Vendor Review
Structure a vendor evaluation with TCO, risk, and renewal or replacement recommendations before you sign or renew a contract.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill vendor-reviewWhat is this skill?
- Evaluation framework spans cost (TCO), risk, performance metrics, and strategic fit
- Covers implementation, training, support, and exit or data-migration costs—not license sticker price alone
- Risk lens includes financial stability, compliance, concentration, and contract lock-in
- Supports new evaluation, renewal, and side-by-side vendor comparison modes
- Produces negotiation points and recommendation narrative for procurement sign-off
Adoption & trust: 1.5k installs on skills.sh; 19.6k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
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Journey fit
Primary fit
Validate is the canonical shelf because solo builders most often invoke structured vendor review while scoping spend and commitments before fully committing to build or migrate. Pricing subphase fits procurement decisions, license TCO, and negotiation framing rather than pure market research.
Common Questions / FAQ
Is Vendor Review safe to install?
skills.sh reports 3 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Vendor Review
# /vendor-review > If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md). Evaluate a vendor with structured analysis covering cost, risk, performance, and fit. ## Usage ``` /vendor-review $ARGUMENTS ``` ## What I Need From You - **Vendor name**: Who are you evaluating? - **Context**: New vendor evaluation, renewal decision, or comparison? - **Details**: Contract terms, pricing, proposal document, or current performance data ## Evaluation Framework ### Cost Analysis (Total Cost of Ownership) - Total cost of ownership (not just license fees) - Implementation and migration costs - Training and onboarding costs - Ongoing support and maintenance - Exit costs (data migration, contract termination) ### Risk Assessment - Vendor financial stability - Security and compliance posture - Concentration risk (single vendor dependency) - Contract lock-in and exit terms - Business continuity and disaster recovery ### Performance Metrics - SLA compliance - Support response times - Uptime and reliability - Feature delivery cadence - Customer satisfaction ### Comparison Matrix When comparing vendors, produce a side-by-side matrix covering: pricing, features, integrations, security, support, contract terms, and references. ## Output ```markdown ## Vendor Review: [Vendor Name] **Date:** [Date] | **Type:** [New / Renewal / Comparison] ### Summary [2-3 sentence recommendation] ### Cost Analysis | Component | Annual Cost | Notes | |-----------|-------------|-------| | License/subscription | $[X] | [Per seat, flat, usage-based] | | Implementation | $[X] | [One-time] | | Support/maintenance | $[X] | [Included or add-on] | | **Total Year 1** | **$[X]** | | | **Total 3-Year** | **$[X]** | | ### Risk Assessment | Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation | |------|-----------|--------|------------| | [Risk] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Mitigation] | ### Strengths - [Strength 1] - [Strength 2] ### Concerns - [Concern 1] - [Concern 2] ### Recommendation [Proceed / Negotiate / Pass] — [Reasoning] ### Negotiation Points - [Leverage point 1] - [Leverage point 2] ``` ## If Connectors Available If **~~knowledge base** is connected: - Search for existing vendor evaluations, contracts, and performance reviews - Pull procurement policies and approval thresholds If **~~procurement** is connected: - Pull current contract terms, spend history, and renewal dates - Compare pricing against existing vendor agreements ## Tips 1. **Upload the proposal** — I can extract pricing, terms, and SLAs from vendor documents. 2. **Compare vendors** — "Compare Vendor A vs Vendor B" gets you a side-by-side analysis. 3. **Include current spend** — For renewals, knowing what you pay now helps evaluate price changes.