Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for private investigators.
A checklist built from how private investigators work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Intake and conflict check
- Engagements and retainers
- Case files and field notes
- Assignments and scheduling
- Evidence register
- Reports and billing
- Access control and audit trail
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For principals
- For investigators
- For case managers
- For accounts
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Enquiries received and engagements opened
- Open matters by investigator and status
- Retainer balances and alerts
- Unbilled time and expenses by matter
- Invoices outstanding by client, oldest first
- Subcontractor work and payments due
- Matters awaiting report or review
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Payment gateway
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Are conflicts of interest checked?
- Can investigators upload from the field?
- Is access limited by matter?
- Is evidence handling tracked?
- Can retainers and trust money be tracked?
- Can subcontractors be included?
- Can existing matters be moved over?
- Who owns the data?
- What does it cost?
- Is there location tracking for investigators?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Case records are scattered
- Conflict checks depend on memory
- Evidence handling is hard to show
- Time and expenses are written up late
- Retainers run out unnoticed
Prefer to talk it through? See the private investigators page.