Solutions PartnerRight-size Microsoft 365.
An architect-led review of how you license and use Microsoft 365. We match each user to the appropriate SKU and identify unused seats, then list the capabilities you already pay for that have yet to be switched on.
This is the assessment clients request most often, because it usually ends with a smaller Microsoft invoice. The review is complimentary and the findings stay with you.
Where Microsoft 365
spend drifts.
In the tenants we have reviewed, the drift follows a pattern. Licenses outlive the people and projects they were bought for, new hires land on the largest SKU as a precaution, and capabilities included in the plan stay switched off while third-party tools bill every month for the same job. None of it appears as a single line item, so it accumulates for years without anyone owning it.
Paying for the wrong licenses
Idle seats for departed users. E5 assigned where E3 covers the need. Frontline staff on knowledge-worker plans. Add-ons bought standalone that the bundle already includes.
Leaving included features unused
Teams Phone entitlements sitting unused while the PBX contract auto-renews. Intune included in the plan while a standalone MDM keeps billing. Defender, Purview and Entra idle while third-party tools cover the same ground.
The right SKU, in the
right count.
Licensing works when it mirrors your org chart: each user on the plan their role requires, and no license outliving its user. We audit assignments against tenant usage reports and business need, then map the moves. The most common ones:
Every move is validated against usage data exported from your tenant.
Use everything you
already own.
The second source of waste is the capability a license includes that stays switched off while a third-party tool bills for the same job. Depending on your tier, Microsoft 365 already covers a large share of a typical IT stack.
Security
Defender and Purview cover email security, endpoint protection and data governance, work that many of the tenants we review still pay a third party for.
IT management
Intune manages devices and apps across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android from one console, often replacing a standalone MDM outright.
Productivity & AI
Teams Phone, Power Automate, Bookings and Copilot Chat are already in the tenant, and in the estates we review they are usually switched off.
Already included with Microsoft 365
| Capability | Often paid separately | Already in Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Chat, meetings & calling | Slack · Zoom | Microsoft Teams |
| Business phone system | RingCentral · legacy PBX | Teams Phone |
| File sync & share | Dropbox · Box | OneDrive · SharePoint |
| Device & app management | MaaS360 · standalone MDM | Microsoft Intune |
| Email & collaboration security | 3rd-party secure email gateway | Defender for Office 365 |
| Endpoint protection | Standalone EDR / AV | Defender for Endpoint |
| Identity, SSO & MFA | Okta · Duo | Microsoft Entra ID |
| eDiscovery, DLP & retention | Standalone compliance tools | Microsoft Purview |
| Workflow automation | Zapier | Power Automate |
| Forms & surveys | SurveyMonkey · Typeform | Microsoft Forms |
| Task & project boards | Trello · Asana | Planner · Loop · Lists |
| Appointment scheduling | Calendly | Microsoft Bookings |
| Internal video & screen recording | Loom · Vimeo | Stream · Clipchamp |
| Whiteboarding | Miro | Microsoft Whiteboard |
| Basic diagramming | Lucidchart | Visio in Microsoft 365 |
| BI & dashboards | Standalone BI licenses | Power BI Pro (E5) |
Representative example. Coverage depends on your licensing tier, configuration and requirements, and is confirmed during the assessment.
A representative
deliverable.
A reference deliverable for a fictional 480-seat estate, the same shape of findings register and savings model a live engagement produces.
Current vs. optimized spend
Savings by category
Findings by review area
| Review area | # | Representative recommendation | Est. /yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing & SKU alignment | 14 | Downgrade 38 over-provisioned E5; reclaim 46 idle seats | $58K |
| Redundant tooling | 9 | Retire Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, MaaS360, covered by M365 | $61K |
| Cost optimization | 8 | Right-size the purchase mix; consolidate overlapping add-ons | $17K |
| Security & compliance | 6 | Consolidate to Defender + Purview; drop email gateway | $12K |
| Collaboration & productivity | 5 | Teams voice rollout; Copilot readiness for 120 users | value |
| Total | 42 | findings | $148K |
Recommended sequencing
- Reclaim idle seats and downgrade over-provisioned licenses first, since those savings carry the least risk.
- Retire redundant tools in waves as Microsoft equivalents are stood up and adopted.
- Reinvest part of the savings in adoption, security hardening and Copilot readiness.
"Northwind Traders Inc." is a fictional customer. All seats, spend, savings, tools and figures are representative examples for discussion and describe no real engagement. A live engagement reports against your specific tenant, contracts and usage data.
Measurable
business outcomes.
The figures below are industry reference points published by Microsoft and its research partners, and your results will depend on your tenant.
walk away with.
- ✓A clear picture of underutilized licenses and where SKUs can be right-sized.
- ✓A mapped list of redundant third-party tools and their Microsoft equivalents.
- ✓A prioritized savings plan with concrete next steps and owners.
- ✓A view of security and Copilot-readiness shortfalls worth addressing.
Expert guidance,
applied to what you already own.
Architecture and planning guidance is part of our pre-sales work, so the discovery call carries no fee and no purchase commitment.
The questions
buyers ask.
Scope, timeline, cost and what happens afterward.
Q1What does the Microsoft 365 Tools Rationalization assessment include?
An architect-led review of every user against the Microsoft 365 SKU their role requires. We identify duplicate and unused tools, list the included capabilities that remain switched off, and produce a right-sizing plan by role.
Q2How long does it take?
Two weeks is typical, depending on tenant size and how quickly we receive reporting access. A first readout of the largest overspend usually arrives within the first few days.
Q3What does it cost?
The assessment is complimentary and carries no obligation. You keep the findings with or without engaging ModernOps to act on them.
Q4What do we walk away with?
Per-user SKU recommendations, a list of reclaimable seats with projected savings, a plan to activate included-but-unused capabilities, and an executive summary you keep.
Q5Who should request this assessment?
IT and finance leaders at organizations on Microsoft 365 (Business Premium, E3 or E5) who suspect license overlap, unused seats, or capabilities they are paying for twice.
Q6What access or prerequisites do you need?
Read access to license and admin reporting, or exports, plus a rough headcount by role. We install no software in your tenant, and the process is remote-first.
Q7Will you just try to sell us more licenses?
No. The usual outcome is lower Microsoft spend. ModernOps sells many vendors' licensing, so the recommendation follows what the usage data shows.
Q8What happens after the assessment?
You can act on the plan yourself, or have ModernOps implement changes through Licensing Services: CSP moves, true-downs and renewals managed under one SLA.
Use what you
pay for.
Schedule the complimentary Microsoft 365 Tools Rationalization call: thirty to forty-five minutes, remote, led by an architect.
Complimentary · 30–45 minutes · Findings you keep