Do-it-yourself game plans
Plan a bounded supplier evaluation, from the decision brief to implementation.
From decision brief to defensible recommendation.
| Stage | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Define the decision and acceptance gates Week 1 · 8 staff hours | |||||||||
| 2. Audit subscriptions and capture the baseline Weeks 1–2 · 16 staff hours | |||||||||
| 3. Obtain comparable offers and trial permissions Week 2 · 12 staff hours | |||||||||
| 4. Verify competition-season coverage Weeks 3–4 · 20 staff hours | |||||||||
| 5. Run the same-shortlist trial Weeks 3–5 · 36 staff hours | |||||||||
| 6. Test integration, rights and security Weeks 3–6 · 20 staff hours | |||||||||
| 7. Compare costs and approve a decision Week 6 · 12 staff hours | |||||||||
| 8. Implement, test exit and hand over Weeks 6–8 · 16 staff hours |
This is a proposed schedule, not an observed typical buying cycle. It assumes one incumbent baseline, no more than two challengers, a small authorised player sample, access to evaluators and no major database rebuild.
In this section
What should the project deliver?
Aim to finish with eight usable documents rather than a slide deck of product features:
How long should a DIY scouting supplier evaluation take?
For a bounded single-club project, reserve six to eight calendar weeks and use 140 staff hours as an initial planning allocation.
Stage 1: What exactly are you trying to decide?
Write a one page decision charter before contacting another supplier. A usable question is narrow enough that the club can recognise a satisfactory answer.
Stage 2: How do you audit overlapping scouting data subscriptions?
Map subscriptions to completed recruitment tasks—not to overlapping marketing categories.
Stage 3: Who should you contact, and what should you request?
Contact the incumbent account manager first, then approach only suppliers capable of addressing the documented gap.
Stage 4: How do you verify MLS, NWSL and women’s competition coverage?
Audit competition-season-modality combinations against an independent match inventory.
Stage 5: How do you run a fair same-shortlist supplier trial?
Evaluate the incumbent stack and each proposed addition on the same questions, evidence cut-off and acceptance criteria.
Stage 6: Will the data join, and does the licence permit the workflow?
Technical compatibility and contractual permission are separate acceptance tests.
Stage 7: What does professional soccer scouting software really cost?
Obtain an itemised quote for the club’s actual scope.
Stage 8: How do you implement without losing useful intelligence?
Accept the real production configuration before cancelling an essential incumbent.
What if you only have ten business days?
Run a triage, not a compressed claim of comprehensive diligence.
Which pitfalls should a DIY buyer expect?
The decisive question is not “Which supplier has the most features?” It is “Which approved configuration answers our recruitment questions with sufficient evidence, manageable effort and acceptable cost?” A well-supported decision to keep the current stack is a successful outcome.