About This Guide
Why We Built a Public Framework for Evaluating AI Vendors
The Challenge: Navigating AI Solutions from Both Sides of the Table
Whether you're a company evaluating AI vendors or an AI solutions provider vetting potential customers, the same fundamental problem exists: how do you cut through the hype to find the right fit?
From the Buyer's Perspective:
Like many companies, we faced a recurring problem: our Executive team would return from trade shows with business cards from AI vendors promising transformational results. Each vendor claimed their "AI solution" would revolutionize our operations—but they all used the same buzzwords. How could we objectively evaluate these claims and determine which solutions were truly viable for our organization?
The questions we couldn't answer:
- •Is this vendor using rules-based automation or actual machine learning?
- •What does "AI-powered" actually mean in technical terms?
- •Is a $500K implementation realistic, or are we being undersold?
- •Do we have the data infrastructure to support what they're promising?
- •Should we build custom or buy commercial software?
As the IT Director, I needed a framework to evaluate these opportunities systematically—not just technically, but strategically. So I developed this framework. What I found was a landscape full of vendor whitepapers designed to sell solutions, consulting frameworks locked behind paywalls, and academic papers too theoretical to apply.
From the Provider's Perspective:
AI solutions providers face the mirror challenge: when a potential customer reaches out with a problem, how do you determine if their organization is truly ready for AI adoption? Are their processes documented? Is their data accessible? Does their leadership understand what successful implementation requires? Without proper evaluation, even the best AI solution can fail due to organizational misalignment or unrealistic expectations.
The Full Lifecycle:
Successful AI implementation isn't just about selecting the right technology—it's about the entire journey from initial evaluation through deployment and sustained adoption. That's why we've developed frameworks covering each critical phase, from vendor evaluation to our User Adoption Strategy guide, ensuring success at every stage.
There was no practical, publicly accessible resource that connected technology complexity, data requirements, team needs, realistic timelines, and honest cost estimates.
The Solution: A Tier-Based Evaluation Framework
This AI Strategy Guide is the framework I developed to solve evaluation challenges from both sides: as a buyer assessing AI vendors and making informed investment decisions, and as an advisor helping providers understand customer readiness. After using it successfully for our own projects and consulting engagements, I decided to share it publicly to help the entire ecosystem—buyers, providers, and advisors—navigate AI adoption from initial evaluation through sustained user adoption.
🎯 The Core Innovation
A 6-tier classification system (Tier 0-5) that precisely defines technology complexity—from simple automation (Tier 0) through machine learning (Tier 2) to generative AI (Tier 4) and beyond.
🔗 Integrated Decision Rules
Each tier connects to specific data requirements, team needs, implementation phases, and realistic cost ranges—not vague "it depends" estimates.
What makes this framework different:
- ✓Tier-Specific Budgets: Tier 2 POC costs $30K-$100K, Tier 4 costs $50K-$200K—not "contact us for pricing"
- ✓Data Prerequisites: Level 2 data enables Tier 0-2 AI confidently; attempting Tier 3-4 will fail without Level 3+ data
- ✓Team Requirements: Tier 0 needs business analysts (0.25-1 FTE), Tier 2 needs data scientists (2-5 FTEs), Tier 4 needs senior ML leaders (12-30+ FTEs)
- ✓Vendor Verification: 82 questions organized by tier to cut through buzzwords and verify actual capabilities
- ✓Interactive Tools: Problem Translator, ROI Calculator with vendor comparisons, SOW Builder—not just descriptive content
Most importantly: everything is freely accessible. No paywalls, no "contact us for the whitepaper," no consultant sales funnels. Just practical guidance based on real implementation experience.
This framework reflects our experience and research, but every organization's situation is unique. The cost ranges, timelines, and recommendations provided are educational starting points—not guarantees. We strongly encourage you to validate all information against your specific context, conduct your own vendor research, and consult with qualified professionals before making technology investment decisions. Use this guide as a tool to ask better questions, not as a substitute for thorough due diligence.
Proof It Works: Supply Sentry
We don't just recommend this framework—we've used it ourselves to make build-vs-buy decisions.
Case Study: Supply Sentry
When we needed a customer inventory management solution, commercial vendors quoted $400K-$600K annually. Using this framework, we:
- 1.Classified the problem: Inventory tracking across multiple customer locations = Tier 1-2 (statistical analysis + basic ML)
- 2.Assessed our data readiness: Level 2 (clean historical data from RFID systems)
- 3.Evaluated team needs: Required 2-3 developers + 1 data analyst, which we had internally
- 4.Calculated realistic costs: Custom build estimated at $150K-$250K vs. $400K-$600K/year for Blue Yonder
- 5.Made the decision: Build custom—deployed at a fraction of vendor cost with full control
We practice what we preach. This framework enabled us to make confident, data-driven decisions—and we're sharing it so you can too.
Who This Helps
For Buyers & Evaluators:
🏭 Distributors & Manufacturers
Evaluate AI vendors promising demand forecasting, inventory optimization, quality inspection, or warehouse automation. Understand what tier you actually need and ensure your organization is ready for successful implementation.
💼 Operations & Leadership Teams
Translate business problems into technical requirements. Calculate realistic ROI before committing budgets. Generate professional RFPs and SOWs. Navigate the entire implementation journey from vendor selection to user adoption.
🔧 IT Directors & Technical Leaders
Assess feasibility when leadership brings AI opportunities. Verify vendor claims with technical questions. Decide build vs. buy with confidence. Plan resource allocation across the full project lifecycle.
For Providers & Advisors:
🤖 AI Solutions Providers
Evaluate customer readiness before committing resources. Identify organizational gaps that could derail implementation. Set realistic expectations and scope projects appropriately based on data maturity and team capabilities.
🎯 Consulting Firms & Technology Advisors
Guide clients through objective vendor evaluation using a proven framework. Access white-label licensing to offer this complete solution under your brand. Position yourself as a trusted AI strategy advisor with comprehensive tools and methodology.
💡 Private Equity & Investment Firms
Assess AI vendor claims during due diligence. Evaluate portfolio companies' AI readiness. Understand realistic implementation costs and timelines before approving technology investments.
Bottom line: Whether you're evaluating AI vendors, vetting potential customers, or guiding clients through AI adoption—if you need to cut through the hype and make data-driven decisions, this guide is for you.
Why Share This Publicly?
I believe the entire AI ecosystem—buyers, providers, and advisors—shouldn't have to learn these lessons the hard way. Buyers waste budgets on failed projects and vendor lock-in. Providers invest resources in customers who aren't ready. Advisors struggle to offer objective guidance without getting caught in vendor sales funnels. The AI landscape is intentionally confusing, designed to sell solutions before anyone truly understands what's actually needed or achievable.
🤝 Industry Knowledge Sharing
We're not consultants. We're practitioners who solved this problem for ourselves and want to help others avoid expensive mistakes.
💡 Thought Leadership
By demonstrating our technical depth and strategic thinking, we position ourselves as trusted advisors—not just a distributor.
For Consulting Firms & Technology Advisors
We've also made this framework available for white label licensing, enabling consulting firms, technology advisors, and private equity firms to deploy this complete solution under their own brand. This allows organizations who guide clients through AI adoption to offer a professional, proven framework without the $95K+ custom development cost. Learn more about white label licensing ⬇️
Ultimately, better-informed customers make better decisions. By helping the industry evaluate AI vendors more effectively, we contribute to healthier technology adoption across distribution and manufacturing.
About All Printing Resources Inc
All Printing Resources Inc is a distributor specializing in flexographic and digital printing solutions. Beyond supplying materials, we develop innovative technology solutions to solve real operational challenges in distribution and manufacturing.
This AI Strategy Guide represents our commitment to helping the industry adopt technology strategically—not reactively. We combine deep distribution expertise with technical implementation experience to provide practical, honest guidance.
For Consulting Firms & Advisors
Love what you see? Deploy this complete AI Strategy Framework under your company's brand.
White Label Licensing Available
Perfect for consulting firms, technology advisors, private equity firms, and organizations who want to offer this framework to their clients without the $95,000+ custom development cost and 2-3 month timeline.
What You Get:
- ✓Complete codebase with full rebranding rights
- ✓All 19 interactive tools and calculators
- ✓15+ educational guides and frameworks
- ✓Professional design with dark mode
- ✓Technical documentation & support
Your ROI:
- ✓$70K-$110K savings vs custom development
- ✓2 weeks vs 2-3 months time to market
- ✓12-18 month payback through client assessments
- ✓Strategic positioning as AI thought leader
- ✓Unlimited clients - no usage restrictions
Built-In Theme Options
Deploy quickly with 4 professionally designed color schemes - no custom design work needed:
Switch themes instantly with built-in scripts, or customize colors to match your exact brand guidelines. All themes support both light and dark modes.
Starting at $25,000 Base license • Deployment assistance • Enterprise custom options
Limited Availability: We license to a limited number of organizations annually to maintain quality and market exclusivity. Contact us to discuss availability in your region or industry vertical.