Core Contract Negotiation
Pricing. Business terms. Vendor accountability.
Build your negotiating position before you renew.
Put vendor promises
in writing.
Your priorities.
A defined scope.
A flat fee.
Your core agreement shapes years of technology costs, service expectations, and operational commitments. BackPocketCIO helps community banks and credit unions assess existing agreements, establish priorities, and negotiate pricing and business terms that reflect their institution’s needs. Each engagement has a defined scope and a flat fee agreed before work begins.
Agreement and Invoice Assessment
Understand your starting position. We review existing agreements, amendments, invoices, renewal dates, and notice requirements to identify cost drivers, obligations, and negotiation priorities.
Pricing and Total Cost
Evaluate the financial commitment beyond the quoted monthly fee. We assess recurring charges, annual increases, minimums, optional services, and one-time costs to compare proposals across the proposed term.
Negotiation Strategy and Vendor Discussions
Build a negotiation plan around your institution’s priorities, timing, and vendor relationship. We help develop requests, evaluate counteroffers, and lead or support vendor discussions within the agreed scope.
Service Commitments and Accountability
Clarify what the provider is committing to deliver. We address implementation expectations, product commitments, service measures, escalation paths, and business consequences when commitments are not met.
Renewal and Exit Considerations
Understand the obligations that can limit future choices. We assess renewal structures, notice windows, termination charges, and deconversion considerations alongside your institution’s operational plans.
Decision Support Through Final Review
Give leadership a clear view of negotiated changes, remaining issues, and trade-offs. We coordinate business and pricing priorities with your team and legal counsel as the agreement moves toward signature.
Defined scope. Flat fee.
We agree on the work and fee before the engagement begins. Any additional scope and related fees are agreed before that work proceeds.
BackPocketCIO provides business and commercial negotiation support, with industry standard contractual language for your legal counsel to review and approve.