2.3: What Business Criteria should I use when Shortlisting Test and Release Partners?
Author: Nessta Jones, Lead Strategy & Resource Manager, Afor
Outline
Use a seven-point scorecard, not day-rate, to compare vendors – Automation IP, Release-Train pedigree, Knowledge transfer, Sector references, Security posture, Open-source stance, Local support.
Weight what matters most to your strategy – Heavily score criteria that shrink quality debt or mitigate board-level risk; treat convenience features lightly.
Demand data, not demos – Issue a focused RFP, then run a two-week PoC inside your own pipeline to capture pass rate, runtime and defect escape metrics.
Translate qualitative answers into numbers – Multiply 0-5 scores by strategic weightings for a transparent, defensible total out of 100.
Background
“I’ve spent the past three decades turning testing chaos into release confidence for organisations as diverse as New Zealand’s tier-one banks, national utilities, and high-growth SaaS start-ups. From my early days wrangling Test Director on mainframe programmes to guiding today’s AI-driven pipelines, one truth has never changed – the partner you choose will either accelerate every future release or quietly tax it with hidden licence fees and brittle scripts.
Seeing procurement teams struggle to compare like-for-like proposals is what led me to co-found Afor. My mission is to give decision-makers an objective scorecard that measures capability, cultural fit, and future-proofing – not just day-rate. In this article I’ll share the seven criteria I use when I’m on the buyer’s side of the table, so your next Test Management and Release Engineering partner becomes a catalyst for innovation, not a cost centre.”
— Nessta Jones, Lead Strategy & Resource Manager, Afor
Introduction
Taking time to review who to choose as a test and release partner is always time well spent
Selecting the wrong test-management and release-engineering partner is not a minor inconvenience – it can lock your organisation into tooling dead ends, perpetual licence fees, and brittle processes that stall every future release.
While price per day is easy to compare, it rarely predicts success. The smart move is to apply a transparent, evidence-based framework that weighs technical depth, delivery pedigree, and knowledge-transfer commitment against your strategic objectives.
Use the criteria and practical tools below to build a vendor-agnostic shortlist that gives your business confidence long after the contract is signed.
1. Seven Non-Negotiable Criteria for Your Scorecard
Tip for evaluators:
Weight criteria 1-3 more heavily if your mandate is to scale test automation rapidly; weight 4-5 if auditability and cyber-resilience dominate the brief.
2. Example RFP Question Set
Use these questions verbatim or adapt them to your governance template:
Automation Framework
Describe the IP underpinning your automation framework, including language, licensing, and the largest test-suite volume successfully executed.
Release Governance
Provide two examples where your Release Train Management reduced mean time to recover (MTTR) after production incidents.
Capability Uplift
Outline your knowledge-transfer approach: artifacts delivered, training hours provided, and competency metrics tracked.
Security & Compliance
Detail how security testing integrates into your pipeline and the certifications your organisation holds.
Referenceability
Supply at least two contacts in sectors with similar compliance obligations who can validate benefits realised.
Open-Source Policy
List the open-source components in your toolchain, their licences, and how you manage vulnerabilities.
Service Delivery Model
Specify the on-shore/off-shore ratio, escalation path, and maximum response times for critical issues.
3. Running a Value-Based Proof of Concept (PoC)
A PoC eliminates guesswork. Structure it to mirror a typical release slice and focus on measurable outcomes.
Define Success Early
Select two critical user journeys and one integration flow; agree target metrics (e.g. regression runtime < 4 hours, zero flaky tests).
Fix the Time Box
Two-week limit keeps cost manageable and exposes a vendor’s ability to mobilise.
Mirror Production Toolchain
Use your own source-control, pipeline, and cloud account to surface integration snags quickly.
Score With Data, Not Demos
Capture metrics: pass rate, execution time, defect escape count, PoC documentation quality.
Debrief With a Playback
Insist on a 60-minute read-out covering what worked, what failed, and a roadmap to scale.
Red flag: Vendors refusing a time-boxed PoC often rely on slideware rather than repeatable delivery.
4. Weighting Scores for Strategic vs Tactical Needs
Procurement often wrestles with how to convert qualitative answers into a ranked list. Try this three-tier weighting matrix:
Multiply each vendor’s raw criterion score (0-5) by the relevant weight, then sum for a total out of 100. The transparent maths keeps conversations factual and defensible.
5. From Scorecard to Shortlist – Practical Steps
Draft Your Scorecard – Populate the seven criteria, definitions, and weightings in a shared spreadsheet.
Issue the RFP – Include the question set above and give vendors five business days to respond.
First Cut – Eliminate any response scoring < 60 % overall or < 50 % in High-weighted criteria.
Conduct PoCs – Run value-based trials with the top two vendors. Capture real metrics.
Executive Playback – Present the comparative scorecard, PoC results, and reference feedback to the steering committee.
Negotiate Commercials – Only now consider price, using capability evidence to justify investment.
Next Steps
Integrate the above scorecard into your upcoming RFP. Invite the two highest-scoring vendors to a controlled PoC and capture objective metrics before commercial negotiations begin.
A disciplined, data-driven approach today prevents costly re-selection tomorrow.
“Seeing procurement teams struggle to compare like-for-like proposals is what led me to co-found Afor. My mission is to give decision-makers an objective scorecard that measures capability, cultural fit, and future-proofing – not just day-rate.”
FAQs - Further reading on how to build capability in Software Test and Release Management
Blog 1: Quality Debt – The Silent Killer Behind Your Release Velocity
Blog 3: What Business Criteria should I use when Shortlisting Test and Release Partners?
Blog 4: From Pilot to Production – Crafting a Risk‑Proof Statement of Work
Blog 5: The First 90 Days – Locking in Wins and Scaling Your New Test & Release Capability
