Vendor Evaluation Checklist
Use this checklist to test any software supplier, including Renvric, against the same criteria. It covers how they understand your problem, how they run delivery, how they manage people, quality and security, and what you keep if the relationship ends, with evidence to request for each.
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How to use the checklist
Score each item as evidenced, claimed or missing. Evidenced means the supplier showed you an artefact or a reference. Claimed means they said it. A supplier with many claims and few artefacts may still be good, but you are relying on trust, and your contract should reflect that.
Understanding and approach
- Did they ask about users and outcomes before proposing technology?
- Do they state assumptions and exclusions in writing?
- Can they explain how they would start, week by week, for the first month?
- Do they propose a smaller first release, and say why?
- Have they challenged anything in your request, and was it useful?
People and continuity
Named roles
Who leads delivery, who designs, who tests, and what share of their time is yours?
Seniority mix
Who reviews the work of less experienced engineers?
Turnover handling
What is the plan if a key person leaves mid-project?
Availability
How much overlap in working hours will your team have with theirs?
Share the outcome you need and Renvric will recommend the smallest useful next step.
Delivery and communication
- A visible backlog, with access for you.
- Working demonstrations at a regular interval.
- Written weekly status that includes risks and decisions needed.
- A defined way to raise and resolve problems.
- A written change process with sizing before approval.
Quality and security
Testing
Which tests are automated, who writes them and what do you see?
Code review
Is every change reviewed by a second engineer before merging?
Security practice
How are dependencies, secrets and access managed, and when are security checks done?
Release
Is deployment automated, rehearsed and reversible?
Accessibility and performance
Are targets agreed at the start and checked before release?
Commercial terms and exit
- Ownership of code, design and data on payment.
- Access to repositories and environments throughout the project.
- Clear acceptance criteria and dispute process.
- Termination rights and handover duties.
- Support terms and the cost of continuing after launch.
- Disclosure of subcontractors and third-party components.
Evidence to request
Ask for a sample scope document, a status report, a risk register and a test report, each with client details removed. Ask to speak to a reference about a difficulty that was handled. Where a supplier cannot share artefacts, ask why, and what they can show instead.
Related areas to explore: Vendor portal development and AI Integration Services.
Useful next steps: our services, business solutions and engagement models.
Common questions
Who is this checklist for?
It is for the people evaluating suppliers: product owners, technical leaders and procurement staff. Use it to compare several suppliers on the same terms, or to review the performance of an existing one.
What do I need to run an evaluation?
A written statement of your needs, a short list of suppliers, a standard set of questions, and at least two people to score independently. Agree weights beforehand so the final score reflects your priorities, not the best presentation.
How do I treat claims I cannot verify?
Mark them as claimed and look for a way to test them: a reference, a sample artefact, a small paid trial or a contract clause. Unverifiable claims need not disqualify a supplier, but they should carry less weight.
Is a small paid trial worthwhile?
Often. A short, defined engagement such as discovery or a proof of one risky feature shows how a supplier communicates, handles disagreement and documents decisions. It costs little compared with a failed large project.
Will Renvric answer the checklist?
Yes. Send it to info@renvric.com or ask for it in a consultation. Responses are written and specific to each item, and where something is not offered, Renvric will say so plainly rather than answering around it.
Keep exploring
Weight the categories by what matters most to you, score independently with a colleague, and compare notes. Renvric is glad to be assessed this way, and to answer each item in writing.