B2B WEB SYSTEMS — SOFTWARE BUYING CHECKLIST
A working sheet for your next supplier conversation.

START WITH ONE REAL WORKFLOW
Workflow:
What starts it:
Who does the work:
What proves it is complete:
An awkward case to demonstrate:

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
1.
2.
3.

ASK EACH SUPPLIER
1. Which essential tasks are included? What still happens elsewhere?
2. Who moves and checks the existing records?
3. What can each role see, change and approve? Can we review changes?
4. Where is the data held? Who can access it? How are backups restored?
5. What happens during an outage or when the usual support contact is away?
6. What do we own and what can we export? What does a handover involve?
7. How are changes priced and agreed?
8. Who trains the team? What support is included after launch?

COMPARE THE SAME SCOPE AND PERIOD
Users / locations:
Period:
Setup and migration:
Subscriptions or hosting:
Integrations and third-party charges:
Support and maintenance:
Internal staff time:
Growth and future changes:
Export and handover:

DEMONSTRATION CHECK
Normal workflow shown:
Exception shown:
Records that must match:
Approvals checked:
Mobile / branch access checked:
Work still outside the system:

DECISION
Main constraint the option resolves:
Unanswered questions:
Pilot success checks:
Named business owner:
Next review date:

Read the full guide:
https://b2bwebsystems.com/guides/custom-software-vs-off-the-shelf