Meet the Value Archaeologist
Aligned Outcomes
- Martin Johnston, Director of Cost Optimisation at Aligned Outcomes, has launched the Value Archaeologist — a campaign encouraging Australian organisations to uncover hidden savings within their existing technology budgets through contract reviews, invoice reconciliation and supplier negotiations.
- With over 30 years' experience in IT cost optimisation, Johnston argues that many organisations continue paying for outdated, duplicated or poorly structured technology services simply because invoices go unchallenged and legacy contracts remain unexamined.
- Recent engagements demonstrate tangible results: a national waste management operator recovered credits equivalent to 16% of annual telecommunications spend, while an ASX-listed property group secured savings of 17% of annual spend before any contracts were renegotiated.
- The Aligned Outcomes team works alongside clients' internal technology, finance and procurement specialists, combining organisational knowledge with industry benchmarks and commercial expertise, with savings verified following negotiation and implementation.
- Organisations can begin with a free corporate mobile benchmark or a focused Proof of Value assessment to determine whether a deeper investigation is warranted.
The treasure is real. The map is usually a spreadsheet.
SYDNEY, 14th October 2026 Some people hunt for treasure in ancient ruins. Martin Johnston prefers a supplier contract nobody has opened since the last renewal.
Johnston, Director of Cost Optimisation at Aligned Outcomes, is the real person behind the Value Archaeologist, a tongue-in-cheek take on the serious business of finding money buried in Australian technology budgets.
With more than 30 years’ experience in IT cost optimisation, Johnston brings expertise in technology cost management, strategic sourcing and supplier negotiations across enterprise and government. The pith helmet adds a little theatre to work that requires patience, commercial knowledge and a willingness to ask awkward questions.
The project ended. The charges survived. The person who negotiated the contract left three restructures ago. Somewhere, an invoice is still being approved because it looks much like last month’s.
That is where the digging starts.
“Most organisations do not need a treasure map. They need someone willing to read the contract, reconcile the invoices and ask why they are still paying for something agreed two CIOs ago,” Johnston said.
“The helmet is optional. The evidence is not.”
Aligned Outcomes is introducing the Value Archaeologist to bring those investigations to life and encourage executives to question expenditure that has become part of the furniture.
At a national waste management and resource recovery operator, suspected carrier overcharging prompted a detailed investigation of invoices and contracts. The work secured credits equivalent to 16% of annual telecommunications expenditure, a recovery worth 20 times the engagement fee.
At an ASX-listed diversified property group, the team reconstructed a fragmented cost baseline and examined historical invoices and contracts. It secured savings equivalent to 17% of annual spend before a single contract was renegotiated. The engagement operated on a risk/reward basis, with no upfront client fee.
The targets are not always obvious mistakes. They include supplier pricing that has quietly drifted, duplicated services, underused capacity and commercial models built for an organisation that no longer exists.
Some opportunities sit near the surface. Others require more excavation, particularly where the service remains essential and the invoice is technically correct.
“A bill can be accurate and still represent poor value,” Johnston said. “You can need the service, like the supplier and still be paying too much. A long relationship is a good thing. An unchallenged price is something else.”
Johnston and the Aligned Outcomes team work alongside internal technology, finance and procurement specialists. They combine the client’s organisational knowledge with industry benchmarks, commercial experience and the capacity to follow an opportunity through negotiation, implementation and savings verification.
The approach recognises that keeping services running leaves little time to investigate years of accumulated commitments. Savings are pursued through better commercial outcomes and optimised service delivery, with proposed changes assessed and approved by the client.
“The people inside the organisation often know where to start looking,” Johnston said. “What they need is the time, evidence and support to do something about it. We help them turn ‘I think we are paying too much’ into a result they can prove.”
Organisations can start with a free corporate mobile benchmark or a free, focused Proof of Value assessment, then decide whether the findings justify a deeper investigation.
Before searching for new funding, the Value Archaeologist suggests checking what is already buried in the budget.
About us:
About Aligned Outcomes
Aligned Outcomes brings together TeleResult, CDRU and ClearCost to help government and enterprise organisations find hidden value in technology spending. With roots dating to 1972 and more than 5,000 client engagements across its businesses’ combined history, the group combines specialist consulting, managed services and financial management software through Cost Optimisation as a Service (COaaS).
The businesses within Aligned Outcomes have delivered more than $100 million in verified client savings in the past two years. The group reports typical client cost reductions of 15–30%, depending on the scope reviewed and existing commercial arrangements.
Contact details:
Media enquiries
Mike Ryder, Business Development Director
0447 126 864
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