Guide · Choosing
The five costs that are not on the price list
The monthly price is the easy part. Five other costs decide what a system really costs you over a few years.
Set-up and moving your data
Ask whether there is a set-up fee, and what it buys. Moving your asset lists, service history and certificates is often charged separately, by the day. Ask for it in writing, with what happens if it takes longer than planned.
The people who are not on the quote
A quote for “five users” rarely covers everyone. Count the people who report faults, the managers who only look, the contractors who close their own jobs and the clients who want to see their reports. Ask which of them need a paid login.
Add-ons you will need in year two
Parts and stores, permits, the phone app, an API for your accounts system, single sign-on: check whether each is in the plan you are quoted or sold on top. The one you will need next year is the one to ask about now.
The time it takes to keep it right
Every system needs someone to keep the plans, the lists and the people up to date. Ask how long a change takes: adding a site, changing an interval, moving someone to a new team. An hour a week for a year is real money.
The cost of leaving
Ask what it costs to take your records out, in what format, and whether the history comes with them. A system that is hard to leave can raise its price at renewal, and you will have little choice.
Checklist
- Set-up fee: how much, and what it buys
- Moving your data: who does it, how long, what it costs
- Everyone counted: reporters, viewers, contractors, clients
- Each add-on checked: in the plan, or extra
- Time to keep it up to date, per week
- Leaving: format, history, and any fee
- Price rises at renewal: how much notice, and any cap
Sources
Our own advice, from running maintenance. This guide quotes no studies and no figures.
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