Content + Cloud Case Study

Acquiring businesses demands simplifying and standardising

Content+Cloud is the result of the coming together of multiple Microsoft Partners so it was immediately necessary to streamline and standardise the different inherited processes and contract templates for the new business.

It is fundamental when undertaking a buy and build strategy to simplify and standardise the processes and legal templates while at the same time retaining any unique ways of working that are particular to the area of expertise. 

By standardising and simplifying, the companies can get the goal of working as ‘one company’ far faster and enjoy the benefits of cross selling each other’s services, benefiting the end customer and the top line.

Law 365 also helped novate all the supplier and customer contracts to the new C+C group from the various acquisitions.

Training and empowering the staff, and setting the directors free

Law 365 were engaged by Content+Cloud  to review all the processes and documents involved from ‘quote to cash’.

This meant a full review of all documents --  from proposals, Letters of Engagement (LoE), Statements of Work (SoW) and contracts such as Master Services Agreements (MSA), Software Licencing Agreements for Intellectual Property, to Managed Services and Support Agreements.

Harmonising the agreements was undertaken as the initial task, which then quickly moved onto simplifying and speeding up processes.

Process improvements were implemented so that contractual processes never slowed a deal down. The new contracts were simpler to negotiate and easier to understand, helping both C+C and their customers reach agreement faster.

Speeding up sale cycles and cashing in on Microsoft rebates

With an expanding sales and commercial team, it was important that the everyone involved in the commercial processes was trained so that they knew which document to use, and when to use them.

Law 365 trained the sales team, highlighting key areas where contracts had been improved to yield more profit.

Key Microsoft terms were added such as Digital Partner of Record (DPoR), Claiming Partner of Record (CPoR), Partner Admin Link (PAL) with Contributor Access, ensuring that C+C could take full advantage of Microsoft rebates.

Aligning the teams under one umbrella

With the C+C group growing larger by bringing together different companies, all staff in the acquired businesses needed to be brought together as a single company enjoying the same benefits.

Law 365 worked with their legal and HR teams to help them understand the impact of TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings, Protection of Employment), detailing their obligations to employees.

We also helped them to negotiate favourable terms relating to TUPE in their Master Services Agreements.