Score every AI-in-ERP vendor on the same 25 lines.
Comparison calls blur together because every vendor demos their best five minutes. This matrix makes them all answer the same 25 questions across four categories (capability, governance, data handling, cost), each scored 0–3 with a weight you set. The full matrix is on this page; the editable, auto-totaling sheet is yours for an email.
Capability: can it do real work? (8 criteria)
Score against your workflows on your data, never against the demo.
| # | Criterion | What a 3 looks like | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | Answers cite source records | Every number links to the record it came from, one click | high |
| C2 | Reads live data | Live database, not a synced copy with staleness | high |
| C3 | Cross-module reach | One question spans sales, stock, accounting in one answer | high |
| C4 | Prepares real work product | Draft quote/reminder/transfer as actual records, not chat text | high |
| C5 | Context across a conversation | Third related question still knows what the first meant | med |
| C6 | Works where your team works | In your chat, on your screens, in your AI tools | med |
| C7 | Version & edition coverage | Your Odoo version and edition, today, no upgrade required | high |
| C8 | Handles your messy data | Graceful on ambiguity; says so when unsure | med |
Governance: who is in control? (7 criteria)
The category where demos are quietest and incidents are loudest.
| # | Criterion | What a 3 looks like | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Acts under asker's permissions | No service-account superuser; your access rights decide | high |
| G2 | Write policy as settings | Allow/hold/forbid configurable per model and action | high |
| G3 | Approval before commit | Drafts held; a person triggers every send/post | high |
| G4 | Value caps & rate limits | Amount thresholds and write ceilings you set | med |
| G5 | Refusals logged | Out-of-scope requests produce visible trail rows | high |
| G6 | Full decision trail | One row per decision, named person, exportable alone | high |
| G7 | Scoped multi-assistant | Public-facing bot provably can't reach the ledger | med |
Data handling: where does it go? (5 criteria)
Get every answer in writing; a vendor without one has answered.
| # | Criterion | What a 3 looks like | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | No training on your data | Contractual, not FAQ-level | high |
| D2 | Egress transparency | Field-level list of what leaves per request | high |
| D3 | Redaction before models | Sensitive fields stripped at egress | med |
| D4 | Retention & deletion | Stated windows and a deletion path, in writing | med |
| D5 | Residency / on-prem path | Clear answer on where processing happens, options if it matters | med |
Cost & commitment: what does it really cost? (5 criteria)
Price the three-year picture, never the first invoice.
| # | Criterion | What a 3 looks like | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | Transparent pricing | Public model; no quote-only mystery | med |
| $2 | Pilot on your data | Prove-it phase on your instance before commitment | high |
| $3 | No per-module surprises | Scope of tools included is explicit | med |
| $4 | Exit cost | Your data and configs leave with you | med |
| $5 | Renewal story in writing | What changes at renewal, stated now | med |
Take the matrix into your evaluation.
The sheet has all 25 criteria with auto-totaling weighted scores, a column per vendor, and a notes field per line, ready for your selection file. We send it once. No marketing emails unless you opt in later.
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