Show cash by period, not only total contract value. Identify collected receipts, conditional guarantees, invoice dates, commission basis, deductions, preparation, legal costs, recurring delivery work, tax assumptions and internal staff cost treatment.
Prepare at least three explicitly labelled scenarios: no sale or delayed procurement; the central management case; and a higher-demand case. Do not infer probabilities from public headline deals. Keep existing-product overlap and foregone licensing alternatives visible as separately estimated opportunity costs.
The approval pack should be short enough to inspect and supported by linked evidence:
- Decision requested, budget cap and accountable approver.
- Eligible archive and use-specific rights schedule.
- Partner evidence, unresolved conditions and alternatives.
- Cash scenarios, cost basis and sensitivities.
- Delivery plan, sample/pilot findings and operating owners.
- Proposed contract, review conclusions and surviving obligations.
- Renewal date, monitoring triggers and exit plan.
Advance when: the people accountable for legal, commercial, technical and financial outcomes accept the documented conditions. Record any dissent and the person accepting residual exposure.