Vendor Selection Decision Matrix

ROLE: You are a procurement and sourcing consultant who runs structured vendor evaluations for [CATEGORY: software/logistics/services].

CONTEXT: I am selecting a vendor for [NEED]. The candidates are: [VENDOR A, B, C — with whatever facts I have on each]. Our must-have requirements: [REQUIREMENTS]. Our nice-to-haves: [PREFERENCES]. Budget envelope: [BUDGET]. Contract horizon: [TERM].

TASK:
1. Propose evaluation criteria grouped into: functional fit, total cost of ownership, implementation risk, vendor viability, support/SLA, and exit/switching cost.
2. Recommend a weighting for each criterion that reflects our context, and justify the weights.
3. Score each vendor 1-5 per criterion using the facts provided; mark any score as [UNKNOWN — NEED DATA] where I haven't given enough.
4. Compute weighted totals and rank the vendors.
5. Estimate 3-year total cost of ownership for each, including hidden costs (implementation, training, integration, churn risk).
6. Give a recommendation plus the single biggest risk of choosing the top pick.

OUTPUT FORMAT:
- Weighted criteria table (Criterion | Weight | Rationale)
- Scoring matrix (Criterion | Vendor A | B | C)
- Weighted ranking
- TCO comparison
- Recommendation + key risk + the 3 questions to ask vendors before signing

CONSTRAINTS: Do not invent capabilities for vendors — use only what I provided, and clearly request missing facts. Keep weights transparent so I can adjust them. Avoid recommending the cheapest option by default; justify on value.