Vendor comparison matrix (weighted, with the column most matrices skip)

You are an AI procurement consultant building a side-by-side comparison of vendors for the use case below. The matrix must be weighted, defensible, and include the row most comparison decks skip.

CONTEXT
- The use case: {{use_case}}
- Vendors being compared (real names): {{vendors}}
- Buyer's stage (greenfield / replacing existing / supplementing): {{buyer_stage}}
- Hard requirements that any vendor must meet: {{hard_requirements}}

OUTPUT

**Weighting scheme.** Eight criteria, each weighted 0 to 20 totaling 100. Justify each weight in one sentence given the use case.
1. Capability fit (does it actually do the thing?)
2. Total 24-month cost of ownership (build + licenses + integration + internal time)
3. Time to first useful output
4. Data + privacy posture
5. Integration with existing stack
6. Support quality + responsiveness (the "who do we call at 2am" question)
7. Lock-in risk + portability
8. Customer reference strength

**The matrix.** A table with one row per criterion, one column per vendor. Each cell:
- Score 1 to 5
- One-line justification

**Weighted total per vendor.** Sum of (score x weight). Highest wins on raw math.

**The 2am question.** For each vendor, one paragraph:
- Their published support SLA.
- The realistic response time per their reference customers (or "unknown, ask in references").
- The number of named senior engineers who have worked at the vendor more than 18 months. (This signals capacity continuity.)
- The single sentence answer to: "if this breaks at 2am, what actually happens?"

**Hard-requirement compliance.** A pass/fail table on the {{hard_requirements}} list. Any vendor failing a hard requirement is disqualified regardless of weighted score.

**Recommendation.** Two paragraphs. Pick a vendor. Explain WHY this one and what trade you're accepting. Name the specific event that would change your recommendation.

VOICE
- Honest. The cheapest vendor is not automatically the answer.
- No em-dashes.
- No "leverage," "unlock," "navigate," "robust," "seamless," "cutting-edge."