Rationalise E5 footprint
E5 is expensive—and often wider than technically necessary.
Problem
Historic “everything E5” culture or aggressive security pushes create a large expensive surface. Defender, Purview and advanced compliance are not needed for every persona; teams fear under-licensing for sensitive groups. Spreadsheets do not show which features are actually used or enforceable by policy.
Approach with CHAOS
CHAOS segments personas from signals and role needs, compares E5 paths with E3+add-on combinations and documents rejected options. Security defines test cases for critical groups; finance sees cost curves per scenario. Approvals govern productive changes.
Outcome from CHAOS
Smaller E5 footprint while preserving protection for high-risk groups, clearer communication to business units, and management exports. True-up risk drops because decisions are documented.
Insight
E5 rationalisation is a trust exercise: without transparent why-logic, business units block. Technical depth plus plain-language summaries decide success.