Weighted supplier scorecard
Compare three software suppliers with a worked 100-point scorecard, consistent scoring rules and an editable Excel worksheet.
A supplier can win a demonstration by showing the quickest route through its best feature. A buyer needs to see the same job attempted three times. Write the tasks, weights and scoring rules before sending the invitation. Give each supplier the same data, preparation time and opportunities to clarify the brief.
Download the supplier scorecard (.xlsx). It includes a worked comparison and a blank sheet for your own scores and evidence.
Decide which requirements are compulsory
Merebridge Recruitment, our fictional agency, needs its records back if it changes provider. All three shortlisted suppliers must demonstrate an export that preserves the link between candidate, vacancy and placement. The project lead opens each file and traces two sample records. A failed or untested compulsory requirement keeps a supplier out of the final decision until somebody resolves it. Record these checks separately from scores.
Agree what earns a mark
Use a scale of zero to five. Award 0 if the test establishes that the product cannot do the job, 1 for heavy manual rework, 2 for repeated workarounds, 3 for an acceptable result with a minor extra step, 4 for a clean result and 5 for a demonstrable advantage on the agreed task. Leave missing evidence blank and arrange a second test. Keep a filename or a short observation against each mark.
For cost, set the bands against your own budget before the quotes arrive. In this example a 24-month cost up to £8,000 earns five, over £8,000 to £8,500 earns four, over £8,500 to £9,000 earns three, over £9,000 to £9,500 earns two, and over £9,500 to £10,000 earns one. Above £10,000 earns zero. Use the same included services and VAT basis throughout.
Work through three fictional offers
| Criterion | Weight | Alder | Birch | Cedar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday workflow | 35% | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Two-year cost | 25% | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Data and exit | 25% | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Support arrangements | 15% | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Total out of 100 | 100% | 80 | 79 | 78 |
Multiply each mark by the available points and divide by five. Alder earns 28 of the 35 workflow points and all 25 exit points. Its other two marks contribute 15 and 12, giving 80 overall. Alder's exit score came from a clean re-import of records and attachments into a test database. Birch met the compulsory export test, but its attachments had to be matched by hand.
Test the close decision
A single point separates Alder and Birch. If the agency reasonably expects its weekly reporting task to matter more, moving five percentage points from exit to workflow changes Alder to 79 and Birch to 81. Ask the consultants how often they run the report and the operations manager how much work an exit would take. Keep the original weights and record the alternative. The sign-off should explain which assumption the buyer accepts.