Before using an IT support cost calculator, prepare separate counts for people, computers and Microsoft 365 licences. Do not enter the same number in every box unless you have checked that it is correct. A colleague with a laptop and an office desktop is one person, but both computers need recording in your support inventory.
BMT’s IT support cost calculator gives an indicative monthly figure, not a final quotation; the scope needs checking before a proposal is confirmed.[2] This guide helps you prepare the inputs. Keep a short record of what you counted, what you excluded and which questions still need an answer, so the estimate can be checked later.
Start with the people who need support
Ask someone responsible for staffing to confirm who is currently working in the business. Include directors and remote colleagues, then identify contractors or temporary staff whose technology your organisation supports. Record whether each person needs help with a company computer, business applications or both. Keep planned starters separate from people already in post.
Do not treat payroll headcount as the finished answer. Ask managers about shared roles, seasonal work and staff on extended leave. You are preparing a service brief, not deciding to remove anyone’s access. Mark uncertain cases for discussion with the provider rather than quietly dropping them to make the estimate smaller.
Count computers separately from their users
Make a device list with one row for each laptop or desktop that needs support. Record its asset label or serial number, location, usual user and whether it is active, spare or awaiting disposal. Reconcile the list with whoever manages your equipment. Avoid sending serial numbers widely when a simple count will do.
Check meeting rooms, reception desks and equipment kept at home. A shared computer should appear once in the device inventory even if several people use it. Equally, do not count a docking station as another computer. Note servers, mobiles, printers and network equipment separately, then ask the provider how those items fit its support scope.
Match Microsoft 365 licences to actual requirements
Request a current subscription and licence-assignment report from your administrator. Microsoft explains that businesses purchase licences and then assign them to individual people; separate subscriptions can also cover specialist tools for only some users.[4] Compare that report with the staff list instead of assuming every account has the same product or needs a new purchase.
Keep the licence count distinct from the computer count. Microsoft documents that eligible subscriptions allow a person to install its apps on multiple devices.[4] That does not establish your support price or resolve shared-computer licensing. Flag shared use, specialist add-ons and mixed plans for review. Ask how existing supplier commitments affect the proposed arrangement before adding replacement licences to a budget.
Check gaps without inventing inputs
Read each calculator field’s label and help text. If it asks for supported computers, use the verified computer count rather than everyone with an email address. If your setup does not fit the available options, save the estimate and explain the mismatch. Do not select an unsuitable licence merely because it is the nearest option.
Prepare a separate note for anything the form cannot describe: another office, a workshop system, overnight working or a server that runs essential software. Ask the provider to confirm whether those requirements change the estimate. Keep the original inputs alongside its answer so you can see what changed and why, rather than comparing unexplained totals.
Keep today’s inventory separate from planned changes
Date the count and label it as the current setup. Record confirmed starters, office moves and equipment replacements separately, with their expected dates. Ask for a current estimate and a revised view for agreed changes. Do not fold an unapproved recruitment plan into the present-day headcount without explaining it.
For replacements, identify which old device will leave service and whether both need support during a handover. Keep retained spares visible too. Ask when additions or removals would affect billing and who must authorise them. A useful estimate should have enough context that the next person reviewing it can reproduce the inputs without starting the inventory again.
Bring the count to the next conversation
You are ready to use the calculator when someone can explain each number and show where it came from. Send the resulting estimate with your scope questions, not a full staff export containing unnecessary personal details. Ask the provider to confirm the covered equipment, licence assumptions and any work needed before support starts.
Use the cost calculator for the initial estimate, then contact BMT with the gaps you could not resolve. Once you have proposals, our guide to comparing IT support quotes covers checking inclusions and extras.[1] Keep the inventory: it will be useful again when your team or equipment changes.
Sources
[1] https://bm-technologies.co.uk/how-to-compare-it-support-quotes
[2] https://bm-technologies.co.uk/cost-calculator
[4] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/commerce/licenses/subscriptions-and-licenses?view=o365-worldwide