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LMS Vendor Scorecard: How to Compare Bids Side by Side

1 day ago
3 min read

Disclosure: Kaz Software publishes this guide and builds the DTCLMS learning platform. We have tried to keep the advice useful whichever vendor you choose.

Three LMS quotes arrive in three formats, with three sets of assumptions. A scorecard turns them into one comparison. Build it before you open the first proposal, so the scores are not shaped by whichever bid looks best. If you do not have a requirements list yet, start with the LMS Requirements Checklist: What to Put in Your RFP.

Step 1: Fix the criteria first

Criterion

What to look for

How to check

Fit with your requirements

Every Must item on your list is covered

Compare the proposal with your written brief

Standards support

SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI or HTML5, as you need

Live demo with your own course package

Compliance features

Assignments, reminders, escalation, a completion matrix, certificates with expiry

Admin walkthrough in the demo

Language and text

Bangla and English, with correct Unicode in certificates and exports

Test with your own Bangla text

Security and privacy

Roles, audit log, hosting, backups, data retention

Written answers

Integration

HR import, single sign-on, a documented API

API documentation and test access

Evidence

A comparable case study and two references you can call

Reference calls

Team and support

Who builds it and who supports it after launch

Named roles in the proposal

Commercial terms

What the estimate includes and excludes; who owns the code and data

Written estimate and contract draft

Delivery plan

Milestones against the same scope

Plan document

Step 2: Use a four-point scale

Score

Meaning

0

Not offered, or no evidence

1

Claimed, but not shown

2

Shown in a document or a demo

3

Shown with your own content, or confirmed by a reference

A claim on a website scores 1 until you see it working. Team size, partner status and timelines on a vendor's page are that vendor's own statements, and we treat them that way in Top LMS Development Companies in Bangladesh (2026 Guide).

Step 3: Weight what matters

Give each criterion a weight of 1, 2 or 3 before you score anyone. Multiply the weight by the score and add up the results. A buyer driven by audits may weight compliance features at 3 and integration at 1; a university may do the opposite. The weights belong to your project, not to a standard.

Step 4: Look at price last

Score price separately, after the rest. A low bid that leaves out content migration, training or support is not low, only incomplete. Ask each vendor to list what is excluded, and read Custom LMS Development Cost in Bangladesh: What Drives the Price to see what usually moves the number.

Red flags

  • The vendor will not demo with your own SCORM package.

  • The estimate has no written scope.

  • No reference you can call.

  • Unclear ownership of the code and the data.

  • Price gaps between bids that nobody can explain.

After scoring

Shortlist two vendors, call their references, and consider a small paid pilot with one group of learners before you sign the full scope. Run the same tests with every vendor using the LMS Demo Checklist: 10 Tests to Run With Your Own SCORM Course.

Frequently asked questions

How many vendors should I score?

Three to five is usually manageable. Beyond that, comparing them takes more effort than it saves.

Can I change the criteria?

Yes. Start from your own Must, Should and Could list and drop any row that does not matter to you.

Should price carry the most weight?

Score it last and on its own line. Make sure every bid covers the same scope before you compare numbers.

Want to see how DTCLMS scores against your own list? Ask for a demo through our custom LMS development page.

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