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This section comprehensively covers various aspects, which need to be considered for taking a decision to engage a vendor/tool. All evaluation parameters are not equally important, nor do they need same level of diligence. For Example you may not need to spend too much time to do ‘vendor evaluation’ for Microsoft/Oracle, but you may like to spend a lot of time to do so, if there is a local small/medium size company offering a good and inexpensive product.
Tool/Vendor evaluation is a complex task, and requires a broad-based skill, highest level of domain, technical, commercial and change management acumen. The objectives of an evaluation exercise are to:
- Understand what we want in terms of Immediate, medium and long term.
- Communicate to the Vendor on what we need.
- Get the details on Vendor/Tool through RFP, Market Research, Reference checks and other means.
- Evaluate vendor/tool by placing the weights and scores to each evaluation & score to each evaluation parameter.
- Short list the key decision/negotiation points which could impact the decision for the given vendor/tool.
- Work on this set with more detailed information and intense engagement with the Vendor to come to a final offering, which will drive your decision.
The above flow does not always happen in the given sequence and many times operates in parallel. Following are the real life scenarios, which one ends up facing:
- Our requirements get shaped not only by what we need, but what tools offer. We may not need data mining, but if it comes packaged with tool, it may make us re-think our needs.
- Many a times users do not know ‘what they want and what is possible’. For Example, a customer may not have ‘web enabled access of dynamic views ’ as part of their requirements because they are not aware that it is possible.
- A market has to go along with the global standard as mandated by the parents. This however, does not mean the evaluation is not needed. One can still engage Vendor on Commercial and Delivery aspects of evaluation.
All Evaluation Parameters are not same. They have different weights and perspectives given the context. Following are the categories to which an evaluation parameter may belong to:
- Decision point: This can significantly impact your selection decision.
- Negotiation Point: This is an important aspect, which may impact decision, but you are open to negotiations.
- Assessment Point: This is not a specific decision OR negotiation item, but sum-total of these items provide a better picture on strengths and weaknesses- Something which you are ready to live with, but need to work with Vendor to leverage/mitigate the same.
- Contractual point: Even after you take a decision, these items help you to work out details at the time of finalizing the contract, to avoid relationship issues at later stage.
- Information point: You just need to know for information sake.
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