Compare candidates on accepted tasks under the same obligations. Include review, retries, fallback, operating labour and capacity; published infrastructure prices cover only selected inputs.
- □ The final holdout remained protected throughout development.
- □ Critical requirements pass, with failures and segment results visible.
- □ Cost calculations use measured workload and explicitly stated assumptions.
- □ A downside case covers lower volume, cheaper baseline pricing and more review.
- □ Required assets can be exported and run in the intended destination.
- □ The buyer can explain why the result changes the decision.
If the candidate fails a critical requirement, do not rescue it with an attractive average cost. If the outcome is inconclusive, identify the smallest additional test that would resolve the decision; do not automatically enlarge the production scope.