Strensall Merchants / BG-Demo – Renewal
Callcompleted
Strensall Merchants · 17 Dec 2025 13:45
Pre-renewal call on Enterprise. Usage is rising but about a third of 160 seats are active. Fiona Metcalfe wants a written, evidenced case before the board. Neil Craven and Gillian Thewlis want to renew.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Pre-renewal call on Enterprise. Usage is rising but about a third of 160 seats are active. Fiona Metcalfe wants a written, evidenced case before the board. Neil Craven and Gillian Thewlis want to renew.
What happened: Daniel Okafor showed usage and Lewis Kerr covered renewal mechanics. Nothing was agreed, and Fiona said she would not agree a price on a call.
Customer view: Neil and Gillian Thewlis both say they would renew, citing faster account answers and more consistent credit reviews. Fiona sees the use but is not yet clear the full licence is worth it.
Commercial: Lewis quoted the order form figure of £114k, matching invoices, and promised a written, co-termed proposal. The term runs to 27 Feb 2026 and Lewis wants the order form agreed by 3 Feb 2026.
Watch: Fiona's board paper goes in at the end of January. Her finance team barely uses B-Viz, and the branch manager rollout has no firm date.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Enterprise renewal, usage 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- Lewis Kerr sends the written, co-termed renewal proposal with the VAT position, copied to Fiona, Gillian and Neil in one thread.
- Daniel Okafor sends the usage summary, ticket timeline and survey results, and tests the branch mismatch question on the customer's data.
- Neil Craven sends Fiona the escalation count and survey names, and the branch manager training is planned for January.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Fiona Metcalfe doubts the full Enterprise licence is justified while about two thirds of seats are quiet.
- The branch manager rollout has no firm date, so seat usage may not rise before the board paper.
- Finance use is mostly through Gillian Thewlis's team, so the buyer has little first-hand experience of B-Viz.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- The branch order versus delivery mismatch check could give Fiona a board-ready example if it works on Strensall Merchants data.
- A survey of heavy users, set beside usage figures, can supply the value case Fiona asked for.
Transcript
Daniel OkaforAfternoon, everyone, and thank you for making the time, I know this is a busy stretch for you all before Christmas. Let me just check who has joined. Neil, I can see you. Fiona, hello. Lewis is here with me. Is Gillian on the line yet?
Neil CravenAfternoon, Daniel. Not yet, no. She said she'd be a few minutes, she's finishing something with one of the branches. Sorry, I've had a builder on the phone since eight this morning, so I'm a bit frazzled.- Daniel OkaforNot at all. Which account was it, if you don't mind me asking?
- Neil CravenOne of the big housebuilders, delivery to a site that was booked against the wrong branch. We've sorted it. Well, we're sorting it. I'll tell you about it later, it's actually useful for today.
Fiona MetcalfeGood afternoon, all. Can I ask at the start what decision is needed from me today? I've got the diary entry, but not much else.
Lewis KerrGood afternoon, Fiona. Fair question, and I'll answer it directly. Today isn't a decision call. The contract runs to 27 Feb 2026, the renewal date is 28 Feb 2026, and what I'd like to confirm is that you intend to renew on Enterprise and that we're aiming to have paperwork agreed by 3 Feb 2026. That gives everyone breathing space. The rest is Daniel showing you how it's been used, so you've got what you need.- Fiona MetcalfeRight. So I'm not agreeing anything today.
- Lewis KerrNo, not at all. Nothing to agree on the call.
- Fiona MetcalfeGood. I'll want a usage case before I put a renewal in front of anyone, you know that. We'll look at it at renewal, properly.
- Daniel OkaforUnderstood, and that's exactly what I've prepared. Gillian, hello, welcome. We've only just started.
Gillian ThewlisHello, sorry, sorry. Audio's been playing up on my side. Can you hear me all right?- Daniel OkaforLoud and clear. Thank you for joining. Fiona's just asked what we need from today, and Lewis has explained, so you haven't missed much.
- Gillian ThewlisLovely. Thank you.
- Daniel OkaforSo, to set the scene. You joined us on Friday 28 Feb 2025, and it's been just under a year, which has gone quickly. Lewis took you through the original order, I've been looking after adoption since. What I'd like to do is look at three things: who is using it, what they're using it for, and any problems along the way. Then Lewis can talk about the renewal mechanics. Does that work?
- Neil CravenWorks for me. Let's sort it, not talk about it.
- Fiona MetcalfeFine by me. Pounds where you can, please.
- Daniel OkaforOf course. Let me share my screen. Bear with me a moment. Can you see the usage summary?
- Neil CravenYes, I can see it.
- Gillian ThewlisSeeing it here as well.
- Daniel OkaforGood. So you're licensed for 160 users on Enterprise. The number of people active in a typical month is a little under fifty, and that's up around a seventh on the previous quarter. So the direction is right. Not everyone licensed is logging in, I'll be honest about that, and we can talk about whether that's a worry. But more people are coming in, not fewer.
- Fiona MetcalfeA little under fifty out of a hundred and sixty. That's about a third.
- Daniel OkaforIt is, yes. I'd rather you hear that from me than work it out afterwards. In my experience with a group your size, you roll out by function. Trade customers and credit came first, key accounts after that, and the branch managers are still coming on. So the headroom is there, and I'd read it as people still to onboard rather than people who've drifted away.
- Neil CravenThat's fair, that's what's happened. We did the area managers in the autumn. Branch managers is the next lot. I've held back a bit because I didn't want to throw it at them in the run up to Christmas, they've enough on.
- Daniel OkaforThat makes sense. How is the team finding it, generally? From your side, not from the dashboard.
- Neil CravenHonestly? Good. Which branch, which account, that's what I ask all day, and now people can answer it without ringing three departments. The key account managers use it before they ring a builder. They can see orders, deliveries, what was said on the last call, and where credit's at. Before, they'd be guessing half of it.
- Daniel OkaforThat's what we hoped for when we started. And the housebuilder this morning, was that the sort of thing you'd have used it for?
- Neil CravenExactly that. Delivery booked against the wrong branch. My area manager looked up the account, saw the order history and the delivery notes together, and could tell the builder what had happened within minutes. What's the builder actually seeing? He's seeing us know our own business. That matters with the big names.
- Fiona MetcalfeNeil, that's an anecdote, and a good one. Can it be put in pounds?
- Neil CravenNot today, Fiona, no. I'm not going to make a number up. But I can tell you how many escalations land on my desk, and they're down.
- Fiona MetcalfeDown by how much? Roughly.
- Neil CravenNoticeably. I'd have to count properly. I'll do that over the break and send it to you. I don't want to guess.
- Fiona MetcalfePlease do. That's what I'll need.
- Daniel OkaforAnd I can help with that, Neil. We can pull questions asked by team over the year, so you can set your escalation count beside it. I'll come back to you by the end of next week with that.
- Neil CravenGrand.
- Gillian ThewlisCan I come in from the credit side? Because that's probably where we use it most.
- Daniel OkaforPlease, Gillian. I was hoping you would.
- Gillian ThewlisSo, my team look at a trade account before we review a limit. Previously that meant the ledger, then the sales notes, then someone's email. Now we ask it what's happening on the account, and it brings back the orders, the payment pattern and any calls with the branch. It's quicker. I'd say it's made the reviews more consistent between my people, which I did not expect.
- Fiona MetcalfeWhat's our exposure on that account, is the question I keep asking. Does it answer that directly?
- Gillian ThewlisIt gets us most of the way. The exposure figure itself still comes from our ledger, I wouldn't want to say otherwise. What it does is show us the context around the number. So we're not setting limits in the dark.
- Fiona MetcalfeGood. And I'll say now, limits are set by credit, not by sales. I don't want that blurred.
- Lewis KerrUnderstood, and that's not something we'd want to interfere with. B-Viz shows the picture, the decisions stay with your team.
- Fiona MetcalfeGood.
- Daniel OkaforThat's a helpful distinction. Let me move on to support, because I promised I'd be straight about that too. In the last month you raised two tickets, and one of them was high priority. I won't pretend it didn't happen. Just to close the loop on it, it's been dealt with, and I can send you the timeline in writing so you can see how it compared to the Enterprise response commitment. Would that be useful?
- Gillian ThewlisYes please. I remember it, it was my team who raised it. It was sorted, I wasn't unhappy. But I'd like to see the times.
- Daniel OkaforOf course. I'll send that over with the usage summary. And the nightly refresh has been landing as it should, so people have been starting their day on current data. If anyone had seen stale numbers in the morning, I'd want to hear about it.
- Neil CravenNot from my lot. If it were stale they'd tell me quickly, believe me.
- Daniel OkaforI believe you. Right. Questions asked is the measure I trust most. It has grown through the year, and it's spread across several people, which is healthy. It isn't one person asking everything. That would worry me, because if that person left, you'd lose the habit. Here it's broad.
- Fiona MetcalfeWho are the heaviest users? Roles, not names.
- Daniel OkaforKey account managers and the credit team lead, then area managers. Neil, you and a couple of colleagues in the trade customers team ask regularly too.
- Neil CravenAye, I'm in there most days.
- Fiona MetcalfeAnd finance? Is my team in there?
- Daniel OkaforMostly through Gillian's team so far. Not much beyond that. If you wanted to explore it, that's an area where there may be more value, but I don't want to push you. It's your call.
- Fiona MetcalfeNoted. I'm not promising anything. Go on.
- Daniel OkaforOf course. So that's the picture. More people using it, a clear use in branches and credit, one high priority ticket handled, and room to bring more of the licensed users on. Lewis, shall I hand to you for the renewal side?
- Lewis KerrThanks, Daniel. So, to put a number on it, and I'm reading from the order form rather than from memory, the annual figure today is £113,500, and that's what's been invoiced, so the order form and the invoices agree. All prices I give you are exclusive of VAT. The sensible route is a renewal co-termed to your current term, so it starts straight after 27 Feb 2026 with no gap.
- Fiona MetcalfeIs that the figure for next year as well?
- Lewis KerrI'll put the renewal figure in writing, Fiona, I'd rather not quote it on the call. What I can say is the starting point is the figure you pay today, and I'll show any change clearly, line by line, with the reason. I'll send that over today, actually, or first thing tomorrow, with the VAT position stated.
- Fiona MetcalfePlease do. And to be clear, I'm not agreeing a price on a call. Written, then I'll take it through our process.
- Lewis KerrCompletely understood. That's how I'd want it.
- Neil CravenI'll say this, and I'll say it before Fiona does. I'm not discussing price without her. But from where I sit I want to renew. I'd not want to go back to how it was.
- Fiona MetcalfeNoted, Neil. And appreciated. It doesn't change what I need to see.
- Neil CravenNo, I know.
- Gillian ThewlisFrom the credit side I'd renew too. But I'm conscious that Fiona has to explain it to the board, so I'll help with whatever evidence she needs.
- Fiona MetcalfeThank you, Gillian. Let me think about what would actually persuade the board. They'll ask whether we'd notice if it went away. That's the real test.
- Daniel OkaforThat's a good test, and I'd put it to the people using it. Perhaps we could do a short survey of the heavy users, a handful of questions, and I can write up the answers beside the usage figures. It would be their words, not mine.
- Fiona MetcalfeI like that. Keep it short. People don't answer long surveys.
- Daniel OkaforAgreed. Five minutes at most. Neil, would you be happy to nominate who we ask?
- Neil CravenAye. I'll give you a list of key account managers and a couple of area managers. Gillian, you do your lot.
- Gillian ThewlisYes, I can do that. Two or three of my reviewers, the ones who use it every day.
- Daniel OkaforLovely. I'll draft the questions and send them to Neil and Gillian first, so you can tell me if they're sensible.
- Fiona MetcalfeWhat about the unused seats? If a third are active, why am I paying for all of them?
- Lewis KerrThat's a fair challenge, and I'd rather deal with it openly. Enterprise is sized for the whole company, and you've told us that's the plan, with branch managers still to come. If that roll out isn't happening, I'm not going to tell you to buy more than you use. What I'd suggest is we look at the plan for next year together. If the branch managers come on in the spring, the licence is well used. If not, we should talk about it honestly.
- Fiona MetcalfeNeil, is the branch roll out going to happen?
- Neil CravenIt is. I've not got a date yet that I'd swear to. After the new year, I'd say, once the winter rush settles. I'd rather do it properly than fast, so the branch managers don't turn off.
- Daniel OkaforAnd I can help with that. A short training session for the branch managers, perhaps in a couple of sittings, so no one has to give up a whole morning. I'd propose we plan it together in January.
- Neil CravenRight. Let's do that. Put something in the diary for early in the new year.
- Daniel OkaforI will. I'll come back to you by the end of this week with a few dates.
- Gillian ThewlisCan I ask something about the contract itself? Is anything different about the terms at renewal, the service levels and so on?
- Lewis KerrGood question. The service commitments sit in your executed order form, and that's the document that decides. My intention is that nothing changes unless you ask for it, and I'll set out the terms alongside the figure so you can compare them line by line. If something in there isn't working for you, now is the time to say.
- Gillian ThewlisNothing that I can think of. I just like to know what I'm signing.
- Lewis KerrExactly right.
- Fiona MetcalfeWho signs on your side, and what do you need from me by when?
- Lewis KerrOn our side I'll handle it from my end. From yours, I'd like to get the order form agreed by 3 Feb 2026. That leaves several weeks before the term ends on 27 Feb 2026. If your process needs longer, tell me now and we'll work back from your dates.
- Fiona MetcalfeBoard paper goes in at the end of January. So I'd want your written proposal and Daniel's usage case well before that.
- Lewis KerrThen I'll aim to get the proposal to you in the first week after the new year at the latest, and sooner if I can. Daniel, can you match that on the usage case?
- Daniel OkaforYes. I'll have the usage summary, the ticket timeline and the survey results with you ahead of that. I'll come back to you with an exact date by Friday so Fiona isn't waiting on a guess from me.
- Fiona MetcalfeThank you. That's what I wanted. A date I can plan around.
- Neil CravenCan I raise one more thing? The housebuilder thing this morning. It showed up a gap, and I want to know if B-Viz can help.
- Daniel OkaforPlease. Tell me more.
- Neil CravenThe order was booked against the wrong branch, and nobody noticed until the builder rang. If there's a way to see orders where the branch on the order doesn't match the branch on the delivery, I'd use it every day. Is that something we can ask it, or does it need building?
- Daniel OkaforI think you can ask it today, as long as both pieces of information come through your connected systems. I'd want to test it on your data before I promise, because I don't like to say yes and be wrong. Can I try it this afternoon and come back to you tomorrow?
- Neil CravenAye, do that. If it works I'll show the area managers.
- Fiona MetcalfeAnd if it works, that's the sort of thing I can put in front of the board. A mismatch caught early is a customer kept.
- Neil CravenThat's it exactly.
- Gillian ThewlisIt'd help credit too. A wrongly booked order can end up on the wrong account, and then the balance looks off.
- Daniel OkaforThat's a good point, Gillian. Then I'll test that from both angles, orders against deliveries, and balances against orders.
- Fiona MetcalfeLet me be clear about where I am. I see the use. I see it's growing. I'm not yet clear it's worth the full licence if two thirds of the seats are quiet. Show me the case and I'll weigh it.
- Lewis KerrThat's fair, and it's the right way to approach it. I won't push you beyond what the usage supports. If the evidence points to a different shape for next year, I'd rather discuss that with you than have you renew something you're not convinced by.
- Fiona MetcalfeGood. Then we understand each other.
- Daniel OkaforLet me just recap what I've written down, just to close the loop. First, I send the usage summary and the ticket timeline, with a firm date to Fiona by Friday. Second, I draft a short survey for Neil and Gillian to look at, then it goes to the heavy users. Third, I test the branch mismatch question on your data and report back tomorrow. Fourth, I send some dates in January for branch manager training. Have I missed anything?
- Neil CravenI owe Fiona the escalation count. And a list of names for the survey.
- Gillian ThewlisAnd I'll give you my reviewers' names.
- Daniel OkaforThank you, both. Lewis, yours?
- Lewis KerrMine is the written renewal proposal, co-termed to the current term, with the terms side by side and the VAT position stated. I'll send that over today for the first draft, ready for Fiona's board paper, and we work towards 3 Feb 2026 for the order form.
- Fiona MetcalfeThank you. Send the proposal to me and copy Gillian and Neil, please. One thread.
- Lewis KerrWill do. One thread.
- Neil CravenBefore we go, Daniel, how did your week go? You said it's been busy.
- Daniel OkaforBusy but good, thank you for asking, Neil. A lot of year end conversations like this one. And your Christmas, are you getting a break?
- Neil CravenA few days, if the builders let me. Yorkshire in the cold, nothing exciting.
- Gillian ThewlisSame here. I'm just hoping for a quiet week for the ledger.
- Fiona MetcalfeDon't say that out loud, Gillian.
- Gillian ThewlisSorry. Forget I said it.
- Daniel OkaforWell, thank you all very much for your time today. I thought that was a useful conversation, and a candid one. I'll be in touch by Friday as promised.
- Lewis KerrFrom me too, thank you. Proposal coming today. Do shout if anything in it looks wrong.
- Fiona MetcalfeThank you both. Speak soon.
- Neil CravenCheers, everyone. Let's sort it.
- Gillian ThewlisThanks, all. Bye for now.
- Daniel OkaforGoodbye, all. Best wishes.
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