Quick introductions — who’s at the table (so we don’t guess)?

• Which people or groups should we treat as part of the core decision team for this imaging purchase? Options: Radiology Chair/Medical Director, Hospital CEO/President, CFO/Finance, COO/Operations, Capital Planning Committee, Procurement/Purchasing, Biomedical Engineering/Clinical Engineering, Radiology Admin/Practice Manager, Lead Technologists/Nursing, IT/EMR Integration, Other (please name)
• Who, if anyone, is the single person with final sign-off authority on capital projects of this size? Options: Radiology Chair/Medical Director, CFO/VP Finance, CEO/President, Capital Committee Chair, Board of Trustees, No single person — committee decision, Unknown
• Who manages procurement logistics day-to-day (contact name/role we should include in scheduling)?
• Which stakeholder(s) typically drive technical requirements vs. which drive financial/contract requirements? Options: Radiology/Clinical team (technical), CFO/Finance (financial), Procurement (contractual), Operations/Facilities (install/logistics), IT (integration/security), Shared responsibility, Other
• When you think about past equipment decisions, who tended to move the needle most — clinical leaders, finance, or operations? Tell us one example.

If this decision were a make-or-break moment, whose job is on the line?

• Which stakeholder(s) would consider this project a career win — and why? Options: Radiology Chair (clinical capability), CEO/COO (operational growth), CFO (capital stewardship), Capital Committee (strategic fit), Clinical Staff (workflow/quality), Other
• For each of the roles you named, what would 'good' specifically look like? (Please list role → 2–3 concrete outcomes or measures.)
• Which stakeholder(s) are most risk-averse about downtime, clinical disruption, or interoperability, and how do they show it in decisions? Options: Radiology leadership, Operations/Facilities, IT, Finance, Procurement, Other
• Who will be most vocal if the project misses expectations — and what will they say? Give an example of a failure they’d find unacceptable.
• Are there stakeholders who are silent influencers (not on paper but who change opinions)? If so, who and how do they influence decisions?

Where do budgets and politics really live — and who controls the purse strings?

• What is the expected budget approach for this purchase? Options: Capital budget already allocated, Requires capital committee approval, Will pursue lease/operating financing, Combination of CapEx and financing, Dependent on trade-in value, Philanthropic/donor funding, Unknown
• If there is an approximate budget envelope, please state the range or the approving authority that sets it.
• How flexible is the budget — is there room to expand scope for clear clinical value or must scope be reduced to stay within the number? Options: Firm — must stay within set amount, Some flexibility with strong clinical justification, Open if financing/lease is available, Trade-offs preferred (features vs cost), Unknown
• Has the organization historically accepted vendor-led financing, trade-in credit, or bundled service models to bridge budget gaps? Provide examples.
• Are there procurement rules, vendor pre-qualification lists, or contracting templates we need to align with before proposals? Options: Yes — formal RFP/procurement rules, Preferred vendor list required, Standard hospital contract templates, No strict rules — flexible process, Unsure

What’s the deadline nobody wants to miss (and why does it matter)?

• What is your target timeline for award and installation? Options: Immediate (decision & install ≤3 months), Near-term (3–6 months), This fiscal year (6–12 months), 12–24 months, Longer-term (>24 months), Tied to a specific capital cycle/date
• Are there immovable dates driving the timeline (e.g., opening a new facility, lease expiration, accreditation review, grant deadline)? If yes, please list and explain impact.
• If the timeline compresses, which parts of the process could you realistically shorten (evaluation, legal, site prep), and which parts cannot be rushed? Options: Clinical evaluation, Legal/contracting, Capital approval, Site planning/utility work, Staff training, None can be rushed
• How would missing your desired date affect patient care, revenue, or internal politics? Give a tangible consequence.

What’s getting in the way — the hidden blockers that stop good projects?

• What are your greatest concerns about replacing or adding imaging equipment right now? Options: Unexpected downtime during swap, Integration with PACS/EMR, Hidden site/build costs, Staffing/training burden, Service reliability/SLAs, Regulatory/credentialing delays, Trade-in valuation shortfalls, Other
• Tell us about a previous equipment project that hit a snag—what happened, who pushed back, and what would you do differently?
• Are there physical or operational constraints at your site we need to know now (room size, shielding, power capacity, ceiling lifts, access windows)? Please list and note which are unresolved.
• Which internal stakeholder(s) are known project blockers (e.g., finance unwilling to fund, operations worried about disruption), and what would reduce their resistance?
• How tolerant is leadership for short-term disruption if the long-term gain is large (e.g., weeks of downtime for significant capability improvement)? Options: Very tolerant, Somewhat tolerant with mitigation, Low tolerance — minimal disruption only, Depends on stakeholder

How will we know we won — how will success be measured and who celebrates?

• Which outcome metrics will matter most to the stakeholders you listed (select up to five)? Options: Image quality/diagnostic confidence, Clinical application breadth, Patient throughput/case volume, Uptime/service SLA, Dose reduction, Total cost of ownership (TCO), Time-to-diagnosis/workflow efficiency, Revenue per scan, Staff satisfaction/retention, Other
• What specific acceptance criteria or KPIs will the team use to sign off on a delivered system (e.g., uptime %, clinical cases validated, training completion)?
• Who will sign the final acceptance certificate and who needs to be copied on performance reports? Options: Radiology Chair, Chief Medical Officer, CFO/Finance, Operations Director/COO, Biomedical Engineering, Procurement, Other
• What is a realistic timeframe for expecting measurable ROI or clinical impact after installation? Options: Immediate (0–3 months), Short-term (3–6 months), Medium (6–12 months), Long-term (12+ months), Depends on clinical adoption
• How would you like us to report progress—what cadence and format feels right to your stakeholders (e.g., weekly ops call, monthly executive summary)? Options: Weekly project calls, Bi-weekly checkpoints, Monthly executive summaries, Real-time dashboard access, Ad hoc as major milestones hit, Other

Making decisions flow — communication, escalation, and the next steps everyone can live with

• Who should be the primary point of contact from your side for commercial questions, technical/site questions, and executive updates? (Name + role for each)
• If we surface a critical issue during evaluation (e.g., unexpected site cost, clinical gap), how do you want it escalated? Options: Email to project lead, Immediate phone call to decision-maker, Escalation to CFO/COO, Discuss at weekly project meeting, Other
• Which proposal elements are most negotiable to you: price, financing, service term, trade-in valuation, or installation timeline? Options: Price, Financing/lease, Service agreement length/SLAs, Trade-in credit/value, Installation scheduling/expedited service, Training and application support, Other
• What materials would help your stakeholders say yes — technical validation cases, uptime guarantees, references from similar sites, detailed TCO models, or on-site demos? Options: Clinical case studies, Service uptime SLA examples, Site references/peer calls, Detailed TCO/ROI model, On-site demo or trial, Regulatory/compliance documentation, Other
• What is the single next step you would be comfortable committing to after this conversation (e.g., allow an on-site assessment, schedule a clinical demo, share capital approval timeline)? Options: Schedule site assessment, Arrange clinical demo with radiologists, Provide budget/approval timeline, Introduce procurement/legal contacts, Request preliminary proposal, Other

Start Where You Are: Your Imaging Footprint

• To make sure we start on the same page—how many imaging systems do you currently operate by modality? Options: CT: 0-1, CT: 2-4, CT: 5+, MRI: 0-1, MRI: 2-4, MRI: 5+, X‑ray rooms: 0-2, X‑ray rooms: 3-6, Ultrasound units: 0-5, Mammography units: 0-3, Other (enter below)
• List the make/model and installation year for each high-volume scanner (or paste an inventory export):
• Give a quick age profile for your fleet—what percentage of units fall into each age band? Options: <3 years, 3–7 years, 8–12 years, 13–20 years, >20 years
• Typical utilization today: average study volumes or scanner-hours per week for your busiest modality? Options: <50 studies/week, 50–150, 151–300, 301–600, 600+
• Are any systems currently offline, limited, or used only for emergencies? If yes, which and why?

Are You Paying for Downtime You Can’t See?

• When unplanned downtime happens, how often does it materially disrupt patient care or force external referrals? Options: Almost every week, Monthly, Quarterly, Less than quarterly, Never
• How many hours of unplanned downtime did your top three scanners experience in the past 12 months (best estimate)? Options: 0–24 hours, 25–72 hours, 73–168 hours, 169–500 hours, 500+ hours
• What’s your typical mean time to repair (MTTR) for critical imaging systems and who performs the repairs? Options: Manufacturer service: <24h, Manufacturer service: 24–72h, Third‑party: <72h, In‑house biomedical: variable, Other—explain
• Tell us about a recent incident where equipment failure impacted scheduling, length of stay, or clinical decisions—what happened and what was the consequence?
• How do you currently track and report uptime, service tickets, and preventive maintenance—centralized system, spreadsheets, or ad hoc? Options: CMMS / manufacturer portal, Spreadsheets, Departmental logs, Ad hoc/No formal tracking, Other

Where Clinical Needs Are Being Shortchanged

• If your clinicians could change one capability your equipment offered today, what would it be—and why would it matter to patient care?
• Which exam types or clinical pathways do you routinely redirect, delay, or send to outside facilities because of equipment limits? Options: Advanced neuro CT/MR, Cardiac CT/MR, Interventional suites, High‑resolution musculoskeletal MRI, Pediatrics/low‑dose CT, Breast tomosynthesis/DBT, Other (specify)
• How often do clinicians report image quality or application limitations that change diagnostic confidence? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never
• Share an example where technology limits directly affected a clinical outcome, throughput, or ability to adopt a new protocol (e.g., AI, low‑dose CT):
• Which clinical specialties are most vocal about equipment needs (e.g., Neuro, Cardio, Oncology, Emergency Medicine)? Options: Radiology/Imaging leadership, Neurosurgery, Cardiology, Oncology, Emergency Department, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Other

Is Your Fleet Driving the Costs You Can’t Budget For?

• How would you describe the trend in your annual service and parts spend over the last 3 years? Options: Increasing significantly, Steady increase, Stable, Decreasing, Variable
• Estimate your total service & support spend last year (all modalities combined): Options: <$50k, $50k–$250k, $250k–$1M, $1M–$3M, >$3M
• Do you currently pay for manufacturer full‑service contracts, a la carte parts, third‑party maintenance, or a mix? Options: Manufacturer full‑service, Time & materials (a la carte), Third‑party maintenance, In‑house only, Mixed model
• Have escalating service costs or spare‑parts scarcity ever caused you to postpone replacement or accept performance degradation? How long has that been tolerated?
• Are trade‑in or buyback values an important part of your capital planning assumptions? Options: Critical to plan, Helpful but not required, Not considered, Unsure

What’s Really Behind the Replacement Decision?

• Why are you considering replacement now—what’s the single strongest driver that would make you act in the next 12–24 months? Options: Patient safety/regulatory, Clinical gaps/quality, Rising service costs, Capital funding cycle, New site opening/expansion, Vendor relationship issues, Other—explain
• Which stakeholders must sign off on replacement decisions and what keeps them up at night about such purchases?
• How would you describe your organization’s appetite for risk when it comes to stretching equipment life versus investing in new systems? Options: Prefer new investment early, Balance risk conservatively, Accept higher risk to delay cost, Reactive—replace after failure
• Are there specific regulatory, payer, or clinical roadmap deadlines (e.g., program launches) that force a replacement timeline? Options: Yes—fixed deadline, Flexible within 6–12 months, No immediate deadlines, Unsure
• Who in your organization is currently driving budgeting and procurement for imaging capital? List names/roles and decision influence.

Spaces, Utilities, and Other Invisible Roadblocks

• Tell us: if we proposed a new platform, what site constraints are likely to stop installation cold?
• Which of the following are current limitations at your sites? Options: Room footprint/clearance, Floor loading/ceiling rigging, Power capacity, Chiller/cooling capacity, Radiation shielding, Patient flow/holding space, None of the above
• How frequently have past installations run into unforeseen structural or utility problems? Describe a notable example and how it was resolved.
• Do you have an on‑hand site plan, MEP drawings, and asset tags available for pre‑installation review? Options: Yes—all readily available, Partial documentation, Requires coordination to obtain, No documentation available
• Are you planning single‑site upgrades or a multi‑site refresh in a coordinated program? Options: Single site, Two to five sites, Regional program (6–20), Enterprise (>20), Unsure

People, Workflow & Training — The Human Side of Technology

• If a new system required changes to scanning protocols or workflows, how confident are your technologists and radiologists that adoption would be smooth? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Uncertain, Not confident
• How do you currently handle clinical applications training and who is responsible for ongoing competency? Options: Vendor‑led training, In‑house super‑users, Combination, No formal program
• What percentage of your frontline staff would need formal retraining for a major platform change? Options: <10%, 10–25%, 26–50%, 51–75%, 75%+
• Are there workflow bottlenecks (registration, prep, post‑processing) that imaging upgrades should solve rather than just faster scan times? Please describe.
• Which change‑management supports would matter most to your team: on‑site trainers, simulation labs, proctoring, online modules, or scheduled refreshes? Options: On‑site trainers, Simulation labs, Proctoring/mentorship, Online modules, Scheduled refreshes, Other

Clinical Quality, Safety & Regulatory Expectations

• Are there safety, dose, or accreditation targets you must meet that would force a technology choice? Options: Yes—dose reduction target, Yes—accreditation standard, Yes—specific clinical protocol, No hard targets, Unsure
• Which accreditations or standards guide your imaging program (select all that apply)? Options: ACR accreditation, JCAHO/Joint Commission, State DOH, Local hospital policy, Payer requirements, None listed
• Do you have internal KPIs for radiation dose, contrast usage, turnaround, or report TAT that new equipment must help improve? If so, list the top 3.
• How important is native integration with your PACS, VNA, and EHR for a replacement decision? Options: Critical—must integrate seamlessly, Important—some interfaces ok, Nice to have, Not important
• Are there cybersecurity or data residency requirements we should know about (e.g., isolated networks, VPNs, PHI handling)? Options: Yes—strict policies, Moderate policies, Standard enterprise security, Unsure

If We Replaced One Thing Tomorrow, What Would Change?

• Imagine one of your problem systems was replaced tomorrow—what three outcomes would you expect to see in 6–12 months? Options: Increased throughput, Fewer referrals/out‑sourcing, Improved diagnostic confidence, Lower service costs, Reduced dose, Better clinician satisfaction, Other (specify)
• Which of those outcomes would be a must‑have vs a nice‑to‑have? Please rank or mark must‑have items. Options: Must‑have, Nice‑to‑have
• What measurable targets would prove success for you (examples: % uptime, studies/day, % dose reduction, net service cost reduction)?
• Which trade‑offs would you accept to achieve your top target (e.g., slightly longer install timeline for better service terms, higher upfront cost for lower lifecycle spend)?
• Realistically, how soon would you expect to see financial or operational ROI after a major replacement? Options: <6 months, 6–12 months, 1–2 years, 2–5 years, Not sure

Next Steps: What Would Make Our Discovery Truly Valuable?

• Which of these deliverables would be most useful coming out of our discovery? Options: Detailed fleet inventory & age map, Utilization and throughput model, Service cost / TCO analysis, Site readiness checklist & layout, Clinical application gap analysis, Financing and trade‑in scenarios
• Who else should we include in the discovery (roles or names) to make recommendations actionable?
• How would you prefer to share facility drawings, utilization logs, and service histories with us? Options: Secure upload link, Email (non‑PHI), On‑site visit to collect, SFTP, Other—explain
• What is the ideal cadence for follow up after this discovery—one workshop, a series of meetings, or an on‑site assessment? Options: Single workshop, Two to three meetings, On‑site assessment + review, Ongoing partnership cadence
• Is there anything else about your current state—political, financial, operational, or emotional—that would help us craft realistic options?

Start Here: Who You Are and the Equipment You Live With

• Briefly describe your role and the scope of imaging operations you oversee (sites, beds, volumes).
• Which imaging modalities are actively used in your department today? (select all that apply) Options: CT, MRI, X-ray / DR, Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, Mammography, Nuclear / PET, Other
• For each modality you selected, which systems are at or beyond expected replacement age? Please list model, vendor, and year installed.
• How would you summarize current utilization and throughput constraints (typical scans/day, peak bottlenecks, weekend/after-hours usage)?
• Who is the primary contact for capital projects and who owns operational performance day-to-day? (name/role preferred) Options: Radiology Chair, Hospital CEO/COO, CFO, Capital Planning Committee, Director of Imaging Services, Procurement Lead, Other

Are We Just Living With It?

• What compromises are you tolerating from aging scanners that you worry have become 'normal' but may be hurting care or growth?
• How often do equipment-related outages, image-quality issues, or degraded performance force you to reschedule or divert patients? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Unsure
• Tell us about a recent case where current imaging capability limited a clinical decision or patient outcome—what happened and why did it matter?
• What do your technologists and radiologists complain about most when they talk candidly—workflow, speed, imaging options, user interface, or something else? Options: Throughput / speed, Image quality / artifacts, Dose concerns, Limited clinical applications, Frequent service interruptions, Poor workflow / UI, Other
• How long have these issues been present and how has that affected staff morale or recruitment? Options: Less than 1 year, 1–3 years, 3–5 years, More than 5 years

What’s the Real Cost of Keeping the Status Quo?

• Beyond service invoices, how would you estimate the cost of older equipment in lost revenue, cancellations, or extra staff hours?
• What percentage of your scheduled cases are affected monthly by equipment issues (downtime, degraded performance, repeat scans)? Options: 0–1%, 1–3%, 3–5%, 5–10%, More than 10%
• Do you currently track opportunity costs such as diverted referrals, longer LOS, or lost downstream revenue tied to imaging limitations? Options: Yes - routinely tracked, Occasionally tracked, Not tracked, Unsure
• Please estimate recent annual spend on service, parts, and emergency repairs for systems you expect to replace.
• What trade-in or resale expectations do you have for retiring systems, and are there timing constraints tied to disposal or resale?
• Which financial pressures are most limiting your ability to replace systems right now? Options: Capital budget limits, Operating budget constraints, Competing capital projects, Depreciation schedules, Uncertain ROI, Other

Who's Really Driving This Decision — And Who's Quietly Blocking It?

• If this project stalls today, who will be most responsible for that outcome and why?
• Please list the formal decision-makers and their approval thresholds (role, typical $ limit, and any committee names).
• Who are the informal influencers you need on board (lead technologist, referring physicians, facilities, IT) and what does each care about most?
• Which stakeholder groups will need evidence of value before they approve (select all that apply)? Options: Clinical leadership / Radiology, Finance / CFO, Facilities, IT / Cybersecurity, Quality / Patient Safety, Procurement / Legal, Other
• How do you prefer proposals to be framed for approvers: total cost of ownership, clinical ROI, uptime guarantees, or implementation certainty? Options: Total cost of ownership, Clinical outcomes / ROI, Service / uptime guarantees, Speed of deployment, Vendor references and case studies, Other
• What hard deadlines constrain decision-making (budget cycle dates, construction milestones, end-of-life regulatory dates)?

If Success Had a Face, What Would It Look Like?

• Imagine the new equipment has been in routine use for a year—what measurable changes would make you call the project a success?
• Which outcomes are highest priority for you? Select up to three. Options: Improved image quality, Reduced radiation dose, Higher patient throughput, Expanded clinical applications, Reduced service costs, Improved uptime / reliability, Better patient experience, Staff efficiency / workflow
• What specific clinical use-cases are must-haves (e.g., cardiac CTA, oncology whole-body, pediatric protocols, interventional support)? Options: Cardiac imaging, Neuro / stroke protocols, Oncology / PET-CT workflows, Pediatric-specific imaging, Vascular / CTA / MRA, Interventional capability, Other
• What acceptance criteria will you require at handover (image quality benchmarks, throughput targets, uptime % over a period, staff competency metrics)?
• What trade-offs would you accept to achieve priority outcomes (longer install window, higher initial capex, phased deployment)? Options: Longer installation timeline, Higher upfront capital expense, Shorter warranty / lower service level, Phased deployment across sites, Acceptable

What Would Stand in the Way of Installing This Right?

• What hidden site constraints or governance approvals have surprised you on past installs and could derail this project if not addressed early?
• Is the intended room/site already prepared for imaging (shielding, floor capacity, HVAC, access)? Options: Yes - fully ready, Partially ready (some works required), No - requires full renovation, Unsure
• Do you have floor plans, MEP (mechanical/electrical/plumbing) schematics, and structural reports available for review? Options: All documents available, Some documents available, No documents available, Unsure
• What utility capacities and constraints matter for this install (power availability, generator, chilled water, ceiling rigging) and who manages them?
• Which regulatory or permitting approvals are likely to be required (select all that apply)? Options: State radiation safety, Local building permit, Hospital compliance / safety review, Certificate of Need, Environmental controls, Other
• Who at your organization will own site coordination and permit sign-off (name/role)?

What Would Make You Sign Today?

• Beyond headline price, what specific assurances, structures, or proof points would remove the last barriers and let you execute now?
• How important are the following elements to closing this deal: uptime guarantees, financing options, trade-in credits, training, or a short pilot? Options: Uptime guarantees, Flexible financing, Trade-in / resale assistance, Comprehensive training, Pilot / trial period, Service level commitments
• Which financing structure do you prefer for capital equipment? Options: Capital purchase, Operating lease, Vendor financing / installment, Pay-per-scan / usage model, Combination / hybrid, Unsure
• Would a short-term loaner system, on-site demonstration, or reference-site visit materially increase your confidence? Options: Yes - loaner/demo would help, Maybe - depends on scope, No - not necessary
• What contractual terms are non-negotiable for you (minimum uptime, liability, warranty length, service response times)?
• What internal checklist items remain before you can sign (board approval, capital allocation release, final quote, facilities sign-off)?

How Would You Like Us to Work With You Next?

• If we designed the next 90 days together, what cadence and support would feel most helpful and least risky to you?
• Which communication cadence do you prefer for project updates and approvals? Options: Weekly calls, Biweekly meetings, Monthly executive summary, Ad-hoc as needed, Email summaries only
• Who should be on our core project distribution list (names and roles)?
• How would you like technical validation to be handled: remote demos, on-site scanning, loaner equipment, or reference-site visits? Options: Remote demos / webinars, On-site scanning demonstrations, Loaner / temporary units, Reference-site visits, Combination
• Which documents would most help your capital committee make a decision (select all that apply)? Options: Clinical outcome studies, Total cost of ownership model, Service history and uptime data, Installation plan and timeline, Reference letters and site visits, Regulatory / compliance docs
• When is the best time to schedule a follow-up to present a tailored proposal and draft implementation plan? Options: This week, Next 1–2 weeks, Within a month, After the next budget cycle, Unsure

Getting Oriented: A Quick Introduction

• Briefly describe the program, department, or facility this imaging purchase would serve.
• Which modalities are currently under consideration for replacement or new purchase? Options: CT, MRI, X‑ray/DR, Ultrasound, Mammography, Interventional/Rad, Hybrid/Other
• Approximately how many systems (by modality) are in scope for this decision? Options: 1, 2–3, 4–6, 7–10, More than 10, Unsure
• Tell us in one sentence what prompted this review now (e.g., end of life, new service line, regulatory pressure).
• Who on your team will be our primary day‑to‑day contact through evaluation and implementation? (Name/role)

If You Leave Things As They Are, What Breaks First?

• How confident are you that your current equipment will meet clinical needs over the next 24 months—are you budgeting for failure rather than planned replacement? Options: Highly confident, Some risks exist, Significant risk of failure, We expect failures soon
• When aging equipment causes delays or cancellations, what are the direct consequences for patients and referring physicians?
• How often in the past 12 months have you experienced unscheduled downtime that required clinical re‑routing or outsourcing? Options: None, 1–2 times, 3–5 times, More than 5 times, Don't know
• What hidden costs have you absorbed because of older systems (e.g., overtime, rental units, lost revenue, expedited repairs)? Please quantify if possible.
• Is there any regulatory, accreditation, or safety risk associated with continuing to use the current fleet? Options: Yes — immediate risk, Yes — within 12 months, No known risk, Unsure

Who Really Decides: The People and Politics

• Who has final capital approval for this investment — and who typically influences that decision most strongly? Options: Radiology Chair, CEO/COO, CFO/Capital Committee, Facilities/Engineers, Committee/Consortium, Other
• Which stakeholder groups must be convinced for this to move forward (select all that apply)? Options: Clinical leadership, Referring physicians, Finance/capital planning, Facilities/plant ops, IT/cybersecurity, Nursing/ED leadership, Procurement
• Tell us about the strongest objections you anticipate from any stakeholder and why those objections persist.
• How do past purchasing decisions like this typically get decided here — graded scoring, comparative demos, pilot cases, or purely financial appraisal? Options: Scoring matrix with clinical weighting, Demo/pilot then decision, Capital committee with ROI focus, Vendor selected by long‑term relationship, Other
• Are there external partners or parent health system approvals required before you can sign (e.g., system CIO, board, government)? Please name them.

What Would 'Winning' Actually Mean for Your Team?

• If this purchase is perfect, what are the top three measurable outcomes you’ll point to as evidence of success? Options: Improved diagnostic accuracy, Increased throughput/volume, Reduced dose, Lower total cost of ownership, Higher uptime/availability, Improved patient experience
• Which single clinical outcome matters most (e.g., faster reads, new applications like cardiac CT, higher MR field strength)?
• How will improvements be measured and by whom (KPIs, dashboards, committees)? Options: Clinical KPIs (turnaround, accuracy), Operational KPIs (uptime, throughput), Financial KPIs (revenue, cost), Patient experience metrics, Hybrid reporting
• What trade‑offs would be acceptable — for example, higher acquisition cost for lower ongoing service spend, or slightly lower throughput for better image quality?
• Are there clinical programs or subspecialties you want to enable or expand that are currently constrained by your imaging capability? Options: Cardiac imaging, Oncology imaging and quantification, Pediatric protocols, Interventional radiology, Breast imaging, Neuro/advanced MR

What’s Causing Daily Friction for Your Team?

• How do current systems disrupt provider workflows—where do technologists or radiologists lose the most time?
• Which of these staff issues matter most when evaluating a new system? Options: Ease of use for technologists, Physician acceptance of image quality, Training time, Onsite support availability, Compatibility with PACS/IT
• Describe a recent incident where workflow problems affected patient care or scheduling—what happened and how did the team respond?
• How much time does your team currently spend per day on workarounds related to imaging equipment (e.g., manual transfers, repeat scans)? Options: Less than 30 min, 30–60 min, 1–2 hours, More than 2 hours, Unknown
• What level of clinician involvement in training and acceptance testing is realistic for you during deployment? Options: High involvement (weekly), Moderate (scheduled sessions), Low (sign‑off only), Variable/role dependent

Cost, Trade‑Ins, and Timing — The Uncomfortable Truths

• What is the realistic capital range you have allocated or can access for this project? Options: Under $1M, $1M–$3M, $3M–$7M, $7M–$15M, Over $15M, Undecided
• How open are you to alternative acquisition models (financing, operating leases, technology refresh agreements)? Options: Very open, Somewhat open, Prefer capital purchase, Need finance approval
• Do you expect trade‑in or resale value from existing equipment to materially offset the cost? If so, which systems and approximate values?
• What timelines are non‑negotiable (e.g., new center opening date, grant deadline, budget cycle)? Options: <3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12–24 months, Flexible/No hard deadline
• If procurement extends beyond your ideal timeline, what internal consequences occur (lost referrals, delayed program launch, budget reallocation)?

How Will You Validate Performance — The Acceptance Litmus Test

• What specific acceptance criteria will you require before signing final acceptance (uptime %, image quality benchmarks, clinical case validation)? Options: Uptime SLA (%), Pump/throughput verification, Phantom image quality tests, Clinical case reads by radiologists, Training completion sign‑off
• Who must sign off on acceptance testing (roles and departments)?
• How many supervised clinical cases or days of monitored use would make you comfortable to accept a new system? Options: No supervised cases required, 1–5 supervised cases, 6–20 cases, >20 cases or defined period
• What uptime and response time guarantees matter to you for service agreements, and what penalties or remedies are acceptable?
• Describe any existing acceptance or commissioning protocols you use so we can align our validation plan.

What Could Make You Hesitate or Walk Away?

• What are the single biggest deal‑killers you've seen in prior vendor relationships? Options: Missed timelines, Hidden costs, Poor support response, Promises unmet on image quality, IT integration failures, Unclear warranties
• How important are references, site visits, or peer reviews in your final evaluation? Options: Critical — required, Helpful — preferred, Nice to have, Not necessary
• What contractual terms would you insist on to mitigate risk (e.g., uptime credits, buyback options, stepwise payments)?
• Have you had prior experiences where vendor commitments (training, service, upgrades) fell short? If yes, what was the impact?
• What would give you the confidence to move forward despite these risks?

Imagine Year One: What Success Looks and Feels Like

• If you were reporting to leadership 12 months after installation, what three metrics would you highlight to prove this was the right decision? Options: Increased scan volume, Reduced repeat rate, Improved diagnostic turnaround, Lower service costs, Improved patient satisfaction, Revenue from new programs
• How would you like us to report progress and outcomes (dashboards, monthly reviews, quarterly steering committee)? Options: Real‑time dashboard, Monthly operational review, Quarterly executive summary, Ad‑hoc on request, All of the above
• Who owns ongoing measurement and operational improvements inside your organization after handover? Options: Radiology operations manager, Clinical engineering, Department head, Network central operations, Other
• What would make you recommend us to another department or health system after Year One?

What Would You Need From Us to Say 'Yes'?

• What are the top three deliverables or assurances you need from a vendor before advancing to procurement (e.g., pilot case, binding quote, site readiness plan)?
• Which evaluation activities would you prioritize next—live demo, on‑site visit to a peer, proof‑of‑concept, detailed TCO modeling, or an IT/security review? Options: Live demo at our facility, Peer site visit, Proof‑of‑concept/pilot, Detailed TCO/ROI model, IT/security deep dive
• What timeline would be acceptable for receiving a complete proposal including pricing, service terms, and deployment plan? Options: Within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, More than 4 weeks, Unsure
• Who needs to be in the room for the next meeting to keep momentum and make decisions?
• Is there any information or documentation you’d like us to prepare now (site surveys, existing service history, case studies, draft contract)? Options: Site survey, Service history review, Relevant peer case studies, Draft contract/terms, IT integration checklist, Other