Service 04 · License Optimization

Eliminate shelfware. Pay for what you use.

Most enterprises overspend on software by 20–40% — paying for unused licences, over-edition users, idle cloud commitments, and forgotten subscriptions. We map your usage against entitlements at the metric level and surface the licences you can remove, downgrade, or repurpose at the next true-up.

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20-40%
Average spend reduction
$1.8B+
Documented client savings
340+
Optimization engagements
11
Vendor practices
What we examine

Where the waste hides.

01
User activity reconciliation
Microsoft E5, Salesforce Sales Cloud, ServiceNow ITSM, Adobe Creative Cloud — every named user mapped to actual login frequency, feature usage, and last-active date. Inactive users get reclaimed, not reissued.
02
Edition right-sizing
E5 users who only need E3. Salesforce Unlimited users using only Professional features. ServiceNow ITSM Pro users on Standard workflows. Adobe ETLA full creative seats running only Acrobat. Edition downgrades typically free 15–30% of the bill.
03
Deployment topology review
Oracle Database deployed on virtualised infrastructure that triggers Processor licensing across the entire host. SAP HANA running on oversized hardware. Microsoft SQL on legacy core counts. Topology changes eliminate the metric, not just the licences.
04
Cloud commitment review
AWS EDP, Azure MACC, GCP CUD — we audit utilisation against commitment, identify burndown gaps, and recommend right-sizing the next commitment cycle before auto-renewal locks you in for three more years.
05
Subscription rationalisation
Shadow SaaS subscriptions, duplicate tools across business units, expired pilots that auto-renewed. We map the full subscription estate and identify cancellation, consolidation, and renegotiation candidates.
06
True-up modelling
Before the next true-up or renewal, we model exactly what you'll be invoiced under current trajectory — and what you should be invoiced after optimization. The delta is the savings target.
Why optimization isn't DIY

The tools see usage. They don't see waste.

01
SAM tools surface inventory, not opportunity
Flexera, ServiceNow SAM, Snow — they tell you what's installed. They don't tell you which clause permits downgrade mid-term, which redeployment triggers a re-licensing event, or which seat you can transfer without true-up.
02
Vendor-side knowledge
Our consultants include former licensing executives from Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, and Salesforce. They wrote the rules that govern downgrades, license mobility, and metric conversions.
03
Cross-vendor portfolio view
Optimization in isolation misses the leverage point. If Microsoft renewal is next quarter and Oracle ULA expires in twelve months, the optimization sequencing matters as much as the optimization itself.
04
Audit-defensible savings
Every recommended action is reviewed for audit exposure. We don't recommend a downgrade or redeployment that creates compliance risk under the vendor's metrics.
Inline · talk to a senior advisor

Not sure where to start?

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Research before you optimize

Optimization toolkits.

All papers
Toolkit
License Optimization Toolkit
Worksheets, metric calculators, and remediation templates
Guide
SaaS Spend Optimization Guide
Rationalising the long tail of SaaS subscriptions
Guide
Microsoft Copilot Enterprise Guide
Right-sizing E5, Copilot, and Power Platform
Report
Software Price Benchmarking Report
What comparable enterprises actually pay across major vendors
Recent outcomes

Where our work paid for itself.

All cases
Corporate office
Microsoft · Telecom
$8.7M
Microsoft EA Optimization
7,000 unused E5 licences identified before true-up.
Read case study
Insurance office
ServiceNow · Insurance
$2.1M
ServiceNow Optimization
Right-sized ITSM Pro across 4,200 fulfillers.
Read case study
Creative agency
Adobe · Agency
$1.8M
Adobe ETLA Renegotiation
Eliminated 600 dormant CC seats and renegotiated tier.
Read case study
Questions

Frequently asked, frankly answered.

Q1
How quickly do you find savings?
First quantified savings register is delivered in week 3 of a typical engagement. Implementation of those savings runs alongside the next renewal or true-up window.
Q2
Do you replace our SAM tool?
No. We augment SAM data with usage analysis, contract reading, and metric expertise. SAM data is an input to optimization; it isn't optimization.
Q3
What's the minimum engagement size?
Single-vendor optimization engagements typically start at ~$2M in annual vendor spend. Below that threshold, savings rarely justify the engagement cost.
Q4
Can you optimize without triggering compliance review?
Yes. We optimize from your internal data — no vendor contact during the analysis. Optimization actions are sequenced to fall within contractual rights, not to invite audit response.
Q5
How do you bill?
Fixed-fee, by scope. No percentage of savings. The fee is disclosed up front in the engagement letter — see /pricing/.
Q6
What's the typical payback period?
Most engagements pay back within the first quarter of implementation. Multi-year savings continue to compound as renewals reset to right-sized baselines.

Paying for licences
nobody uses?

20–40% of enterprise software spend is shelfware. We find it, document it, and right-size the next renewal.

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The Compliance Brief

Weekly compliance intelligence for IT leaders.