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The workflow for identifying which vendors in a software estate use AI, mapping how it’s used, and collecting the evidence needed to assess exposure before approval, renewal or expansion. Covers the EU AI Act.
A contract term that renews a vendor agreement by default once the notice period closes, unless action is taken beforehand.
The model Archways scores every vendor against. Every vendor in the 175,000+ profiled is mapped to the same capability framework and scored against a customer’s real requirements, not a generic template, which is what makes vendors comparable to each other and to what’s already owned.
Where two or more tools in a portfolio provide the same or similar functionality. On average, 10 to 20% of the tools customers evaluate already overlap with something they own.
A system such as ServiceNow or LeanIX that records what applications exist and how they connect. Provides visibility into the estate but doesn’t guide what should change in it.
The structured output of a renewal, evaluation or rationalisation decision: the outcome, the options considered, the criteria used, the trade-offs, the supporting evidence, and who was involved. Built to be shared, reviewed and revisited, so context isn’t lost by the next cycle.
A reference point in AI vendor readiness reviews for assessing general-purpose AI providers under the EU AI Act.
The window before a contract’s renewal date in which a vendor must be notified of non-renewal. Once it closes, the contract typically renews by default regardless of fit.
A shared, decision-ready view of the software estate spanning inventory, capabilities, contracts and decisions in one place, assembled from the CMDB, SAM and contract data teams already have.
Identifying overlapping or underused software and tying the fix to a real point of action, typically a renewal or review cycle, so consolidation gets implemented rather than staying a list.
Sorting upcoming renewals into action required, monitor, or no action required, so effort goes to the renewals that carry financial, risk or architectural weight.
The system powering vendor scoring and evaluations. Combines public vendor documentation, licensed financial and risk datasets, and direct vendor submissions to continuously profile 175,000+ vendors for capability, pricing, security and financial signals.
Licensing and usage tracking tools, such as Flexera, that show what’s being used and whether it’s correctly licensed. Answer what you have, not whether to keep it.
Every renewal Archways processes resolves to one of three calls: Renew, when fit and cost are validated against current needs; Replace, when overlap, risk or misfit is confirmed; Renegotiate, when credible alternatives create leverage.