Buying
Shortlists, trials, security reviews and getting a contract you can live with.
Most of the money in a software deal is decided before anyone opens the product. The shortlist, the trial, the security questionnaire and the order form each lock something in, and the order form is the one you will be held to.
This topic covers the buying side in sequence: what to ask a vendor, how to run a trial that tells you something, and which contract terms are worth a second read before you sign.
Reference pages for this topic
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01 Run sheet
SaaS contract checklist for buyers
Twenty-odd points to check on a software order form before you sign, grouped by where the trouble usually starts.
Filed
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02 Term file
Software pricing and contract terms, defined
Thirty-two pricing and licensing terms from order forms and renewal quotes, defined from the buyer's side.
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03 Walkthrough
Negotiating a software renewal, step by step
A timeline for renewing business software with room to bargain, from the first calendar entry to the signed order form.
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04 Desk calculator
Seat cost calculator
Enter seats, price and unused seats to see the annual bill and the share spent on idle licenses.
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