Procurement
Procurement supplier comparison
Bring quotations onto a comparable basis without erasing the assumptions and exclusions that make them different.
Compare the purchase, not just the unit price
Supplier quotations rarely arrive in the same format. One quotes a case, another an individual unit. Freight may be included, excluded, or conditional. A lead time may start at order acceptance, deposit receipt, or approval of a drawing. These differences matter before a buyer can make a meaningful comparison.
Proto can read quotations and specifications from PDFs, spreadsheets, Word documents, and relevant web pages, then prepare a comparison workbook. Give it the purchasing requirement and ask it to expose uncertainty. The goal is a decision document the buyer can verify, not an automatic supplier award.
Establish the comparison basis
Provide the required item specification, quantity, delivery location, target date, and any mandatory acceptance criteria. Identify which document is authoritative when an email amendment differs from the original quotation. Ask Proto to retain the quoted values alongside any normalized values so calculations remain inspectable.
For example, a quote for a carton of components must retain the stated pack size. If the pack size is missing, the comparison should say it cannot calculate a per-unit amount. It should not infer a quantity from a familiar product description.
An illustrative brief:
Compare these supplier quotations against the attached requirement. Create a workbook with original quoted values, a normalized quantity basis, explicit exclusions, lead-time conditions, and source references. Flag missing information and produce clarification questions. Do not choose a supplier, accept terms, or place an order.
Use a comparison the buyer can audit
| Dimension | Preserve in the output |
|---|---|
| Scope and specification | Exact item, revision, substitutions, and exclusions |
| Quantity | Purchase unit, pack size, minimum quantity, and quantity breaks |
| Commercial basis | Quoted currency, validity date, stated freight and other charges |
| Delivery | Lead-time wording, the event that starts it, and any conditions |
| Evidence | File, page or section, and the date of any amendment |
| Open questions | Information needed before an equivalent comparison is possible |
If a calculation depends on an exchange rate, freight estimate, or demand assumption, supply that input explicitly and label it in the workbook. Ask for formulas and a clear distinction between source values and assumptions. A missing charge is not a zero charge.
Keep supplier claims attributable
Public supplier pages can supplement the documents, but they should not silently override a signed or issued quotation. Keep product claims attributed to their source. Technical acceptance, supplier qualification, contractual interpretation, and award authority remain decisions for the relevant people in your organization.
Proto can draft a clarification request after the comparison. Review it against the open questions and use approval controls before sending through webmail. New installations use Uninterrupted mode; turn it off and leave Plan mode when you want supported consequential browser actions to wait for review.
Carry the evidence into the purchase process
Store the selected comparison with the source quotations and approval record in the systems your team uses. When the same requirement recurs, a skill can preserve the normalization rules and required fields. If the process needs shared owners, due dates, and status tracking, explore an ERP•AI app. Start by validating one comparison against documents a buyer already understands before extending the process to a larger sourcing exercise.