An independent review of managed services provider (MSP) and technology vendor proposals, contracts and pricing - from someone who has written them. I know how agreements are structured, where scope gaps get hidden, and what a good deal looks like.
Sound familiar?
An MSP contract up for renewal
And a feeling you're about to roll over the same terms without testing them.
Thinking about switching providers
Comparing proposals on price and pitch, without a clear view of the scope differences.
Proposals that are hard to compare
Similar promises, very different prices - and no way to tell why.
Service that doesn't match the contract
What you thought you bought and what you're getting have drifted apart.
A large platform or licensing commitment
A multi-year decision that's expensive to reverse.
Costs that keep creeping up
Variations, add-ons and price rises that nobody has questioned.
What you get
I spent years running a managed services and consulting business. I know how managed service agreements are structured, where scope gaps get hidden, how pricing is built, and what a good deal looks like. Most businesses signing or renegotiating a contract don't have anyone in the room who knows any of that.
A business switches managed service providers based on price or sales pitch, without understanding the scope differences or opportunities. They find the gap in service after the fact. This is the engagement that prevents that.
What I review
Scope and exclusions
What's included, what's assumed, and what quietly sits outside the contract.
Service levels
What's actually measured, and what happens when targets are missed.
Pricing mechanics
How pricing is built, what changes it, and where costs tend to grow.
Changes and variations
How new work is scoped and priced once you've signed.
Transition and exit
What it takes to move in, and what it takes to leave.
Risk allocation
Who carries the risk when something goes wrong.
How it works
01
A conversation about the situation
What's being decided, by when, and what's worrying you. No charge.
02
Review the documents and talk to the people involved
Proposals, contracts, schedules, service reports - and the people who live with the service day to day.
03
Findings in plain language
What's good, what's missing, what's overpriced, and what to push back on.
04
Support through the decision
Renegotiation positioning, or selection support if you're going to market.
Why me
Running a technology consultancy and MSP, I wrote the proposals, built the pricing models, structured the managed service agreements, delivered the work, and managed the escalations when things didn't go to plan. I know where the margin sits - and what gets left vague.
I've also been the customer. As a CEO I personally negotiated major technology contracts - cloud, security monitoring, core business systems and HR systems. I've negotiated these agreements from both sides of the table.
Run an MSP or consultancy yourself?
See MSP & Consultancy Advisory - the same experience, applied to your own business.
Common questions
Yes - and that's often the outcome. Sometimes the provider is fine but the contract is unfavourable. Sometimes there are gaps that can be fixed without switching. I'll tell you what I find and you decide what to do with it.
No. The same review applies to most technology vendor agreements - telco, software, cloud and professional services.
I don't have commercial relationships with any vendor or partner. What I can give you is a view on who's credible, who to be cautious of, and where the gaps usually are.
Usually the proposal or contract and its schedules, recent service reports and invoices, and time with the people who manage the service.
It depends on the size of the agreement. The time is estimated upfront, so you know what you're committing to.
Start here
No charge for the first conversation. If you don't need a review, I'll tell you.