Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Prepared by Jane Doe, ITS
Last Edited March 23, 2016
PLAN
REQUIREMENTS
SOLUTION
ANALYSIS
DESIGN
BUILD
TEST
TRAIN/DEPLOY MAINTENANCE
TO THE DOCUMENT OWNER: This template is provided as a guideline and resource. The structure and instructions
give detail about what might go into a completed document. Only you and your team, however, know what will
best fit the needs of your specific effort, and you are encouraged to adapt the template as appropriate to meet
those needs.
Solution Evaluation Summary
The Solution Evaluation Summary is used for governance presentation after the procurement and
evaluation processes have been completed. It provides an overview of the research and data gathered
for a narrowed selection of products or solutions and documents the project team's solution
recommendation. The Solution Evaluation Summary will be used to present the research methodology,
the procurement process, and results to project stakeholders for approval of a final recommendation; see
also the Product Selection Methodology at http://www.utexas.edu/its/projects/selection.php. The
process outlined in this document has been aligned to the steps in the methodology.
Executive Summary
Provide an overview of the results and/or recommendation(s) across all activities performed during the
evaluation. Include the research methods that led to each recommendation.
Evaluation Methodology
Based on the directions that were given by the Purchasing department, describe the approach used at
this time to evaluate the selected products or solutions, as well as the reasons behind the methods that
were chosen. For example, did the team install the product, attend a demonstration, or request more
information from other customers? The team should remember to consider multiple implementation
factors, such as security, authentication, or accessibility.
Detailed Comparative Analysis
As in the Research Summary, a detailed comparative analysis of selected solutions, products, and/or
services is required. Here, the team should explore the products and requirements in more depth. The
comparative analysis should include an expanded set of evaluation requirements that have been
determined by Purchasing and the Evaluation Team. Criteria such as adherence to security and
accessibility standards should be reviewed as well. The Information Security Office and the accessibility
team in ITS Applications may be able to assist in these assessments.
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Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Other criteria which may be worthy of inclusion and documentation include:
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Will the product require changes to existing business processes? If so, what changes, at roughly
what cost, and how closely has this been reviewed?
How will product upgrades be handled? Are there costs associated with upgrading? Who will
determine the timing of upgrades?
What product support options are available? What are the costs and criteria for different levels
of support?
What documentation is available for the product? Is there a strong user community or other
source of assistance for product questions and problems?
For a proprietary product, what is the risk that the product will be discontinued, e.g., in five or
ten years? How stable is the provider company, e.g., in terms of finances, age, product
adoption?
Detailed Evaluation Results
Describe the results of the research completed. For each research method used, document the most
important take-away points or results, summarizing the results into categories that can be shared across
the products or solutions. Provide a summary of how each solution or product measured against the
requirements.
The Requirements tab from the Requirements and Traceability Template should be used to form an
evaluation template, removing unnecessary columns. Columns such as Priority will help in prioritization
and should be used in the evaluation. Additional columns should be added to capture how each product
or solution meets, partially meets, or does not meet the requirements. Alternatively, there are other
approaches that the team can use, such as using Harvey Balls
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Balls) to summarize the different levels of comparison. For
proprietary and open source solutions, indicate the difference between criteria which are met out of the
box, which require configuration (using built-in product configuration options), and which require
customization (new code will be developed or existing code will be modified). It may also be helpful to
indicate a rough sizing for customization work, if possible.
Evaluate Costs
From the vendor quotes that that were analyzed by Purchasing and the Evaluation Team, develop an
estimate of cost for the solution or product, including license, software maintenance/support, hardware,
personnel, long-term maintenance, etc. A sample table is provided below.
Implementation Cost (one time)
Hardware/Hosting
Software License
Features/Enhancements
Configuration/Customization
Technical Support
Training
Solution Evaluation Summary
Product 1
Product 2
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
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Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Estimated Total Implementation
Costs
Maintenance Cost (annually)
Hardware/Hosting
Software License
Maintenance
Technical Support
Training
Estimated Total Annual Costs
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
$_,___
Detailed Recommendation
Document a detailed recommendation of the product or solution determined by the comparative analysis
and the procurement process. Provide a summary of results found, including advantages and
disadvantages of the recommended product or solution. For any alternatives to be considered if the
primary recommendation is not available, also document details and criteria for selection over the
primary recommendation.
Risks
Document all risks identified during the evaluation. An example risk could be that there is an inconsistent
software release schedule or that accessibility testing was not completed during the evaluation.
Appendix
Include detailed research results as appropriate. This should include the Evaluation Requirements Matrix.
Revision History
Version
Date
Updater Name
V1
Solution Evaluation Summary
Description
Initial draft completed.
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