The Top Questions Companies Ask About Technology Renewals

Managing renewals is a complex job because there are so many factors for your business to consider.

For example, you need to assess the relevance of your technology and explore potential cost savings by leveraging campaigns, technology or bundling. You must also consider whether your environment is secure and if your growth plan aligns with the technology solutions you have in place. You can simplify this process with the help of a skilled technology partner.

Regardless of size or industry, there are some must-ask questions when you are seeking a renewals management provider. Here are the answers to the seven most common and pressing questions.

1. What are the key advantages of partnering with a renewals management provider over managing renewals internally?
   Simply put, when you work with a renewals management provider you benefit from the expertise, coordination and cost savings offered by providers with solid business partnerships. While most businesses want to determine if things like their hardware are relevant and aligned with their long-term plans, the reality is that time, expertise and resources are often limited.
   
   According to State of the CIO Survey 2024, “75% of CIO’s say it’s challenging to find the right balance between business innovation and operational excellence.” A seasoned renewals management provider that has strong relationships with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and others can help ensure your business has as many options as possible when considering cost optimization.
   
   The same applies to a well-rounded provider evaluating your security posture. When you work with a company like CDW to assess and manage your security posture, we can provide many options and help you find the best solution because we work with many vendors.
   
   Naturally, if you only work with the OEM, they’ll only propose their solution. Because CDW invests in teams focused explicitly on renewals, it can benefit businesses interested in knowing all their options with their business growth plans and budget in mind.
   
   
2. What information and resources do I need to provide to a renewals management provider, and how much time will this require from my team?
   While requirements may vary for different renewals management providers, the beauty of working with CDW is that we do most of that legwork for you. We gather the appropriate data, develop a strategy, bring it to your IT team and ask them to help us validate it.
   
   For example, we may ask you for permission to view your business's internal renewals reporting, if available, and work with your OEM to build upon what you’ve provided and our findings. Note that if a renewals management provider stops here, you could leave potential bundling opportunities, which often lead to financial savings, on the table.
   
   A renewals management provider should always do their due diligence to confirm whether you have renewals outside of what they handle. As a best practice, CDW will ask if you want us to look at your renewals handled outside of CDW to ensure we have a comprehensive view. This will require authorization on your end, but it will allow your renewals management provider to thoroughly audit your technology’s lifecycle.
   
   
3. Is it common for businesses to have more than one company handling renewals?
   Yes. In fact, it’s not uncommon for companies to have renewals from different businesses. However, as mentioned before, you might miss out on potential savings or technology better suited to your business needs when working with a provider that is not vendor-agnostic.
   
   Vendor agnostic renewals management providers such as CDW will ensure that you receive a comprehensive quote for budgetary purposes at renewal time, regardless of the other renewal partner you are working with, as long as you have authorized us to view your renewals with your additional providers.
   
   
4. What challenges does working with multiple providers for renewals present?
   Keeping track of it all. Think about it: if you have a partner for security, one for collaboration, and others, and each provider is only focused on you renewing their products and solutions, you may miss out on solutions that are better suited for your business because the providers you’re working with are not vendor agnostic. Having more than one partner also means more conversations and portals you have to log into and track.
   
   You can also uncover discounts when you put together an all-in-one solution. For example, if a renewals management provider like CDW can only see what renewals you have with CDW, you may have a contract, renewal or technology solution with another vendor that, if we pulled into CDW, could result in discounts or promotions for consolidation, cost savings and simplification.
   
   
5. How far in advance will a business be notified about upcoming renewals, and what steps are taken to ensure nothing is overlooked?
   A renewals management provider should contact you at least 90 days before your renewal date and provide a quote. However, this time frame may fluctuate based on your business's needs. So, be sure your renewals management provider caters to time frames that accommodate the amount of lead time you need for budgetary and planning reasons.
   
   CDW does a great job connecting with customers from renewal time to renewal time. We regularly meet to discuss your company’s renewals and the current state of its technology, and we provide budgetary quotes based on time frames that work best for you.
   
   Having a provider like CDW that stays connected is essential because there may be an instance where you want to decommission some gear or move from one site to another. Because CDW remains engaged, you can rest assured we’re in lock step. When evaluating renewal management providers, ask about their check-in cadence and ability to accommodate your needs if you require more advanced planning or touchpoint calls.
   
   Additionally, your provider should ask whether you have increased counts or plans to migrate to a new solution. If they don’t, communicate this information as soon as you know and ask them how they can support your business with that.
   
   
6. If major upgrades or project refreshes are needed, how do you support strategic planning and execution?
   When planning significant upgrades and project refreshes, it’s important to take a holistic approach. In situations such as this, CDW will assess your budget and the purpose of the upgrade, then we will provide the best available option(s) for your business.
   
   Not every solution will be suited for you or fit within your budget when you take scaling into consideration. CDW works to identify the best available options that meet your needs. Our renewals team aims to understand each customer’s pain points so that we can make the best vendor-agnostic recommendation.
   
   Once it’s determined an upgrade is needed, CDW works with vendors to create a quote, helps negotiate the price and takes advantage of any available promotions to ensure you get the best deal. And we don’t stop there; we guide you through the entire process, from obtaining a quote and making the purchase to post-sales support and implementation.
   
   We don’t just walk away when the renewal is complete. The integration phase is as important as the evaluation and your next renewal. Businesses are constantly evolving, and different events may require us to change service levels or terms, so maintaining open communication is crucial.
   
   
7. How do you tailor your renewals management services to fit the unique needs and challenges of different industries or company sizes
   At CDW, we offer tools to provide our customers with visibility into their renewals. In addition, CDW Renewals strives to understand your plans, needs, pain points and, if you’re planning to grow (i.e., move to the cloud, etc.), your business goals. Our approach, expertise, partnerships and technology make CDW’s Renewals team well-positioned to support a company of any size.

CDW systematically works with customers across the globe to keep them informed of current technologies, requirements and upcoming opportunities pertinent to their technology lifecycle. Our experts and partnerships allow us to provide customized support for a wide range of products, services and solutions.