A contract may describe an exit right without proving that the business can leave in time. A vendor exit drill tests formats, dependencies, knowledge and time before a price increase, outage or contract termination.
Choose a realistic scenario
Test contract expiry, service loss or a decision to switch within a defined deadline. The scenario determines how much vendor cooperation you can assume.
Export representative data
Download records, attachments, permissions, history and metadata, then check completeness and readability. A CSV without relationships may not provide a workable exit.
Map integrations and identities
Record APIs, webhooks, SSO, service accounts and downstream reports. Measure reconnection work, not just file transfer.
Test the continuity plan
Run a critical process through a fallback or replacement tool and measure gaps, training needs and downtime. Document a manual workaround for the transition.
Close access and obligations
Verify token revocation, data deletion, retention, invoices and supporting evidence. Turn findings into an exit plan with owners and deadlines.
This framework is DigitalNow's original editorial methodology.