What should happen during supplier evaluation?

• Give finalists the same scope, quantities and scenario.
• Ask them to mark included work, excluded work and customer-owned tasks.
• Review the actual service terms and relevant assurance scope.
• Meet someone responsible for delivery.
• Run an agreed demonstration, including an ambiguous case or unavailable contact.
• Normalize annual and three-year cost.
• Record material gaps and must-pass conditions.
• Ask for relevant references only through an authorized, consented process.

Output: an explainable recommendation with evidence, remaining conditions and a transition plan. Do not select solely from a feature count or a headline response-time metric.

For an assurance report, check the relevant scope rather than treating it as a blanket badge. AICPA's SOC 2 description provides the framework context. The buyer must still inspect the report that actually covers the proposed service.