# A project finance software evaluation checklist for lenders

By Reza Esfahanian, Founder & CTO of FINKI

A feature list helps you shortlist suppliers. A buying decision needs a test in which evidence is incomplete, people have different permissions and a process does not go to plan.

Choose a familiar historical case and a current workflow. Use confidential data only after the necessary approvals. Synthetic records can establish technical behaviour, but they do not prove relevance to every real transaction.

## Write the expected behaviour before the demo

| Test | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Check a reported number | Its source, version and calculation are traceable |
| Separate two banks | Neither can retrieve the other's private material |
| Change a material document | Affected open decisions are reassessed |
| Revoke access | Open views and attempted actions lose access |
| Request a payment with stale evidence | The server blocks it and explains the next step |
| Deliver a message twice | No duplicate economic event is created |
| Export a record | Permissions and content match the agreed scope |
| Interrupt an integration | Recovery and unresolved work remain visible |

The [editable test list](/resources/finance/software-evaluation.csv) provides a starting point. Add your institution's legal, regulatory and operational requirements. This is not a certification standard.

## Follow the system boundaries

Identify the system of record for each decision and payment state. Ask how approved changes are transmitted and how conflicts are handled. A diagram does not demonstrate replay, reconciliation or failure handling.

Check searches, exports and AI answers using the intended roles. A hidden menu item does not prove that the underlying data is protected. Examine errors for unintended disclosures too.

## Measure accepted work

A fast summary can create more review effort. Measure the complete task through to an accepted result, including corrections and questions.

Agree definitions before the pilot. Useful measures may include time spent on a specific task, information-request cycles or payment-reconciliation effort. A test with no applicable records is not a successful test.

## Separate what exists from what is proposed

Record demonstrated functionality, configuration work, planned development and third-party dependencies separately. A capability may exist but still need changes for your transaction.

Ask about export, deletion, operating responsibilities and an orderly exit. Those questions matter alongside the first user experience.

## Keep the initial evaluation bounded

Choose a workflow, an accountable user and a reviewer. Agree which failures prevent further use and which can be addressed within a controlled pilot.

We want FINKI to be assessed against specific tests like these. [Request a workflow demo](https://finki.ai/request-demo). A description of your process is enough for the first conversation; do not send confidential deal documents through the public form.

Canonical: https://finki.ai/insights/project-finance-software-evaluation

Published: 2026-09-27