Topic: Procurement

Found 29 entries.

• The 30-Day Rule: Why We Write the Divorce Papers First

  If we cannot migrate our data out in 30 days, we do not own it. Here is the mandatory exit clause every municipal contract needs.

• The Diplomatic Veto: How to Kill a Lock-In Deal Without Creating Enemies

  How to say 'No' to a bad vendor deal without saying 'I don't like it.' Use these objective sovereignty criteria to kill the project while keeping the peace.

• The “Data Residency” Slide Deck: A Masterclass in Half-Truths

  Why a map of server locations is not a map of legal safety, and the three sales phrases that should trigger an immediate veto.

• Security Theater: When “Enterprise-Grade” Means “Trust Me, Bro”

  We are dazzled by shields and padlocks on marketing brochures. But 'Military-Grade' usually just means 'We use standard encryption.' We learn to see past the buzzwords.

• The Duplicate Vendor Trap: A Case of Two IBANs and One Angry Auditor

  You have 'Google' and 'Google Ireland' in your system. This is not a detail; it is a financial landmine waiting to explode your VAT return.

• How We Demand Local Key Control Without Sounding Paranoid

  You don't need a tinfoil hat to demand encryption custody. You just need the right contract language. Here is how to frame the request.

• “Free” Software Is Paid in Exposure: The Invoice Arrives Later

  Why zero-cost tools are the most expensive liability a municipality can acquire, and how to calculate the true price of 'free'.

• Seven Vendor Questions That Reveal Who Holds the Keys

  Sales teams are trained to say 'Yes'. These seven questions are designed to force them to admit 'No', revealing the true security posture of their software.

• COTS Is Not a Shortcut If It Cannot Be Exported

  Buying Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software is smart, but only if you secure the 'return ticket' for your data. Otherwise, you are buying a black box.

• “Open API” Is Not a Border Crossing: The Interoperability Myth

  Vendors claim their API allows you to leave anytime. Try to move a terabyte of case history through a rate-limited REST endpoint and see what happens.

• “Works Offline” Often Means “Mostly Offline”

  Marketing teams love to say 'Offline Capable.' Usually, this just means the login screen loads. Real offline means full data access.

• The Week We Bought a PDF Prison

  Why a 'Full Export' that delivers millions of PDFs is not a backup—it is a scorched earth policy designed to destroy your history.

• The RFP That Makes Data Brokers Leave the Room

  Most 'Analytics' features are actually surveillance devices. We added a 'Poison Pill' clause to our RFPs that forces vendors to admit if they are selling us out.

• The Reverse RFP: Tell Me Why We Should Trust You

  Stop buying features. Demand written answers on jurisdiction, subpoenas, privileged access, and a 30-day exit before any demo begins.

• The Upgrade That Was Actually a Blockade

  When a vendor removes a feature and puts it behind a paywall, it is not an update. It is a siege. Here is how to write contracts that forbid functional regression.

• Procurement Language That Bans Data Resale Without Needing a Lawyer

  Vendors hide data brokerage behind terms like 'Service Improvement' and 'Partner Sharing.' Here is the plain language we use to stop it.

• Budget Savings, Sovereignty Loss: The Trojan Horse Procurement

  Why the cheapest bid is often the most expensive mistake a municipality can make.

• This Contract Is a Trap: The Three Pages That Matter More Than the Features

  We spend weeks demoing features and minutes reviewing the Terms of Service. This is backwards. The software is the bait; the contract is the trap.

• I Will Not ‘Trust the Roadmap’: Procurement Is Not Faith

  A vendor's roadmap is a marketing document, not a legal one. Why we refuse to sign contracts based on features that exist only in a PowerPoint.

• Open Standards: The Clause That Protects Us When the Sales Team Changes

  Sales promises evaporate; Open Standards endure. Why we rely on international formats like ODF and SQL, not the 'goodwill' of a vendor account manager.

• “We Use the Same Tools as Everyone” Is Exactly the Problem

  Following the crowd in software choices is not safety; it is collective risk. High-end firms should not be using mass-market, surveillance-funded tools.

• The Offline-First Playbook: How to Govern When the Lights Go Out

  We do not need 'cloud-native' tools; we need 'reality-native' tools. Here is how we choose software that survives a network collapse.

• The Procurement Win That Became a Breach: One Checkbox, One Disaster

  A case study on how default settings destroy confidentiality. Learn why the 'invite your team' button is a liability trap.

• “We Need a New System” No. We Need One Clean Spreadsheet.

  Buying new software to fix bad habits is expensive. If you cannot manage a list in Excel, you cannot manage it in SAP. Fix the data first.

• The Terms of Service Are a Security Document. Whether We Like It or Not.

  The brochure sells you safety, but the Terms of Service sell your data. Learn why the legal fine print is the only security architecture that matters.

• The Airplane Mode Test: Ten Minutes To Truth

  Do not trust the sales demo. Put the phone in Airplane Mode. If the app breaks, do not buy it. A simple test for sturdy software.

• The Jurisdiction Checklist: 9 Questions We Ask Before We Sign

  A procurement checklist to ensure data sovereignty. Stop buying software like office supplies and start treating contracts like treaties.

• Draw the Trust Boundary in 15 Minutes. Then Buy Nothing by Accident.

  Before you purchase software, you must map the flow of liability. A simple diagram prevents expensive data leaks and failed audits.

• “EU Region” Is Not a Border: The Cloud Act in Plain Language

  Why physical server location does not guarantee legal immunity from foreign subpoenas, and how to protect citizen data.