Master Contract Review and Negotiation for Software Agreements

Internal stakeholders usually have different – and often conflicting – needs and expectations that require careful facilitation and management.
Vendors have well-honed negotiating strategies. Without understanding your own position and leverage points, it’s difficult to withstand their persuasive – and sometimes pushy – tactics.
Software – and software licensing – is constantly changing, making it difficult to acquire and retain subject matter expertise.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Conservatively, it’s possible to save 5% of the overall IT budget through comprehensive software contract review.
Focus on the terms and conditions, not just the price.
Learning to negotiate is crucial.

Impact and Result

Look at your contract holistically to find cost savings.
Guide communication between vendors and your organization for the duration of contract negotiations.
Redline the terms and conditions of your software contract.
Prioritize crucial terms and conditions to negotiate.

Master Contract Review and Negotiation for Software Agreements Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out how to redline and negotiate your software agreement, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Master Contract Review and Negotiation for Software Agreements – Executive Brief

1. Gather requirements

Build and manage your stakeholder team, then document your business use case.

2. Redline contract

Redline your proposed software contract.

3. Negotiate contract

Create a thorough negotiation plan.

4. Microsoft Contract & Cost Optimization Deck – Learn what’s behind the anticipated price increase for Microsoft products, while unlocking tips and insights on where to look for savings and discounts before renewing.

Your organization’s annual spend on Microsoft products and services is set to increase. Before you renew, uncover strategic insights and practical tips for navigating the complexities and unlocking the full potential of your Microsoft contract.

Learn more in this Info-Tech LIVE 2024 presentation.

5. The Six Million Dollar (Plus) Project: How to Build a Better, Faster, Stronger Approach to Working with Technology Giants! Deck – Navigate the challenges, refine your thinking, and take a deliberate, systematic approach to successful partnerships with large vendors.

Are you struggling to get the most out of your contracts with big tech and services vendors? Explore the ins and outs of building a successful partnership with technology and consulting giants.

Learn more in this Info-Tech LIVE 2024 presentation.

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

10.0/10

Overall Impact

$2,740

Average $ Saved

Average Days Saved

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Testimonial

Sharonview Federal Credit Union

Guided Implementation

10/10

$2,740

Donna was an excellent advisor and provided tremendous feedback/suggestions. Very enjoyable to talk through the material with.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Table of Contents

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 6 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Gather requirements

Call 1: Define business use case and build stakeholder team
Call 2: Evaluate initial proposal

Guided Implementation 2: Redline contract

Call 1: Review terms and conditions
Call 2: Validate requirements and incorporate into redlined contract

Guided Implementation 3: Negotiate contract

Call 1: Develop a negotiation strategy
Call 2: Review final proposal

Authors

Scott Bickley

Laura Trabucco

Contributors

Christiaan Murphy, Global Software Category Manager at CGI
Jeffery I. Gordon, SVP, author of Software Licensing Handbook & Mortgage Lending Vendor Operations Manager at BT&T
David W. Tollen, Attorney at Law & Founder at Sycamore Legal, P.C.