What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Proposal call for the Growth tier at £52k all-in. CFO Huw Bevan asked who will use it, wants proof on Penmaen's own customers, and gave no answer. Close is pencilled for 11 Jul 2024 as a plan only.
What happened: Tom Ashdown presented Growth to Cerys Llewellyn and Huw Bevan. Huw pressed on adoption, the cost and what Penmaen would lose without it.
Customer view: Huw is sceptical but fair. He said he needs to see it for Penmaen, on its own customers, and that overheads per customer are what he is watching.
Commercial: Tom said £52k is the total value of the deal with implementation included, to be set out in the order form. Huw's open questions are contract length and how Penmaen could get out.
Watch: No answer was given. The one-page view of a few operators, mixing healthy and worrying ones, is the key proof for Huw.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Who was there
BG-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Tom Ashdown to send the proposal and written confirmation of the figure.
- Tom to ask Hannah Lowe to produce the one-page operator view with Cerys.
- Tom to cover contract length and exit in the order form and the email.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Huw Bevan gave no answer and questions whether adoption will be real.
- Contract length and exit terms are open concerns for the CFO.
- The close date of 11 Jul 2024 is only a plan.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- A one-page view on Penmaen's own operators could answer Huw's value question.
- Cerys Llewellyn is an active champion and will pick the operators with Hannah.
Transcript
- Tom AshdownAfternoon, Cerys. Afternoon, Huw. Can you both hear me?
- Cerys LlewellynAfternoon, Tom. Yes, all fine here. Huw's just getting his camera sorted.
- Huw BevanAfternoon. Sorry, I'm here. Before we start, how is adoption looking at the other customers you work with? I mean, what's the pattern?
- Tom AshdownFair question, Huw, and I'd rather give you a straight answer than a sales one. The teams that do well start with one group, the people who'll actually use it, and then it spreads by word of mouth. The ones that struggle try to roll it out to everyone at once. No drama either way, but I'd steer you to the first.
- Cerys LlewellynAnd that's how I'd want to do it. Let's start with the team who'll use it. Three of us, really, on customer success, and then the account managers dip in.
- Huw BevanWho is actually using it, though? That's what I keep coming back to.
- Cerys LlewellynFair. Rhian and Ffion every day, me most days. The account managers before a renewal conversation. I'd expect the number to grow once people see it's quicker than asking around.
- Huw BevanMm. Let's not rush. Tom, what exactly are we being asked to sign?
- Tom AshdownRight. So what I've put together is the Growth tier. That's the dashboards builder, chat and search over your connected sources, and quarterly reviews with our customer success manager, Marcus. It's built and run inside your own Snowflake account, so the data stays with you.
- Huw BevanAnd the cost?
- Tom AshdownThe figure on the proposal is fifty-one thousand six hundred, all-in, so the implementation is included in that. I'll say now that I'm going from the proposal in front of me and I'll confirm it in writing, I don't want you relying on me saying it from memory on a call.
- Huw BevanUnderstood. And it is the total, not a yearly figure?
- Tom AshdownIt's the total value of the deal, implementation included. I'll set out in the order form exactly how that's laid out, so there's no ambiguity. You'd want that in black and white, I would.
- Huw BevanI would. What would we lose if we didn't do this?
- Cerys LlewellynCan I take that one, Tom? Honestly, Huw, we'd lose the early warning. At the moment we find out an operator is unhappy when they tell us. I've seen this work at another company, where the team could see a renewal coming weeks ahead because the tickets and the usage were next to each other.
- Huw BevanI don't doubt that. I need to see it for us, on our own customers. Overheads per customer are what I'm watching.
- Tom AshdownThat's exactly what Hannah showed Cerys and the team on the demo, on your own extracts. I can ask her to put together a shorter version for you, a handful of your operators and what the brain says about each. Would that help?
- Huw BevanIt would. Short, please. One page if possible.
- Tom AshdownOne page. Leave that with me.
- Cerys LlewellynI can pick the operators with Hannah. I'd choose a couple that are healthy and a couple that worry me, so it isn't a stitch-up.
- Huw BevanGood. Honest, that's what I'd prefer.
- Tom AshdownOn timing, we've pencilled 11 Jul 2024 as the date we'd be looking to close by, but that's only a plan. If you need longer to look at it, say so, and we'll work around it.
- Huw BevanI'll take it away and talk to Cerys. I won't give you an answer today.
- Tom AshdownNo, wouldn't expect it. What would be useful is if you tell me what questions are left, so I can answer them before you sit down with it.
- Huw BevanContract length and how we'd get out if it doesn't work. Those two.
- Tom AshdownRight, I'll cover both clearly in the order form and in the email. Anything on the implementation side you want to ask?
- Huw BevanWho on our side needs to spend time on it?
- Cerys LlewellynThat'd be Ffion mostly, as the admin, and a bit from Rhian. And a colleague in IT for the connections. I've asked them already, they're fine with it.
- Huw BevanGood. Then let's not rush. I'll look at the one-pager when it arrives.
- Tom AshdownBrilliant. So I send the proposal and the written confirmation of the figure, Hannah and Cerys do the one-pager, and we get something in the diary after you've both had a look. Does that sound right?
- Cerys LlewellynThat's right. Diolch, Tom. Huw, thanks for joining.
- Huw BevanThank you both. Good afternoon.
- Tom AshdownCheers, both. Speak soon.