Operational rigor at entry. Selection driven by evaluation criteria — not single-source defaults, not whoever happened to call first, not historical inertia.
Recurring review that compares actual delivery against what was promised — SLAs hit, features shipped, support quality. The basis for renewal-or-replace decisions.
Auto-renewal without a review window is a slow-motion lock-in. The 90-day window forces the renewal-or-replace decision while there's still leverage to negotiate or migrate.
Hard finding · 4 vendors past renewal review
Four active vendors have auto-renewed or are within their renewal window without a formal review. Each is a lost negotiation opportunity and a deferred renewal-or-replace decision. The renewal calendar discipline is the cheapest vendor-portfolio control available.
Knowing how to leave before being locked in. Documented exit path — data export format, transition timeline, replacement candidates — for SIS, LMS, district email, and other systems where switching costs are high.