COMPARISON BASE / 01
Build one comparison record
Give the record a version, owner and date. Keep each supplier’s original quote and record differences without silently changing their offer.
Set one product and quantity brief
Send each supplier the same product version, quantity bands, packaging, destination and target delivery window. Save each original quote and list any exception beside it.
A quote for 500 units and one for 1,000 units need separate comparison rows. Keep packaging and other exclusions visible.
Identify the seller and other parties
Record the quote issuer, Chinese legal name, Unified Social Credit Code where available and registered address. Name any separate manufacturer, exporter or payee and ask how each relates to the seller.
Check the legal seller. If you have the licence text, read its scope with the free browser tool.
Match the product revision
Match the model, material, dimensions, tolerance, finish, accessories, packaging and drawing revision. Tie the quote, sample and order to those versions.
Define the product specification, then record sample approval.
List what the price includes
List product, tooling, samples, artwork, testing, labels, packing, freight, insurance and documents. Mark each as included, excluded or open, with a cost owner and due date.
Ask about blank fields. Two quotes can name the same product while including different work.
Break down the total
Record currency, unit price, quantity band, minimum order, setup and sample charges, packing, tax, discounts and quote expiry. Show the total calculation and any conditions that can change it.
Allow for costs outside the quote, such as duties, freight or exchange-rate changes.
Name the delivery rule and point
Write the chosen Incoterms® 2020 rule and exact place, port or terminal. Record production readiness and dispatch dates separately.
The ICC rules allocate specified costs, risks and duties. Carry the details into the shipment record.
Agree what evidence and checks are included
Ask which sample, specification, reports, inspection stage and test methods the quote covers. Name who pays for each check and how the buyer will accept or hold the goods.
ISO 2859-1:2026 covers lot sampling indexed by AQL. It does not guarantee every unit. Match reports and certificates to this order.
Record the payment conditions
List the deposit, balance trigger, refund terms, invoice seller and beneficiary. Define how account changes will be checked. Keep unresolved payment questions open even when quotes are ready to compare.
COMPARISON TABLE / 02
Use fields that make a difference visible
| Field | Record for every quote | Ask when it differs | Do not conclude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seller | Quote issuer and legal seller identity; manufacturer/exporter/payee roles | Which entity sells, makes, exports and receives payment? | That a matching name proves capability or safety |
| Product | Model, specification revision, material, packaging and quantity basis | Which exact version is priced? | That two similar descriptions are the same product |
| Scope | Included and excluded work, documents, samples, tools and packaging | Who owns each missing cost or task? | That an unstated item is included |
| Price | Currency, unit price, components, validity and total calculation | What changes the price or quantity band? | That the lowest total is the lowest eventual cost |
| Delivery | Incoterms® 2020 rule, named point, readiness and dispatch assumptions | Where do costs, risks and handoffs change? | That an estimated lead time is a guarantee |
| Evidence | Sample, report, certificate, inspection and destination assumptions | Which ordered model, site and lot does the evidence cover? | That a document approves the supplier or order |
| Payment | Milestones, invoice seller, beneficiary and change process | What evidence triggers each payment? | That payment terms prove payment safety |
| Open items | Difference, owner, due date and next decision | What must be answered before comparison closes? | That silence closes the exception |
DECISION STATES / 03
Keep comparison and selection separate
| State | What is true | Permitted next step |
|---|---|---|
| Collected | Quotes are saved, but their product, scope or delivery assumptions differ | Request clarification; do not rank totals as equivalent |
| Comparable with open items | Core fields are aligned and differences are named with owners | Evaluate the documented trade-offs and close material questions |
| Commercially selected | A buyer has chosen a seller and recorded the commercial basis | Build the controlled purchase-order baseline; no production release yet |
| Changed | A seller, product, scope, delivery or payment assumption changes | Reopen the affected comparison and issue a new record version |
Can tender records help you compare?
Treat a returned tender record as a document to read, not a price benchmark. In our 45-company NHTSA-linked sample, 27 companies returned at least one record.
| Tender records on file | Companies |
|---|---|
| None | 18 |
| 1–3 | 12 |
| 4–19 | 7 |
| 20 or more (page limit) | 8 |
Counts alone do not show prices, products, awards or delivery performance. Missing records do not explain a supplier’s business model.
Source: NHTSA-linked manufacturer study, licensed-platform queries on 21–22 August 2026. This selected sample does not represent all suppliers; returned counts stop at 20.
METHOD / 04
How this checklist was prepared
We use ICC’s delivery guidance, ISO 10007’s version-control framing and ISO 2859-1’s lot-sampling scope. The eight checks are Currawong’s buyer workflow, not requirements quoted from those sources.
We have not reviewed your quote or transaction. Use qualified advice for legal, customs and product-compliance questions; this guide supplies no price benchmark or supplier approval.
PRIMARY SOURCES / 05
Official sources used for this guide
Source notes reviewed on 5 September 2026. Recheck applicable requirements for your product and destination.
- ICC: Incoterms® 2020Allocation of specified delivery costs, risks and duties.
- ISO 10007:2017Guidance on identifying product versions and changes.
- ISO 2859-1:2026AQL-indexed lot-by-lot acceptance sampling.
COMMON QUESTIONS / 06
Common questions
- Is the lowest quotation automatically the best supplier choice?
- No. A lower total may reflect a different product revision, quantity, scope, delivery point, evidence package or payment trigger. Compare those assumptions before evaluating the trade-off.
- Does a quotation prove that a supplier can produce the product?
- No. It records a commercial offer. Legal identity, capability, sample, documents and production evidence require separate checks against the relevant order.
- Can I use this checklist as a contract?
- No. It is a comparison record, not a contract or legal interpretation. Obtain qualified advice for a material transaction and the applicable jurisdiction.
- Should I compare a factory and a trading company in the same table?
- Yes, if both are candidates, but name the proposed seller, manufacturer, exporter and payee roles. A business type alone does not settle order fit or transaction risk.
- What happens after a seller is selected?
- Turn the chosen commercial assumptions into one controlled purchase-order baseline, then decide separately whether the evidence and hold points allow production to start.