Buyer Guide · Quotation Comparison
How to compare Chinese supplier quotations without choosing on unit price alone.
Two quotations can show different prices because they describe different products, quantities, packaging, tooling, delivery boundaries, or payment conditions. Normalize the basis first; compare price second.
Step 1 · Normalize
Make sure the suppliers are quoting the same thing.
Confirm material, dimensions, finish, configuration, quantity, packaging, and any customization before treating two prices as comparable.
If the underlying assumptions differ, the spreadsheet may look precise while the comparison is still wrong.
Fields to compare side by side
The useful comparison is the complete commercial offer, not one unit-price cell.
✓ Product specification and material
✓ Quoted quantity and MOQ
✓ Unit price and price breaks
✓ Tooling or setup charges
✓ Sample fee and timing
✓ Packaging basis
✓ Production lead time
✓ Incoterm or freight boundary
✓ Payment terms
✓ Quote validity
✓ Missing answers and supplier assumptions
Missing information
Blank fields are not neutral.
If one supplier omitted tooling, packaging, sample cost, lead time, or an Incoterm, mark it as unanswered and follow up instead of assuming the best case.
Evidence
A quoted claim is still supplier-provided.
Lead time, capacity, certification, and manufacturing scope should stay labeled as supplier statements until the buyer has enough support for the decision.
Hand off the comparison
Sephalis can put multiple supplier responses onto one buyer-side frame.
If several factories are quoting in different formats, Sephalis can collect and structure the commercial information, keep missing answers visible, and make supplier differences easier to review.