Compare Essential Oil Quotations on the Same Specification

Check that the product lines describe the same material

Begin with the proposed product identity and specification version. A familiar common name is not enough to establish that two offers concern the same material. Record botanical identity and processing details where they are part of the agreed brief, along with any concentration, carrier or formulation reference. If a supplier has offered an alternative, name it explicitly before considering its price.

Keep the intended use and required evidence attached to the comparison. A quote for a liquid ingredient and one for a finished bottled product answer different requests. If the quotations refer to different specifications, ask the suppliers to confirm a common basis or evaluate them as separate alternatives. Do not describe a difference in documentation scope as a discount on an otherwise identical offer.

Normalize units without inventing conversions

Write the price basis exactly as quoted: per kilogram, per filled bottle, per carton or per completed set. Confirm the quantity contained in that unit and whether the pack description is a liquid fill or the capacity of an empty container. A price for a carton cannot be compared with a bottle price until the confirmed number of bottles per carton is known.

Avoid silently converting kilograms into litres or bottle counts. A mass-to-volume calculation requires appropriate product information and an agreed basis; it is not established by the bottle size alone. If your purchasing team uses a comparison currency, record the conversion source and date separately while preserving the original quotation. Treat that converted view as an internal calculation rather than a new supplier offer.

List every included component and service

For a bottled project, separate the liquid, bottle, closure, insert, label, individual carton, set packaging and assembly. Add any quoted sample preparation, artwork work, testing and shipment preparation as distinct lines. Mark each as included, separately priced, excluded or unclear. This exposes a missing component without forcing the buyer to guess what it will cost.

Read the quotation notes as carefully as the total. Ask whether the quoted packaging uses an approved component reference or an illustrative option, and whether a change affects the price. Check the treatment of unused printed components and tooling if they are relevant to the project. These arrangements should be stated for the selected offer rather than inferred from another supplier's usual practice.

• Material and fill basis
• Bottle, closure, label and outer packaging
• Assembly and any separately requested services
• Included shipment scope and remaining destination questions

Use a worked example to reveal an incomplete total

In this hypothetical example, offer A lists 500 filled bottles with the specified cap and label but excludes individual cartons. Offer B lists the same 500-bottle configuration with cartons included. Their totals are not yet a like-for-like comparison. Ask A to price the specified carton, or ask B for a clearly identified bottle-only alternative. Do not insert an estimated carton cost and label it supplier-confirmed.

A useful comparison line reads: 'Carton C02, quantity 500: A excluded, clarification requested on 8 May; B included in quote B4.' Keep the response date and revised quotation reference when A replies. If the buyer decides cartons are unnecessary, update the purchasing brief for both offers so the decision and the comparison use the same scope.

Carry the quotation conditions into the approval record

Record the quotation date and validity, payment conditions, named delivery arrangement and location, target schedule and conditions needed to start work. Have the parties clarify their responsibilities and the shipment scope. Tax, duty, customs and payment questions depend on the actual transaction; an incomplete offer should not be made to look complete through a generic assumed charge or interpretation.

Finish with an exception list rather than a single winning number. Identify the open items that prevent approval, the person responsible and the next written confirmation needed. Once the comparison is accepted, retain the final quote alongside the specification and packaging versions. Later changes should produce a visible revision, with their cost and timing effects reviewed before commitment.