The operator's worksheet
The 27-Question AI Vendor Scorecard
A polished demo is not due diligence. Compare vendors on business evidence, operating fit, risk, total cost, and your ability to leave.
01
Business case
Define the workflow, baseline, target, owner, and cost of inaction.
02
Proof
Demand evidence in your workflow with success and failure criteria.
03
Security and data
Verify data use, retention, access, controls, and contractual rights.
04
Total economics
Model implementation, review, integration, operation, and scale.
05
Adoption and control
Test human ownership, review, monitoring, permissions, and change.
06
Exit
Protect portability, termination support, deletion, and switching rights.
Includes scoring guidance, non-negotiable flags, evidence fields, and an executive decision-memo outline.
Built to produce a decision—not another demo.
Use it before a proof of value, during contract review, and again before scaling. Critical data, security, and exit failures remain disqualifying, regardless of the total score.
Read the complete vendor-selection guide