What does it take to successfully navigate a massive ITtransformation without ending up in the headlines?

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, hosts John Belden and Kylie Chisholm are joined by UpperEdge Chief Advisory Officer Len Riley and OG&E’s Director of Technology Strategy, Kevin Lagge, to break down OG&E’s five-year SAP S/4HANA and RISE transformation journey. Kevin shares candid lessons from the front lines around Phase 0 decision-making, executive alignment, negotiating early SAP RISE contracts, and managing a multi–systems integrator model.

The conversation also explores how strong governance, built-in flexibility, and innovative use of generative AI helped OG&E stay on track, control costs, and ultimately thrive through change, all with the help of UpperEdge.

A must-listen for IT leaders facing large-scale ERP, cloud, or digital transformation initiatives.

Resources:

WHITE PAPER - DrivingValue Through Discipline: How an Energy Company Reimagined Transformation withUpperEdge

BLOG - PivotPoints: How Smart Clients Avoid Cost Overruns in Large IT Programs

About the Show:
Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share valuable insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.

For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Many organizations still focus heavily on SLA metrics like uptime and ticket closure rates, but those metrics alone do not create strong governance or long-term value. In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, Kylie Chisholm is joined by UpperEdge managed services experts Greg Hall and Ally Kuppens to discuss why the structure behind SLAs is often more important than the metrics themselves.

The conversation explores how modern SLA frameworks support flexibility over long-term managed services agreements, allowing organizations to adapt as business priorities change. Greg and Ally walk through the four core components of an effective SLA framework: risk sharing, SLA adjustment rights, termination for cause, and continuous improvement. They explain how each one helps balance accountability with a healthy provider relationship.

Listeners will come away with practical guidance on how to design SLAs that stay relevant over time, align to real business outcomes, and create shared incentives for continuous improvement in managed services relationships.

Resources:

BLOG - ⁠AI and the Future of Managed Services Contracts: Lessons from MSP Earnings Calls

WEBINAR - AI in Managed Services: Bridging the Gap Between Expectations and Reality

About the Show: Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project-execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research & Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share high-impact insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Why SLA Metrics Alone Fall Short
01:02 Introducing the Guests and Today’s Topic
02:57 Why Traditional SLA Approaches No Longer Work
04:53 The Need for Flexible and Elastic SLA Structures
05:47 What an SLA Framework Really Is
06:56 The Four Core Components of an Effective SLA Framework
07:04 Risk Sharing and Creating Real Provider Accountability
09:40 How Risk Sharing Changes MSP Day to Day Behavior
13:29 Managing Providers and Avoiding SLA Gaming
15:33 SLA Adjustment Rights and Evolving Business Priorities
16:02 KPIs vs CPIs and Why the Difference Matters
17:59 How and When Clients Should Adjust SLAs
21:21 Termination for Cause Rights and Healthy Governance
24:32 Continuous Improvement That Actually Drives Value
26:05 Aligning SLAs to Business Outcomes Over Time
27:33 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Salesforce is pushing Salesforce Foundations and Data 360 provisioning hard as “no-cost” offers — but the real story starts once you hit usage limits. In this video, Adam Mansfield breaks down what’s actually included, why Salesforce cares so much about getting this into your order form, and how you can protect your budget.

You’ll learn:

• What comes with Salesforce Foundations (Einstein requests, Agentforce flex credits, Data 360 segmentation & activation)
• How “$0” offers give Salesforce leverage and let them report wins the moment you sign
• Why you must ensure your Order Forms have complete transparency and definitions: conversations, Einstein requests, flex credits, data service credits
• How to negotiate overage/usage rates now, not later
• The importance of internal controls and usage tracking to avoid surprise downstream invoices
• How to tie this “free win” back to better discounts and lower uplifts to your already in place Salesforce products, while improving other commercial terms

If you’re considering Salesforce Foundations, and/or evaluating Agentforce, Data Cloud/Data 360, or any consumption-based Salesforce offer, watch this before you sign your next order form.

For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Many ServiceNow customers are being told Impact is “mandatory” to win discounts or concessions—especially around year-end renewals. In this video, Adam Mansfield explains how to negotiate lower Impact percentages, lock protections for the full term, preserve your right to drop Impact at renewal, and tie lower Impact costs to better underlying product pricing and AI/Now Assist packs. Learn how to hold the line and structure a deal on your terms.

For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, hosts John Belden and Kylie Chisholm sit down with Jesse Webb, IT Director at SaskPower, to explore the story behind the utility’s highly successful SAP S/4HANA transformation.

Jesse shares the lessons learned from SaskPower’s multi-year modernization journey, from managing vendor costs and internal resource capacity to building a cohesive cross-functional team that ensured go-live readiness. She reveals how deliberate planning, risk mitigation, and strong collaboration between IT, business, and implementation partners helped the organization overcome early project hurdles and achieve a seamless go-live weekend.

Tune in to hear practical insights on:

• Balancing internal and external project resources
• Establishing clear go-live criteria and risk mitigation plans
• The power of co-location and building team trust
• How early alignment and executive communication drive project success

Whether you’re preparing for your own SAP modernization or navigating a complex IT transformation, this conversation is packed with real-world lessons on what it takes to deliver results confidently and collaboratively.

Resources:

BLOG - Thriving Amid Uncertainty: How to Move Your Digital Transformation Forward While Others Freeze

BLOG - Rethinking Transformation Strategy in an AI-First World: AI is Changing SAP Strategy. Is Your Busin…

About the Show:
Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project-execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research & Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share high-impact insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.

Timestamps:03:05 — Overview of SaskPower and Its SAP Background
04:35 — The SAP Modernization Program
05:23 — From ECC to S/4HANA: Scope and Approach
07:03 — Modernizing Custom Applications and Risk Mitigation
08:33 — Lessons Learned from Earlier Projects
10:33 — Managing Internal Resource Capacity
13:20 — IT vs. Business Resource Constraints
14:05 — Business Integration and Dedicated Resources
14:39 — Sponsor Message (UpperEdge Subscription Advisory Services)
14:59 — Go-Live Readiness: Planning and Criteria
16:01 — Testing Strategy and Success Criteria
19:01 — Practice Conversions and Dress Rehearsals
20:04 — The Go-Live Weekend Experience
21:10 — Risk Management and Business Continuity Plans
22:53 — Lessons from Backup Planning
24:04 — Key Decisions That Drove Success
25:21 — Co-Location and Building Team Cohesion
27:08 — Value of Personal Relationships in Project Success
28:13 — What Jesse Would Do Differently
29:03 — The Importance of Context in Decision-Making

In this video, Adam dives into Microsoft’s FY26 Q1 earnings report, which exceeded expectations with strong revenue growth and significant advancements in their commercial and cloud sectors. He discusses the importance of strategic planning for renewals, especially given Microsoft’s impressive Cloud Revenue, and clear objectives Microsoft has made publicly known (including expanding ARPU through E5 adoption and Microsoft 365 Copilot expansion). Listen to Adam break down the numbers and provide insights on how to leverage this information for your business strategies.

For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Adam breaks down ServiceNow’s Q3 FY25 earnings call, highlighting 22% revenue growth, strong subscription performance, and a bold AI roadmap.

With Now Assist and Pro Plus deals gaining traction, and CRM commentary heating up between McDermott and Benioff (Salesforce, CEO), this episode is a must-watch for customers preparing for ServiceNow renewals or considering in-term upgrades and purchases.

Key Highlights:

• $3.29B Subscription Revenue, beating expectations and higher than prior guidance
• AI revenue targets: $500M in FY25, $1B in FY26
• 553 customers spending $5M+ annually
• CRM rivalry: ServiceNow vs Salesforce
• Strategic advice for how best to prepare for your upcoming ServiceNow negotiations

For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, host Kylie Chisholm is joined by Adam Mansfield, UpperEdge’s Salesforce Practice Leader, to unpack everything from Dreamforce 2025. They dive into how Salesforce’s Agentic Enterprise Licensing Agreement (AELA) is reshaping enterprise licensing, the emphasis on AI and “Agentforce,” and what all this means for you as a Salesforce customer approaching renewal.

Listeners will learn how to:

• Strategically prepare for upcoming renewals and negotiations
• Push back on unwanted AI add-ons and licensing changes
• Align internal stakeholder messaging and evaluate new value propositions
• Understand the real implications of Dreamforce-announced products and pricing

If you’re a Salesforce customer heading into renewal season, this episode offers timely, tactical advice to help you protect value and improve outcomes.

Resources:

VIDEO - Salesforce’s New Agentic Enterprise Licensing Agreement (AELA) – What Customers Need to Know

BLOG - Salesforce Increasing Pricing and Adding Agentforce Options: What Customers Need to Know Now

About the Show:
Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project-execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research & Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share high-impact insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.

During Dreamforce, Salesforce announced a new “unlimited” Agentic Enterprise Licensing Agreement (AELA) that promises unlimited use and simplicity at a set (and predictable) flat fee. But without proper transparency or post-term protections, Salesforce customers could be in for a world of hurt at the renewal time.

In this quick take video, Adam breaks down what products are the focus (Agentforce, Data 360, MuleSoft, Slack, etc.) along with what is driving Salesforce’s goal of pushing customers into this agreement type. He will also share his tips on what Salesforce customers need to do and ensure Salesforce provides before any commitment is made.

For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, host Kylie Chisholm talks with Adam Mansfield, UpperEdge’s Salesforce Practice Advisory Leader, about how customers can successfully prepare for upcoming Salesforce renewals.

Adam discusses why many organizations are frustrated with Salesforce’s current direction, particularly its heavy focus on Agentforce and AI, while overlooking existing customer needs and product value. He explains what this means for enterprise buyers and how they can strengthen their negotiation position.

Listeners will learn how to:

• Approach renewals and upcoming negotiations strategically
• Push back on unwanted AI add-ons
• Align internal teams for consistent messaging
• Get the most out of Dreamforce

If you’re a Salesforce customer heading into renewal season, this episode offers timely, practical advice to help you protect value and improve outcomes.

Resources:

BLOG – Salesforce’s New Agentforce Pricing: What Customers Should Know

VIDEO – Salesforce Q2 FY26 Earnings: Agentforce Hype vs. Reality

About the Show:
Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join Adam Mansfield, UpperEdge’s Salesforce Practice Leader and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share valuable insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.

For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.