Write requirements before booking software demos
A one-page method for separating must-have workflows from attractive distractions.
Map the current workflow
Choose one representative task and document who starts it, what information is required, where handoffs occur and how completion is confirmed. Friction becomes easier to see when the workflow is concrete.
Avoid translating every current habit into a requirement. Some steps exist only because the existing tool is limited; preserve the business outcome, not unnecessary workarounds.
Turn pain into testable criteria
Replace broad wishes such as “easy to use” with observable checks: a new user can complete a defined task, an approver can find pending work, or an export contains required fields.
Rank criteria as required, valuable or optional. A short required list prevents a long feature matrix from making all products look equivalent.
Control the demo
Send vendors the same scenarios and ask them to perform each one in the product. Record configuration assumptions, add-ons and manual steps instead of accepting a polished generic tour.
End the process with a decision date, named owner and explicit reasons to stop. Without exit criteria, teams keep adding demos and lose the context needed to compare them.