Supplier Quote Checklist

Review each supplier

The checklist

Mark a prompt once you have confirmed it against the quote or a written clarification.

Make sure every supplier is answering the same request and delivery need.

Record the RFQ version and date.Keep the request or revision each supplier priced beside their quote.
Use the same required delivery date and destination.A price to a different ship-to point or date may not be comparable.
Note currency, quantity basis, and any stated assumptions.Do not silently convert or infer a term that the supplier has not confirmed.

Compare what was requested with what was actually quoted, line by line.

Match each requested item to a quoted item.Check the description, part or service identifier, and quoted quantity.
Compare specifications, units, and quantities.Check material, grade, dimensions, tolerances, pack size, unit of measure, and total quantity where relevant.
Flag every alternate or non-compliant specification.Ask for a re-quote against the requested specification, reject the deviation, or evaluate it as a clearly separate option.
Mark missing, unquoted, and excluded items explicitly.Ask whether the supplier cannot provide the item or omitted it from the quote; do not treat a blank as included.
List what is included and excluded for each line.Separate included work or materials from options, assumptions, and exclusions.

Bring every relevant charge and condition into view before judging price.

Check unit prices, extensions, and the quoted subtotal.Confirm the arithmetic uses the same unit and quantity basis across suppliers.
Record freight and delivery charges.Mark freight as included, separately priced, estimated, conditional, or not stated.
Add other applicable landed costs.Check packaging, handling, insurance, duties, taxes, and other fees that apply to the purchase.
Flag vague, conditional, or bundled costs.Clarify phrases such as “subject to availability,” “price on application,” surcharges, minimums, or charges that depend on unstated conditions.
Separate confirmed totals from estimates and open questions.Do not present an incomplete or conditional amount as a firm like-for-like total.

A lead-time number is incomplete without its trigger and delivery endpoint.

Record the quoted duration and whether it means business or calendar days.Keep the supplier’s wording if the unit is unclear, and ask them to define it.
Write down what starts the lead-time clock.For example, the trigger may be purchase-order receipt, deposit, approval, or release of final specifications.
Confirm the expected arrival date at the required destination.Ask whether the estimate includes production, dispatch, transit, and any delivery appointment.
Compare expected arrival with the required date.Record any gap, dependency, or delivery risk that needs a decision.

Confirm that the commercial terms still apply when a decision is made.

Record the quote date and validity or expiry date.If no expiry is stated, ask the supplier how long the offer remains valid.
Flag expired quotes and request revalidation before award.Confirm that price, availability, lead time, and other terms still hold.
Compare payment terms, minimums, and price conditions.Note deposits, order minimums, escalation clauses, and any other term that changes the committed cost or timing.

Leave a clear record of what was asked, what changed, and why an option was selected.

Log each open question, owner, response, and date.Keep written clarifications and revised quote versions with the comparison.
Write the comparison rationale against the agreed criteria.Include specification fit, normalized landed cost, timing, terms, and unresolved risks as relevant.
Do not use headline price alone as the decision.A lower figure can exclude requested items, rely on an alternate specification, or leave freight and conditions unresolved.