Six questions to ask before a software renewal

You do not need Odau’s operating method to challenge a renewal. Start with the questions the business should already be able to answer.

If any answer is vague, the renewal deserves another conversation.

1. Why does the business still need it?

A familiar tool is not automatically a necessary one. The purpose should be clear in one sentence.

2. What value did it actually create?

The answer should describe a business change—not a feature list, login count or vendor promise.

3. Who owns the decision?

Someone must be willing to renew it, change it or let it go. Shared responsibility usually means no decision.

4. When does the decision need to happen?

A good decision made after the deadline is still an expensive miss.

5. Are you paying twice for the same outcome?

Different tools can look unrelated while solving the same business problem. Ask about the outcome, not the category.

6. What happens next?

Renew, change or walk away. The final answer should be a decision with an owner and a date.

The questions are public. Odau’s method is not.

These questions help you challenge the status quo without publishing how Odau produces and maintains the underlying answer.