Check expertise against the actual assignment
Useful MIS starts with a decision the founder needs to make, not a large dashboard.
Ask about experience with your entity, sector and the intended deliverable. If a report, certification or representation requires a particular qualification or registration, verify it through the relevant professional or regulator source. Do not rely on an unverified badge or a promise of a favourable outcome.
Questions to ask on the first call
Which decisions will this report support and how do its totals reconcile to the books?
Specify report frequency, commentary, forecast work and the responsibility for source-data quality.
Checklist
- Who prepares the work, who reviews it and who communicates with me?
- What evidence is missing and what assumptions are being made?
- What is included, what is excluded and how is extra work authorised?
- What will I receive and who retains control of the records?
Agree how the work will be delivered across MMR
For Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Panvel businesses, location matters when original documents, a premises visit or physical verification are needed. Ask which steps can be remote and whether travel or site work is included. Serving an area is not proof that a provider has an office there.
Prepare reconciled books, budgets, sales drivers and operational metrics with consistent definitions.
Warning signs in a proposal
An attractive report with inconsistent definitions can lead management to compare incompatible numbers.
Be cautious about guaranteed approvals, undisclosed fees, pressure to share one-time codes and proposals that omit client responsibilities. Ask for realistic dependencies and a defined complaint or escalation channel.
Protect continuity if you change providers
Keep metric definitions, the monthly report pack and a record of agreed management actions.
Require an accessible export or copy of your records and final work. Agree how access is revoked and pending matters are transferred. A service relationship should not leave your business unable to obtain its own filing history or accounts.
How to use this resource


