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Decision tool · Ten questions

Are you ready to outsource?

Assess the buyer side of the relationship. Each “yes” earns ten points; there are no hidden weights.

01We can describe the business outcome without prescribing a vendor or technology.
02One accountable owner can make scope and acceptance decisions promptly.
03We have defined the data, systems, and people the provider would need to access.
04We know which security, privacy, regulatory, or residency constraints apply.
05We can fund discovery and change—not only the first implementation estimate.
06Acceptance evidence or measurable success criteria are written down.
07We have time and staff for reviews, decisions, onboarding, and knowledge transfer.
08Repository, cloud, domain, credential, and production ownership are planned.
09We can explain the preferred engagement model—or are open to testing it.
10A termination and handover path is acceptable before work begins.

Scoring bands

  • 0–39 · Prepare: resolve core buyer-side gaps before comparing providers.
  • 40–69 · Pilot: use a bounded discovery or representative paid pilot to test the unresolved areas.
  • 70–100 · Ready: begin structured provider evaluation while treating every “not yet” as a named risk.

A readiness score does not remove the need for legal, security, financial, or technical review.