Risk class 4 of the Risk Taxonomy 2026: workflows, data, and methodology become so deeply embedded in one vendor's tooling that the switching cost to exit is disproportionate to the value extracted, whether due to technical, workflow, commercial, or regulatory entrenchment. Addressed by articulating methodology in terms of capabilities required rather than vendors deployed, and by negotiating data portability and exit-assistance terms at the Build stage.
Vendor lock-in is a measured, managed exposure, not a binary failure state. It describes how structurally dependent a buyer becomes on a specific AI vendor such that switching is materially costly, slow, or operationally disruptive. Under Risk Taxonomy 2026, it is distinct because the core risk is dependency architecture, not vendor behaviour.
Module Library
GOV-03
AI Risk Register
Apply the Risk Taxonomy 2026 to identify, score, and mitigate AI risks across nine canonical classes — the register that makes your governance defensible.
SUS-04
Vendor Exit Methodology
Plan and execute legal AI vendor exits — from lock-in risk assessment through data migration and contract termination — with Risk Taxonomy 2026 exit trigger classification and Agentic Tier shutdown protocol for Level 4 tools.
VEN-06
Total Cost of Ownership Methodology
Provides a five-dimensional TCO framework for legal AI vendor evaluation, incorporating Risk Taxonomy 2026 cost mapping, Agentic Tier cost premiums, Class 6 Shadow AI hidden costs, and ROAI-based investment decisions.