6. Criteria: technical

The system will probably have a technical aspect to it.

Perhaps it is a computerised application.

The evaluation criteria should include technical measurements that allows the system to be evaluated for performance. For example, a communication system would have many possible criteria such as bandwidth, processing speed, frequency efficiency and so on.

Reliability and fault tolerance is often quoted as a criteria. For example 'The system shall have a down time of no more than ten minutes per month'. This is easily measured once the system is running.

If the system does not meet technical criteria then it could affect the supplier in terms of financial penalties and warranty issues. So setting these down and getting agreement in terms of a signed contract is important from the outset.

So the end of the design phase is an excellent point at which technical evaluation criteria can be set out.