Separate setup work from recurring services
Start with a component inventory: the trading environment, account configuration, price sources, execution connectivity, client systems and hosting. For each component, ask who supplies it, who configures it and who supports it after launch. These answers reveal which items belong in the initial project and which need a separate agreement.
The price of integration work depends on the interfaces and workflows in scope. A documented existing interface and a custom workflow are different deliverables. Request a written description of included implementation, acceptance tests and operational handover alongside each cost category.
| Cost category | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Platform arrangement | The supplied environment, permitted use, branding scope and administrative access. |
| Configuration | Account groups, instrument settings and the baseline included in setup. |
| Market data | Source charges, permitted distribution and the technical feed integration. |
| Liquidity connectivity | Bridge or FIX integration and any separate provider charges. |
| CRM and client systems | Which account and operational workflows are connected. |
| Hosting and support | Resources, monitoring, backups and ongoing responsibilities. |
Compare proposals on the same acceptance scope
Give each provider the same project brief. Include your platform choice, instruments, account model, existing systems and required connections. Ask for the included tests and the evidence that will be supplied before launch. A proposal becomes easier to compare when the required outcomes are visible rather than implied.
Keep exclusions and options in the comparison. Check whether test environments, third-party configuration, later change requests and ongoing operational work are included or quoted separately. Record the owner of each dependency and any information you must supply before work can start.
- An itemized setup scope and recurring service list.
- Named components and interfaces rather than a single undefined package.
- Acceptance examples for account, price and order workflows.
- A launch plan with dependencies and operational owners.
- Documentation, support boundaries and the process for future changes.
Prepare a brief that can produce a useful quote
Describe the brokerage environment you need to build or improve. Identify the systems already selected and the decisions that are still open. When an integration specification is available, provide the required workflow and interface details; keep credentials out of an initial commercial discussion.
TGS Trade scopes pricing around the project requirements. The agreed proposal should identify the delivered configuration, integration work and handover, together with separate third-party or ongoing components. Use the service pages to identify the modules you want included in your request.