What software and design tools should I confirm come with an engineering firm?

Request a full inventory from the seller. For each item, note who holds the licence, whether it is in the firm’s name or a person’s name, and what it costs to renew. Some licences cannot be moved to a new owner without the vendor’s consent, so ask early and ask in writing.

Look beyond the programs. Design templates, calculation sheets, drawing standards and past project libraries often give a firm its speed. Ask where these live, who maintains them, and whether anyone leaving takes copies. Check that backups exist and that you will receive the passwords and administrator access.

Walk through the hardware as well, including printers, plotters and storage. Are the computers capable of running current programs, or will they need replacing soon? Ask the staff what frustrates them about the tools, because their answers show hidden costs, such as slow machines, workarounds and programs people avoid. Your lawyer can check how licences and data are covered in the purchase terms, and an IT adviser can test the setup before you commit. Ask whether any custom macros or scripts were written by a person who has left, since nobody may be able to maintain them.

Key takeaways

• List every licence and subscription, and note whose name each one is in.
• Confirm templates, standards and project data transfer along with the files.
• Ask staff what is slow or broken, then budget for upgrades.