Why Independence Is Non-Negotiable in Autodesk Audits

The Conflict of Interest

An Autodesk audit is not a neutral compliance review. It is a commercial transaction. Autodesk's goal is to maximize revenue from your organization. Their channel partners—the firms you might trust to conduct the audit—are compensated based on how much additional software they identify and sell.

This is not speculation. This is how Autodesk's partner compensation model works. Channel partners receive commissions based on:

• Volume of new licenses sold: Higher commission for larger deals
• Attach rates: Commission increases as they upsell additional products
• Customer expansion: Bonuses for moving customers to higher-tier offerings

During an audit, this compensation structure creates a perverse incentive. The more violations a partner finds, the more software they will sell. The audit becomes a sales opportunity, not a compliance check.

How Partner Audits Differ from Independent Audits

The difference in outcome is dramatic. When we review partner audits on behalf of clients, we consistently find:

• Inflated findings: Violations that are questionable or completely fabricated to justify software purchases
• Aggressive interpretations: Licensing terms stretched to maximize the number of licenses required
• Missed evidence: Client evidence of legitimate licensing conveniently overlooked
• Pressure tactics: Artificial timelines and threats designed to accelerate purchasing decisions

An independent advisor has no incentive to inflate findings. We are not compensated based on what we find. Our fee is fixed regardless of outcome. This means our only incentive is to defend you accurately and aggressively.

The Legal Distinction

This is not just a business ethics issue—it is a legal issue. When Autodesk uses a channel partner to conduct an audit, there is a question about whether that partner is acting on Autodesk's behalf or yours. Courts have consistently held that when a third party has a financial interest in the outcome, their findings cannot be treated as unbiased evidence.

In audit disputes, we regularly challenge the credibility of partner-led findings based on this conflict of interest. If a partner stands to gain from finding violations, their testimony and findings become significantly weaker in a legal proceeding.

Our Alternative Approach

We operate under a completely different model. We are paid a flat fee for our engagement. That fee does not change based on what we find, what we negotiate, or how the audit resolves. This means:

• We have no incentive to inflate findings. If anything, our incentive is to challenge Autodesk's inflated findings.
• We have no incentive to recommend unnecessary purchases. We will never recommend a license you don't need.
• We have no incentive to settle quickly. We negotiate to the point that your exposure is minimized, regardless of how long it takes.
• We have fiduciary duty to you. You are our client. Autodesk is not.

Independence in Practice: A Real Example

A Fortune 200 manufacturing firm was contacted by Autodesk for an audit. They engaged their Autodesk channel partner to prepare their defense. The partner identified what they called "40 unlicensed Revit installations" requiring immediate remediation.

The firm was facing a $1.8M settlement when they contacted us. We reviewed the partner's findings and discovered:

• 28 of the 40 "violations" were properly licensed under the firm's Revit subscription agreement
• The partner had misinterpreted the definition of "named users"
• The remaining 12 issues were legitimate but had been grossly overpriced

We challenged Autodesk's findings directly, presented our evidence, and negotiated the settlement down to $280K. The partner would never have challenged Autodesk because the partner's compensation comes from Autodesk, not from defending you.

What Independence Means for Your Negotiation

If Autodesk initiates a negotiation on contract renewal, independence is equally critical. A channel partner will always push you toward higher-tier products and higher spend because that's how they make money. We will negotiate your contract to reduce cost and improve terms, period.

Our average license negotiation delivers 35% cost reduction over the contract term. This is not because we are aggressive—it is because we are independent. We can challenge Autodesk's pricing because we have no relationship with Autodesk to protect.

Independence is Our Foundation

We do not partner with Autodesk. We do not resell Autodesk licenses. We do not have ongoing commercial relationships with Autodesk. This independence is not incidental—it is our entire business model.

When you hire us, you are hiring an advisor whose only incentive is to defend you. Every recommendation we make, every finding we challenge, every negotiation we lead is designed to serve your interests, not Autodesk's.