Lornefield Pensions Administration / BB-Demo – Win Back
Callcompleted
Lornefield Pensions Administration · 2026-10-06 16:45
Douglas Baird and Fiona Mackie asked Nell Ashcombe for termination terms, fit with the group standard and a one-page case. No contract is live; Fiona cannot commit budget and the group must approve.
What was said
What this says
Current to 13 Oct 26Douglas Baird and Fiona Mackie asked Nell Ashcombe for termination terms, fit with the group standard and a one-page case. No contract is live; Fiona cannot commit budget and the group must approve.
What happened: On 6 Oct 2026 Nell Ashcombe met Douglas Baird and Fiona Mackie. Nell confirmed there is no live contract, so anything new is a new agreement.
Customer view: Fiona said the group standard works for group reporting but not for a scheme-level question on a Monday. Douglas said the group's concern is predictability rather than any quarrel with the product.
Commercial: Nell said Tom's figure of fifty thousand, all in with implementation, should be tested against what Lornefield would use. Fiona cannot commit budget and will put a one-page case to the group.
Watch: Annual commitments are what the group dislikes, so exit terms matter. The evidence does not show a decision date or a chosen tier from this call.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Theme
Win-back terms and group fit
Importance
neutral
Sentiment
mixed
Voice
champion
Who was there
BB-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Nell sends the termination position in plain English, and Daniel sends the note on what remains of the earlier setup.
- Nell's team and Daniel draft the one-page case, which Fiona tests with the group.
- Douglas speaks to his relationship managers this week.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- The group dislikes annual commitments, so the exit terms may decide the outcome.
- Fiona cannot commit budget and the group must approve any spend.
- The figure of fifty thousand is untested against what Lornefield would actually use.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- The brain could sit in Lornefield's own Snowflake account and answer scheme-level questions while the group standard stays in place.
- Relationship managers who said trustee meeting preparation was transformed can speak for the value case.
Transcript
Nell Ashcombe NoneGood afternoon, Douglas, Fiona. Thanks for making time at the end of the day. Before anything else: what do you each need to leave with?
Douglas Baird NoneGood afternoon, Nell, and thank you. Briefly, where things stand: we spoke with Tom and Daniel this morning, which I found most useful. What I would value is a sense from you of how BB-Demo sees a return, and whether a proportionate arrangement is something you would consider.
Fiona Mackie NoneAfternoon. I've got until twenty past five. Three things: termination terms, how this sits next to the group standard, and what I'd be asking the group to agree to.- Nell Ashcombe NoneGood, that's a clear list. Let me take them in your order, and tell me if I'm wrong about the facts. Say what happened, say how you know.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneWhat happened is that the contract ended after the notice in February. So today there's no live contract between us, and no invoices coming from us. Anything we do is a new agreement, not a continuation.
- Fiona Mackie NoneUnderstood. That's helpful. It means there's no existing exposure, which is the first thing I was going to check.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneRight. On the terms themselves: Tom has promised you plain words in writing, and I'll make sure that happens. I won't quote clauses from memory either. What I can tell you is the shape. It's an order form under our master agreement, subscription annual in advance, with a one-off implementation fee when it starts.
- Fiona Mackie NoneAnd the exit. Annual commitments are what the group dislikes.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneUnderstood, and I'd rather you saw the real wording than my summary of it. I'll send the termination position in plain English, and flag anywhere the order form can be changed, because it can be. Whether it should be is a conversation.
- Douglas Baird NoneThat is most reasonable, Nell. In fairness, I think the group's concern is predictability rather than any quarrel with the product.
- Fiona Mackie NoneThat's right. Practical, not personal.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneGood. Second thing, the group standard. Fiona, tell me where it works, and where it doesn't. I'd rather build around it than ask anyone to unpick it.
- Fiona Mackie NoneIt works for group reporting. Consolidated views, common definitions, one set of dashboards for the board. It doesn't work for the question a relationship manager asks on a Monday morning about one scheme. It isn't built for that, and I won't claim it is.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneThat's a useful line. So the brain wouldn't compete with it. It would sit in Lornefield's own Snowflake account, answer the scheme-level questions, and leave the group reporting where it is.
- Fiona Mackie NoneThat's the version I could take to the group. Standard platform stays. Lornefield keeps a specific capability. Short sentence, easy to approve.
- Douglas Baird NoneIf I may, Nell, I would add that our relationship managers were quite specific when they used the brain before. They said the trustee meeting preparation was transformed. I mention it because I'd want the group to hear it from the people who did the work, not from me.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneThat's exactly what I'd want, Douglas. Customers who say it changed their Monday meeting are the best evidence we have. So what would the brain say? It would say how many questions they asked, who asked them, and which schemes they were about. We can pull that from the old period, if the data is still there, and compare it with what you're doing by hand now.
- Fiona Mackie NoneDo that. Evidence, then decision. That's the order the group will want.
- Douglas Baird NoneI agree entirely. And I would not wish anyone to feel hurried. These decisions are better made carefully.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneAgreed. Third thing, Fiona: what you'd be asking the group to agree to. I'd keep it small. One team, one purpose, a clear way out. Tom mentioned a figure this morning, fifty thousand, all in with implementation. I'd want that tested against what you'd actually use, not taken as given.
- Fiona Mackie NoneUnderstood. I can't commit budget. If you give me the case in one page, I'll put it to the group, and I'll tell you honestly what they say.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneThat's all I ask. One page, written plainly: what it replaces, what it costs, what it needs from your side, and how it ends if it doesn't work. I'll have my team draft it with Daniel, and I'll read it myself before it leaves.
- Douglas Baird NoneThank you. May I raise one thing of a practical nature? Daniel mentioned a short note on what remains of the earlier setup. Would that be part of the one page?
- Nell Ashcombe NoneSeparate, I think. The note is fact: what's there, what's changed. The one pager is the proposal. I'd rather keep them apart so nobody mistakes one for the other.
- Fiona Mackie NoneSensible. Facts first.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneOne more thing, since you're both here. If it's helpful, I'd rather not have anyone tell me what I want to hear. If this doesn't fit the group's plans, say so, and we'll part on good terms. We already did once, and that was handled properly.
- Douglas Baird NoneThat is generous, Nell, and I appreciate it. I think it will be a matter of timing more than principle, but I'd not like to pre-empt the group.
- Fiona Mackie NoneSame from me. I'll be straight with you either way.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneThen we're in good shape. To recap: I send the termination position in plain English, Daniel sends the setup note, my team and Daniel draft the one page, and Fiona, you test it with the group. Douglas, you speak to your relationship managers.
- Douglas Baird NoneThat is my understanding too. I shall approach them this week.
- Fiona Mackie NoneGood. Thanks both. Speak soon.
- Nell Ashcombe NoneThanks, both. Best, Nell.
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