The 18-month renewal runway.

Renewal outcomes are commonly decided long before the quote arrives. This paper maps the runway we build on engagements: when to baseline the estate, when to open alternative evaluation, when the credible walk-away has to exist, and why teams that start under 12 months out typically concede the most.

What is inside

• Why the leverage curve peaks at 12–18 months and collapses inside 6
• The four phases: baseline, reconcile, leverage, close
• What a credible walk-away actually requires — and how long it takes to build
• The vendor's budget-cycle clock and how to get ahead of it
• A month-by-month runway checklist you can lift into your own plan