Strensall Merchants / BG-Demo – Check In
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Strensall Merchants · 12 Aug 2026 15:15
Daniel told Neil about 50 of 160 Enterprise users are active, mostly branch-side drops. Neil would rather fill seats than cut them. Renewal talks to start in autumn with Lewis and the finance lead.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Daniel told Neil about 50 of 160 Enterprise users are active, mostly branch-side drops. Neil would rather fill seats than cut them. Renewal talks to start in autumn with Lewis and the finance lead.
What happened: Daniel covered usage, two tickets and the renewal date. About 50 people were active against 160 licensed, down on the previous quarter, with Midlands branches patchier.
Customer view: Neil put the drop down to habit and holidays, and said key account and credit users love it. His priority is branch managers seeing what the builder sees, as one large builder may review its suppliers in the new year.
Commercial: The order form is £114k a year, the invoices match and nothing is overdue. Neil will not discuss price without his finance lead, and wants the branch list before deciding on seats.
Watch: Quiet tickets may not mean happy users. Neil also said branch system feeds may change, which could break a connector unless BG-Demo is told.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Enterprise usage and renewal
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- Daniel to send Neil a branch-by-branch usage breakdown by the end of the following week.
- Daniel to send session format options and a short note for Neil's IT team.
- Neil to introduce the key account colleague, send the area managers' names and book the finance lead for autumn renewal talks with Lewis.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Around 50 of 160 licensed Enterprise users are active, which invites a seat challenge at renewal.
- Quiet tickets may reflect disengagement rather than satisfaction.
- Planned changes to branch systems could stop a connector loading if BG-Demo is not told.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- A branch manager session on the single trade account view could lift usage.
- A recurring per-builder summary could use the dashboards builder in the Enterprise tier.
- Neil prefers filling seats to cutting them if the branches adopt it.
Transcript
Daniel OkaforHello Neil, can you hear me alright? Thanks very much for making the time this afternoon.
Neil CravenAye, loud and clear. Afternoon, Daniel. Hang on, I've got a bit of an echo, let me pull the door to. There. Better?- Daniel OkaforMuch better, yes. Just to check who's joined, it's only the two of us today, is that right? I know you sometimes bring someone from the credit team along.
- Neil CravenJust me today. Credit are in a month-end thing and I told them I'd report back. Honestly I've had a morning, a builder on one of our big housebuilder accounts rang me at half seven because a delivery note didn't match what the branch said was on the wagon. Sorted now, but that's where my head's been.
- Daniel OkaforOh, that's never a gentle start to the day. Was that one where the branch and the key account team were looking at different things?
- Neil CravenBit of that, yeah. Which is sort of why we bought the thing in the first place, so I'm not complaining. Anyway. What have you got for me?
- Daniel OkaforNot a lot to worry about, to be honest, which is the nice kind of check-in. I thought we'd do usage first, then the two tickets that came through, then have a chat about what the next few months look like, including the renewal. Does that work?
- Neil CravenFine by me. Go on.
- Daniel OkaforSo on usage. You've got a hundred and sixty licensed users on Enterprise, and over the last month we're seeing around fifty people active on average. That's a little down on the previous quarter, not dramatically, but it's moved the wrong way and I'd rather tell you than have you find it.
- Neil CravenFifty. Right. Out of a hundred and sixty.
- Daniel OkaforYes. Now, I'd be careful about reading too much into it. It's August, a lot of people are away, and when I look at who's dropped off it's mostly branch-side users rather than your key account and credit people.
- Neil CravenThat'll be holidays. Branch managers go in August, half the yards are run by deputies. Mm. But I take your point, fifty's not a hundred and sixty.
- Daniel OkaforIt isn't. And I'm not saying that to push anything. I'm saying it because the point of Enterprise for you was every branch seeing the same trade account, and that only works if the branches are in there.
- Neil CravenAye, that's fair. Which branches though? Which accounts? Because if it's the small ones I'm less bothered than if it's the big yards in the Midlands.
- Daniel OkaforGood question, and I'd rather give you the real list than guess. What I can see in general terms is that the northern branches are steadier and the Midlands ones are patchier. I'll come back to you by the end of next week with a breakdown by branch, so you can see exactly where the gaps are.
- Neil CravenDo that. Send it to me and I'll have a word with the area managers. Not in a telling-off way, mind. Just, what's stopping them.
- Daniel OkaforThat's exactly the right way to do it. And from our side, we can help. How is the team finding it, from what you hear on the ground? Is it the tool or is it habit?
- Neil CravenHabit, mostly. Old hands ring the trade counter or ask someone in credit rather than look it up. The ones who use it love it, to be fair. Our key account lads, they're in it every day. One of them told me last week he found a pattern in a builder's late deliveries in about two minutes that would've taken him an afternoon in the old reports.
- Daniel OkaforThat's lovely to hear. Is that the sort of thing you'd want the branches doing, looking at a builder's orders and deliveries together before they pick up the phone?
- Neil CravenExactly that. What's the builder actually seeing? That's the question I keep asking. If the branch can see what the builder sees, half the phone calls don't happen.
- Daniel OkaforRight. Well, one thing we could do is a short session with the branch managers, focused on that single question. Not a tour of every feature. We also have an on-site training day as an add-on if you'd rather have someone in a room with them, but a video session might be enough to start with.
- Neil CravenVideo's easier. Get them in blocks, some Tuesday morning when the yards are quiet. On-site, I'd have to find a room, and you know what our branches are like for rooms.
- Daniel OkaforHa, I do. Then let's keep it light. I'll draft a couple of options and send them over so you can pick a format. I won't put a date on it until you've had a look.
- Neil CravenGood. Don't want it landing in a week when we've got stocktake.
- Daniel OkaforUnderstood. Shall I move on to the tickets?
- Neil CravenGo on then.
- Daniel OkaforThere were two in the last month, and neither was high priority. One was a how-to question, someone in credit wanting to save a view of overdue trade accounts and share it with a colleague. That was answered the same day. The other was a sync query on one of the sources, where a refresh looked late for a morning.
- Neil CravenThat the one where credit said the numbers looked old on a Monday?
- Daniel OkaforThat sounds like it, yes. It turned out to be a delay on the source side rather than anything in B-Viz, and it caught up. The nightly refresh is meant to be done by seven on business days, and I'm happy to say it's been within that for you apart from that one morning. Just to close the loop, did anyone in credit say it caused them a problem?
- Neil CravenNot that I heard. They grumbled, then it was fine. I'd have heard if a credit hold went on the wrong builder, believe me.
- Daniel OkaforGood. And that's exactly why I like asking, because the ticket tells me what happened and you tell me whether it mattered.
- Neil CravenAye. Mind, two tickets from fifty-odd users isn't many. Is that good or is that people not bothering?
- Daniel OkaforIt's a fair thing to wonder, and I don't think it's one or the other on its own. With the number of people active dipping, I wouldn't read quiet as automatically happy. That's another reason I want to get the branch breakdown to you, so we're looking at real names rather than averages.
- Neil CravenFair enough. Straight answer, I like that.
- Daniel OkaforCan I ask about the teams, then? Last time we spoke, the trade-credit group was the one getting the most out of it. Is that still the case?
- Neil CravenPretty much. Credit use it to see an account's orders, what's been delivered, and any calls we've had with the customer, all in one go. Before, they'd be flicking between three screens and a spreadsheet. Now when sales say a builder's fine, credit can check it themselves. They agree more. That was the whole idea, credit and sales agreeing on a customer.
- Daniel OkaforAnd do they ever disagree now? Because that might be useful to hear too.
- Neil CravenOh, they do. But they argue about the same facts now, which is progress. Let's sort it, not talk about it, that's what I tell them.
- Daniel OkaforI'll remember that one. Is there anything the key account team has asked for that they can't do today? Something we should be feeding back?
- Neil CravenHmm. Not really asked, no. One of them wondered if he could get a weekly summary per builder without having to ask for it. Like a Monday note. I said I didn't know.
- Daniel OkaforOkay, that's a good one. There's a dashboards builder in your tier, so a recurring view per builder may well be possible. I'd want to look at what he actually wants on it before I promise anything. Could I have a quick word with him, maybe fifteen minutes, so I don't build the wrong thing?
- Neil CravenHe'd be glad of it. I'll introduce you by email. Same afternoon I send you the area managers' names, if that's useful.
- Daniel OkaforVery useful, thank you. Right, so that's two things from you, the introduction and the area managers. And from me, the branch breakdown and a couple of session options. Have I missed anything?
- Neil CravenDon't think so. Oh, sorry, one thing. We've had a few new starters in the head office trade team since spring. Do they need setting up separately or is that automatic?
- Daniel OkaforThat depends on how your sign-in is set up on your side. With single sign-on in place it should follow your normal joiners process, and your IT people would manage that. If anyone's been told they can't get in, send me their names and I'll check it isn't something at our end.
- Neil CravenI'll ask. I think a couple haven't got round to logging in rather than being locked out.
- Daniel OkaforThat'd be my guess as well, honestly. A short welcome note from you would probably do more than anything we send.
- Neil CravenAye, I can do that. Right then. You said something about the renewal.
- Daniel OkaforI did. Not to start negotiating, just so nothing sneaks up on either of us. Your contract runs to 27 Feb 2027, with the renewal falling on 28 Feb 2027, and you've been with us since 28 Feb 2025. The order form is for £113,500 a year and the invoices match it, so on our side everything is tidy.
- Neil CravenAye, finance haven't said owt about invoices, so I'll take that as tidy. Good.
- Daniel OkaforThere's nothing overdue, no. What I wanted to say is that I'd like us to start the renewal conversation properly in the autumn, with plenty of notice, and with Lewis Kerr joining as your account owner for the commercial side. I look after the adoption side. Is that how you'd want to do it?
- Neil CravenThat's all right. But I'll be straight with you, I don't talk price without our finance lead in the room. That's how we do it here. So when you want that conversation, tell me early so I can get her diary.
- Daniel OkaforCompletely understand, and that's the right way round. I'll make sure Lewis hears that. I'd also say that the more we can show on usage and value before then, the easier that conversation is for everybody.
- Neil CravenYou mean get the branches using it.
- Daniel OkaforWell, yes, and I wouldn't dress it up any more than that. Fifty active against a hundred and sixty licensed is a question someone on your side will ask at renewal, so I'd sooner we have a good answer, whether that's more people using it or a clear view on who actually needs a seat.
- Neil CravenFair. I'd rather fill the seats than cut them, if the branches take to it. But I'll want to see the list first. Which branch, which account, you know me.
- Daniel OkaforI do, and that's what the breakdown is for. I'm not coming with a view in advance. Let's see what the next couple of months look like once people are back from holiday, and we can decide with real figures.
- Neil CravenSounds sensible. Is there anything else on the product side coming that I should know about? Last time you mentioned something.
- Daniel OkaforI did, and I'll be honest, I don't want to say more than I know. There's work going on in the premium support and sandbox side for Enterprise customers, but I don't own the dates, so I'd rather not guess. When I have something firm I'll tell you.
- Neil CravenNo bother. Better a straight no than a wrong yes. Our branches have had enough of suppliers promising a delivery they've not checked.
- Daniel OkaforHa, yes, I'll try not to join that list. Right, is there anything on your mind about the data itself? Any source that you think has changed or is about to change on your side? A new system, an upgrade, anything like that?
- Neil CravenNot that I've been told. There's talk of tidying how some of the branch systems feed the central one, but that's IT and it's all talk at the moment. I'll let you know if it firms up.
- Daniel OkaforPlease do. That's the one thing that catches people out. If a source changes and nobody tells us, a connector can quietly stop loading and you only notice a month later. A quick message to me beforehand saves a lot of head-scratching.
- Neil CravenRight. I'll tell IT to copy you in. Or I'll do it myself, they never remember.
- Daniel OkaforThank you, that'd be a big help. Shall I note that down as a small action for me as well, to send IT a short note on what to tell us and when?
- Neil CravenGo on then, send it to me first and I'll forward it. Otherwise it'll go in somebody's junk.
- Daniel OkaforWill do. Okay. Anything else on your list, Neil? I don't want to eat your afternoon.
- Neil CravenJust the builders. One of the big ones is threatening to review all its suppliers in the new year, so I want everyone looking at them the same way. If you can get the branch managers in front of that account view, that's the thing that matters most to me.
- Daniel OkaforThen that's what I'll build the session around. A single trade account, orders, deliveries, calls and credit together, and what the builder is actually seeing. I'll keep it short and practical.
- Neil CravenPerfect. Maybe use that delivery note from this morning as the example, if I can get the details cleared. Anonymised, like.
- Daniel OkaforThat would be a great example, because everyone in the room will recognise it. Send me what you're comfortable sharing and I'll strip anything identifying.
- Neil CravenAye. Right, I think that's me. Was there owt else from you?
- Daniel OkaforJust to recap so we both have it. I'll send the branch-by-branch usage breakdown by the end of next week, a couple of session options for the branch managers, and a short note for your IT team. You'll send me the introduction to your key account colleague, the area managers' names, and a welcome note to the new starters. And we'll start thinking about the renewal in the autumn with Lewis and your finance lead. Does that match what you heard?
- Neil CravenThat's the lot. Sounds like I've got more homework than you.
- Daniel OkaforHa, it's evenly matched, I think. Thanks again for your time, Neil, and I hope the rest of the day is calmer than the morning.
- Neil CravenFingers crossed. Cheers, Daniel. Speak soon.
- Daniel OkaforBest wishes, Neil. Bye for now.
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