Add your vendors as columns, set importance for each criterion, then score each vendor from 0 to 5 on the evidence they actually provided. A blank cell counts as zero, which is the honest treatment of an unanswered question.
| Criterion | Importance (1–5) | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 | Vendor 3 |
|---|
Weighted results
Weighted score is the sum of importance multiplied by score. It reflects your priorities and the evidence provided, nothing more. Where a cell is blank it counts as zero, and a low score may mean a question went unanswered rather than that a provider performed badly. Read the evidence, not only the total.
Next step
The published reviews give you a starting set of evidence-based questions to put to each shortlisted provider.