Control the request before comparing responses
Define the product or service requirement, quantities, required delivery date, delivery location, commercial terms, evidence and response format. If suppliers quote different scopes, the comparison will produce false precision.
Commercial and technical fields to capture
- Supplier and offer reference
- Currency and exchange-rate date
- Unit price and quantity breaks
- MOQ and order multiples
- Incoterm and named place
- Production and transport lead time
- Tooling and setup costs
- Freight and insurance
- Duty and brokerage assumptions
- Payment terms
- Warranty and service conditions
- Exceptions and clarifications
Treat clarification as controlled evidence
Record the question, supplier response, date, owner and whether the response changes the commercial or technical comparison. Avoid overwriting the original offer without preserving the clarification trail.
Normalize only comparable data
Convert currency using a documented date and source. Separate production lead time from transport lead time. Compare price at the same quantity. Add direct landed-cost components using consistent assumptions. Do not average missing or non-compliant data to make the table complete.
Common RFQ comparison mistakes
- Comparing different Incoterms as if they were equivalent
- Ignoring tooling, packaging or inspection costs
- Mixing lead-time definitions
- Using a supplier’s unverified duty estimate
- Leaving exceptions in email instead of the decision record
- Ranking suppliers before qualification is complete
Move from RFQ comparison to award recommendation
The RFQ comparison is an input, not the final decision. Connect it to supplier qualification, residual risk, weighted scoring, negotiation and the management summary. The recommendation should explain why the preferred supplier is appropriate and what conditions remain before award.