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Free decision asset

12 Vendor Questions to Ask Before Approval

Use these questions before a vendor call, procurement approval, pilot, renewal, or AI tool rollout. They are designed to expose the claims that change the decision.

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Why this exists

The right vendor question is a decision tool, not admin work.

A vendor answer is only useful if it changes the recommendation, creates a rollout condition, or removes a material uncertainty. These questions focus the conversation on that layer.

Question list

The 12 questions to send before approval.

1. Pricing and plan fit

  • Which exact plan includes SSO, SCIM, audit logs, admin roles, export, and the controls required for our use case?
  • What is the expected monthly and annual cost at our current user count and at the rollout target?
  • Which add-ons, support tiers, implementation fees, usage limits, or renewal terms could change the total cost?

2. Data, DPA, and vendor chain

  • Can you provide the current DPA, subprocessor list, data location statement, and transfer mechanism language?
  • Which customer data, files, prompts, logs, or outputs are stored, processed, retained, or used to improve services?
  • Which subprocessors or model providers receive data for this product and use case?

3. Controls and auditability

  • Can admins enforce SSO, role permissions, sharing restrictions, retention, deletion, and workspace settings?
  • Are audit logs available for the events that matter to our workflow, and are they included in the intended plan?
  • Can we export our data in usable formats, test the export during pilot, and delete data after termination?

4. Verification before rollout

  • Which claims in your sales material, help center, trust center, or security docs are plan-dependent or contract-dependent?
  • What should we test during a pilot to verify controls, export quality, admin visibility, and operational fit?
  • Which documents or written confirmations should we have before procurement approval or full rollout?

How to use it

Send the questions before the team emotionally commits to the vendor.

Use the answers to decide whether the next step is a pilot, vendor clarification, procurement pause, or a more structured review.

AskSend the questions with your use case, user count, budget range, and deadline.
MapTurn each answer into evidence, risk, contradiction, or verification need.
EscalateHigh-impact answers without source support should not be treated as resolved.
DecideUse the open items as Go / No-Go conditions or pilot tests.
Vendor due diligence checklist

Use the broader checklist before pilot, procurement, or rollout.

Go / No-Go brief template

Turn the vendor answers into a decision memo.

Notion demo decision

See how questions become evidence and verification items.

EvidenceOps

If the checklist shows there is more at stake, get the vendor reviewed.

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