What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Helen Varley said usage fell since spring and some staff prefer their own files. Seats need tidying, value rests on a few askers, and her finance director Andrew will ask what the brain has done before the 30 Apr 2026 renewal.
What happened: Marcus Bell showed a quarter of usage that is still below spring despite a small bump after the August refresher. Sunita Bains said many of the 40 licensed seats have not logged in for weeks, some held by people who changed role.
Customer view: Helen said non-users find it quicker to look in their own files before a trust meeting. She and two account managers ask most of the questions, so value rests on a small group.
Commercial: The contract ends on 30 Apr 2026 and Andrew will ask what it has delivered. Helen asked who she speaks to on the commercial side now, and Marcus promised a named person before the renewal conversation.
Watch: The call does not show who that named person will be. Marcus's plan is trust sessions, replacement dashboards and a seat clean-up, with usage reviewed a few weeks later.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Who was there
BG-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Sunita to send the marked-up seat list this week.
- Helen to collect spreadsheets from a couple of account managers for the dashboard build.
- Marcus to book the trust sessions and name a commercial contact before the renewal conversation.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Daily usage is below spring levels and some licensed seats sit idle, which weakens the value case for the 30 Apr 2026 renewal.
- A small group asks most questions, so one departure could collapse usage.
- Helen does not know who to speak to on the commercial side, and the finance director is already asking what the brain has done.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Ready-made dashboards replacing the account managers' spreadsheets could give a reason to stay in the brain.
- Reassigning idle seats to people who will use them lifts active use without new cost.
Transcript
- Marcus BellMorning, both. Can you hear me alright? Sunita, I think you're on mute.
- Sunita BainsSorry, morning. Yes, there we go. I had the wrong headset.
- Helen VarleyMorning Marcus. Right, three points from me. One, where usage is now, after the refresher. Two, the seats, with Sunita. Three, what we need to have in place before the renewal.
- Marcus BellThat's my agenda too, so let's go. I'll share my screen. Can you see the usage page?
- Helen VarleyYes.
- Marcus BellGood. So, I've pulled the numbers for the quarter. I want to be straightforward about it. The people using it on a typical day are fewer than in the spring, and that gap hasn't closed. Since the refresher in August there's a small bump, but it's small.
- Helen VarleyRight. What's driving that, still? I thought they'd come back after the session.
- Marcus BellSome did. A handful came back and they're asking good questions. But the ones who'd already stopped haven't all returned. That's what I see, but you know the team better than I do.
- Helen VarleyI've talked to a few of them. The honest answer is the ones who aren't in there say it's quicker to look in their own files for the trust they've got the meeting with. They don't see why they should open another tool.
- Sunita BainsCan I add something from the admin side? I went through the user list as you asked. Of the 40 licensed seats, a fair number haven't logged in for weeks. A few of those I think belong to people who've moved role.
- Marcus BellThat's helpful, thanks Sunita. Do you know who's moved, or would it be guesswork?
- Sunita BainsSome I know for certain. The others I'd have to check with the managers. I can send you the list marked up with what I know.
- Helen VarleyPlease do. And copy me. I'd rather reassign seats than have them sitting there.
- Marcus BellAgreed. The seats can be reassigned easily, so nobody needs to pay for something they're not using. The point is to put them with people who'll get value.
- Marcus BellLet me show you something, though, that I think matters. This is the questions page, split by who's asking. Two or three people are asking a big share of all the questions. That's good for them, but it means the value rests on a small group.
- Helen VarleyYes, I'd guessed that. It's me, and the same two account managers, mostly.
- Marcus BellIt's not a problem as such. But if one of them moved on, the numbers would fall off a cliff. I'd like to spread it.
- Helen VarleyThat's fair. So what do you suggest? I can't force them.
- Marcus BellThree small things. One, a short session by trust for each group of account managers, using their own trusts. Two, a couple of ready-made dashboards that replace the spreadsheet, so there's less reason to go back. Three, Sunita tidies the seats so the active ones are the right ones.
- Sunita BainsI can do the dashboards with you if you tell me what the spreadsheets actually contain. Half the time they're just an export from the CRM with a few columns added.
- Helen VarleyThat's exactly right. I'll get a couple of the account managers to send theirs over. Hopefully they won't be embarrassed.
- Marcus BellNobody will mind, it's useful. Then we can build the same thing in the brain and they can compare.
- Helen VarleyNow the third point. Renewal. The contract ends on 30 Apr 2026, I know that. Andrew is going to ask me what it's done. What can I say?
- Marcus BellI'd say what you've said to me. It's valuable to the people who use it, usage dipped over the summer, and we've got a plan to bring it back. I'd rather you said that honestly than we dressed it up. Pricing isn't something I can speak to, that's for Priya, and then Andrew.
- Helen VarleyRight. And I should say Priya's done her best, but I'd like to know who I speak to on the commercial side now if there are any questions. It's the sort of thing Andrew asks.
- Marcus BellUnderstood. I'll make sure that's clear to you before the renewal conversation starts, so there's a named person and Andrew isn't left wondering.
- Helen VarleyGood. Then let's keep it simple. Sunita sends the seat list, I send the spreadsheets, Marcus books the sessions.
- Marcus BellAnd I'll come back to you with the usage numbers a few weeks after the sessions, so we can see whether it's moved. Does that work?
- Helen VarleyThat works. Thanks, both.
- Sunita BainsThanks. I'll send the list this week.
- Marcus BellCheers, everyone. Thanks, Marcus. Bye.