Buyer decision guide
Compare Supplier Quotes on the Same Basis
Normalize supplier quotations by specification, quantity, currency, Incoterm and included work before choosing a nominally low price.
Open the toolPrepare a controlled input
The calculator or checklist is only as useful as the commercial and product facts entered into it.
Use this when
- Two or more suppliers have returned quotations.
- Quotes use different quantities or commercial terms.
- Management needs an explainable award recommendation.
Inputs to collect
- Controlled RFQ revision
- Quoted quantity and unit price
- Currency and Incoterm
- Tooling and one-time charges
- Payment terms and lead time
- Declared deviations and exclusions
Decision workflow
Keep the working basis visible so another reviewer can reproduce the conclusion.
Lock the requirement
Select the RFQ and specification revision that all comparison lines should answer.
Normalize commercial terms
Enter one quantity and currency basis, while preserving each supplier's original quote.
Expose deviations
Record missing features, packaging differences, tooling ownership and exclusions instead of burying them in notes.
Write the award logic
State what evidence supports the decision and which conditions remain before deposit.
The output should support a decision
A normalized quote table, deviation log and buyer-owned award brief.
Questions the output should answer
- Which bids are comparable
- Whether a lower price is explained by a requirement deviation
- What must be clarified before an award recommendation
Check the failure points
- Ranking by unit price alone
- Ignoring one-time costs
- Converting currencies without a dated rate
- Treating missing terms as acceptable defaults