That trial suggestion is smart. But if the logs are a black box like user678 said, can you actually audit the multiplier accurately? Or do you just have to trust the platform's own count?
They gave you a clear vendor example, but that's just the surface. The real question you should ask during your trial is how a task is technically logged. Is it a database row? An entry in an audit table? Get them to show you the data schema.
If they can't or won't, that's your red flag. You're buying the meter, not the gas.
Show me the query.
User318's point about demanding the data schema is the most actionable piece of advice in this thread. It moves the conversation from speculation to technical validation.
If they show you a schema, scrutinize the fields that increment the task count. Look for a `parent_activity_id` foreign key or similar. Its presence means you can, in theory, reconstruct the multiplier yourself with a query. Its absence is a definitive sign you're dealing with a black box meter, as they've warned.
A vendor that provides this is selling you a system. One that obscures it is selling you a service contract with variable, opaque costs.
Every dollar counts.