20 Questions To Ask Your Vendor

1. How will this product solve my specific business problem?2. Will this product support my future plans?

3. Which insurance products is your solution specifically designed to support?

4. Can we see a simple functionality specification sheet, free of marketing language?

5. How will you integrate with my current systems?

6. What kind of IT skills will my team need to support your system?

7. Do you offer your product under an ASP or outsourcing model?

8. Do you support ACORD XML standards?

9. What is the total cost of ownership for your system?

10. How does ROI on your product differ from that of other products in your class?

11. What kind of resources does your company have?

12. What's your support organization like?

13. How will your strategic partnerships affect me?

14. Can we talk to your current clients?

15. What is a typical implementation timeline like?

16. What is your project management methodology?

17. How do you ensure technology transfer?

18. What kind of training support can you give us?

19. What contractual guarantees do I have for timelines and service levels?

20. What is your approach to keeping your goals aligned with mine?

Source: Celent Communications Inc.