How do we evaluate vendor lock-in risk?

Three tests. First, does the platform expose a complete REST API plus signed webhooks? Test by asking the vendor to walk through five admin operations through the API in the demo. Second, can you export every distributor record and transaction history at termination, in a vendor-neutral format, within 30 days, at no fee? Get this in the contract, not just the sales conversation. Third, has the vendor demonstrated a customer-led migration off their platform, including data export and integration unwind? If any answer is weak or evasive, the lock-in cost is real. Model six months of dual-running plus $50K to $150K migration cost into your three-year TCO. CloudMLM Software and Business MLM Software both pass these tests cleanly.