Questions to ask a carbon accounting software vendor
A demo is designed to make a tool look good. These are the questions that tell you whether it will hold up once your data hits it.
Scope and coverage
- Which scopes and Scope 3 categories does the tool actually calculate today?
- Which reporting frameworks is output ready for out of the box?
- Do you support multiple entities, sites and currencies?
Data and methodology
- Which emissions factor databases do you use and how often are they updated?
- Can we bring our own supplier-specific factors?
- How is data quality flagged at row level and rolled up?
- How do you handle recalculations when a factor or method changes?
Integrations and workflow
- Which accounting, ERP and utility systems do you integrate with today?
- How is supplier data collected, and what happens when suppliers do not respond?
- Can we export raw data with lineage, not just a PDF?
Assurance and audit
- Which assurance providers have signed off numbers from your platform?
- What does an audit trail look like for one line of data?
- How do you handle restatements of prior years?
Commercials and support
- What is the pricing model as our data volume grows?
- Is onboarding included, or is it a separate cost?
- Who owns the data if we leave, and how do we get it out?
- What is included in support, and what is chargeable?
Before you book a demo
Answer five questions and get a shortlist of the solution types worth demoing.
Use the Carbon Accounting Tool Finder