HFS Research Scraps Analyst-Scored Rankings for Client-Only Star Ratings
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Boston – – September 30, 2026 -- HFS Research has retired its flagship Horizons provider assessment and replaced it with HFS Services-as-SoftwareTM (SaS) Star Ratings, a scoring system built entirely on more than 400 enterprise client evaluations with zero vendor input and no analyst scoring.
The shift ends a model in which provider rankings were assembled from vendor briefings, RFI responses, and vendor-selected references before being scored by analysts. Under SaS Stars, providers cannot submit scoring inputs, buy inclusion, or select client references; only current enterprise clients who own or govern an engagement and have at least 12 months of experience with it are eligible to rate a provider.