Write the requirements before the demo
Document supported instruments, account models, integration obligations, expected load, service hours, data export, reporting, geographic coverage, security requirements and recovery objectives. Otherwise a polished demonstration can distract from missing capabilities.
Ask for operational evidence
Review architecture diagrams, support escalation, release management, incident communication, backup and restore evidence, integration documentation and reference cases that resemble your intended operating model. Clarify exactly which services are included and which incur separate costs.
- Named technical and business owners
- Documented support response and escalation
- Clear data ownership and export process
- Versioning and change-notice policy
- Service dependencies and recovery commitments
- Exit plan and portability of configuration
Preserve the ability to change
Contracts and implementation plans should describe how configuration, records and integrations can be exported if the relationship ends. A provider should be evaluated for both the value it delivers today and the operational flexibility it preserves tomorrow.
The strongest partnership is transparent about constraints, responsibilities and evidence—not one that promises every feature with no trade-offs.
