Vendor lock-in
Vendor lock-in is when switching software is so difficult or costly that you stay with a vendor even when you would rather leave.
Lock-in happens when a vendor makes it hard to leave. In veterinary software that can mean data stored in a proprietary format, exports that come out as unusable PDFs, integration restrictions, or fees to get your own records. The result is that switching feels too risky, so practices stay put.
Lock-in is rarely advertised. It shows up later, when you try to move and discover what it actually takes to get your data out.
How to avoid it
- Ask, before you sign, exactly how you get your data out and in what format
- Prefer systems with a public schema and full export
- Favor an open API over a gated partner program
- Consider open source, where the code itself is yours
OpenVPM is open source with a public schema and full export. There is nothing to be locked into, by design.
See how OpenVPM does it
OpenVPM is the open-source veterinary PIMS. Free to self-host, with an open API and your data always exportable. The demo is live, no signup.