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Aavenir Atlas early access is open Contractflow on the ServiceNow Store since 2019 Runs on ServiceNow, or standalone ProcureTech100 2025/26 Pioneering Digital Solution ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified, SOC 2 Type 2 compliant

Glossary

What are vendor ratings?

Vendor ratings, or supplier ratings, are scores or grades given to suppliers through a formal evaluation of measures such as price, quality and delivery.

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How vendor ratings work

The buyer chooses the measures that matter, weights them and scores each supplier against them on a regular cycle. The result is a status or grade, for example good, average and best, or whatever scale the company chooses. Common measures include:

Why ratings matter

Ratings give buyers an objective way to compare suppliers, choose who gets new business and decide where to focus improvement. They also give suppliers clear feedback on where they stand. A rating that is shared and discussed tends to improve performance more than one kept internal.

Getting ratings right

Use evidence, not impressions: delivery records, quality data, invoice accuracy and contract obligations met. Keep the measures few and stable so ratings can be compared over time.

How Aavenir handles it

Obligationflow records whether each supplier met the obligations and service levels in its contract, and Onboardingflow captures the qualification checks done at onboarding, two sources of evidence for a fair rating.

Keep reading

Vendor scorecard A vendor scorecard rates a supplier against set measures over time so performance can be compared and discussed.Read more Supplier evaluation Supplier evaluation assesses potential and current suppliers on measures of cost, quality, risk and capability.Read more Vendor performance review A vendor performance review measures how a vendor delivers against the service levels and targets in its contract.Read more

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Common questions

What is the difference between vendor ratings and a vendor scorecard?

A rating is the score or grade a vendor receives. A scorecard is the document or report that shows the measures behind it, often over several periods. Read about vendor scorecards.

How often should vendors be rated?

Strategic vendors are often rated quarterly, others once or twice a year. The cycle should match how often you make decisions about the vendor, such as renewals and new awards. Read about vendor performance reviews.

Should vendors see their ratings?

Usually yes. Sharing ratings with the evidence behind them gives suppliers a clear reason and direction to improve, and makes performance conversations more productive. Explain the measures so suppliers know how to improve. See Obligationflow.

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  • 2 Your contracts, not ours Bring a few sample agreements and watch Aavenir AI extract and review them.
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