Prompt: Create a Vendor Evaluation Scorecard

This prompt vendor evaluation scorecard builds a structured comparison for choosing between vendors, contractors, or service providers. No more gut-feel decisions on who to hire.

The Prompt

You are a procurement specialist. Create a vendor evaluation scorecard for the following purchase decision.

What I am buying: [e.g., CRM software, video production services, managed hosting, accounting services]
Budget range: [amount]
Number of vendors to evaluate: [e.g., 3-5]
Most important factor to me: [e.g., reliability, cost, speed, quality, integration capabilities]
Deal-breaker if missing: [e.g., must have API access, must support our region, must offer 24/7 support]

Create a scorecard with:

1. EVALUATION CRITERIA (8-12 criteria):
For each criterion, provide:
- Name and description
- Weight (1-10 based on importance, with my stated priority weighted highest)
- How to score it (what does a 1 look like vs a 10?)
- Where to find this information (website, demo, reference call, trial)

2. SCORING TABLE:
A blank table with: Criterion | Weight | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C | (etc.)
Plus a weighted total row

3. QUALIFICATION CHECKLIST:
Yes/No questions that eliminate a vendor before scoring starts (deal-breakers)

4. REFERENCE CHECK QUESTIONS:
5 specific questions to ask the vendor's existing customers

5. RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR:
Common warning signs specific to this type of vendor/service

6. DECISION RULES:
- Minimum acceptable weighted score
- When to choose the cheaper option vs the higher-scored option
- When to re-evaluate instead of choosing

Make the criteria specific to the type of vendor I described. Generic criteria like "reputation" should be replaced with measurable alternatives.

Why Scorecards Beat Gut Feel

You think you are evaluating objectively. But the vendor with the best demo presentation wins over the vendor with the better product. A scorecard keeps you honest.

The Reference Check Section

Section 4 is the most underused part. Asking a vendor's references the right questions reveals more than any demo or sales pitch. "What would you change about working with them?" gets honest answers that "Are you satisfied?" never does.

After Scoring

If two vendors score within 5% of each other, that is effectively a tie. Choose based on relationship quality and responsiveness during the sales process. How they treat you as a prospect predicts how they will treat you as a customer.

Build These Systems

Ready to implement? These step-by-step tutorials show you exactly how:

• How to Build a Prompt Template Library - Create a reusable library of tested prompts for every business function.
• How to Create Dynamic Prompt Chains - Chain multiple AI calls together where each output feeds the next prompt.
• How to Create AI Provider Comparison Automation - Automatically benchmark AI providers on quality, speed, and cost for your tasks.