Vendor Evaluation

What it is

This skill helps you run a structured vendor evaluation process — the kind PMs and ops teams use when choosing software, services, or suppliers. You give it what you're buying and who you're considering, and it builds a scoring framework with weighted criteria, gives you questions to ask each vendor, and delivers a recommendation with risks and negotiation points. Perfect for making procurement decisions systematic instead of gut-feel.

What it does

• Creates a weighted scorecard with criteria like functional fit, pricing, implementation difficulty, and vendor stability
• Generates specific questions to ask each vendor about their product, pricing, support, and security
• Scores each vendor against your criteria and calculates a total weighted score
• Delivers a recommendation with the winner, runner-up, key risks, and contract terms to negotiate
• Includes reference check questions to ask existing customers of each vendor

Use it when

• You're comparing software tools or service providers and need a systematic way to decide
• You're running an RFP process and need to score multiple vendors fairly
• You need to justify a vendor choice to your team or leadership with data
• You're evaluating suppliers and want to avoid missing important criteria or risks