Develop a scoring model
A robust supplier scoring model is essential for making objective, defensible procurement decisions when selecting AI technologies. Kowalah helps you create a customized scoring framework that aligns with your organization’s specific requirements while ensuring a transparent evaluation process.

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Why You Need a Supplier Scoring Model

Evaluating AI vendors presents unique challenges:
  • Complex technical capabilities that can be difficult to compare
  • Rapidly evolving features across competing platforms
  • Varying pricing structures that make direct comparisons challenging
  • Different implementation approaches with distinct timelines and resource needs
  • Diverse stakeholder priorities that must be balanced
A well-designed scoring model helps you:
  • Ensure consistent evaluation across all vendors
  • Create a defensible decision process that can withstand scrutiny
  • Reduce bias by establishing clear criteria before vendor demos
  • Balance competing priorities across different stakeholders
  • Document your reasoning for future reference and knowledge transfer

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What’s Included in the Template

Kowalah guides you through creating a comprehensive scoring model with these components:

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1. Evaluation Approach

Define how vendors will be assessed—whether through objective blind scoring with weighted criteria or subjective group feedback and consensus building.

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2. Evaluation Categories

The template helps you identify and prioritize relevant categories for your specific AI procurement, such as:
  • Technical capabilities
  • Integration requirements
  • Data handling and privacy
  • Cost structure
  • Implementation support
  • Ongoing maintenance
  • Vendor stability and roadmap

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3. Weighting System

Assign appropriate weights to different criteria based on your organization’s priorities. For example:
  • Technical fit: 40%
  • Pricing: 30%
  • Implementation timeline: 20%
  • Support & maintenance: 10%

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4. Scoring Methodology

Define a clear rating scale (e.g., 1-5 or qualitative labels) and how scores will be collected, aggregated, and normalized.

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5. Evaluator Instructions

Provide guidance to ensure all evaluators understand how to apply the scoring criteria consistently.

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6. Visual Reporting

Generate visual summaries that make it easy to compare vendors at a glance and communicate results to stakeholders.

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Example: Scoring Major AI Models

Here’s a simplified example of how you might use the scoring model to evaluate major AI platforms:
Evaluation Criteria (Weight)ChatGPT (GPT-4)Claude 3 OpusGemini 1.5 Pro
Technical Capabilities (40%)4.5/5
Strong reasoning and code generation		4.7/5
Superior contextual understanding		4.3/5
Excellent multimodal capabilities
Enterprise Integration (20%)4.2/5
Mature API but limited tools		3.8/5
Strong API but fewer integrations		4.0/5
Good Google Workspace integration
Data Privacy & Security (15%)3.8/5
Enterprise tier available		4.5/5
Industry-leading privacy controls		3.9/5
Strong but evolving enterprise options
Cost Structure (15%)3.5/5
Higher token costs		4.0/5
Competitive pricing		4.2/5
Most economical for high volume
Support & Documentation (10%)4.3/5
Extensive community resources		4.0/5
Strong documentation, smaller community		3.8/5
Good but still developing resources
Weighted Total4.14/54.25/54.09/5
In this example, while all three platforms score well, Claude 3 Opus receives the highest overall score due to its strengths in technical capabilities and data privacy, despite slightly lower scores in enterprise integration.

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Best Practices for Scoring AI Vendors

When implementing your supplier scoring model:
  1. Involve diverse stakeholders to capture different perspectives
  2. Customize criteria for AI-specific concerns like data governance, explainability, and model drift
  3. Test with actual vendor information to validate your scoring methodology
  4. Document score justifications with specific examples and observations
  5. Balance quantitative scores with qualitative insights for a complete evaluation
  6. Re-evaluate weights if initial results don’t align with stakeholder intuition

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How to Use This Template

To create your own supplier scoring model:
  1. Navigate to your Kowalah project dashboard
  2. Select “Supplier Selection” from the buying stages
  3. Choose “Help me develop a supplier scoring model”
  4. Follow the guided conversation to customize your model
  5. Share the completed model with your buying team for alignment
  6. Apply the model during vendor evaluations
  7. Generate a final scoring report to support your decision
This structured approach helps ensure that your AI vendor selection process is methodical, comprehensive, and defensible.

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Next Steps

To use this template in Kowalah:
  1. Navigate to the “Supplier Selection” stage
  2. Select “Help me develop a supplier scoring model”
  3. Answer the guided questions about your specific evaluation criteria
  4. Customize the generated model to fit your organization’s priorities
  5. Share with your buying team to ensure alignment before vendor evaluations

Vendor Meeting Template

Ready to meet with potential vendors? Use our Vendor Meeting template to plan your agenda and questions.