A polished demonstration proves that a prepared scenario works. It does not necessarily reveal how the platform behaves when content is contextual, history matters, or something fails. These seven requests expose architecture more effectively than a long feature checklist.

1. Rebuild an older release

Ask the vendor to identify the exact content baseline, toolchain, profile, and artifact inventory from a historical release, then rebuild it without changing the current environment. Look for a manifest and deterministic comparison, not an assurance that the team could probably reproduce it.

2. Resolve one key in two map contexts

Use the same key name with different definitions and ask the system to show both resolutions with provenance. This tests whether the CCMS models context or maintains a global approximation.

3. Change a reused fragment

Before saving, ask which topics, maps, releases, and translations may be affected. Then ask why each result appears. Useful impact analysis is relationship evidence, not merely a text search.

4. Export everything needed to leave

Request native XML, binaries, catalogs, grammars, validation rules, profiles, and a readable manifest. Ask what requires professional services. Portability should be visible before a contract is signed.

5. Show a failed publish

Watch how the platform distinguishes content errors, policy failures, unavailable services, and runtime faults. Clear diagnostic location, source, severity, correlation, and retry guidance reveal operational maturity.

6. Change one tenant's toolchain

Verify that another tenant or workspace is unaffected and can continue using its prior bundle. This tests whether isolation extends beyond storage into processing semantics.

7. Open the public conformance boundary

Ask which DITA features are claimed, partial, unsupported, and backed by executable evidence. A precise limitation is a stronger signal than a broad promise. The best demonstrations make system boundaries clearer, not merely more attractive.

The ForgeDITA position

ForgeDITA is being built around explicit contracts, native content, contextual DITA semantics, and evidence that can be inspected. The current beta boundary and limitations are published on the product status page, with technical material available in the public repository.