Inside Forrester's Wave: How Customer Obsession Shapes Modern Vendor Analysis

Customer Feedback Takes Center Stage

The Forrester Wave methodology positions customer feedback as the primary visual indicator on its evaluation graphic, replacing traditional market presence metrics. The framework now considers whether vendors provided requested reference customers, response rates, breadth of functionality leveraged by references, and overall customer satisfaction. This elevated focus on authentic user experience reflects patterns emerging across the $84 billion global market research industry, where practitioners increasingly prioritize observational data over self-reported vendor claims.

Simplified Categorization Drives Clarity

The Wave now features three vendor tiers rather than four: Leader, Strong Performer, and Contender. This streamlined approach aligns with Forrester's three-point scoring rubric while making findings more actionable for technology buyers navigating crowded marketplaces. The reduction in categories mirrors a broader trend toward simplified, clarity-focused evaluation frameworks that help decision-makers quickly understand vendor positioning without getting lost in subtle distinctions between closely ranked providers.

Flexible Participation Removes Barriers

Forrester's revised approach indicates vendor participation in report text rather than on the graphic itself, allowing providers to engage with specific evaluation components without concern about visual participation markers. Vendors can now contribute through questionnaires, demonstrations, strategy briefings, reference customers, or feedback on results in various combinations. This flexibility acknowledges that meaningful evaluation requires multiple data inputs, and partial participation can still generate valuable insights for technology buyers.

Transparent Methodology Builds Trust

The 18-week Wave process follows a publicly available framework that includes questionnaire distribution, executive strategy briefings, product demonstrations, and reference customer interviews. Analysts score vendors using weighted criteria that balance current offering capabilities, strategic vision, and market approach. By maintaining consistent methodology across all participants and declining client engagements with evaluated vendors during the process, Forrester preserves the analytical independence that technology buyers require when making procurement decisions.

Real-Time Insights Meet Structured Analysis

While Forrester's approach maintains structured evaluation cycles, the emphasis on customer feedback positions the Wave to capture more dynamic, real-world performance data. Reference customers provide direct experiences that often diverge from vendor marketing materials, giving analysts access to ground truth that resembles the real-time, behaviorally-driven insights gaining prominence across market research disciplines. This hybrid approach balances comprehensive structured analysis with the immediacy and authenticity that modern technology evaluation demands.