Software Vendor Scorecard
Compare two to six development agencies on criteria built for software projects: set the weights, score each vendor from 1 to 5 and get a ranking, a chart and red flags in one document.
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TL;DR: A software vendor scorecard turns your impressions of development agencies into a weighted score you can defend in front of a CFO or a board. Set the weights, score each shortlisted vendor from 1 to 5, and the tool ranks them, draws a chart and flags any critical weak spot. It runs in your browser and exports to Excel with live formulas.
Most scorecard templates online come from procurement: on-time delivery, defect rates, invoice accuracy. That works for buying pallets, not for hiring a team to build your product. This one is built for the decision you face before signing with a studio for custom software development or bringing in dedicated development teams: who will actually write the code, how they estimate, and who owns the result.
Use it once your shortlist is down to a handful of names. A long list of twenty agencies needs a quick filter first; a scorecard is for the final two to six.
What should a software vendor scorecard include?
A software vendor scorecard should cover delivery capability first and commercial terms second. The default set has twelve criteria:
- Relevant experience and case studies, team qualifications, technical approach;
- Quality and detail of the estimate, price, timeline;
- Communication and time zone; processes: QA, CI/CD, reporting;
- Security and NDA, support after launch, IP and code ownership terms, reviews and ratings.
Ready sets swap in criteria for the type of project. The mobile set asks about App Store and Google Play publishing and testing on real devices. Web and SaaS adds architecture, scalability and DevOps. The startup MVP set rewards speed to the first release and flexibility when scope changes, while the enterprise set looks at integration with existing systems, audit trail and the vendor's financial stability. You can rename, delete or add criteria, up to twenty.
How do you weight vendor evaluation criteria?
Weight the criteria before you score anyone, and give most of the weight to the two or three that would make you walk away. Setting weights after the demos invites bias: people quietly raise whatever their favourite vendor is good at. A useful sanity check is price: if it outweighs experience and team combined, you are buying the cheapest estimate rather than the best outcome. The sliders keep the total at 100%, so raising one weight lowers the others.
How is the weighted score calculated?
Each score from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) is multiplied by the criterion's weight, and the products are added up, so the weighted score is out of 5. Here is a shortened example with six criteria and three agencies:
| Criterion | Weight | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relevant experience and case studies | 25% | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Team qualifications | 20% | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Technical approach | 15% | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Quality and detail of the estimate | 10% | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Price | 20% | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Communication and time zone | 10% | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Weighted score (of 5) | 100% | 3.75 | 3.85 | 3.30 |
Vendor B leads, but only by 0.10. When the top two are within 0.25 points, the tool calls it a tie: decide on technical interviews, client references or a short paid trial task. Vendor C is the cheapest and still finishes last, with a red flag on its estimate. Empty cells count as 0, so finish scoring before you read the ranking.
What counts as a red flag?
A red flag is a score of 1 on any criterion that weighs 10% or more, and it shows even when the vendor's total looks fine. In the example, Vendor C's one-line estimate with no breakdown is exactly that. Clear a flag before you sign: ask for the estimate split by phase and role, two client references or a paid trial task. To dig into the numbers themselves, run the proposal through our quote review.
How is this different from a supplier performance scorecard?
A supplier performance scorecard tracks an existing vendor over months with delivery KPIs; a vendor selection scorecard compares candidates once, before a contract exists. That is why there are no on-time delivery percentages here. Instead you judge evidence you can collect during a tender: case studies, the CVs of the proposed team, the structure of the estimate, the draft contract. If you are still unsure whether to outsource at all, compare the options with team vs outsource first.
What do you get in the export?
The main export is an XLSX file with live formulas: change a weight in column B or any score, and percentages, totals, ranks and red flags recalculate in Excel or Google Sheets. Your notes go to a separate sheet, so the reasoning behind every score travels with the file. PDF, CSV, DOCX and Markdown are there too, along with copy to clipboard. If you wrote your request with the RFP generator in the same browser, one click imports its evaluation criteria and weights. Not sure whether a quoted rate is fair? Check it against developer rates by country and seniority.
FAQ
What is a vendor scorecard for software projects?
It is a table where every shortlisted development agency is scored on the same criteria, and each score is multiplied by a weight. The result shows the overall leader and where each vendor is weak.
How many vendors should I compare?
Two to six. With one there is nothing to compare, and beyond six the scores turn into guesswork, so shortlist first and score second.
What scale does the scorecard use?
Every criterion is scored from 1 to 5: poor, weak, adequate, good, excellent. Add a note to any score that needs a reason; it goes into the report.
Can I change the weights later in Excel?
Yes. The XLSX keeps live formulas, so editing a weight in column B or any score recalculates percentages, totals, ranks and red flags.
Can I reuse the criteria from my RFP?
Yes. If you built an RFP with our RFP generator in the same browser, one click imports its evaluation criteria and weights.
What if two vendors end up with almost the same score?
If the top two are within 0.25 points, the report treats it as a tie. Settle it with a technical interview, reference calls or a short paid trial task.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Vendor names, scores and notes stay in this browser until you fill in the form and press “send” yourself.
Why is YuSMP not in the list of vendors?
Adding ourselves to the comparison in our own tool would not be fair. If you want a second opinion, send us your shortlist and we will suggest what to ask each vendor.