# Procurement quotation comparison

Make quotations equivalent before comparing them. AI can help organise information, but missing specifications and ambiguous terms must remain visible until clarified.

Revision: 2026-09-24

## When to use it

When suppliers offer different formats, units and conditions for the same purchase and you need a reasoned decision.

## Expected output

A line-by-line and condition-by-condition comparison with source references, missing information and an approved decision.

## 1. Establish common requirements

Agree what you are buying before reading prices. Keep alternatives separate until the person using the product confirms they are equivalent.

### Product or service requirements

Describe required characteristics, quantity, units, destination and operating conditions to satisfy.

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### Mandatory requirements and preferences

Distinguish conditions that disqualify a proposal from preferences that can be negotiated.

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### Timing and owners

Record required delivery date, who clarifies specifications and who may approve the choice.

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> Illustrative example, replace with your own: Illustrative example: purchase 100 units of a specified component. An offer in packs of 10 needs normalisation; a technical variant remains a separate proposal.

## 2. Normalise and cite

Keep original values beside comparable ones. Do not infer additional costs, availability or equivalence that the quotation does not state.

### Price, units and additional costs

Record currency, quantity, unit price, shipping and other stated items; separate missing amounts and tax treatment requiring confirmation.

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### Delivery, validity and conditions

Record stated lead times, offer validity, availability and relevant operating conditions without unsupported interpretation.

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### Source and missing information

Link document, version and line; record clarification requests and received answers.

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> Illustrative example, replace with your own: Illustrative example: one supplier includes shipping and another does not mention it. The second entry remains “clarification needed”; it is not automatically counted as zero.

## 3. Record the decision

Apply agreed criteria and verify differences that could change the choice. Generated summaries should refer back to the approved original terms.

### Comparison and trade-offs

Describe comparable cost, requirements met, timing and uncertainties that could alter the ranking.

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### Clarifications before ordering

List required answers and who checks specifications, conditions and the final quotation version.

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### Selection and approval

Record selected proposal, rationale, approver and exact references to use in the purchase order.

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> Illustrative example, replace with your own: Illustrative example: faster delivery may justify a higher cost only when the date is confirmed and the owner accepts the operational trade-off.

## Pitfalls to avoid

- Comparing per-pack prices with per-unit prices.

- Treating an unstated condition as favourable or free.

- Creating an order from a summary without checking the final quotation version.

Stolen Orbit — https://stolenorbit.com/en/templates/procurement-quote-comparison/