A weighted scorecard for comparing ERP, EDI and inventory vendors on the same terms. The point is not the numbers. It is making every vendor answer the same questions, in the same words, before anyone falls for a demo.
The suggested weights below suit a wholesale-led apparel brand. A brand that is mostly direct-to-consumer would move weight from EDI towards ecommerce and integrations. Adjust them, but adjust them first.
Seven criteria, weighted to total 100.
| Criterion | Weight | What to ask | A strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel structure | 20 | Show a style with eight colours and seven sizes. How many records does it create? What happens when we add a colour mid-season? | One style record, one edit to add a colour, prepacks and seasons handled natively |
| EDI and retailer coverage | 20 | Is EDI built in or separate? Which of our retailers are live today? Who does the work when a routing guide changes, and is it billable? | Named retailers live now, a clear owner for spec changes, cost stated in writing |
| Implementation | 15 | Who runs our implementation? How many apparel brands have they taken live this year? Employees or subcontractors? | Named people, recent apparel go-lives, a written plan and timeline |
| Three-year cost | 15 | Total cost over three years including implementation, EDI, per-order charges, modules and twenty more users. What is excluded? | One number in writing, exclusions listed, no surprises at renewal |
| Integrations | 10 | How do Shopify, the 3PL or warehouse, accounting and any dropship platform connect? Native or through middleware? | Native where it matters, one inventory position across channels |
| Reporting and data access | 10 | Can we get margin by style and channel without exporting? Can our team query the data through AI tools? | Answers on screen, landed cost included, structured data an assistant can read |
| References | 10 | Can we speak to a brand our size that went live in the last twelve months? | A recent, similar-sized brand, not the showcase customer |
Weighted score for each criterion is the score multiplied by the weight. The maximum total is 500. The total matters less than the gaps: a vendor that scores 5 on everything except EDI may still be the wrong choice for a wholesale brand.
A spreadsheet version with the weights and formulas built in, ready for three vendors side by side, is available on request. Book a call or use the contact form and we will send it over.
We write the requirements, run the RFP and score the responses against your real order patterns. If the right answer is the system you already have, we will say so.
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