AI Vendor Evaluation — Realis Solutions Group

The problem

You're evaluating AI tools with no independent way to verify whether the product actually does what the vendor claims.
You're about to sign a contract worth far more than it appears — the real commitment includes the contract, integration time, and roadmap built around their product.
Vendor demos are designed to show best-case scenarios; you need to know what happens at scale, at the edges, and with your actual use case.
Your team can evaluate infrastructure and security — not AI model quality, hidden failure modes, or long-term vendor viability.
Every AI vendor is incentivized to oversell; every claim is marketing until independently verified.

Who this is for

CEOs, CTOs, VPs of IT, and procurement leads who are signing the vendor contract.
IT leads tasked with evaluating AI tools who lack specialized AI assessment capability.
Mid-market companies ($5M–$50M ARR) with lean IT teams evaluating enterprise AI products.
PE/M&A and corporate development teams assessing AI claims in acquisition due diligence.
Any organization where the full vendor bet — contract, integration, and roadmap — exceeds $100K.

What you get

We don't hedge. You get a defensible Buy, Wait, or Walk — because that's what you actually need to make the decision.

Vendor AI Assessment

An independent evaluation of the vendor's product against their own claims — capability, reliability, limitations, and risks across your use case.

Claims Verification Matrix

Green/yellow/red on every vendor claim vs. available evidence — marketing, sales, and technical docs. The artifact that cuts through sales talk.

Risk & Limitation Brief

What the vendor isn't disclosing — failure modes, integration risks, hidden costs, dependency exposure, and long-term viability concerns.

Buy / Wait / Walk

A clear, opinionated, defensible recommendation with supporting rationale — backed by the Claims Matrix, so every conclusion is traceable and auditable.

How it works

Scoping + Claims Inventory

Kickoff with the buyer to establish use case, decision criteria, and total stakes. Collect all vendor materials and build the full claims inventory. Establish vendor access level and set scope accordingly.

Assessment + Verification

Vendor demo or walkthrough, independent testing where possible, and architecture review. Every claim is analyzed against evidence; failure modes and undisclosed risks are documented.

III

Synthesis + Recommendation

Build the Claims Matrix, draft the Risk & Limitation Brief, and formulate the Buy/Wait/Walk recommendation. Peer-reviewed by a second principal — an opinionated answer must be bulletproof.

Delivery + Strategy Session

Present findings and deliver the full package. A 1-hour session on the decision, negotiation leverage if concerns were found, and recommended next steps regardless of outcome.

Logistics

Format	Independent vendor assessment
Duration	2–5 weeks depending on scope
Evidence	Public docs · demo · trial data · data room
Vendor access	Established Week 1 — determines scope and price
Purchasing	Direct · AWS Marketplace · Partners
Follow-up	Report + 1hr decision strategy session

What this does not include

Simultaneous evaluation of multiple vendors (two-vendor head-to-head available in the Comprehensive tier).
Integration planning, implementation support, or contract negotiation.
Ongoing vendor monitoring after the assessment.

NEXT STEP

A 20-minute intro call with a Realis principal. We'll scope the engagement, establish access assumptions, and give you a fixed price before you commit.

Vendor AI Assessment

Claims Verification Matrix

Risk & Limitation Brief

Buy / Wait / Walk

Scoping + Claims Inventory

Assessment + Verification

Synthesis + Recommendation

Delivery + Strategy Session

Buy with confidence.