Guide
Questions to ask before buying workflow software
5 min read
Most software evaluations compare feature lists, which is how organisations end up with a system that does everything except the thing they actually do. These are the questions that tend to be more predictive.
What happens when we need a change?
Ask specifically: if we want to add a field, change an approval threshold, or add a step to a workflow, who does it, how long does it take, and what does it cost? The answer separates configuration from development, and it is the single best predictor of what the next three years will feel like.
How do we get our data out?
Ask before you sign, not when you are unhappy. A vendor confident in their product will describe the export format, the API, and the notice period without hesitating. Anything evasive here is a forecast.
Show me the audit trail for a decision
Not the documentation about the audit trail — an actual case, opened in a demo environment, showing who did what and when. Regulated operations live or die on this, and it is remarkable how often it turns out to be a log file rather than something an auditor could read.
What does this cost when it works?
Price the success case, not the pilot. Model the subscription plus per-transaction costs at the volume you are hoping for, and ask which parts of the current quote are fixed for how long.
- Which changes are included in the subscription and which are quoted
- How the price responds to volume, users, and new products
- What the first year costs in total, including setup
- What happens at renewal if volume has doubled
Have a system exactly as you envision it
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