Choose finalists and select a winner

Finalists are the project vendors that have not been marked Eliminated. Team votes help the group express a preference, but a closed vote does not eliminate vendors or select the winner. The final selection is a separate, deliberate action.

Before you start

• Review Compare and resolve material evidence gaps. At least two non-eliminated vendors are required for a useful vote round.

• Confirm who is entitled to vote and explain the evidence members should consider before the round opens.

Step by step

1. Review the active field

Open Finalists to see every non-eliminated vendor. Cards show available composite score and annual cost, while Compare remains the place for full evidence. The latest closed vote and commercial context appear as decision context, not an automatic ranking rule.

2. Open a named vote round

Go to Team vote, give the round a clear name and open it. Every non-eliminated vendor becomes a candidate, so update vendor status before opening if the field is already meant to be narrower.

3. Collect one vote per member

Each eligible member can cast one vote, change it while the round is open and add an optional team-visible comment. Vendor cards provide evaluation context and the live tally shows participation as it develops.

4. Close and interpret the round

Close the round when the agreed window ends. The result moves to Past rounds and the tally winner is recorded. Closing is advisory: it does not change vendor status or select the project winner.

5. Narrow or repeat deliberately

If another round is needed, mark vendors no longer being considered as Eliminated in the project vendor list, then start a new named round. Preserve earlier rounds as part of the decision history.

6. Select the winner explicitly

Return to Finalists, review score, cost, vote context and any credit warning, then choose Select as winner on the intended vendor. Credit warnings are a soft governance signal, not an automatic block. Continue to the Decision Record to explain the choice.

What happens next

• Write the Decision Record and business case using the evidence that supports the selected vendor and explains alternatives.

• Keep non-selected vendors’ evidence and vote history intact for auditability; selection is still subject to your approval and contracting process.

Troubleshooting

An unexpected vendor appears in a vote

The vote includes every non-eliminated project vendor. Close the round if necessary, mark the vendor Eliminated in the vendor list and open a correctly scoped new round.

The vote winner was not selected automatically

This is expected. Open Finalists and use Select as winner after reviewing the complete evidence and governance context.

A member cannot change their vote

Check whether the round has already closed. Votes can be changed only while the round is open; create another round rather than rewriting a closed result.

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