Microsoft EA Advisory

Microsoft EA Renewal Toolkit

Comprehensive preparation checklist for Microsoft Enterprise Agreement renewals. Covers M365, Azure, Dynamics, true-up, and negotiation strategy. 45+ items.

90
Day Countdown
45+
Action Items
20-35%
Typical Savings
Your Progress
0/41 (0%)
📅
Day 90-75: Discovery & Baseline
7 items
0/7
▾
Confirm your EA expiry date and renewal timeline
Enterprise Agreements are 3-year commitments. Know your exact expiry and any auto-renewal provisions.
Critical
Inventory all Microsoft agreements (EA, CSP, MPSA, OEM, SPLA)
Many organisations have multiple Microsoft agreements. Map every one for a consolidated view.
Important
Document current EA annual spend by product family
Break down spend: M365, Azure, Dynamics 365, Windows Server, SQL Server, Power Platform, and any add-ons.
Identify your Microsoft Licensing Solution Provider (LSP)
Your LSP manages your EA. Consider whether your current LSP is delivering value or should be changed at renewal.
Assess your current EA enrolment type (Direct, Indirect, CSP)
Different enrolment types have different pricing mechanics. Evaluate whether your current type is optimal.
Document your most recent true-up and any outstanding obligations
Unpaid true-up balances affect your renewal position. Resolve these before negotiation begins.
Engage independent Microsoft licensing advisory
Microsoft account teams and LSPs both have Microsoft-aligned incentives. Independent advisors protect your interests.
Critical
📊
Day 75-60: Licence Optimisation
8 items
0/8
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Run M365 usage analytics to identify inactive and underutilised licences
Pull reports from M365 Admin Center. Identify users who have not logged in for 90+ days.
Critical
Assess E3 vs E5 right-sizing opportunity
Most organisations over-provision E5. Identify users who only need E3 features. E5 to E3 saves $21/user/month.
Critical
Evaluate F1/F3 frontline worker eligibility
Frontline workers on E3/E5 instead of F1/F3 is the biggest M365 savings opportunity. F1 is $2.25 vs E3 at $36.
Important
Identify ghost licences from departed employees
Integrate HR offboarding with licence reclamation. Typical ghost rate: 5-15% of total licences.
Audit standalone add-ons that overlap with E5 capabilities
Audio Conferencing, Defender, Power BI Pro, and Intune may be purchased separately AND included in E5.
Review Windows Server and SQL Server licensing
Verify Datacenter vs Standard assignments, SA value, and Azure Hybrid Benefit eligibility.
Assess Power Platform licensing requirements
Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI have complex licensing. Ensure you are not over-provisioned.
Evaluate Microsoft Copilot deployment and ROI
Copilot at $30/user/month is a significant investment. Evaluate actual usage before committing broadly.
Important
☁️
Day 60-45: Azure & Cloud Assessment
6 items
0/6
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Analyse Azure consumption vs commitment
If on an Azure commitment (MACC), check utilisation. Under-utilisation wastes budget; over-utilisation means unplanned spend.
Important
Right-size Azure Reserved Instances
Review RI utilisation. Unused or underutilised RIs should be exchanged or allowed to expire.
Evaluate Azure Hybrid Benefit usage
AHB lets you use existing Windows Server and SQL licences in Azure. Verify all eligible workloads are using AHB.
Assess Azure savings plans vs reserved instances
Azure savings plans (launched 2022) offer more flexibility than RIs for compute. Evaluate which model fits better.
Benchmark Azure pricing against AWS and GCP
Multi-cloud pricing comparison gives you negotiation leverage. Even a credible evaluation helps.
Important
Model your Azure commitment level for the next 3 years
Project growth, migrations, and workload changes. Set a commitment level you are confident you will consume.
📜
Day 45-30: Contract Terms & Strategy
7 items
0/7
▾
Review Microsoft pricing changes since your last EA
Microsoft regularly changes pricing and removes discounts. Understand how current pricing compares to your existing rates.
Important
Challenge the removal of Level A/B/C/D volume discounts
Microsoft eliminated traditional volume discounts. Push back and negotiate equivalent pricing.
Critical
Negotiate multi-year price protection with capped uplifts
Lock pricing for the full 3-year term. Resist mid-term price increases.
Require true-down rights at each anniversary
Standard EAs only allow true-up (adding). Negotiate true-down rights to reduce licence counts annually.
Important
Evaluate EA vs MCA (Microsoft Customer Agreement)
MCA offers more flexibility but may have different pricing. Assess which structure is optimal.
Negotiate favourable Copilot terms
If deploying Copilot, negotiate: trial periods, reduced minimums, price caps, and opt-out flexibility.
Tip
Prepare your target pricing across all product families
Build a detailed pricing proposal covering every product family. Present this to Microsoft, not the other way around.
Critical
🤝
Day 30-15: Active Negotiation
7 items
0/7
▾
Lead with YOUR proposal, not Microsoft renewal quote
Microsoft renewal proposals always start high. Present your optimised position first.
Critical
Present utilisation data to justify right-sizing
Show Microsoft exactly which licences are underutilised. Data-driven arguments are effective.
Use competitive alternatives as leverage
AWS, Google Workspace, and other alternatives create negotiation leverage even if you plan to stay.
Important
Negotiate Azure credits and migration incentives
Microsoft often provides migration credits to retain or grow Azure consumption. Ask for these.
Request Security and Compliance add-on discounts
Microsoft bundles are often cheaper than add-ons. Negotiate bundle pricing where applicable.
Align negotiation with Microsoft fiscal calendar
Microsoft FY ends June 30. Quarter-ends (Sep, Dec, Mar, Jun) create quota pressure.
Tip
Escalate to Microsoft corporate if your account team cannot meet targets
District and area managers have more pricing authority than account executives.
⏰
Day 15-0: Finalisation
6 items
0/6
▾
Verify every product, SKU, quantity, and price in the final agreement
EA contracts are complex. Errors are common and expensive to fix after signing.
Critical
Confirm all negotiated terms are in the contract language
Verbal commitments, emails, and slides do not bind Microsoft. Only contract language matters.
Critical
Have legal review the full EA and all amendments
Pay attention to data processing terms, SLA commitments, and termination provisions.
Ensure true-down rights, uplift caps, and exit terms are documented
These are the most valuable protective terms. Verify they are included explicitly.
Important
Execute and distribute the agreement
Share with IT, finance, procurement, and all stakeholders. Update your contract management system.
Implement ongoing licence optimisation monitoring
Set up quarterly reviews. The best EA management is continuous, not once every 3 years.
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