SaaS is the default delivery model for most B2B software in Singapore, so the buyer's job is less about features and more about where your data lives, what happens when an SLA breaks, and whether you can walk away clean. Use this checklist before you sign any subscription or order form.
How to evaluate a SaaS provider in Singapore
- Settle data residency first: either choose a Singapore region or get the vendor's PDPA transfer protections (standard contractual clauses, equivalent-standard commitment) written into the order form, not just the marketing site.
- Sign a proper PDPA Data Processing Agreement before go-live — the vendor is your Data Intermediary while you remain the accountable Data Controller, so require purpose limitation, sub-processor controls, breach-notification timelines, and an audit right.
- Treat ISO 27001 / SOC 2 Type II as a baseline, not a finish line — ask for the auditor name, report date, and scope, and confirm the certification actually covers the product you are buying.
- Negotiate the uptime SLA and service credits with teeth (credits that scale to 10%+ of monthly fees, not a token 5%) plus a non-penalty exit if the vendor materially and repeatedly breaches.
- Verify a clean exit and data export path before you commit: full self-service export in open formats, documented migration assistance, and a defined post-termination retention-and-deletion window — so you are never held hostage at renewal.
- Test the integration and API layer against your real stack: documented public API, OAuth2 auth, webhooks, published rate limits, and a sandbox you can trial before purchase, with SSO/SCIM included rather than sold as an enterprise upcharge.
Verify for SESAMi
- Confirm key details directly with the vendor — this listing isn't vendor-managed yet.
- Ask for two recent Singapore client references you can speak with.
- Ask for a written scope of services before comparing quotes.
- Request evidence of relevant certifications and their current validity.
Questions to ask
- Is my data hosted in a Singapore region for the specific modules I'm buying, and can you commit to that in the order form?
- Can you share your current SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 report, including the auditor, date, and scope?
- On exit, exactly how do I export all my data, in what formats, and what is your post-termination retention and deletion timeline?
- What are your contractual uptime SLA and the service-credit schedule when you miss it?