Fair comparisons under deadline
A practical sequence for vendor or build-vs-buy comparisons when leadership wants an answer this week.
Deadlines compress honesty. Resist building a giant scorecard on day one. Agree on four axes maximum: integration cost, operational burden, observability, and change risk. Anything else waits for a second pass.
Score only what evidence supports. If a vendor claim lacks a demo, log, or reference customer you can verify, leave the cell blank and say so in the brief.
Our comparison fairness clinic drills this sequence until it feels ordinary—even when the room wants a dramatic winner.