This article shows you how to score supplier questionnaire responses in the Strategic Sourcing module: use the scoring dashboard, understand automatic versus manual scoring, record justifications, handle knockout criteria, compare suppliers side by side, and complete an evaluation.
Where do I start scoring?
Question scoring starts on the scoring dashboard at /buyer/sourcing-project/<event-id>/scoring, titled Question Scoring ("Evaluate and score supplier responses"). The dashboard shows: Submissions coverage ("2 of 5 evaluated"), Your Progress ("14 of 20 questions scored"), the current Leading Supplier, and a Questionnaire Summary listing sections, questions, how many are auto-scored, manually scored, and knockout questions. A Knockout Status card either reports All Passing or warns "<n> supplier(s) with failures". Click Score All Suppliers (or Continue Scoring if you already started) to begin. Each supplier's evaluation carries a status of Not Started, In Progress, or Completed.
What is the difference between auto and manual scoring?
Auto and manual scoring are configured per question before the event goes live, in the questionnaire's Scoring tab. Auto questions score themselves from the supplier's answer choices: each option carries a point value, with an aggregation method for multi-select ("Sum all selected", "Maximum of selected", or "Average of selected"). Manual questions require an evaluator to pick a level on a rubric (a reusable set of scoring tiers with point values). Questions can also be excluded from scoring entirely (Not Evaluated). During evaluation, auto questions arrive pre-scored with the status Auto Scored, and manual questions show Pending until you score them (Manually Scored); questions you skip are Skipped. Section weights (percent of the total score, ideally summing to 100%) and question weights determine how individual scores roll up into the overall score.
How do I score one supplier's response?
From the dashboard or the comparison page, open a supplier to enter the single-supplier evaluation ("Supplier Evaluation").
Pick a view: Card View lists all questions grouped by section; Focus View steps through one question at a time ("Question 3 of 20") with Previous/Next navigation and keyboard shortcuts for navigating and scoring.
For each manual question, read the Supplier Answer, select a score (rubric tier or points), and add a justification in "Add justification for this score...". Justifications are required when the questionnaire's scoring configuration demands them (the default), so plan to write one per manual score.
Filter questions by All, Scored, or Unscored to find what is left; the header tracks progress like "14/20".
When every question is handled, click Mark Complete. You see "Evaluation marked as complete", and the supplier's evaluation status becomes Completed.
What do knockout criteria do to a supplier?
A knockout criterion is a pass/fail requirement attached to a question (for example "Option must be selected", "Response must contain text", or "File must be uploaded") that can disqualify a supplier regardless of their score. Each supplier's knockout result is Passed, Failed, Pending Review (when the criterion is "Evaluator Decides"), or N/A. The consequence of a failure depends on the questionnaire's knockout behavior: Exclude From Evaluation removes the supplier from scoring results, while Flag For Review keeps them but raises the warning "This supplier has failed one or more knockout criteria" on their dashboard and in comparisons. Failures are also surfaced on the scoring dashboard's Knockout Status card and in the supplier's recommendation.
How do I compare suppliers side by side?
The multi-supplier comparison page at /buyer/sourcing-project/<event-id>/scoring/multi-supplier ("Multi-Supplier Scoring") shows every question as a row and every supplier as a column, so you can score across suppliers question by question, which is often faster and more consistent than going supplier by supplier. Filter by All, Incomplete, or Complete; each section header shows its weight ("30% weight") and progress ("5/8 Scored"). The comparison summary lists each supplier's Overall Score, evaluation Status, and a Recommendation of Consider, Caution, or Exclude. The same rollup appears on each supplier's dashboard as an Evaluation Summary with section scores and "vs average" context.
When is the evaluation finished?
An evaluation is finished when each supplier you intend to assess is marked Completed via Mark Complete. The dashboard's Submissions card then reads, for example, "5 of 5 evaluated", the Overall Score and Recommendation become stable inputs for the rest of the process, and the Score column on the Supplier Responses page fills in. Scores feed the supplier dashboards, the qualitative evaluation comparison (when enabled), and your award decision, so complete scoring before finalizing awards.