Before You Get Started

A word on timing & resources

Timing is everything

Timing is everything, and it is especially true when it comes to optimizing your Microsoft EA renewal. If you wait until the last 90 days to start planning for your true-up or renewal, you are very unlikely to end up with the best deal.

The ridiculously helpful Microsoft experts at SHI can still help you, but 90 days is cutting it close.

In general, you need to think about your Microsoft EA renewal 12 months out. Some will even suggest planning 36 months (i.e. as you start your prior EA) in advance, but it’s also unrealistic for many organizations to plan three years ahead.

As such, the best practices outlined in the 4-step plan are built on a 12-month timeline, and look something like this:

12 months out	9 months out	6 months out	3 months out
Lay the groundwork	Strategize	Structure	Finalize the deal

When to engage with a partner

There is nothing in the SHI 4-Step Plan that demands you to engage with a partner. If you are in the position to have sufficient skills and bandwidth to seamlessly manage licensing, IT Asset Management, procurement and budgeting, you could conceivably ‘go it alone’.

However, most organizations won’t have the depth of Microsoft licensing knowledge required, or a proven renewals methodology that’s been honed over 30 years through tens of thousands of Microsoft agreements.

That’s why engaging with a partner at the earliest opportunity is the smart thing to do.