vendor-evaluation
Evaluate, select, and contract with vendors and SaaS tools. Use this skill when comparing alternatives, running an RFP, scoring vendors against criteria, negotiating contracts, planning a switch, or assessing a vendor's risk. Triggers on vendor evaluation, RFP, vendor selection, build vs buy, SaaS evaluation, vendor scorecard, vendor comparison, contract negotiation, vendor switch, procurement. Also triggers when a renewal is coming up or when a tool isn't meeting expectations.
Profile →npx skills add rampstackco/claude-skills --skill vendor-evaluation --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Vendor Evaluation Pick the right tool or service, negotiate fair terms, and avoid the lock-in traps. Stack-agnostic. Applies to SaaS, infrastructure providers, agencies, and any external dependency. --- ## When to use - Selecting a tool or vendor for a new need - Evaluating alternatives to a current vendor - Build vs buy analysis - Renewal coming up: should we stay or switch? - Running a formal RFP or RFI - Comparing finalists in a vendor selection - Negotiating a contract - Assessing vendor risk (financial, security, dependency) ## When NOT to use - General cost reduction (use `cost-optimization`) - Specific contract legal terms (those go to legal) - Performance issues with an existing vendor (try fixing before switching) - Hiring an agency for a one-off project (lighter framework needed) --- ## Required inputs - The need (what problem are you solving, what would success look like) - Constraints (budget, timeline, integration requirements) - Stakeholders (users, IT, security, finance, legal) - Existing context (what's already used, what's been tried) - Compliance requirements --- ## The framework: 5 phases A structured vendor evaluation. Skip phases at your peril. ### Phase 1: D
- When to use
- When NOT to use
- Required inputs
- The framework: 5 phases
- Phase 1: Define the need
- Phase 2: Build vs buy
- Phase 3: Generate the shortlist
- Phase 4: Score the finalists
- Phase 5: Negotiate
- Workflow
- Step 1: Define the need
- Step 2: Build vs buy
- Step 3: Generate shortlist
- Step 4: Run demos and trials
What does the vendor-evaluation skill do?
Evaluate, select, and contract with vendors and SaaS tools. Use this skill when comparing alternatives, running an RFP, scoring vendors against criteria, negotiating contracts, planning a switch, or assessing a vendor's risk. Triggers on vendor evaluation, RFP, vendor selection, build vs buy, SaaS evaluation, vendor scorecard, vendor comparison, contract negotiation, vendor switch, procurement. Also triggers when a renewal is coming up or when a tool isn't meeting expectations.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add rampstackco/claude-skills --skill vendor-evaluation --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From rampstackco/claude-skills, a repository with 515 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.