Vendor Selection for AI Solutions: 10 Questions to Ask

The right AI partner determines your project's success or failure. These 10 questions help you separate the wheat from the chaff.

1. Where Is My Data Processed and Stored?

For Swiss companies, Swiss Hosting is often mandatory. Ask specifically: Which data centers? Which sub-processors? Is there a data processing agreement?

2. What References Do You Have in My Industry?

Industry experience is crucial. A provider who knows your regulatory requirements and business processes delivers better results faster.

3. What Does Your Pricing Model Look Like?

Look for transparency: initial costs, ongoing costs, variable costs per transaction. Ask about hidden costs for updates, additional users, or data volume.

4. How Is Post-Go-Live Support Organized?

What happens when something does not work? Clarify: response times, support channels, SLA guarantees, and costs for support packages.

5. How Is Knowledge Transfer Ensured?

A good partner makes you independent, not dependent. Ask about training, documentation, and the ability to make adjustments yourself.

6. What Happens to My Data at Contract End?

Data migration and data portability are important. Ensure you can export your data at any time and that no vendor lock-in effects arise.

7. How Do You Measure Project Success?

Serious providers define KPIs together with you and deliver regular progress reports. Ask for concrete success criteria and reporting processes.

8-10: Additional Important Questions

• 8. How long does a typical implementation take?
• 9. What integrations do you offer (ERP, CRM, DMS)?
• 10. How do you handle data protection and compliance?

Conclusion

Vendor selection deserves at least as much attention as technology selection. Get quotes from 2-3 providers, ask all 10 questions, and compare answers systematically. The cheapest provider is rarely the best.