How this worksheet helps you compare like for like
When you have two to four IT companies on your shortlist, the fairest way to compare them is to ask every company the same questions, write the answers in the same table, and score them on the same scale. This page gives you that table, split into five areas: services, proof of experience, support, contract terms and communication.
Print the tables or copy them into a spreadsheet, with one column per company. Fill them in during or straight after each meeting, while the details are fresh. The worksheet does not tell you how to run the selection process from the start; if you have not yet defined your requirement or checked registrations, begin with our seven-step guide to choosing an IT company in Ranchi and come back here when you have a shortlist.
Get comparable answers before you fill anything in
A comparison is only as good as its inputs. If one company saw a detailed requirement and another heard a two-minute phone description, their quotes cannot be compared. Three simple habits fix most of this.
- Send every company the same written requirement note: what you want to fix, who will use the system, how many users and branches, and what you use today.
- Ask every company to break its quotation into separate lines, such as software or licence, setup and configuration, data migration, training, hosting, and annual support. A single lump sum hides the differences you need to see.
- Give every company the same two or three demo scenarios from your daily work, for example a fee concession, a sales return, or a mid-month joiner on payroll, and note how each one handles them.
For a breakdown of what each line in a software quote usually covers, see what drives software development cost in Ranchi.
Rows 1 to 8: services offered and proof of experience
This part checks whether each company actually does the work you need, and whether it can prove it. Write short facts in each cell, such as "demo shown on own data" or "screenshots only", rather than impressions.
| # | Question | A clear answer looks like | Company A | Company B | Company C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Does the company offer the exact service you need: ready product, custom build, website, hardware or AMC? | Names the service and shows where it fits your note | |||
| 2 | Which parts would it do in-house, and which would it pass to someone else? | A plain list, with any partners named | |||
| 3 | Did it show a live system using your own scenarios? | Working demo, not screenshots or slides | |||
| 4 | Has it delivered something similar for an organisation like yours? | A comparable project explained in detail | |||
| 5 | Can you speak to a client reference? | A name and number you can call | |||
| 6 | Since when has the company been registered, and is it active on the MCA record? | CIN given; MCA record matches | |||
| 7 | Who will lead your project, and did you meet that person? | A named project lead present in the meeting | |||
| 8 | Can it handle related needs later, such as SMS alerts, a website or extra branches? | Explains how additions would connect |
Row 2 deserves attention. Outsourcing part of the work is not wrong in itself, but you should know who will touch your data and who you call when that part fails.
Rows 9 to 16: support after go-live and day-to-day communication
Support is where IT companies differ most, and where quotes are hardest to compare because it is often described in a single vague line. Ask each company to answer these rows in writing.
| # | Question | A clear answer looks like | Company A | Company B | Company C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Which channels do you use to report a problem? | Specific phone, WhatsApp and email contacts | |||
| 10 | During which days and hours is support available? | Hours stated, holidays explained | |||
| 11 | What response times will it write into the agreement? | Times written down, not only spoken | |||
| 12 | What does the annual support or AMC fee include, and what is extra? | Two separate lists: included and chargeable | |||
| 13 | Who trains new staff after the first go-live? | Named arrangement and whether it is charged | |||
| 14 | How often will you receive progress updates during the project? | A fixed rhythm, such as weekly | |||
| 15 | Who is your single point of contact? | One named person, with a backup | |||
| 16 | Did the company reply to your questions on time and in clear language during the selection? | Your own observation |
Row 16 is your own judgement, and it is often the most reliable predictor in the sheet. A company that is slow or unclear while it is trying to win your business rarely becomes faster after the contract is signed.
Rows 17 to 22: contract terms and ownership
These rows protect you if the relationship ends or the company changes. Ask to see a draft agreement rather than relying on the meeting summary.
| # | Question | A clear answer looks like | Company A | Company B | Company C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Is the scope written in terms your staff understand? | Modules, reports, users, branches and training listed | |||
| 18 | Are payments linked to milestones you can verify? | Payment stages tied to delivery, training and sign-off | |||
| 19 | Does your organisation own its data, and can it export it? | Ownership stated; export format named | |||
| 20 | For a website or app, are the domain and store accounts in your name? | Registered to your organisation | |||
| 21 | How are change requests priced and approved? | A written process before work starts | |||
| 22 | Do the quote, agreement, invoice and bank account all carry the same company name? | Same legal name throughout |
Scoring the sheet without fooling yourself
Once the cells are filled, give each row a score: 2 for a clear, written, satisfactory answer, 1 for a partial or verbal answer, and 0 for no answer or a worrying one. Then decide in advance which rows matter most to you and give them more weight, before you look at the totals, so the result is not bent towards the company you already like.
| Area | Rows | Weight | Why this school weighted it this way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proof of experience | 3 to 5 | x3 | The accounts office cannot afford a system that fails at the first fee rush |
| Support and training | 9 to 13 | x3 | Office staff change often and need retraining |
| Contract and data | 17 to 22 | x2 | Student records must stay with the school |
| Services breadth | 1, 2, 8 | x1 | Only the fee and attendance modules are needed now |
| Communication | 14 to 16 | x2 | Management wants weekly updates during setup |
A hospital or a distributor would weight these differently, which is exactly the point: the weights describe your priorities, not a universal ranking. Price is deliberately kept out of the score. Compare it separately once you know which companies passed on substance.
Patterns in a completed sheet that should change your decision
Totals are useful, but some patterns matter more than a few points either way. Look out for these when you lay the columns side by side.
- A high score on services but zeros on support: the company sells well but may not be around when you need help.
- Every answer is verbal: if nothing is written down, nothing can be enforced.
- A strong demo of a different product: the company showed what it has, not what you need.
- The lowest quote leaves out lines the others include: add the missing items back before comparing price.
- Domain, data or store accounts would sit in the company's name: this makes leaving difficult later.
- No named project lead: you may be handed to whoever is free that week.
If two companies end up close, invite both back for a second, shorter meeting with the staff who will use the system daily, and let their reaction break the tie. For a list of questions to put to the delivery team at that stage, see questions to ask when hiring a software team.
Filling in the MATROP column
If MATROP is on your shortlist, here is what we can state for the worksheet now, and what you should ask us to show in person. MATROP PRIVATE LIMITED is a registered company (CIN U74999JH2016PTC008996, incorporated in 2016) based in Ranchi. Invoices and contracts are issued in the company name, and we ask clients to pay only into the company account. Our services cover ready ERP products, custom software, websites and e-commerce, bulk SMS, WhatsApp Business API, digital marketing, hardware installation and AMC, as listed on our IT company page. Support is through phone, WhatsApp and email, and our office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm.
The rows we cannot fill in for you on this page are the ones that should be tested in a meeting: a demo against your own scenarios, the named project lead, and the written support and contract terms for your particular project. Ask for them and score us like anyone else. Our short overview of what to compare among IT companies in Ranchi lists what we put in writing.
If your scoring shows that another company fits a specialised need better, for example a technology we do not list, choose on the evidence. The worksheet is meant to help you decide well, not to point at us.
Questions people ask
How many companies should go on the worksheet?
Two to four. With only one there is nothing to compare, and with more than four the meetings take so long that the details blur together.
Should the lowest quotation get the highest score?
No. Price is one row among many. Keep price out of the scores, shortlist on substance, and then compare quotes only after adding back any items one company left out.
Is it acceptable to send these questions to the companies in advance?
Yes, and it usually helps. Companies that receive the same questions beforehand give answers you can actually put side by side, and their written replies become part of your records.
Why does this page not list IT companies in Ranchi?
We do not name or rank other firms. Build your own shortlist from referrals by people in your line of business, local searches and the companies' own websites, then check each one's registration on the MCA website.
