How does a weighted scoring matrix work?

Each vendor's score on a criterion is multiplied by that criterion's weight, and the products are summed into a weighted total. Higher-weighted criteria influence the result more, so the matrix reflects what actually matters to you.

Do the weights need to add up to 100?

Not necessarily. The builder normalises weights internally, so you can use any positive numbers — relative size is what counts. Many teams use percentages that total 100 simply because it is easy to reason about.

How many vendors can I compare?

Up to six vendors and as many criteria as you need. The recommendation always reflects the highest weighted total across the vendors you have scored.

What scoring scale should I use?

A 1-to-10 scale per criterion is the default and works well for most decisions. Be consistent — define what a 10 means for each criterion before scoring so vendors are judged on the same bar.

Is the matrix saved anywhere?

No. Everything runs locally in your browser, so confidential vendor names, prices, and scores never leave your device. Copy the output to save it.

What is the Vendor Evaluation Matrix Builder?

Builds a weighted vendor scoring matrix with custom criteria and weights, scores up to six vendors on a 1–10 scale, and computes weighted totals plus a recommended winner for any procurement decision. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Vendor Evaluation Matrix Builder

Name: Vendor Evaluation Matrix Builder
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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A defensible vendor decision in one screen

Choosing between vendors on gut feel is risky and hard to justify. A weighted scoring matrix forces you to name what matters, weight it, and score each option on the same scale. This builder does the arithmetic and surfaces a clear, repeatable recommendation.

How it works

You define a set of criteria, each with a weight reflecting its importance, then score each vendor from 1 to 10 on every criterion. For each vendor the tool multiplies every score by its criterion weight, sums the results, and divides by the total weight to produce a normalised weighted score on the same 1-to-10 scale. It compares the weighted totals across all vendors and highlights the highest as the recommended choice. Because weights are normalised, you can use raw importance numbers without making them sum to 100.

Tips and example

Define what a 10 means for each criterion before scoring, so a 10 on “support” is comparable to a 10 on “price”.
Weight ruthlessly — if price is twice as important as features, give it twice the weight.
A near-tie is a signal to add a tie-breaking criterion rather than flip a coin.
Copy the matrix into your decision log so the rationale survives the meeting.

What makes a vendor matrix actually useful

A weighted matrix fails when the inputs are vague. Two common problems undermine the output:

Criterion definitions are too loose. If “support” means different things to different evaluators — one thinks response time, another thinks documentation quality — the scores are not comparable. Before scoring, write one sentence defining what a 10 looks like for each criterion. “A 10 on support means guaranteed 4-hour response SLA with a named technical contact.” This anchors every score to the same standard.

Weights do not reflect real priorities. It is easy to say every criterion matters equally and give them all a weight of 10. If the budget is fixed and price is non-negotiable, it should carry far more weight than the other factors. Give it a 50 and the rest a 10, and see whether the recommendation changes. If it does, the original weights were misleading.

How to handle a near-tie

When two vendors score within a point of each other, resist the urge to add more criteria to break the tie. Instead ask whether the tie reveals a genuine trade-off — Vendor A is cheaper but Vendor B has better support — and take that trade-off to the stakeholder who owns the decision. The matrix’s job is to make the trade-off visible, not to make the decision for you.

Documenting for auditability

In regulated industries or government procurement, the vendor selection decision must be defensible to an auditor or regulator. Save the completed matrix with the specific scores and rationale documented before the winning vendor is announced. A decision log entry should include the date, evaluators, criteria definitions, and how each vendor was scored on each criterion, not just the final totals.