How to build a weighted supplier scorecard
Choose criteria, set weights, normalise fairly and read the result as a decision aid.
A weighted scorecard turns a mix of prices, lead times and judgement scores into one comparable number per supplier. Done well, it makes decisions faster and easier to defend.
1. Start with pass/fail gates
Mandatory requirements — certifications, legal registration, minimum capacity — are checked first. Only compliant suppliers are scored.
2. Choose a short list of criteria
Typical criteria are price, lead time, quality, delivery performance, communication, payment terms, warranty and risk. Five to eight criteria are usually enough.
3. Agree weights before seeing offers
Weights reflect what matters for this purchase. A critical spare part may weight lead time and reliability heavily; a commodity may weight price.
4. Normalise correctly
Criteria use different units, so convert each to a 0–1 scale:
- Higher is better (quality, warranty): score = value ÷ best value.
- Lower is better (price, lead time, MOQ): score = best value ÷ value.
The min–max method spreads differences more widely; whichever you choose, use it consistently.
5. Read results with judgement
Small differences (for example 81.2 vs 80.9) are effectively a tie. Check how the ranking changes if weights move slightly, and confirm with samples, audits and references.
The ProcureBest supplier evaluation tool applies these rules and shows each supplier's strengths and weaknesses.