Which vendor product should we choose?
Compatibility matrix + TCO comparison for 3–5 vendors.
| Vendor | F | C | S | A | M | I | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your Infrastructure | L3 | L2 | L3 | L1 | L2 | L2 | |
| Vendor A | BLOCKED | ||||||
| Vendor B | STRETCH | ||||||
| Vendor C | BLOCKED | ||||||
| Vendor D | BLOCKED | ||||||
| Vendor E | STRETCH |
Vendor compatibility mapped to your infrastructure
We assess your context infrastructure, then map vendor product requirements against your actual state. Vendors don't publish CMC requirements. We reverse-engineer them from deployment patterns.
Each vendor is scored on compatibility (can deploy now vs. requires build), required build investment, and 3-year TCO including infrastructure costs they externalize.
Output enables apples-to-apples comparison: not just license cost, but true cost including what you must build to make each vendor's product work.
Your time
4–5 hours (interviews + vendor data)
Our turnaround
3–4 weeks
Week 1
Assessment + Vendor Research
Weeks 2–3
Compatibility Analysis
Week 4
Delivery
Context Profile Assessment
Your infrastructure state (6 dimensions)
Vendor Compatibility Matrix
3–5 vendors assessed against your infrastructure
Per-Vendor Gap Analysis
What each vendor requires vs. what you have
3-Year TCO Model
License + infrastructure build costs per vendor
Timeline to Deployment-Ready
How long to reach deployable state per vendor
Negotiation Brief
Leverage points identified from infrastructure analysis
Vendor requirements are mapped to infrastructure gaps. Testable.
Excerpt from sample vendor evaluation (Customer support platform, 5 vendors)
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership
| Vendor | License (3yr) | Build Cost | Total TCO | Status | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor A | $480K | $0 | $480K | READY | Deploy now |
| Vendor B | $720K | $85K | $805K | STRETCH | 4 months |
| Vendor C | $360K | $220K | $580K | BLOCKED | 10 months |
| Vendor D | $540K | $140K | $680K | STRETCH | 6 months |
| Vendor E | $900K | $0 | $900K | READY | Deploy now |
Recommendation
Vendor A is the lowest true TCO despite mid-range licensing. Deploys on current infrastructure without build investment.
Vendor C appears cheapest on license but requires $220K infrastructure build (Accessibility L1→L3, Integration L2→L3) and 10 months before deployment.
Negotiation Leverage
Vendor B's pricing assumes you have Accessibility L3. You're at L1. Use this to negotiate phased licensing: pay full rate only after infrastructure build completes.
2–3% of vendor 3-year TCO
Typical vendor commitment: $1–3M over 3 years
Floor: $25,000
Range: $30,000 – $90,000
Additional factors that may adjust pricing: