Number of Seats/Users: FEM Design offers discounts based on the number of users or seats. A higher volume typically leads to a better discount structure, especially for enterprise-level usage.

Commitment to a Long-Term Contract: Discounts are often provided to companies that commit to using the service for a longer period (e.g., 1-year or 3-year contracts). A longer commitment shows FEM Design that the company is serious and willing to invest in the platform long-term.

No Active Discounts: Companies that are not already receiving other active discounts may have a better chance of qualifying for additional discounts from FEM Design. FEM Design reserves discounts for new customers or those not currently under promotional pricing.

Volume or Usage Commitment: FEM Design offers discounts if you agree to a minimum amount of usage or transaction volume. This could be based on data storage, transactions, or other metrics tied to how much you will use the platform.

Enterprise-Level Negotiation: Companies that qualify as “enterprise” due to their size or complexity (e.g., having large teams, multiple departments, or geographical presence) may be eligible for additional discounts from FEM Design. Such companies are often in a position to negotiate for better pricing.

Early Renewal or Prepayment: FEM Design often offers discounts if you renew early or prepay for the entire contract period. This is a common approach to securing a lower price.

Here at Spendbase our internal data shows that feedback on FEM-Design is very polarized: clients really like the calculation power but struggle hard with day‑to‑day usability.

Key positives our Spendbase clients highlight
– Strong engineering depth:
– Handles concrete, steel, timber and foundations in one environment
– Solid Eurocode + national annex support
– Ecosystem and integration:
– Good BIM connectivity
– API support for automation and custom workflows
– Output quality:
– Clear result visualization
– Published calculation sheets seen as professional and comprehensive

Main pain points our internal data shows
– User experience and interface:
– Commands feel unusual (heavy use of Alt combinations instead of common Ctrl patterns)
– Many actions are described as non‑intuitive and hard to discover
– Geometry and modeling frustrations:
– Snap tools are called “very bad” and “time‑consuming”
– Difficulties getting points and elements exactly in place, even when zooming in a lot
– High risk of small modeling errors that later break the analysis
– Productivity impact:
– Steep learning curve and frequent trial‑and‑error
– Some clients mention real stress and wasted hours trying to fix minor geometric issues

What this means from a Spendbase savings perspective
Our internal benchmarks show:
– FEM-Design tends to deliver strong technical results once models are set up correctly.
– However, the UX issues often translate into:
– Higher onboarding and training costs
– Lower effective seat utilization (only a few “power users” dare to use it)
– Hidden productivity losses that are not visible in the license price

How we usually advise clients:
– Negotiate based on:
– Training bundles and extended support at low or no extra cost
– Flexible licensing (fewer permanent seats, more floating/temporary)
– Consider parallel use:
– Keep FEM-Design for complex Eurocode tasks
– Use more user‑friendly tools for everyday or simple models

Overall, our internal data shows that FEM-Design is a powerful but demanding tool. The discount strategy should factor in the extra effort your team will spend overcoming the UX and modeling limitations.