Vendor evaluation
Questions to ask a software vendor before you sign
Use this checklist in discovery calls and RFPs. Scaler Audit generates 10–20 tailored questions per vendor based on your specific submission — plus maturity scores and a clear recommendation.
Starter checklist
- What evidence supports your core product claims — customer references, benchmarks, or audit results?
- How is tenant data isolated, encrypted at rest and in transit, and who can access production data?
- What is your incident response process and when did you last test it?
- How do you handle sub-processors, data residency, and GDPR/UK GDPR requests?
- What are the true limits of your AI features — models used, training data, and human oversight?
- What happens to our data on contract termination — export format and deletion timelines?
- What contractual SLAs, liability caps, and indemnities do you offer enterprise customers?
- What is on your 12-month roadmap that could affect our integration or compliance posture?
- What lock-in risks exist — proprietary formats, export APIs, and migration support?
- Who owns IP for configurations, custom workflows, and data we contribute?
Go deeper with Scaler Audit
Generic lists miss vendor-specific gaps. Run a free assessment and get questions tied to the risks Scaler Audit finds in your evaluation — product, technical, security, commercial, and AI.
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