Updated Q4 2011: Forrester's Software Contract Review Checklist

You've been given a 30-page software contract, with no time to review it properly and an impossible deadline by which to issue a purchase order. Moreover, the contract includes URL links to various licensing guides and policy statements that could be even more significant than the main document language. Where do you start? Right here! Forrester has created this checklist to help you zero in on the key issues that most frequently cause compliance problems and contract disputes for our sourcing and vendor management clients. It lists the questions you should ask and rights you should demand in the areas of licensee organization, license grant, metric definitions, product schedule, compliance audits, and vendor management. It's also designed to track negotiation progress and summarize the final deal, so you can show contract approvers what you've obtained, and where you've had to compromise.