Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Prepared by Jane Doe, ITS
Last Edited February 9, 2016
PLAN
REQUIREMENTS
SOLUTION
ANALYSIS
DESIGN
BUILD
TEST
TRAIN/DEPLOY MAINTENANCE
Solution Evaluation Summary
The Solution Evaluation Summary 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 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
Include a description of 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 down-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 address
additional criteria that may have not been considered during the Research Summary stage.
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
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Project Name
Document Version 1.0
and should remain as part of 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.
Evaluate Costs
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
Estimated Total Implementation
Costs
Maintenance Cost (annually)
Hardware/Hosting
Software License
Maintenance
Technical Support
Training
Estimated Total Annual Costs
Product 1
Product 2
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Detailed Recommendation
Document a detailed recommendation of the product or solution determined by the comparative
analysis. 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.
Solution Evaluation Summary
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Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Revision History
Version
Date
Updater Name
V1
Solution Evaluation Summary
Description
Initial draft completed.
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