A lower quotation may become more expensive after packaging, inspection, transport, duties and quality risk. Offers become comparable only under consistent assumptions.
1. Establish one comparison basis
Agree material, tolerances, packaging, certificates, annual volume and delivery terms before comparing prices. Otherwise, you compare prices for different scopes.
- Identical specification
- Same volume tier
- Consistent Incoterm
- Defined payment terms
2. Costs beyond unit price
Include every expense until you receive usable goods at the destination. Individual items may be small, depending on the product. Together, they can change the supplier ranking.
- Tooling and samples
- Packaging and labelling
- Inspection and testing
- Domestic transport and export
- Freight, insurance and duties
- Anti-dumping and countervailing duties where set for the tariff code
- Carbon border adjustment (CBAM) for iron, steel and aluminium goods
- Financing and inventory carrying cost
| Cost block | Typical basis | Comparison point |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Unit price and order quantity | Align specification and volume tier |
| Quality | Inspection, scrap and rework | Include known defect rate and inspection effort |
| Logistics | Domestic transport, freight and insurance | Use the same Incoterm and destination |
| Duties | Tariff, anti-dumping or countervailing duty, CBAM | Check tariff code and origin in advance |
| Capital | Payment terms and inventory duration | Expose financing and inventory impact |
3. Risk as a cost factor
Rework, scrap, late delivery and emergency air freight incur real costs. Include known defect rates and the cost of a deviation in your comparison.
- Quality and complaint cost
- Delay and safety stock
- Switching and ramp-up cost
4. The result
A complete comparison shows prices, assumptions, cost drivers and risks. You can then judge whether renegotiation, specification changes or a supplier change makes sense.
IMPROVE – work on concrete problems
| Service | Price | Scope and result |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Issue Resolution | €390 | We handle one defined problem at one supplier remotely. The required communication runs for no more than five Chinese working days. We close with the solution or the verified position if the supplier does not cooperate or implementation is not possible. Otherwise, we record the position at the end of the agreed period. An on-site visit or another problem is not included. |
| Improvement Package (4 weeks) | €990 | One supplier, one defined goal: baseline, action plan, two follow-ups with assessment of the implementation evidence. |
| Improvement Programme (8 weeks) | from €2,490 | We work with up to three suppliers on one goal each over eight weeks and follow up actions as the case requires. You receive a written status every two weeks, or weekly for time-critical or high-risk cases. At the end, we record whether each goal is achieved, has open conditions or remains blocked by verified non-cooperation or inability to implement. |
We address one defined problem per existing supplier. This may be a delivery delay, recurring quality deviation, incomplete corrective action, cost or process problem, or unclear responsibility. We agree on-site assignments separately where needed.
Contract terms: Terms section 4: Content of services, deliverables and limits
The accepted written proposal for the confirmed scope remains authoritative.