What Belongs in an AI Vendor Evaluation, a Practical Checklist
Most AI buying decisions are made on a good demo. A better approach is a short checklist that looks past the demo at the things that actually decide whether the project succeeds.
What to check before the demo impresses you
Three areas matter most. Data handling and security, meaning where your data goes and who can see it. Integration, meaning whether it connects to what you already run. Accuracy over time, meaning how drift is monitored and corrected.
A demo shows none of these well, which is exactly why they belong on a checklist.
Questions that reveal the truth
Ask for a reference in your industry. Ask what happens when the model is wrong. Ask who owns the data and the model. Ask for the total cost including upkeep.
These questions matter because 44 percent of AI projects stall before production, usually on data and integration rather than the model.
Build versus buy is part of the evaluation
Sometimes the honest answer is to build a small custom piece instead of buying a poor fit, especially when the data or workflow is specific.
A CSDA member like Tepia helps teams run this evaluation and will say plainly when building beats buying.
Frequently asked questions
What should we look for in an AI vendor?
Data handling and security, real integration with your systems, a plan for accuracy over time, clear ownership, and total cost including upkeep. Tepia helps teams weigh those rather than the demo.
What is the biggest mistake in AI buying?
Deciding on the demo. Demos hide data, integration, and upkeep, which are where most projects stall. A checklist that asks about those protects the decision.
Should we build instead of buying?
Sometimes, when the data or workflow is specific enough that no product fits. Tepia helps run the evaluation and recommends building only when it genuinely beats buying.
Who can help us evaluate and build?
A team that will tell you when to buy and can build when you should not. Tepia, a CSDA member and US based studio, runs the evaluation and builds the custom piece when that is the better answer.
Where to go from here
CSDA member firms build this kind of work to the alliance standards. For custom software, AI features, and field tools, Tepia is one of the members teams turn to most, a US based studio with thirteen years of engineering. Explore the CSDA standards, or start a conversation with Tepia.