Stop Before You Sign: Is Your Software Contract Putting Your Association at Risk? 

Q: How does the Contract assessment work? 

 

A: You answer 15 multiple-choice questions about your software license agreement and implementation contract. Each answer is scored based on risk level (0 = no risk, 10 = critical risk). Your total score across four categories determines your overall risk level. The assessment takes 5-7 minutes to complete.​

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What makes this different?

 

• SmartThoughts Assessment (Free) 

• Technology-specific evaluation

• Focuses on operational and financial risk

• Built for association software

• 25+ years sector experience

• Delivered in 24 hours
   

Q: Do I need a lawyer to review my contract first?

 

A: No. Our assessment is designed to identify risks that association executives typically miss—helping you determine if you need legal review at all. Many associations use our assessment first to identify specific concerns, then engage attorneys for targeted review of high-risk clauses, saving significant legal fees.

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Q: What if my contract is already signed?

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A: While the assessment is most valuable before signing, it can still help if you're in the early stages of a multi-year contract. A high risk score validates concerns you may have and provides leverage for renegotiation during renewal or when adding modules/users.

 

Q: Can I use this for any type of software contract?

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A: Yes. While designed primarily for association management systems (AMS), the assessment applies to CRM systems, donor databases, learning management systems, event management software, and other association technology agreements—both license and implementation contracts.

 

Q: How is this different from having my attorney review the contract?

 

A: Attorneys focus on legal liability; we focus on operational and financial risk specific to association technology. Our assessment identifies issues like data portability, hidden implementation costs, and vendor lock-in mechanisms that legal reviewers often miss because they lack technology and association sector context. 

 

For complex, high-stakes implementations, we recommend combining this assessment with a comprehensive requirements analysis and brief consultation. But this assessment often surfaces concerns that save organizations from costly mistakes—before it's too late.

 

Q: What happens after I complete the assessment?

 

A: You'll immediately see your risk score on-screen with a summary interpretation. Within 24 hours, you'll receive a detailed email analysis with specific red flags identified, negotiation recommendations, and prioritized action steps. If your score indicates HIGH or CRITICAL risk, we'll offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your options.
 

 

Q: Can I assess both my license agreement AND implementation contract?
 

 

A: We recommend completing separate assessments for license agreements and implementation contracts, as they carry different risks. The same framework applies to both, but scoring will reflect the different risk areas in each contract type.

 

Q: What types of technology projects does this apply to?

 

A: This assessment is designed for association technology software providers primarily working within the Association technology market. However, it can be used for other projects involved in the association sector, such as website redesign/development, learning management systems (LMS), event management platforms, member community platforms, CRM selection, technology strategy development, and other software selection projects. 

 

Q: What if I'm evaluating multiple vendor contracts?

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A: Excellent use case! Complete one assessment per vendor to create objective comparison data across all your options. This provides standardized risk evaluation to supplement feature and pricing comparisons.