A lower unit price does not by itself show that one supplier has quoted the same order more cheaply. Before comparing prices, confirm the same product scope, the same quoted quantity and mix, a clear included / extra / excluded scope, and a comparable delivery basis. If a key item is unknown, do not assume the two offers are equal.
This is a Meetfunpet proposed buyer framework. Use these five checks to establish what each supplier is actually pricing:
- Match the product scope
- Confirm the quoted quantity and mix
- Separate charges and confirm what is included
- Align the delivery scope and flag price-linked conditions
- Record unknowns before comparing
Work through the checks below, or go directly to the comparison record and the three comparison states.
Five Checks Before Comparing Supplier Prices
Match the Product Scope
Are these suppliers quoting the same product? Start with the style and specification version each quotation refers to. A shared product name is not enough to establish the scope.
CBI’s apparel quotation guidance includes materials, making details, size breakdown, decoration and packaging in its costing context. For your pet apparel order, compare the relevant details already specified:
- Fabric or material basis, construction and trims.
- Size definitions and colour scope, including the referenced specification version.
- Logo or label application and the packaging requested.
Keep the check specific to the garment. Ruffwear’s Sun Shower raincoat specifications distinguish material, closure, coverage, leash access and dimensions. That is one real product’s specification, not a quotation rule for all pet apparel. Check chest or back-length specifications where relevant, and a leash opening only if the quoted product has one.
Record any substitution or omission against the agreed scope and ask whether the supplier priced that scope. If neither quote refers to an agreed specification, establish that input before treating the offers as comparable.
Confirm the Quoted Quantity and Mix
Quoted Quantity ≠ MOQ. The first is the quantity this price covers; the second is the supplier’s stated minimum on a particular basis. Knowing the minimum does not tell you which order quantity was priced.
As a proposed check within this framework, ask:
- What quantity is the quoted price based on?
- What size and colour mix does it cover?
- Is the MOQ per style, per colour or on another basis?
- Can sizes or colours be mixed, and are there allocation restrictions?
- Does the same quoted price apply to the mix you intend to order?
Keep the quoted quantity, mix and MOQ basis in separate fields. If the suppliers have priced different quantities or assortments, request confirmation or a corresponding quotation for the intended order. Do not extend the original unit price to a changed mix without confirmation.
Separate Charges and Confirm What Is Included
A charge needs more than a name. The New Zealand procurement cost guidance distinguishes one-time and recurring costs. CBI’s apparel costing guidance also discusses packaging, trims and buyer-specific costs. These provide context for checking scope; they do not tell you what a particular supplier has included in its quote.
Meetfunpet proposes recording four separate dimensions for each relevant charge:
- Pricing basis: record the currency and charging unit, such as per garment, set or batch.
- Occurrence: when the charge applies, whether it repeats, and what triggers it again.
- Selection: whether the item is required or optional, and whether it is selected for this order.
- Inclusion / evidence: included in the quoted price, separately charged, explicitly excluded or unknown, with the quotation or reply supporting that entry.
One-time / recurring ≠ optional / required ≠ included / excluded. A selected optional item may already be included in the unit price. Adding it again would count it twice. An excluded item still needs clarification if it is part of the intended order.
Apply the dimensions to sample charges, branding, packaging and selected add-ons as relevant. Check setup or tooling only where it actually applies. Do not assume a sample charge happens only once, setup remains reusable, or tooling is required.
Keep any conditional credit alongside its conditions. Treat it as confirmed only after checking that those conditions apply. Leave an unknown amount unresolved; it is not zero.
Align the Delivery Scope and Flag Price-Linked Conditions
Check what delivery scope the price covers. ICC’s Incoterms® guidance explains that the rules allocate delivery obligations, costs and risks between buyer and seller. Quotes on EXW and FOB bases can therefore cover different scopes.
If a quotation uses an Incoterms® rule, record the rule, named place or port, applicable version and any explicit exceptions. Matching abbreviations alone do not establish matching scope. If the wording is vague, keep the supplier’s exact wording and request clarification; do not convert it into an Incoterm yourself.
If delivery scopes remain different, identify the difference and retain it in the record, or request a quotation on the intended common basis.
Separate Commercial Conditions
In this framework, record payment terms and lead time separately. The author’s introduction to Incoterms® 2020 published by ICC explains that the rules do not determine payment timing, method or currency.
- Payment: retain the stated terms and any conditions attached to the offer.
- Lead time: record the quoted duration or date, its starting point, endpoint and dependencies. Distinguish production completion, dispatch and arrival.
Bring either condition back into price comparison only when the supplier explicitly states that it changes the price, triggers a fee, affects price validity or changes a scheduling charge. Record the affected price item and the supplier’s explanation. If the relationship or amount is unclear, ask; do not assign a monetary value to a shorter lead time or calculate an unstated payment adjustment.
Record Unknowns Before Comparing
Silence is not confirmation. If a quote is silent, do not assume an item is included, free, not required or the same as Supplier B’s.
Use Unknown / Clarification Required as Meetfunpet proposed record language. New Zealand Government Procurement’s response evaluation guidance supports checking cost completeness and seeking clarification where price raises questions. The label and recording sequence here are our proposed application for buyers.
- Identify the missing item and its location in the quote.
- Ask a specific question about its scope, charge or condition.
- Keep the supplier’s reply or revised quotation.
- Record the reply date and document version.
- Update the affected comparison field and keep unresolved points open.
Record unknowns as they arise throughout the checks. A reply resolves an item only if it answers the question; otherwise, retain the remaining uncertainty. Missing information identifies a clarification task, not a conclusion about supplier reliability.
A Practical Quote Comparison Record
This is a proposed buyer-side record, not an industry-standard quotation format. Write the intended comparison scope under Common basis. Enter each supplier’s actual response and source reference in its column; do not copy your requirement into a supplier column as though it were confirmed.
A quotation or pro forma invoice may carry the relevant information: U.S. trade documentation guidance lists price, delivery, payment and validity information for a pro forma invoice. Check the contents and version, rather than relying on the document’s title.
The supplier columns below are blank for use. A blank cell is not a confirmed zero or an exclusion. Use the final column for the specific difference, question or confirmation, including its date and reference.
| Comparison item | Common basis | Supplier A | Supplier B | Clarification / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quote identity / version | Record the offers being compared. | Quote ID, date, version, validity and source. | ||
| Product / specification | Style, revision, materials, construction, size definitions and colours. | Identify deviations or unconfirmed details. | ||
| Quantity / size-colour mix | Intended quantity and allocation. | Confirm this mix carries the quoted price. | ||
| MOQ basis | Check compatibility with the intended order. | Basis, mixing permission and restrictions. | ||
| Branding / labels | Selected application and specification. | Confirm scope and any charge reference. | ||
| Packaging | Selected packaging scope. | Confirm scope and any charge reference. | ||
| Unit price / currency | Same currency and charging unit for direct comparison. | Retain original values; clarify mismatches. | ||
| Charges / inclusion status | Selected order scope. | Pricing basis, occurrence, selection, inclusion; credit conditions. | ||
| Delivery basis | Intended delivery scope. | Exact wording; rule, place, version, exceptions if applicable. | ||
| Payment terms | Separate commercial condition. | Retain terms; flag explicit price links. | ||
| Lead time | Separate commercial condition. | Start, endpoint, dependencies; explicit price links. | ||
| Unknowns / clarification | Items preventing a comparison decision. | Question, reply, date/version and unresolved point. |
Reference a separate charge breakdown or supplier reply where a cell needs more detail. Keep the original quote available when updating the record.
When Two Quotes Still Aren’t Comparable
Meetfunpet proposes three result states for this comparison record:
- Comparable on stated basis: the stated product, quantity and mix, charging scope, currency basis, quote validity and delivery scope have been confirmed as comparable. Compare prices within that scope, retaining separate commercial conditions. This does not establish identical supplier quality, risk or capability.
- Different scope retained: the differences are understood, and you decide to keep distinct options. Name the differences and preserve each offer’s scope. Do not force the offers into a single supposedly equivalent price.
- Clarification required: a key scope item, charge or price dependency remains unknown. Record the answer needed before comparison can proceed. Do not fill the gap with zero, a guess or the other supplier’s value.
If a critical unknown remains alongside a known difference, use Clarification required until it is resolved. Apply the result to these quotations and this stated scope. Supplier fit and reliability require a separate evaluation.