40-Point Systems Integration Evaluation Checklist
Score integrators on team continuity, support commitments, and pricing transparency. Surface change-order traps and bait-and-switch staffing patterns before you sign.
Scoring Framework
Rate each answer 1 to 5 based on specificity and depth. Integrators that consistently score below the midpoint tend to underdeliver, usually because the gaps in team transparency, technical depth, and pricing detail compound across the project.
Evaluation Criteria
Implementation Team Quality and Continuity
30% weightEvaluates the actual people who will work on your project, their experience levels, availability commitments, and team stability through the implementation window.
Sample Questions
- Can you meet the specific project manager and lead consultant who will run your implementation, before signing?
- How many similar implementations has the proposed team lead completed in the last 18 months?
- What's the team's retention rate during six-month projects, and who are the named backups if someone leaves?
- Will any of the people in this sales process be hands-on during implementation, in writing?
- Can you see LinkedIn profiles and platform certifications for the proposed implementation team?
Technical Capabilities and Platform Expertise
25% weightAssesses platform depth, current version expertise, integration capabilities, and the ability to handle complex technical requirements beyond template configuration.
Sample Questions
- Can they demo live problem-solving by modifying a workflow during the meeting, rather than running a rehearsed script?
- What platform version do they implement, and can they demo a feature released in the last six months?
- Can they walk through their integration monitoring setup (built on Boomi, Workato, MuleSoft, or comparable tooling) and show actual failure alerting?
- How do they validate data migration, and what does their accuracy guarantee process look like in practice?
- Can they show technical documentation from a recent custom development project, not a sample?
Support and Post-Launch Commitment
20% weightMeasures post-go-live commitment, including response times, resolution metrics, ongoing support quality, and adoption assistance during the first 90 days.
Sample Questions
- What's the average P1 response time during the 90 days post-go-live, with actual metrics from recent projects?
- How do they measure user adoption, and what's the remediation process when active usage runs below target?
- Can they show support ticket resolution statistics from the last several implementations?
- What support is included in the base contract versus billed as additional consulting?
- Is a dedicated support team assigned for the first 90 days, named in the SOW?
Pricing Transparency and Contract Terms
15% weightEvaluates honest pricing practices, change-order fairness, scope definition clarity, and contract terms that protect against predatory overruns.
Sample Questions
- Can they break down the 'standard configuration' line item task by task, with specific deliverables?
- What share of users typically need advanced licenses, and can they show the feature comparison?
- Can they provide three concrete examples of what triggers change-order charges in their contract?
- What training is included in base pricing versus billed separately at daily consulting rates?
- How are scope changes priced, and what are the hourly rates for additional work relative to the original blended rate?
Track Record and Reference Quality
10% weightAssesses recent implementation success, candor about failures, and willingness to provide fresh references from comparable projects.
Sample Questions
- Can they provide three client references from implementations completed in the last six months, not from older case studies?
- Will they walk through their worst recent implementation failure and the process changes that came out of it?
- What's their average project timeline versus original estimate for companies of comparable size?
- Can they show before-and-after metrics from recent implementations demonstrating actual ROI rather than activity dashboards?
- How many clients in your industry and size range have they implemented in the last year?
Get the IT / Systems Integration evaluation framework
Scoring criteria, weight benchmarks, and sample questions for your vendor evaluation, sent to your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Get a complete RFP with these criteria built in, plus requirements, vendor questionnaire, and professional formatting.
Related Resources
Buying Something Else Too?
IT Outsourcing
Generate Your Evaluation with AI
Get a complete RFP with these criteria built in, plus requirements, vendor questionnaire, and professional formatting.