IBM Optimization

Salesforce licensing is complex and costly. We help you cut through the confusion, right-size your licenses, optimize renewals, and unlock real value from every dollar spent.

Usage AssessmentTier AlignmentSELA 
Negotiation
Contract Renewals
Cost OptimizationUser & Access ManagementCommercial
Negotiation

Salesforce is Draining Your Budget

Between confusing license tiers, unused add-ons, and aggressive renewal cycles, companies regularly overspend by 20 to 40% on Salesforce licenses. Without clear visibility into actual usage, you’re likely paying for features you don’t need - or missing opportunities to negotiate better terms.

Rising Costs

Regular assessments to identify and eliminate inefficiencies.

Ongoing adjustments to maximize license utilization and prevent waste.

Lack of Insight

Proactive monitoring and strategic adjustments to reduce overspending.

Discover new savings opportunities with every cycle.

Renewal Pressure

Savings achieved are reinvested into further optimization.

Optimization services become self-funding over time, continuously driving added value.

Complex Add-Ons

Customizable service scope, cadence and vendor focus based on evolving business needs.

Dynamic focus to address unexpected events like audits.

User Management Gaps

Access to licensing expertise and negotiation support.

Stay audit-ready with proactive license management and vendor compliance.

2Data’s Salesforce Methodology

01 The Data Layer

Formulate a data-driven overview of your Microsoft pricing, license entitlements, and actual usage of on-premise installations, Server, and Cloud subscriptions.

02 Operational Needs Assessment

Map operational needs against current usage across the business to craft an ideal deployment plan that aligns with user persona profiles.

03 Optimization Analysis

Identify a comprehensive set of optimization strategies to reduce your Microsoft licensing costs and reclaim overspend.

04 Negotiation Support

Create a unique Negotiation Playbook aligned to your organizational needs, backed by global market insights, and executed with hands-on support from our Microsoft experts.

05 Futureproofing

Ensure optimal continuity of your Microsoft environment with annual usage analysis, contract optimization, license, portal and chargeback management, access to our License Helpdesk, and more.

Historical Pricing Analysis

We begin by analyzing your current Microsoft Contract, assessing the pricing structure, any amendments in place, and reviewing the Customer Price Sheet to determine what’s included. This analysis provides insight into the current commercial structure and serves as the foundation for optimizing your estate.

License Entitlement Analysis

Based on our assessment of the current Microsoft contract, we generate the current Bill of Material, which includes the list of products, licenses, and amendments that could potentially provide license entitlements too.

Server & Cloud Subscriptions Analysis

We then delve deeper into the actual installations and usage of the software. This is where the ‘data’ comes into play. We analyze three different areas:

- On-premises installations
- Microsoft Cloud Subscriptions
- Azure Consumption

The on-premises data comes from your existing tools such as vCenter, Active Directory, SNOW, Flexera, SAM Pro, Lansweeper, or other tooling. To analyze Microsoft Cloud Subscriptions and Azure, we use our tooling to provide us with the necessary data to analyze the current usage of the Cloud platforms.

Operational Needs Assessment Workshops

Through hands-on workshops, we define personas within your organization, mappingoperational roles and technology requirements for each persona. These workshops alsoserve as knowledge-sharing sessions to outline more cost-effective licensing potentials.

Optimal Deployment Planning

Based on your company’s current and future operational needs, and informed by realworld persona behaviour, we outline an optimal deployment scenario that will inform theoptimized Bill of Material.

Cost Reduction and Optimization Strategies

After analyzing all the data and determining current and future demand, we will assessall possible cost reduction and optimization strategies. This information will bepresented in a management summary.

The Optimized Bill of Material

Next, we combine the operational needs assessment with possible optimizationstrategies to perform a cost modelling exercise. This results in the new Bill of Materialsthat covers the current costs and licenses, the minimum license scenario, the requiredlicense scenario, and a licensing scenario to account for potential future demand.

Negotiation Playbook

The 2Data team will work with you to create a unique Negotiation Playbook that reflects the optimal position you’d like to achieve with Microsoft. It incorporates our global market insights and tested strategies for securing best-in-class agreements.

Negotiation Support

2Data’s Microsoft experts offer step-by-step support throughout the negotiation process, either in an advisory capacity or through hands-on participation in your negotiations with Microsoft.

Annual Usage Analysis

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Licensing Helpdesk

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Annual Contract Optimization

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License, Portal, and Chargeback Management

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Reduce contract costs, manage risk, and simplify your Salesforce licensing.

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Explore the Knowledge Hub

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Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to our FAQ section! Here you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions we receive. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out to us directly, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

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Are optimizations successful with both SMBs and large enterprises?

We run successful projects across multiple organizational sizes, industries, and geographies. On average, companies reduce their contract costs by 32% with
2Data regardless of company size.

Read our success stories  
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Why choose an independent advisory instead of an LSP?

LSP’s can be helpful for compliance maintenance, but because they resell vendor licenses there’s an obvious conflict of interest. An independent advisor safeguards your best interests by remaining totally vendor and tool agnostic.

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What happens if we already have a reseller or LSP? Do you work with them or replace them?

An LSP is there to support you with the operational aspects of your contract. Our focus at 2Data is on helping you reduce costs through market insights, benchmark data, and proven tactics to support you in your contract negotiations separate to your LSP.

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What’s the average timeline for the delivery of an optimization project?

This depends on your organizational needs. Most once-off optimizations take between 3-6 months, while our Optimization as a Service offering gives you comprehensive coverage over a longer period.

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Do you charge a flat fee, time-based rate, or success-based fee?

We use an equitable pricing model that accounts for number of devices/users and geographic considerations. We offer the choice between a flat fee, or a success fee tied to the outcomes of the project.

On average, companies make back 15 times the cost of our services through both realized cost savings and cost avoidance.

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Why OaaS Saves You More

Continuous Optimization:

Regular assessments to identify and eliminate inefficiencies.

Ongoing adjustments to maximize license utilization and prevent waste.

Cost Savings and Overspend Prevention:

Proactive monitoring and strategic adjustments to reduce overspending.

Discover new savings opportunities with every cycle.

Self-Funding Model:

Savings achieved are reinvested into further optimization.

Optimization services become self-funding over time, continuously driving added value.

Flexible Program Objectives:

Customizable service scope, cadence and vendor focus based on evolving business needs.

Dynamic focus to address unexpected events like audits.

High-Touch Expertise:

Access to licensing expertise and negotiation support.

Stay audit-ready with proactive license management and vendor compliance.