Vendor Evaluation & Due Diligence
Verified@1kalin
npx machina-cli add skill @1kalin/afrexai-vendor-eval --openclawVendor Evaluation & Due Diligence
Structured framework for evaluating software vendors, service providers, and technology partners before signing contracts.
What This Does
Runs a systematic vendor assessment across 8 dimensions:
- Financial Stability — Revenue signals, funding, burn rate indicators
- Technical Fit — Architecture compatibility, integration complexity, API quality
- Security & Compliance — SOC2, ISO27001, GDPR, data residency
- Pricing Analysis — TCO modeling, hidden costs, contract traps
- Reference Check — Customer sentiment, G2/Capterra scores, churn signals
- Support Quality — SLA terms, response times, escalation paths
- Vendor Lock-in Risk — Data portability, switching costs, proprietary dependencies
- Roadmap Alignment — Product direction vs. your needs over 12-36 months
How to Use
Tell your agent:
- "Evaluate [vendor] for [use case]"
- "Compare [vendor A] vs [vendor B] for our [need]"
- "Run due diligence on [company] before we sign"
The agent will research the vendor using web search and produce a scored evaluation report with a GO / CAUTION / NO-GO recommendation.
Scoring
Each dimension scores 1-10. Overall score is weighted:
- Technical Fit & Security: 2x weight
- Pricing & Lock-in: 1.5x weight
- All others: 1x weight
Thresholds:
- 75+ = GO (proceed with negotiation)
- 50-74 = CAUTION (address gaps before committing)
- Below 50 = NO-GO (find alternatives)
Output Format
## Vendor Evaluation: [Name]
**Use Case:** [What you're buying]
**Date:** [Assessment date]
**Overall Score:** [X/100] — [GO/CAUTION/NO-GO]
### Dimension Scores
| Dimension | Score | Key Finding |
|-----------|-------|-------------|
| Financial Stability | X/10 | ... |
| Technical Fit | X/10 | ... |
| ... | ... | ... |
### Critical Risks
- [List dealbreakers or major concerns]
### Negotiation Leverage
- [Points to push on in contract talks]
### Recommendation
[Final verdict with reasoning]
Instructions for Agent
When asked to evaluate a vendor:
- Search the web for: "[vendor] reviews", "[vendor] pricing", "[vendor] SOC2", "[vendor] alternatives", "[vendor] G2 reviews"
- Check for recent funding/layoff news
- Look at their API documentation quality
- Find contract terms and SLA information
- Score each dimension with evidence
- Produce the evaluation report
- Flag any dealbreakers prominently
Be direct. Companies hide bad news — dig for it. A vendor that looks perfect probably isn't. Find the tradeoffs.
For comparative evaluations, use the same framework side-by-side with a clear winner per dimension.
Overview
Provides a structured eight-dimension framework to evaluate software vendors, service providers, and partners before signing contracts. It combines financial stability, technical fit, security, pricing, references, support, lock-in risk, and roadmap alignment into a weighted GO/CAUTION/NO-GO verdict.
How This Skill Works
Scores each dimension on a 1-10 scale and applies explicit weights (Technical Fit & Security = 2x, Pricing & Lock-in = 1.5x, others = 1x). Uses web research, API quality checks, SLA terms, and documented evidence to generate a Vendor Evaluation report with an overall score, dimension details, critical risks, negotiation leverage, and a GO/CAUTION/NO-GO recommendation.
When to Use It
- Before signing contracts with a software vendor
- When evaluating multiple vendors for a specific use case
- During due diligence on a potential technology partner
- To surface pricing traps, hidden costs, and lock-in risks
- When preparing a leadership-ready go/no-go decision
Quick Start
- Step 1: Tell your agent to evaluate [vendor] for [use case]
- Step 2: Research across eight dimensions and collect evidence from sources
- Step 3: Review the GO/CAUTION/NO-GO report and plan negotiation
Best Practices
- Score each dimension 1-10 using concrete evidence from vendor docs, reviews, and terms
- Prioritize Technical Fit and Security in the scoring as they carry heavier weights
- Verify SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliance and data residency as applicable
- Highlight dealbreakers and red flags prominently in the Critical Risks section
- Use the same framework for side-by-side comparisons to ensure fair decisions
Example Use Cases
- Evaluating a cloud CRM vendor before procurement
- Comparing AI model hosting platforms for data residency and security
- Assessing a security services provider’s SLAs and incident response
- Running due diligence on a data integration partner with a multi-year roadmap
- Uncovering hidden costs and contract traps in enterprise software licensing
