Technology Due Diligence Checklist: 4 Documents Buyers Expect You to Have
When a company enters an acquisition or investment process, technology due diligence moves quickly.
Buyers are not just reviewing systems. They are looking for signals of risk, ownership, and operational discipline. One of the simplest ways they assess this is by asking for specific documents.
Below is a practical technology due diligence checklist focused on four documents buyers expect you to have and that teams are often missing.
1. Disaster Recovery Summary
With Defined RTOs and RPOs
What buyers expect to see:
- A short document describing how the business recovers from failure
- Defined recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) for critical systems
- Named owners and escalation paths
Common gap:
- Backups exist, but recovery expectations are not written down
Why this matters:
- Buyers assess downside risk early
- Undefined recovery targets signal uncertainty and operational risk
2. IP Assignment Agreements
For All Employees and Contractors
What buyers expect to see:
- Signed IP assignment agreements
- Coverage for early contractors and freelancers
- Clear ownership of core code and assets
Common gap:
- Assumptions that contracts are sufficient
- Missing paperwork for early contributors
Why this matters:
- Unclear IP ownership can delay or derail a transaction
- Fixing this during diligence is slow, expensive, and stressful
3. Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
What Your Product Is Actually Built On
What buyers expect to see:
- A list of third-party libraries and components
- Open source dependencies and associated licenses
- Visibility into security and compliance exposure
Common gap:
- No single, up-to-date view of dependencies
- Limited awareness of license or security implications
Why this matters:
- Buyers want to understand legal and security risk
- SBOMs are increasingly expected as standard diligence input
4. Vendor SLAs and Critical Service Agreements
What buyers expect to see:
- A list of critical vendors and service providers
- SLAs covering uptime, support, and response times
- Clear ownership of vendor relationships
Common gap:
- Reliance on tools without formal agreements
- Assumptions based on default or undocumented terms
Why this matters:
- Vendors are part of your operational risk profile
- Weak or missing SLAs increase integration and continuity risk
Why This Checklist Matters
If you do not have these documents, buyers will still ask the questions. The difference is whether you answer calmly or under pressure.
Having these ready is a core part of getting ready for technology due diligence. This is exactly what technology diligence readiness is designed to test.
If even one of these would take weeks to assemble, that is a strong signal to act before a process starts.
Learn more about how to prepare here: Technology diligence readiness