Choosing on fit, not on demo
Vendor Review & Selection
A structured selection process with clear criteria, real scorecards and a TCO calculation that looks beyond the license fee. So your choice holds up, even two years from now.
experience, impact ↓
20+ years experience
AI in Europe
European brands already running AI in production.
Not my clients. Examples of what happens once AI moves past the pilot stage.
- Klarna
Sweden
AI customer service assistant
- Zalando
Germany
Fashion assistant for product advice
- Financial services
Investment firm
AI strategy and use-case portfolio
- Booking.com
Netherlands
AI Trip Planner for travel planning
- Siemens
Germany
Industrial Copilot for engineering
- Retail
Enterprise retailer
AI-driven vendor selection
- Spotify
Sweden
AI DJ and personalized playlists
- Mercedes-Benz
Germany
Generative voice assistant in the car
- Industrial / B2B
International manufacturer
AI roadmap and leadership
- ING
Netherlands
Generative chatbot for customer queries
- L'Oréal
France
Beauty Genius: personalized advice
- Financial services
Financial services firm
KYC accelerated with AI document analysis
- SAP
Germany
Joule: copilot in business software
- Carrefour
France
Hopla: grocery shopping assistant
- Strategy & AI
SaaS scale-up
AI readiness assessment
- Adyen
Netherlands
AI-driven payment optimization
- Philips
Netherlands
AI in medical imaging
- Proces & productivity
Professional services firm
Internal AI assistant for knowledge workers
Depends on the number of vendors (2 to 4). Amounts exclude VAT and travel expenses.
What does a Vendor Review deliver and what does it cost?
Vendor Review from Dave Willemstein is an independent selection process for organizations choosing an AI vendor and needing to explain that choice afterward. The result is a substantiated selection advice with scorecards, a three-year TCO comparison and a decision document for procurement and the board. The process takes 3-6 weeks and costs €9,800 - €15,400, excluding VAT and travel expenses.
What determines the price of a Vendor Review?
€9,800 - €15,400 for Vendor Review depends on the number of vendors assessed, typically 2 to 4.
When is a Vendor Review less suitable?
Vendor Review is less suitable if the vendor is effectively already chosen and the organization wants a justification after the fact.
Source: Dave Willemstein's rates and typical timelines. Updated: .
Why this comes up
Where selection processes go wrong
- The criteria get written after the favorite is already known.
- Demos get judged on presentation quality instead of fit with your data and processes.
- The TCO comparison stops at license costs and ignores integration, management and exit.
- References get called, but only the references the vendor hands you.
How it works
Criteria first, vendors after. Never the other way around.
Criteria & longlist
Weighting factors set with business, IT and procurement before we look at the market. Longlist built on fit, not brand recognition.
Structured evaluation
Every vendor gets the same scenario with your data, the same questionnaire and the same time. Scorecards are filled in independently and discussed afterward.
Validation & TCO
Use-case validation on real data, reference checks outside the vendor-supplied list, and a three-year TCO including integration, management and exit costs.
Decision & negotiation
One substantiated recommendation, a decision document that clears procurement, and support at the negotiating table.
What you get
Concrete. Clear.
Immediately usable.
- Weighting framework and scorecards, filled in and traceable
- Longlist, shortlist and final assessment with reasoning at each cut
- Three-year TCO comparison, including integration, management and exit costs
- Risk analysis: vendor lock-in, data processing, model dependency, continuity
- Reference report based on independent research
- Decision document procurement and the board can use directly
Best fit for
Organizations that:
- Processes where multiple internal parties favor different options
- Purchases where the choice needs to be explainable afterward
- Organizations that bought the wrong tool before and do not want a repeat
Less suitable if
- If the vendor is effectively already chosen and you want a justification after the fact
The rhythm underneath
From insight
to impact.
Every engagement runs through the same four decision points. Only the depth per step differs.
More on my approach →Diagnose
What are we actually trying to solve?
Prioritize
Which use cases earn money, time and attention?
Decide
Build, buy or partner, and why?
Ship & govern
How do we make sure it actually lands?
An enterprise retailer chose an AI partner for demand forecasting. The selection process saved €1.1M in three-year TCO, largely because the cheapest license turned out to have the most expensive integration.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to what you are thinking now.
Can I reuse your scorecards myself?
Yes. The framework is yours afterward, including the weightings and the completed assessments. I do not deliver a black box.
Do you have relationships with vendors?
I know the market, so I know the players. But I do not receive a fee from any vendor. If I have worked with a party in the past two years, I disclose that before that party makes the longlist.
What if no vendor fits?
Then that is the advice. It is not unusual for the conclusion to be that building it yourself, or waiting, is wiser than buying.
More questions about working together, rates or procurement? See all frequently asked questions →
Ready for impact?
Book a call.
30 minutes. No pitch deck. Just a good conversation about your situation.