The decision
The decision
Ask what they would do differently with the data. The answers separate a management question from a reporting one from a feeling.
The Question Behind the Request
Somebody has asked for monitoring software. What they are actually describing is usually a different problem with a different fix.
What Problem Is This Actually Solving
Four problems get presented as monitoring problems. Three of them have cheaper answers that work better.
What the Software Measures, and What It Does Not
A specific list of what these products capture, because the gap between that and work is the whole of the subject.
The Alternatives Nobody Priced
Several cheaper things answer the same concern. They are rarely compared because they require management effort rather than procurement.
What It Costs Beyond the Licence
The business case counts the subscription. Five other costs are real, and two of them are larger than the licence.
When Monitoring Is the Right Answer
The cases where it is justified, stated plainly, because a collection that says never would be both wrong and useless.
Deciding Not To, and Saying So
Declining is a legitimate outcome and needs to be communicated as a decision rather than as inaction.