Step 1: Make the quotes comparable before you read them
You can only compare like with like if every supplier priced the same thing. Go back to each one and ask for the same term (say three years), the same number of users, and the same list of must-have features. Ask them to itemise setup, migration, training, licensing and support separately. Any supplier who refuses to itemise is telling you something useful.
Step 2: Work out the real three-year cost
Headline monthly pricing hides most of the money. Build a simple spreadsheet with a row for each of these and a column for each supplier:
- One-off setup, onboarding and configuration fees
- Data migration from your current system
- Training, including for new starters later on
- Monthly or annual licence, multiplied by 36 months
- Extra users you realistically expect to add
- Modules or integrations quoted as optional but that you actually need
- Support or maintenance contracts
- Contracted price increases (often CPI plus 3%)
- Exit or data extraction fees
The ranking after this exercise is frequently different from the ranking on the front page of each quote.
Step 3: Score against weighted criteria
Price alone is a bad decision rule. Score each supplier out of 10 on the criteria below, multiply by the weight, and total. Adjust the weightings to suit your situation — if you are in a regulated sector, security should be worth more.
| Criterion | Weight | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost of ownership (3 years) | 25% | Licence + setup + migration + training + support + expected growth in users |
| Fit against your requirements | 25% | Score each must-have as met, partly met by workaround, or not met |
| Support and service levels | 15% | Hours of cover, response times, named contact, escalation path |
| Contract flexibility | 15% | Term, notice period, auto-renewal, price increase caps, exit costs |
| Track record and references | 10% | Two referenceable customers of similar size and sector |
| Security and compliance | 10% | Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001, UK GDPR data processing agreement, data location |
Step 4: Read the contract terms, not just the price
The commercial terms often matter more than the fee. Check the initial term, the notice period (90 days is common, which means you decide at month nine of a twelve-month deal), whether renewal is automatic, whether prices can rise mid-term and by how much, and what it costs to leave. Diarise the notice date the day you sign.
Step 5: Take two reference calls
Not case studies — actual conversations with customers of a similar size in a similar sector. Ask three questions: what surprised you after signing, what does support look like when something goes wrong, and would you buy again. Fifteen minutes on the phone tells you more than any proposal document.
Step 6: Negotiate on the right things
Suppliers have limited room on licence price but plenty on setup fees, free months, extended trials, training days, price caps and shorter notice periods. Ask for the protection rather than the discount — a capped renewal is usually worth more over three years than 10% off year one.
Red flags
- Discount that expires at the end of the week
- Refusal to itemise costs or provide references
- No written service levels or response times
- Vague answers on data ownership and export
- A quote that is dramatically below the others — usually scope is missing
Next step
Shortlist three suppliers, not ten — comparison quality drops sharply after that. You can request matched quotes from vetted UK suppliers through how Business Match AI works, or browse our other buyer guides.