Every vendor demo looks good. The data is perfect, the screens are fast and the presenter knows exactly where to click. A week later the team cannot remember which system did what, and the decision goes to whoever spoke last. A demo scorecard restores order. It makes vendors show the same things in the same way and lets your team compare evidence, not impressions.
Step 1: write three to five real scenarios
Choose the situations that hurt today. For a trading company, for example: raise a quotation with a customer-specific price, convert it to an order with a partial delivery, issue a tax invoice, receive a payment and show the customer statement. For a service company: book a visit, assign a technician, capture the report and bill by contract. Send the scenarios to each vendor in advance and ask them to demonstrate with your sample data. Our project brief template helps you write them.
Step 2: set weighted criteria
| Criterion | Example weight | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Fit with your scenarios | 30% | Done in the standard product, with configuration, or only by custom code |
| UAE requirements | 15% | VAT invoices, Arabic or bilingual documents, local formats |
| Ease of use | 15% | Steps per task, clarity for non-specialists, mobile use |
| Reports and control | 10% | Roles, approvals, audit trail, exports |
| Integration and data | 10% | Import of your data, APIs, connection to accounting and WhatsApp |
| Support and delivery | 10% | Who implements, training, response times, local availability |
| Total cost over three years | 10% | Licences, customization, hosting, support and your staff time |
Adjust the weights to your priorities and agree them before the first demo.
Step 3: score during the session
Each attendee scores independently from one to five immediately after each scenario. Do not discuss scores until everyone has written theirs. Record what is customization, what is configuration and what is a promise for later, because those carry different cost and risk.
Step 4: test the data and the edges
Ask the vendor to import a small sample of your real customers or items. Ask what happens when an invoice is wrong, when a user leaves or when a number needs to be corrected. A system's quality shows in how it handles exceptions. See the data migration guide for what to test.
Step 5: references and a decision record
Speak with two customers of similar size and ask about the first three months, not the sales process. Then write a one-page decision record: scores, risks, open questions and the reason for the choice. It protects the decision later and helps new managers understand it. For the commercial side, read ERP cost and pricing models.
If you want us in the comparison, send your scenarios and we will show them on your data.