The shelfware conundrum: when COTS means 'on' the shelf

I've been working recently with a successful accountancy/business consultancy firm, not one of the major global brands but a well-respected UK firm with decades of experience and a fair amount of modern business savvy.

The requirement was to look at some commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software they had purchased, at great expense, and which was still many months later only being used in bits and never to any deep level within the company's business culture.
Seemingly, the software has been evolving over many years, is now well-established as a leading tool for its sector and can in some ways drive the business's procedures and work-patterns for client account work and internal management alike. Basically, as they often claim, a complete ERM system in a box!

Now, my client understood in concept how the functionality held together and what the value gains were from using the software. They had read all the marketing, endured the sales pitch, and paid handsomely for trained configuration gurus to come on-site at huge cost and tweak the system for their needs.
Yet it took me no longer than five munutes to spot that not only had the surface barely been skimmed regarding the tools possibilities, but what functions they were using (and which had seemingly been configured by aforementioned guru!) did not offer the best solution. [I know testers need to be quick in appraising systems, but even I recognise that's a record!]

So, currently, I'm hepling to review the functionality of the tool and get their money's worth. By uncovering areas that they'd never previously seen, I've helped to build UAT cases that are extremely sophisticated and helped to fire-up the client to ask more questions of their supplier. The sales-support/technical team aren't too chuffed, but that's their problem.

It all got me wondering just how much latent functionality/value exists on the shelves of the UKs businesses, in all sectors.
The more I work with business users (ie 'non-IT people'), the bigger kick I get from watching the managers' faces light-up when they see what assets they already have at their disposal.

I might not be doing much for the UK employemnet statistics, but I guess by keeping these companies informed and cost-efficient it ensures they'll be better able to weather the current climate and emerge the other side.