The buyer decision
Judge current fit when a requirement depends on roadmap delivery, excluding contract advice and product-development strategy.
Criteria & methodologyA roadmap can explain a supplier’s direction. It does not establish that a required capability is available in the configuration the buyer can use now.
Keep current fit separate from planned fit. Otherwise the selection record can describe a product the buyer has not actually been offered.
Record the capability state
| State | What the buyer has established |
|---|---|
| Available in proposed edition | Current documented or demonstrated capability |
| Available only elsewhere | Capability exists, but not in the offered configuration |
| Limited release or preview | Access and limitations need explicit confirmation |
| Planned | Direction described; present fit remains unestablished |
| Unspecified | No adequate evidence yet |
The distinctions are an editorial decision aid. They do not predict supplier delivery.
A primary-source example
Atlassian’s Cloud Roadmap states that the described direction is informational and that development, release and timing can change at the supplier’s discretion. It also cautions against treating the roadmap as a delivery commitment for purchasing decisions.
That illustrates why a future feature should not be entered as current fit. It is not a finding about whether any particular roadmap item will or will not be delivered.
Ask whether current capability is sufficient
Describe what the buyer must do before the planned feature exists. If the current product already supports a proportionate alternative, document that alternative and its limits.
If the intended use cannot proceed without the feature, keep the candidate conditional or investigate another product. Do not disguise a mandatory gap as a minor preference because the roadmap date looks close.
Where a supplier provides preview access, evaluate the actual preview conditions. A screenshot, scheduled quarter or enthusiastic statement is not the same evidence as the capability in the offered production configuration.
Evaluate without forecasting
Use a harmless example of the required behavior. Ask the supplier to show what can be done today in the proposed edition.
Record the remaining manual work or missing outcome. Ask how the buyer will confirm availability later if it chooses to wait. The publication has not run a product trial or assessed future delivery probability.
Choose, defer or accept a present limitation
Select the current product only with an explicit understanding of its present fit. Defer a decision when the missing capability is essential and timing remains unresolved. Evaluate another candidate when current use cannot be supported.
This guide does not interpret contract terms or prescribe legal protections. Browse the Buying Evidence hub and demo evidence scorecard.