork.
- Tom AshdownRight then. To say it back: I send the line-by-line comparison and payment terms this week, in writing. Marcus sends usage and tickets in the same email. Robert and Heather review, and we get something in the diary after that. Does that cover it?
- Robert LindsayThat covers it. Thank you.
- Shona BairdCheers, all. Speak soon.
- Marcus BellThanks, everyone. Have a good week.