Ardenmore Pension Administration / BG-Demo – Renewal
Callcompleted
Ardenmore Pension Administration · 23 Jul 2025 16:00
On the 23 Jul 2025 renewal call, Finance Director Elaine Turvey asked how to justify 25 licences when about seven people use the product. She will not decide on the call and needs a board paper before mid-August.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026On the 23 Jul 2025 renewal call, Finance Director Elaine Turvey asked how to justify 25 licences when about seven people use the product. She will not decide on the call and needs a board paper before mid-August.
What happened: Tom Ashdown framed the Starter renewal at £23k, with the term ending 29 Aug 2025 and 18 Aug 2025 pencilled in to close. Marcus Bell reported about seven active people against twenty-five licensed users, with no tickets in the last month.
Customer view: Elaine said she has to explain to the board why twenty-five are kept when seven use it. She would not decide on the call and wanted a one-page usage note, ideally with a line from the team in their own words.
Commercial: Tom would not promise anything on the licence number and will look at what is possible within the order form. The renewal is open, and the risk is a seat reduction or a value challenge rather than a stated cancellation.
Watch: Elaine's board timing is before the middle of August. A check-in is to be booked for the week before 18 Aug 2025.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Renewal, low seat usage
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 sends Elaine the one-page usage note within a few days.
- Tom Ashdown sends written confirmation of the figures, a list of any differences from current terms, and an answer on the licence question.
- Tom Ashdown books a check-in for the week before 18 Aug 2025.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Elaine may push to reduce the twenty-five licences if the board cannot see value in about seven active users.
- The board decision is needed before mid-August and the term ends 29 Aug 2025, leaving little room.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- A one-page usage note with a team quote can give the board a clear value case for client-relationship preparation.
Transcript
Tom AshdownAfternoon, Elaine. Can you hear us okay?
Elaine TurveyAfternoon. Yes, loud and clear, thank you.
Marcus BellAfternoon, Elaine. Good to see you again. I'm here as well, just in case Tom wanders off on a tangent.- Tom AshdownCheeky. How's your week been, Elaine? Has it calmed down since quarter end?
- Elaine TurveyA little, yes. Thank you. Shall we get to it? I know you've sent a draft, and I've had a look.
- Tom AshdownPlease. So, just to frame it, this is the renewal for the Starter subscription. The current term ends on 29 Aug 2025, and we've pencilled in 18 Aug 2025 as when we'd like to have it tied up, so there's some room either side.
- Elaine TurveyYes. And the figure is the same as now?
- Tom AshdownAs I have it, it's £23,000 a year, same as the order form and same as what's been invoiced. I'll confirm that in the paperwork so you've got it in black and white, I don't want you relying on me saying it from memory.
- Elaine TurveyUnderstood. Before we go further, I'd like to hear about adoption again. Has anything moved since Marcus's summary?
- Marcus BellA bit, yes. I've pulled the numbers again. The average number of active people is still around seven, up slightly on the previous quarter. Twenty-five licensed users, so it's the same picture as I sent you, a little better but not dramatically. No tickets in the last month either.
- Elaine TurveySo still under a third of the licences.
- Marcus BellYes. I'd rather say it plainly than have you find it yourself.
- Elaine TurveyI appreciate that. The difficulty is, I have to be able to say to the board why we keep twenty-five when seven are using it. Can we justify that to the board?
- Tom AshdownI hear you. I think the honest answer is that it's a fair question and I'd want to look at it with you. Whether the licence number stays as it is is something I'd like to come back to you on, rather than make something up now.
- Elaine TurveyThat's all I'm asking. I'm not trying to make it difficult.
- Tom AshdownNo, not at all. It's a proper conversation to have. Let me take that away and see what's possible within the order form. I won't promise anything on this call.
- Elaine TurveyGood. I wouldn't expect you to. I'm also not going to decide anything on this call, I should say. I need to take it to the board, and I'd rather not rush.
- Tom AshdownThat's absolutely fine. That's why we've left some time.
- Marcus BellCan I add something that might help with the board paper? The team who use it are the client-relationship people, and they use it to prepare for conversations with employers. That's the value in a sentence. If it helps, I can put a short note together saying that, with the usage trend.
- Elaine TurveyA short note would be useful. A page, no more. And if Sukhvinder's happy, perhaps a line from the team in their own words.
- Marcus BellI'll ask him. I think he'd be fine with that.
- Elaine TurveyCan I ask about the draft you sent. Is there anything in it that's changed from the current terms? I read it quickly and nothing jumped out at me.
- Tom AshdownNothing that should surprise you. It's the same tier and the same structure. I'll go through it line by line again and flag anything that's different, so you've got it written down. Honestly, that's the sort of thing I should have done in the covering email.
- Elaine TurveyPlease do. That would be easiest for me to take to the board.
- Tom AshdownSo where does that leave us. Marcus sends you the note on usage, I send you the confirmation of the figures and a list of what, if anything, differs from the current terms, and I come back to you on the licence question.
- Elaine TurveyThat's right. And I'll take it to the board and come back to you.
- Tom AshdownIs there a date you think the board would be looking at it? Just so I can plan around it.
- Elaine TurveyI'd have to check. Before the middle of August, certainly, otherwise we run out of road.
- Tom AshdownNo problem. I'll get the documents to you well ahead of that, so you've got time. Let's get a quick check-in in the diary for the week before 18 Aug 2025, just in case anything's moved.
- Elaine TurveyYes, please do that.
- Marcus BellI'll get the usage note to you in the next few days, Elaine.
- Elaine TurveyThank you, both. Thanks for being straight with me.
- Tom AshdownNo problem at all. Cheers, Elaine. Speak soon.
- Marcus BellThanks, Elaine. Bye for now.
- Elaine TurveyGoodbye.
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