Is your Microsoft partner delivering ROI? 7 ways to check today

As you plan your 2026 budget, you’ll likely face familiar questions about your Microsoft spend. CFOs want to see clear ROI, and business leaders expect measurable outcomes from technology investments. Chances are, you’re not alone.

Many IT leaders find themselves in vendor relationships rather than genuine partnerships — often discovering optimization opportunities too late. The complexity of Microsoft’s current licensing landscape, particularly with Copilot for Microsoft 365 rollouts and Azure consumption
management, requires partners who understand both the technical architecture and the financial implications of every decision.

That’s where a top-tier Microsoft partner comes in. They can be the missing piece that unlocks the true potential of your Microsoft ecosystem, transforming a cost center conversation into a business enablement discussion.

This ebook will help you navigate seven important checkpoints to benchmark your current partner experience and identify areas for improvement. By setting clear expectations and ensuring your partnership aligns with your strategic goals, you can achieve the full value of your Microsoft investment. After reviewing each checkpoint, you will have a framework to assess your current relationship objectively. Plus, our Microsoft experts can provide a consultation, applying this evaluation framework to your specific environment and providing a prioritized list of optimization opportunities.

Before you begin this assessment, consider these questions: When did your partner last present you with a cost-saving opportunity that you hadn’t already identified? Does your current partner provide detailed licensing modeling beyond basic compliance? When did you last get Microsoft engineering support for one of your projects? Can your current partner show you exactly which Software Assurance benefits you used last year and which ones you missed?

Your answers will frame how you evaluate the following checkpoints.

NEXT STEPS

Ready to accelerate your Microsoft success? Connect with one of our Microsoft experts to assess your environment and learn more about SHI’s Microsoft services and solutions.