Nine questions to ask before signing a platform contract
The demo answers the questions the vendor wants asked. These are the ones we ask on behalf of our clients.
Platform decisions last a decade and are made in a quarter. The following questions are the ones that, in our experience, decide whether the relationship ages well.
On fit
Which of our current processes does it not support, and what is the workaround? What have customers like us customised, and what did it cost them? What does it fight us on?
On exit
How do we get all of our data out, in what format, and how long does it take? Which integrations are proprietary? What does a migration away look like — ask a reference who did one.
On the long term
What is the pricing model at three times our current volume? Who owns the roadmap and how have they treated features we depend on? What happens if the vendor is acquired?
Every vendor can answer these. The useful signal is how quickly and how specifically.