There are two entity types that are relevant for score computation: Requirement Group and Requirement.

A Requirement Group groups one or more requirements that are related by context. For example, if you had a Requirement Group named 'Export Formats', you would include all requirements that relate to 'Export Formats' in that group.

To express the relative importance of the Requirement Group, you assign it a weight, expressed as a percent value. The default value is 100 (%). If a Requirement Group is of particular importance, you would give it a weight value above the 100% mark. If, on the other hand, it is less important, you would give it a weight value less than 100%.

Let us keep in mind for now that the Requirement Group Weight affects score computation of all requirements in a group. More on that later. 

A Requirement  is a singular documented need of what a particular product or service should be or do. You can express the relative importance of a Requirement in two ways. Firstly, you categorize a Requirement by assigning a Requirement Level. Typical requirement levels are "Must", "Should", and "May" (for more information, please see RFC 2119). Secondly, as with a Requirement Group, you can also assign a weight value to a Requirement.  

You specify requirement levels and weight values when you author or modify an Evaluation Specification.

Now, let us go forward in time and presume that you have received a number of RFP Responses. Your next step would be to create an Evaluation Project in the Evaluation Project Editor and include all RFP Responses that have made it past pre-qualification.

A RFP Response contains a Requirement Fulfillment Statement for each Requirement. In a Requirement Fulfillment Statement, the offeror specifies to what extent the respective Requirement is met. Requirement Fulfillment Grade options are, for example: 'Fully supported', 'Not supported', 'Supported via customization', etc.

As you evaluate Requirement Fulfillment Statements, you can overrule the offeror's Requirement Fulfillment Grade value. In addition, you can assign a Requirement Fulfillment Weight, which lets you recognize a superior or inferior solution appropriately.

Now, it is time for wrapping it all up and arriving at a formula. A single Requirement evaluation score is the result of:

Requirement Level * Requirement Group Weight * Requirement Weight * Requirement Fulfillment Grade * Requirement Fulfillment Weight.

Since it is not possible to use alphabetical values in a computation, Requirement Level and Requirement Fulfillment Grade are assigned numeric values (e.g. 'Fully supported' is assigned the value 10 by default). To give you full control, the Evaluation Project Editor lets you edit those values.

Summing up, the EAS provides everything you need to produce high-quality evaluations.