| RFID technology and compatibility | 15% | Confirm the supported RFID frequency, tag standards, reader configuration, and compatibility with the tags and cards used in your project. Common RFID frequency categories include LF, HF, and UHF; they are not interchangeable. | Reader and tag datasheets; supported standards and frequency details; results from a test using your sample tags. | Claims of universal compatibility without specifying frequency, standards, or test conditions. |
| System functionality and software | 15% | Check locker assignment, access permissions, event logs, user management, and the workflows required for your application. Confirm whether the system supports required integrations. | Live demonstration; software feature list; API documentation where integration is required; sample access and audit logs. | Software capabilities are described only in general terms, or essential features are presented as future development. |
| Security and data handling | 12% | Review authentication, authorization, account management, data storage, backups, and the process for software updates. Clarify which party controls and can access system data. | Written security architecture; user-role examples; data-flow description; update and backup procedures. | No clear explanation of who can access data or how access credentials and system updates are managed. |
| Mechanical build and materials | 12% | Assess cabinet material, dimensions, door construction, hinges, locking components, finish, and suitability for the intended indoor or outdoor environment. | Dimensioned drawings; material and finish specifications; sample cabinet or production photos; environmental limitations in writing. | Material thickness, finish, or environmental suitability is not specified in the quotation or drawings. |
| Customization and engineering capability | 10% | Determine whether the supplier can meet required locker counts, compartment sizes, cabinet layouts, interfaces, and site constraints without changing essential requirements. | Project-specific drawings; interface requirements; written list of standard features and custom work. | Custom requirements are accepted verbally but are absent from the technical proposal. |
| Testing and quality control | 10% | Ask how components and finished systems are inspected, how issues are recorded, and whether the supplier tests the configured system before shipment. | Inspection checklist; functional test procedure; sample test report; documented handling of defects. | No defined acceptance checks or no final system test before dispatch. |
| Installation and integration support | 8% | Clarify installation responsibilities, commissioning steps, network and power requirements, training, and the support available for third-party integrations. | Installation guide; site-preparation checklist; commissioning plan; support scope and response process. | Responsibilities for site work, commissioning, or integration are unclear. |
| Warranty and after-sales service | 8% | Review warranty duration, covered parts and labor, exclusions, replacement procedures, and the availability of spare components and technical assistance. | Written warranty terms; spare-parts list; support contact process; stated service response expectations. | Warranty terms are only verbal or exclude key components without clear disclosure. |
| Lead time and delivery planning | 5% | Compare the quoted production schedule, approval milestones, packaging, shipping terms, and the effect of custom work on delivery timing. | Order schedule with milestones; packaging details; written delivery terms; confirmation of shipment responsibilities. | Delivery dates are promised without considering design approval, testing, or shipping arrangements. |
| Commercial clarity and total cost | 5% | Compare the complete project scope, including hardware, software, customization, installation, training, shipping, and recurring fees where applicable. | Itemized quotation; payment terms; list of exclusions; written confirmation of recurring charges, if any. | A low headline price omits required software, integration, installation, or other project costs. |
| Suggested total | 100%. Apply the same criteria and scoring method to every supplier under consideration. |