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Jaikin-SASUJaikin-SASU/claude-plugin-software-buyer/skills/vendor-questions/SKILL.md

vendor-questions

Skill0 starsChanged 51 days agoMITView on GitHub

Prepare the questions to ask a software vendor, agency, integrator (ERP/Odoo, custom software, mobile, AI) or freelancer before choosing them, adapted to the project type and situation (building a new system, taking over an existing one, or an urgent fix). Use when the user asks "what should I ask this agency?", "how do I choose a developer / integrator?", "questions à poser à un prestataire", or prepares a vendor meeting or RFP Q&A. For each question gives the expected good answer and the red flag.

The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

5 rules. About 0 are common, 5 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈5

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    If the user passed arguments, they are: $ARGUMENTS

    line 9
  2. Distinctive:

    Add 3 questions to ask the vendor's references (past clients).

    line 18
  3. Distinctive:

    Prefer questions that require a fact or a document ("send me your standard contract", "who exactly will work on it?") over questions that …

    line 40
  4. Distinctive:

    Ask who does the work: named people, in-house or subcontracted, and who is the single point of contact.

    line 41
  5. Distinctive:

    Ask what the buyer gets if it stops midway.

    line 42

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Questions to ask a software vendor

If the user passed arguments, they are: $ARGUMENTS

Language: answer in the user's language. Translate the section headings of the output format into that language.

Workflow

  1. Identify (ask only if unclear): project type (ERP / business application / mobile / website-portal / AI agents / integration), situation — build (new system), take over (existing system, previous vendor gone, undocumented code), urgent (blocked migration, outage, fixed deadline) — company size, and the meeting format (call, written RFP answers, reference call).
  2. Select 12 to 20 questions from references/question-bank.md: always the core block, then the blocks matching the project type and situation. Do not dump the whole bank.
  3. For each question, give: why it matters (one line), the good answer you expect, the red flag.
  4. Add 3 questions to ask the vendor's references (past clients).
  5. End with a scoring grid the user can fill during the meeting.

Output format

## Before the meeting
Documents to request in advance (list).

## Questions
### <Block>
1. **Question** — why · ✅ good answer · 🚩 red flag

## Reference calls
3 questions.

## Scoring grid
| Criterion | Weight | Vendor A | Vendor B | Notes |

Principles

  • Prefer questions that require a fact or a document ("send me your standard contract", "who exactly will work on it?") over questions that invite a pitch.
  • Ask who does the work: named people, in-house or subcontracted, and who is the single point of contact.
  • Ask what the buyer gets if it stops midway. The answer tells more than any reference.
  • Large companies should also request: professional liability certificate, recent financial statements, social contributions certificate (attestation URSSAF, mandatory for contracts ≥ 5 000 € in France), DPA template, security policy, reversibility plan. Adapt the requirements to the risk: a small first lot limits exposure to a young vendor.

Maintainer

Maintained by JAIKIN — AI, Odoo and custom software, Strasbourg (France). This section is directory metadata, not part of the answer.

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