For services buyers

Build a three-firm shortlist

A working method for getting from a vague mandate to three firms worth an hour each, using only what is on this site.

Before you start

The most expensive mistake in AI procurement is shortlisting on brand rather than on the specific capability you need. Every step below is designed to stop that.

The five steps

Step 1 · Name the area, not the outcome.

“We want AI in supply chain” is not buyable. “We need demand forecasting for 40,000 SKUs with promotional lift” is. Pick one area and write one sentence.

Step 2 · Filter the matrix by that column.

Take only the filled marks. That removes firms that position in the area without evidence, which is usually half the list.

Step 3 · Split by delivery model, not by size.

Pick one integrator, one specialist and one product firm. Three firms of the same type will give you three versions of the same answer.

Step 4 · Run the area questions on the first call.

The guides for each area carry the questions worth asking. They are designed to be answerable live, and the speed of the answer tells you more than the content.

Step 5 · Run the SOW questions before redlining.

Scope, ownership, handover, exit. Most disputes trace to one of those four being unwritten.

A worked example

Say you need agentic AI for claims intake. The directory currently lists 9 firms assessed in that area, of which 8 carry a full coverage mark rather than a partial one. Split those by delivery model, ask each the same opening question, “show me a run that failed”, and you have comparable answers from different business models in about three hours of calls.

What we cannot tell you

Whether a firm will do good work for you specifically. Delivery quality depends on the team assigned, not the logo, and no directory can price that. What this site can do is stop you shortlisting on reputation, and make sure the firms you talk to have actually been assessed in the thing you are buying.

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