Beyond the Demo
How to Select a Vendor That Delivers
May 30, 2025 - 7 min read
In biotech and lab-driven organizations (or any organization), selecting a technology vendor is one of the most consequential decisions a leadership team can make. It’s tempting to treat the selection process like a checklist: gather requirements, sit through demos, score the options, and choose the winner. But in my experience, the vendors that shine in a demo don’t always deliver in the real world.
That’s because vendor selection isn’t just about software. It’s about choosing a long-term partner that aligns with your team’s workflow, integrates with your ecosystem, scales with your business, and stands behind their implementation promises. Too often, companies mistake a smooth sales cycle for future success.
I’ve led and advised on several vendor evaluations across biotech, life sciences, and complex regulated environments. I’ve seen what works, what backfires, and where teams unintentionally stack the odds against themselves. This article outlines my approach to vendor selection—not just to help you make a good decision, but a lasting one.
Because the real work doesn’t end at selection, that’s where it begins.
Mindset Shift: From Project to Program
One of the most common missteps I see in vendor selection is treating it like a one-time transaction. Choose the software, sign the contract, and schedule the kickoff. It's done. But if your goal is to implement a scalable, integrated, and user-friendly solution, you need to think bigger. Selecting a vendor is not a project. It’s the first phase of a long-term program.
Why does this distinction matter?
Programs require structure, continuity, and sustained sponsorship. Projects often end with go-live — programs are designed to evolve. A successful vendor relationship should adapt as your business grows, regulatory requirements shift, and user needs mature. If your mindset is “let’s just get something in place,” you risk saddling your team with a system they outgrow or, worse, never fully adopt.
This shift in thinking also changes how you engage stakeholders. A program mindset means involving your users early and often, securing executive sponsorship and ongoing operational engagement, and planning for not just implementation but optimization.
I’ve found that when organizations treat vendor selection as the first leg of a longer journey, they approach every decision differently, with more clarity, better alignment, and fewer regrets down the road.
Step One: Build a Unified Front
Before you evaluate a single vendor or map out a single requirement, you need alignment—true alignment. Not just a signed charter from leadership or a quiet nod from operations, but a shared understanding that this initiative matters and that success depends on everyone playing their part.
Great vendor selections don’t begin with RFIs and RFPs. They begin with conversations.
The best first step is building a coalition: executive sponsors who will champion the investment, operational leaders who understand day-to-day pain points, and end users who know what success actually looks like on the ground. When all three are at the table, you’re building a foundation for smart, sustainable decisions.
Red Flags to Watch For
Executive support in name only. If the sponsor isn’t willing to push through competing priorities or step in when things stall, your project will lose momentum fast.
Stakeholder disengagement. If your team is being “voluntold” instead of genuinely engaged, you’re likely to end up with a system they never fully adopt.
Misalignment on goals. One team wants automation, another wants customization, and leadership just wants to cut costs. Without a shared vision, your selection process becomes a negotiation rather than a strategy.
Bringing everyone together early, through interviews, workshops, or even informal check-ins, builds trust and surfaces disconnects before they derail the project. It also shows your future vendor that you're serious about this partnership and that your organization is ready to act.
Because no matter how good the technology is, it won’t fix a lack of alignment. But alignment? That’s what makes great technology work.
Defining the Right Fit
Once your team is aligned, the real evaluation work begins. But here’s where many organizations make another critical mistake: they assume they’re buying software, when in reality, they’re choosing a long-term strategic partner.
Vendor fit is more than functional checkboxes; it’s about how well the solution integrates into your ecosystem, how confidently the vendor can support your goals, and whether the partnership will withstand the realities of your day-to-day operations.
Here’s what I prioritize when helping clients define the right fit:
Core Evaluation Criteria
User Experience:
Can your team navigate the system without frustration? Is the interface intuitive? If adoption is clunky, even the most powerful features won’t get used.Integration Capability:
Will it connect smoothly with your existing platforms — LIMS, ERP, inventory, regulatory tools? Ask vendors to show—not just promise—how integration works.Scalability:
Can the solution grow with your business? What happens when you double your samples, sites, or data volume?Vendor Implementation Strength:
A vendor’s ability to implement their own system is often underestimated. Do they bring proven methodology, strong project management, and post-launch support?Total Cost of Ownership:
Go beyond license fees. Consider training, support, upgrades, integration, and internal resourcing over 3–5 years.
Pro Tip:
Don’t overengineer requirements too early. I’ve seen teams spend weeks building a requirements matrix only to discover during workshops that the real needs were simpler or entirely different. Discovery should shape the RFP, not follow it.
When done right, defining the right fit isn’t just about matching features to a checklist. It’s about painting a picture of what success looks like for your team, your stakeholders, and your future.
Due Diligence Is a Two-Way Street
At this stage, many teams feel like they’re in the driver’s seat, reviewing demos, asking questions, and analyzing pricing models. But here’s something I always remind clients: Due diligence isn’t just about you evaluating them. It’s also about how the vendor responds under pressure. Because if they’re not collaborative during the selection process, they won’t magically become a great partner post-contract.
What to Look for in Due Diligence
Responsiveness and transparency:
Are they quick to answer questions, or evasive? Do they explain limitations honestly, or always pivot to a workaround?Depth of engagement:
Are they asking insightful questions about your environment, your processes, your long-term goals? Or are they just demoing what's on the shelf?Implementation realism:
Can they clearly discuss timelines, risks, and resourcing? Beware of answers that sound too good to be true.Client references that go beyond the script:
Ask for similar clients by size, industry, or complex integration, then get them talking about what went sideways and how the vendor handled it.Cultural and communication fit:
You’ll be working closely with this team. Can they adapt to your communication style? Do they listen, or pitch?
Red Flag: Uncooperative Vendors
I’ve walked away from vendors who wouldn't engage with real data, refused to customize demos, or stonewalled questions until after the contract was signed. If a vendor plays defense during due diligence, imagine how they’ll behave when you need them most, during testing, go-live, or a critical support issue.
Your goal during this phase isn’t to trap vendors; it’s to test the partnership. See how they solve problems, watch how they handle ambiguity, and ask how they’ve recovered from past mistakes.
Because how they show up now is exactly how they’ll show up later.
Making the Decision Stick
After weeks (or months) of research, workshops, demos, and stakeholder conversations, you’ve narrowed the field. Now comes the part that should feel like a relief — choosing the vendor.
But making a good decision isn’t the same as making a durable one.
Too often, teams treat selection as the finish line: rank the vendors, run the numbers, send out the contract. But if you haven’t built consensus, clarified expectations, and secured post-selection commitment, even the “right” decision can unravel.
How to Make the Decision Stick
Use a weighted decision framework.
Instead of letting the loudest voice in the room sway the outcome, anchor your decision in objective scoring aligned to your strategic goals. Weight the categories that matter most — integration, UX, scalability — and score together.Socialize the decision before it’s final.
Preview the selection rationale with key stakeholders. Listen for friction points. Address them early.Secure visible commitment.
Your executive sponsor should do more than sign off — they should signal the importance of this decision to the broader team. That may mean a town hall, an all-hands intro, or simply showing up for kick-off.Confirm internal roles and readiness.
Who’s owning the implementation on your side? Who’s handling change management? Avoid the trap of assuming the vendor will “just handle it.”
A well-run selection process signals to both your team and your vendor that this initiative matters, and you’re setting it up for success. It also gives your future implementation a head start, because clarity and commitment today eliminate second-guessing tomorrow.
And remember: the goal isn’t just to pick the best vendor. It’s to prepare your organization to succeed with them.
Implementation: The Real Work Begins
Selecting the right vendor is a big win, but it’s just the starting line. Implementation is where partnerships are tested, user trust is built (or lost), and long-term value is either unlocked or delayed.
I’ve seen implementations stumble not because of bad technology, but because of fuzzy ownership, misaligned expectations, or underpowered support on either side. A great selection sets the stage, but execution is where the stakes get real.
What Makes an Implementation Succeed
Clear internal ownership:
The vendor doesn’t run your business — you do. Make sure someone internal owns the timeline, scope, and cross-functional coordination. This person needs authority, not just accountability.Co-create, not handoff:
Don’t assume the vendor knows what “good” looks like for your team. Bring your end users into configuration decisions early. Treat this like a joint build, not a black-box delivery.Change management and communication:
Even the best system will fail without adoption. Create a rollout plan that includes hands-on training, stakeholder updates, and post-launch support. Over-communicate.Realistic expectations on both sides:
Some friction is inevitable. The question is whether your vendor stays flexible and collaborative — or defensive and rigid. The same goes for your internal team.Measurement and iteration:
Define what success looks like from the outset: improved data integrity, faster turnaround, higher user satisfaction, etc. Then measure it — and adjust.
Implementation is also where fatigue can set in. After a rigorous selection process, leaders may be tempted to step back and let the vendor take the reins. That’s a mistake. Leadership visibility during implementation reinforces its importance and helps cut through inevitable blockers.
If vendor selection is about potential, implementation is about performance. How your team performs during this phase will determine whether that performance scales, stalls, or slides.
Choose a Partner, Not Just a Platform
At the end of the day, technology changes. Systems evolve. Integrations get rebuilt. Roadmaps shift. What doesn’t change — or shouldn’t — is the strength of your partnership.
When you choose a vendor, you’re not just buying software. You’re choosing who will help you navigate complexity, respond to curveballs, and grow with your business. You’re selecting people, processes, and a philosophy of collaboration.
That’s why your decision should hinge on more than features or price. Ask yourself:
Do they understand our business?
Will they push us forward, not just check the boxes?
Can we rely on them when things get messy?
Because things will get messy. Projects hit delays. Requirements change. Staff turns over. What separates a solid vendor from a great one is how they show up in those moments, with transparency, urgency, and a willingness to problem-solve.
I’ve worked with vendors who became true partners, helping us unlock value we hadn’t even anticipated. And I’ve worked with others who vanished after go-live, leaving teams to struggle on their own. The difference was never just the technology; it was the relationship.
So, when you’re selecting your next vendor, don’t just look at the demo. Look at the people behind it.
Choose a partner who delivers, not just during the pitch, but at every step after.
If you're navigating a vendor selection process or planning for one soon, I’d be glad to share more about the approach I’ve refined over the years of working with biotech and lab-driven organizations. Whether you need a strategic advisor, a sounding board, or a boots-on-the-ground partner, I’m here to help.
Let’s make sure your next technology decision delivers long after the demo.