The buyer decision
Choose keep, reconfigure or replace on functional evidence, excluding cost savings, renewal economics and technical migration architecture.
Criteria & methodologyA replacement decision should begin with the functional gap, not the new product’s feature list. The existing software, a revised configuration and a replacement should face the same requirement.
Keeping the current product is a valid outcome when it fits. Replacement is a valid outcome when a material gap remains and another product demonstrates the required behavior.
Compare three evidence-backed routes
| Route | Evidence needed |
|---|---|
| Keep | Existing behavior satisfies the intended requirement |
| Reconfigure | Supported changes establish the required behavior |
| Replace | Alternative resolves the gap under its offered conditions |
This is an editorial fit framework. It does not calculate savings, renewal leverage or the cost of migration.
Separate the requirement from the symptom. A participant receiving unwanted notifications may indicate a configuration issue. A missing record relationship may indicate a deeper capability gap. Neither conclusion should be assumed before evidence.
A concrete configuration example
Filestage documents reviewer-group settings, including permissions, notification settings and requesting decisions. A problem with a specific review group may therefore warrant inspection of supported settings before a replacement shortlist.
That example does not establish that every product limitation can be configured away. If the actual requirement remains unsupported, retain the gap explicitly.
Use one requirement for all routes
Write a harmless scenario describing the required outcome and participant conditions. Evaluate it against the existing setup, the documented configuration change and the proposed alternative.
Record observed or documented behavior separately from assurances. Do not allow the replacement supplier to substitute an easier requirement for the one the buyer needs.
Include the difficult exception that prompted the decision. If the alternative works only when that exception is removed, it has not resolved the original fit problem.
The publication has not performed those evaluations or recommended a replacement for a particular organization.
Preserve uncertainty in the decision
A missing answer is not a verified product deficiency. Record the unresolved fact and the evidence needed. A buyer can defer a decision while that information is obtained.
Conversely, many attractive optional features should not hide a demonstrated failure on the required job.
Choose the proportionate functional route
Keep where fit is established. Reconfigure where a supported change resolves the gap. Replace where another product demonstrably supplies the necessary behavior and its remaining limits are acceptable.
Browse the Buying Evidence hub and demo evidence scorecard for assessing the supporting evidence.