AI Supply Chain BriefRFQ bid comparison example: a filled-in worksheet
Fictional exampleEvery company, supplier, price and date on this page is made up for illustration. Don't paste real supplier quotes, pricing under NDA or any export-controlled data into an AI tool; anonymize first and follow your company's AI policy.
Comparing quotes is where an RFQ is won or lost. The sticker price is rarely the whole story: tooling, freight, minimum order quantities and the "exceptions" a supplier quietly adds can flip the result. Below is a complete, filled-in comparison for a simple buy, so you can see the layout, the math and the questions before you build your own.
The scenario
Example Outdoor Gear Co. (fictional) ships online orders in a printed corrugated carton. The buyer sent an RFQ to three suppliers for:
- Item: regular slotted carton, 18 × 12 × 10 in, 32 ECT, 2-color print
- Annual volume: 120,000 cartons (about 10,000 a month), forecast, not a commitment
- Required lead time: 10 business days or less
- Requested terms: Net 45, delivered price or freight quoted separately, price held 12 months
Step 1: The quotes as received
| Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit price | $0.82 | $0.78 | $0.85 |
| Freight | $0.06 / unit | Included (delivered) | $0.04 / unit |
| One-time tooling (print plates, die) | $450 | $1,200 | $0 (waived) |
| Lead time | 10 business days | 15 business days | 5 business days |
| Minimum order (MOQ) | 5,000 | 10,000 | 2,500 |
| Payment terms | Net 30 | Net 45 | Net 30 |
| Exceptions taken | Price adjusts quarterly to a board-price index | Requires a 12-month blanket order for 120,000 | Quoted 1-color print only |
Step 2: Normalize to a year-one landed cost
Put every quote on the same basis: (unit price + freight) × annual volume + one-time tooling. Then add the cost of carrying the stock each MOQ forces you to hold. This example uses an assumed 25% annual carrying rate on average cycle stock (MOQ ÷ 2); use your own finance number.
| Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landed unit cost | $0.88 | $0.78 | $0.89 |
| Annual parts + freight (× 120,000) | $105,600 | $93,600 | $106,800 |
| + Tooling | $450 | $1,200 | $0 |
| + Carrying cost of cycle stock | $550 (2,500 × $0.88 × 25%) | $975 (5,000 × $0.78 × 25%) | $278 (1,250 × $0.89 × 25%) |
| Year-one total | $106,600 | $95,775 | $107,078 |
On cost alone, Supplier B is about $10,800 a year below A. But B misses the 10-day lead time and wants a 12-month commitment the RFQ didn't offer, and C didn't quote the spec at all.
Step 3: Score what the price doesn't show
Weights add up to 100 and were set before the bids came in. Scores run 1 (poor) to 5 (best).
| Criterion (weight) | Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year-one cost (40) | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Lead time vs. 10-day need (20) | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Meets spec (20) | 5 | 4 (sample not yet approved) | 2 (1-color only) |
| Terms and flexibility (20) | 4 | 2 (12-month lock-in) | 4 |
| Weighted score (out of 5) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
A and B tie. That's useful: the decision now turns on two answers you can get with one email each, not on a gut call.
Step 4: Gaps and clarification questions
- Supplier A: Which index, how often, and is there a cap? Will you hold the price for 6 months before the first adjustment? Can you match Net 45?
- Supplier B: What is the price without the 12-month blanket order? Can you meet a 10-business-day lead time if we share a rolling forecast? When can we approve a sample?
- Supplier C: Please quote the 2-color print in the RFQ. Does the $0.85 or the tooling waiver change?
Step 5: The one-paragraph recommendation
Recommendation (draft): Hold the award until two answers are in. Supplier B is lowest on year-one cost ($95,775 vs. $106,600 for A) but needs a 12-month commitment and misses our 10-day lead time. If B drops the commitment and meets 10 days, award to B. If not, award to A, and negotiate a 6-month price hold before index adjustments. Supplier C is out unless it quotes the 2-color spec. Assumptions: 120,000 cartons a year, 25% carrying rate.
Do it with AI in 5 minutes
Paste anonymized quotes (Supplier A, B, C) into your approved AI assistant with this prompt:
You are a senior buyer. Below are our RFQ requirements and three anonymized supplier quotes. Requirements: [ITEM, ANNUAL VOLUME, REQUIRED LEAD TIME, REQUESTED TERMS] Quotes (one row per supplier: unit price, freight, one-time tooling, lead time, MOQ, payment terms, exceptions taken): [PASTE TABLE] Carrying-cost rate: [X% per year] 1) Build a year-one landed cost per supplier: (unit price + freight) x annual volume + tooling + carrying cost of average cycle stock (MOQ / 2 x landed unit cost x carrying rate). Show your math. 2) Score each supplier 1-5 on cost, lead time vs. requirement, meets spec, and terms, using these weights: [WEIGHTS ADDING TO 100]. Show the weighted total. 3) List every gap or exception per supplier and write one clarification question for each. 4) Draft a 4-sentence recommendation that names what would change the decision. List any missing or inconsistent data instead of guessing. Use tables for steps 1 and 2. Keep the answer under 350 words.
Want the full RFQ Comparison Kit?
We're considering a full RFQ Comparison Kit: a spreadsheet that does this math for you, scoring guides, clarification-question templates and more worked examples. It isn't built yet. If you'd use it, email us to get notified at launch (one email when it ships; we won't add you to anything else). We'll build it only if enough people ask.
Related: the RFQ and sourcing events use case (with real company examples), AI prompts for freight RFQs, and the free 8-prompt sample, which includes the Bid comparison and gap finder prompt.
