A software contract signed today will shape your risk program for years after the vendor’s account team has moved on. Raising five considerations early when you’re picking a new platform can help you choose a partner you will still be glad to have in three years. These factors should be discussed at the outset of exploration, as they shed light on topics that often emerge as companies further engage in the contract lifecycle with a vendor. 1: Software Viability A clean interface makes a strong first impression. The factors below show how the platform will perform over the life of your contract. Software viability remains the main pillar of considerations and can be broken down into a few factors. Solution Releases, Maintenance & Bug Fixes It is important to consider a software solution’s current state and its future potential. Ensure you understand the release and maintenance schedule and bug-fix approach. Be confident with a vendor who provides clear, scheduled updates that arrive on time. The vendor’s service and development teams should be dedicated and effective in handling pressing inquiries and bug fixes within a prompt timeframe. Delivered updates and documented fixes are the strongest evidence of a vendor’s commitment. Data Ownership Data ownership continues to be a pressing topic of conversation. In many cases, a company’s data is “held hostage” when it moves from one vendor to another. Clarify the terms and costs surrounding your data and your plans to move it when your contract expires or in the event of unplanned changes. Platform Security With constant reports of data breaches and hacking, vendor security should be top of mind. Identify which cloud computing service your vendor uses and research its track record. Ask every vendor directly if they have experienced a breach, and how did they respond. A credible vendor can answer that question transparently, with specifics on affected parties and remediation steps. Reports & Dashboards Reliable software should handle your day-to-day obligations and give you the reporting tools to showcase trends and learnings to stakeholders and the board. Reporting can be based on out-of-the-box best practices or customized requests. Reports can be integral in indicating or uncovering trends across various departments. The data in the application should be accurate, straightforward to generate, and easily accessible. A unified or single application can make this task easier. Additional Aspects of Software Viability to Consider Mobile-friendliness Solution partnerships and integration potential Solution strategy and roadmap Service, help desk, and attention to issues raised Software ease-of-use and software learning curve Software standardizations versus customizations Additional scope potential beyond initial use-case Key check: Look beyond the polished design to verify what a platform can do. Test the functions your team uses every day. 2: Client Experience The client experience often gets overlooked in vendor evaluations. Look for a vendor who offers structured opportunities to connect with peers. Conferences, advisory boards, and knowledge-sharing programs signal a long-term investment in client success. A vendor should be willing to connect you with current clients and point you to relevant case studies. Third-party NPS scores and peer forums offer a candid view of what working with a vendor actually looks like. Additional Aspects of the Client Experience to Consider Training guides and learning opportunities Public entity-specific support and sample clients Key check: Introductions to current clients should be routine. If a vendor resists, take note. 3: Vendor Organization How a vendor organization is built matters as much as what it sells. Look for a team with subject matter experts who understand your industry, not just the software. Employee review sites like Glassdoor can reveal how staff feel about leadership and company culture, both strong indicators of organizational stability. Analyst reports offer third-party comparisons across competitors. Also examine the vendor’s financial health. Heavy private equity involvement can signal a focus on short-term returns over long-term investment in the product and client relationships. Additional Aspects of the Vendor Organization to Consider Philanthropic involvement Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) & Diversity initiatives Business continuity and operational resilience planning Industry events participation and working relationships Leadership team length of service and expertise Key check: Clients come first, and profit follows from that. 4: Program Management and Investment Program management and investment requirements must also be considered in your search for the best software partner. A strong vendor will identify how the program can be effectively managed over the course of your project and will respond to all RFP inquiries in a timely manner. Origami Risk’s implementation moves through five stages: discovery, planning, cloud-based implementation, deployment, and an ongoing partnership. The team works with you to document the unique needs of your business, and a QA group helps identify gaps and resolve issues before go-live. Support remains available after launch, and Origami U offers interactive, role-based training so your team can keep building skills. Analysts recognize the platform, including Gartner in its Magic Quadrant for SaaS P&C Insurance Core Platforms, Verdantix in its EHS Green Quadrant, and the annual RMIS market report. G2 also names Origami Risk a Leader for insurance claims management. At the end of the day, the vendor will also need to meet your company’s internal requirements for vendor risk due diligence. Additional aspects of the program management and investment to consider: Contract terms and service level agreements Fair market value pricing for services delivered Key check: Low initial pricing can hide the full cost of a platform. Ask for the full cost picture, including implementation and renewal terms. 5: Diverse Expertise of Your Team Your internal evaluation team should include more than the final decision maker. Bring in employees who have used similar software in previous roles, those who manage the day-to-day workflows the new system will support, and those who can speak to future use cases. A RACI Matrix can help structure roles and responsibilities across the project. Keep the group aligned on scope, budget, and intended outcomes throughout the process. Key check: Involve the team members who care most about the project. Their engagement is worth the time. As with all projects, the vendor selection process can be time-consuming, can feel overwhelming, and requires the involvement of multiple resources. Stay realistic about the short-term and long-term milestones beyond the initial selection process. The vendor selection process rewards teams who stay organized, keep stakeholders aligned, and recognize progress as it happens. Ready to see what the right platform looks like in practice? Origami Risk brings RMIS, EHS, and GRC together in one configurable system built for the way risk teams actually work. Explore the platform. Frequently Asked Questions How long does it typically take to switch RMIS, EHS, or GRC vendors? Implementation timelines vary by scope, but many transitions run between four and eight months from contract signing to go-live. Factors that affect the timeline include data migration complexity, the number of modules being configured, integration requirements, and the availability of your internal team. Organizations that come to the process with clean, well-documented data and a dedicated project team often move faster. What data should I ask a vendor to migrate before my contract ends? Prioritize claims history, incident records, policy data, and any custom reports or dashboards your team relies on day-to-day. Get clarity in writing on file formats, export timelines, and any costs associated with data extraction. Many contracts include data portability provisions, so review them before your notice period begins. How do I evaluate vendor security without deep technical expertise? Start with the basics: ask which cloud provider the vendor uses, whether they hold SOC 2 Type II certification, and how they handle access controls and data encryption. Request a summary of any past security incidents and their response. Your IT or procurement team can benchmark responses against standard frameworks like NIST or ISO 27001. Loop in your information security team early if you have one. What’s a realistic ROI timeline for a new risk management platform? Returns usually begin after implementation is complete, which often takes four to eight months. Early gains like faster reporting and better data accuracy can follow, and the full payback depends on how consistently teams use the platform. Defining specific success metrics at the start of the engagement makes it easier to track and demonstrate value over time. How many people should be on an internal vendor evaluation team? Most effective evaluation teams range from four to eight people. The group should cover day-to-day system users, a representative from IT or information security, a finance or procurement contact for contract review, and at least one leader who can make or influence the final decision. Larger groups can slow consensus, and smaller groups may miss critical use cases.