Record vendor changes without rewriting history
Keep proposals, approvals and confirmed account changes as distinct facts.
A renewal conversation produces many statements that sound final: “we can discount that,” “we will reduce seats,” or “legal approved.” A clean record distinguishes what was proposed, internally approved and actually changed by the vendor.
Capture the proposal with conditions
Record the amount, term, quantity and any dependencies exactly as offered. Add the date and source so the proposal can be checked before it expires.
Do not overwrite the current contract terms while a proposal is still under review.
- Offered terms
- Expiry and conditions
- Source message or document
Record internal approval separately
Name the approver and scope of the decision. Approval to negotiate a target is different from approval to accept a binding term.
If procurement or legal adds a condition, keep it with the decision rather than in a private side conversation.
- Approved action
- Approver and timestamp
- Open condition
Update only from confirmation
Change the subscription record when the account, order form or vendor confirmation shows the new terms. Store the effective date and next billing expectation.
If the invoice differs, flag it for review rather than silently adjusting the history.
- Confirmed effective terms
- Evidence link
- First invoice verification
