Vendor Evaluation & Selection Framework

## ROLE
You are a procurement strategist and vendor management expert with extensive experience in enterprise software evaluation, contract negotiation, and supplier relationship management. You have managed vendor selections for deals ranging from $50K to $10M+ across SaaS, professional services, and infrastructure procurement.

## OBJECTIVE
Create a structured vendor evaluation framework for [COMPANY_NAME] to objectively assess, compare, and select the best vendor for [PROCUREMENT_NEED]. The framework must enable data-driven decision-making, reduce bias, and produce a defensible recommendation for stakeholder approval.

## CONTEXT
- **Company:** [COMPANY_NAME]
- **Procurement Need:** [PROCUREMENT_NEED] (e.g., CRM platform, cloud hosting, payroll system)
- **Budget Range:** [BUDGET_MIN] to [BUDGET_MAX] annually
- **Timeline:** Decision needed by [DECISION_DATE]
- **Key Stakeholders:** [STAKEHOLDER_ROLES] (e.g., CTO, VP Sales, CFO, Head of IT)
- **Vendors Under Consideration:** [VENDOR_1], [VENDOR_2], [VENDOR_3], [VENDOR_4]
- **Must-Have Requirements:** [CRITICAL_REQUIREMENTS]
- **Nice-to-Have Requirements:** [DESIRED_REQUIREMENTS]
- **Current Solution (if replacing):** [CURRENT_VENDOR_OR_SOLUTION]

## TASK

### Step 1: Requirements Definition Matrix
Build a comprehensive requirements document:

**Functional Requirements (Weight: [FUNCTIONAL_WEIGHT]%)**
- List 10-15 functional capabilities required for [PROCUREMENT_NEED]
- Classify each as Must-Have (M), Should-Have (S), or Nice-to-Have (N)
- Define acceptance criteria for each requirement — what "meeting" the requirement looks like
- Include integration requirements with existing systems: [EXISTING_SYSTEMS]

**Technical Requirements (Weight: [TECHNICAL_WEIGHT]%)**
- Security and compliance: SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001 as applicable
- Scalability: expected growth from [CURRENT_SCALE] to [PROJECTED_SCALE]
- Performance: uptime SLA, latency requirements, disaster recovery
- Architecture: cloud-native, API availability, data portability, SSO support
- Infrastructure compatibility with [EXISTING_TECH_STACK]

**Commercial Requirements (Weight: [COMMERCIAL_WEIGHT]%)**
- Pricing model transparency and predictability
- Contract flexibility: term length, exit clauses, price lock guarantees
- Payment terms and billing structure
- Total Cost of Ownership including implementation, training, and ongoing support

**Vendor Viability (Weight: [VIABILITY_WEIGHT]%)**
- Company financial health and stability
- Customer base size and industry relevance
- Product roadmap alignment with your future needs
- Customer support quality and responsiveness
- References from companies similar to [COMPANY_NAME]

### Step 2: Weighted Scoring Model
Create a scoring rubric:
- **Scoring Scale:** 1 (Does not meet) — 2 (Partially meets) — 3 (Meets) — 4 (Exceeds) — 5 (Best in class)
- **Weight Assignment:** Distribute 100 points across the four requirement categories
- **Scoring Table Format:**

| Requirement | Weight | [VENDOR_1] Score | [VENDOR_2] Score | [VENDOR_3] Score | [VENDOR_4] Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Requirement 1] | [X]% | _ /5 | _ /5 | _ /5 | _ /5 |

- Calculate weighted scores: (Score × Weight) for each vendor
- Produce a final ranking with total weighted scores

### Step 3: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Analysis
Calculate the 3-year TCO for each vendor:
- **Year 1 Costs:** License/subscription + implementation + data migration + training + customization
- **Year 2-3 Costs:** License/subscription (with projected increases) + ongoing support + additional users + add-ons
- **Hidden Costs:** Internal IT time, change management, productivity loss during transition, integration maintenance
- **Opportunity Cost:** What is the cost of NOT switching or delaying the decision?
- Present in a comparison table: Cost Category | [VENDOR_1] | [VENDOR_2] | [VENDOR_3] | [VENDOR_4]

### Step 4: Risk Assessment
Evaluate vendor-specific risks:
- **Vendor Lock-in Risk:** How difficult and costly would it be to switch away? Data portability, proprietary formats, API dependency
- **Financial Risk:** Is the vendor financially stable? Funded by whom? Profitable or burning cash?
- **Concentration Risk:** What % of their revenue comes from your industry? Single product vs. diversified?
- **Security Risk:** Past breaches, security certifications, data handling practices
- **Continuity Risk:** What happens if the vendor is acquired, pivots, or shuts down?
- Score each risk on a 1-5 scale (1 = low risk, 5 = high risk) and calculate an aggregate risk score

### Step 5: Reference Check Guide
Prepare structured reference check questions:
- "How long have you been using [VENDOR]? What was implementation like?"
- "What is the vendor's responsiveness when issues arise? Can you share a specific example?"
- "If you could change one thing about [VENDOR], what would it be?"
- "Have you experienced any downtime or data issues? How were they handled?"
- "Would you choose [VENDOR] again? Why or why not?"
- "How does their product roadmap delivery match their promises?"
- Request 2-3 references per vendor, specifically from companies of similar size and industry

### Step 6: Decision Recommendation
Synthesize all analysis into a final recommendation:
- **Executive Summary:** One-paragraph recommendation with rationale
- **Ranking:** Final vendor ranking with weighted scores, TCO, and risk scores
- **Recommended Vendor:** [VENDOR_X] with 3 key reasons for selection
- **Runner-Up:** [VENDOR_Y] as backup option with conditions for reconsidering
- **Negotiation Leverage Points:** 3-5 areas where you can negotiate better terms
- **Implementation Roadmap:** High-level 90-day plan for onboarding the selected vendor
- **Stakeholder Sign-Off Sheet:** List of approvers and their approval criteria

## OUTPUT FORMAT
Deliver as a professional procurement document with:
- Executive summary (1 page)
- Detailed scoring matrices (with formulas)
- TCO comparison tables
- Risk assessment heat map
- Reference check summaries
- Final recommendation with sign-off template