Compare Steel Coil Quotes on the Same Basis
The cheapest number is not necessarily the lowest-cost compliant offer when the material, single-coil configuration, documents or delivery obligations differ. Build one requirement column, then compare each quotation line against it. ICC explains that Incoterms rules address delivery tasks, costs and risks; a delivery term needs its named rule, edition and place before two quotes can be treated as the same basis.
Material
Same designation, form and condition
Quantity
Same unit, coil split and tolerance
Scope
Same documents and services included
Delivery
Named rule, edition, place and date
Build a Requirement Column First
Start with the drawing or purchase specification, not the suppliers' price lines. Make one row for each field that affects acceptance: complete grade and standard, form, finish, dimensions, condition, certificate, coil configuration, packing, delivery basis and date. Leave an offer cell open if a seller has not answered it; a blank is a clarification request, not a match.
Do not compare quoted totals until the material and scope rows line up. ICC's explanation of Incoterms shows why the delivery line also needs a named rule, edition and place. Two prices using different delivery obligations are not on the same basis merely because both are expressed per tonne.
| Check | Compare in both offers |
|---|---|
| Grade and standard | Complete designation and applicable standard |
| Form and finish | Product form, condition and requested surface |
| Dimensions and tolerance | Offered thickness, width and tolerance basis |
| Quantity and packing | Total quantity, coil split and packing terms |
| Delivery term and place | Named rule, edition and named place |
| Price basis and validity | Unit, currency, included scope and offer validity |
| Lead time and documents | Quoted timing and required certificate scope |
| Exceptions | Each deviation from the purchase requirement |
Match the Material and Coil Configuration
Compare the full designation, standard edition, delivered form, thickness, width, finish and delivery condition on each quote. Keep a proposed grade change or different surface in a separate comparison row until the technical owner approves it. A shorter material name on one quote should be clarified, not silently treated as equivalent.
Then compare the actual coil split: required inner diameter, maximum outer diameter, mass per coil and number of coils. This matters if your uncoiler, loading route or order plan has limits. Ask the seller to repeat the agreed configuration on the final offer instead of combining dimensions from separate catalogue examples.
For prepainted offers, put the PPGI or PPGL base, substrate standard, metallic coating designation, paint system on each face, approved color sample, delivered form and finished dimensions in separate comparison columns. A coil price and a profiled-sheet price are not interchangeable quantities; use the same accepted specification and delivery unit before judging the price difference.
Put Quantity and Price on One Unit Basis
Record whether the quote is for total shipment mass, theoretical mass, net shipped mass or another stated invoicing basis. Ask for unit price currency, the quantity tolerance and whether the price applies to the entire order or to each size line. Keep any separate charges visible rather than folding them into a guessed comparison total.
A useful comparison sheet has columns for the requested basis, each seller's stated basis, missing information and an adjustment that the seller has confirmed in writing. Do not invent a freight, tax or exchange-rate value to force two incomplete offers into one number.
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Separate Documents and Optional Work
List the required certificate type, inspection report, marking, packing, splitting or other work as separate rows. For each quote, record whether the item is included, optional, excluded or still unconfirmed. A promise to provide a certificate should identify which actual heat and tests it will report.
If the order requires a third-party inspection, special packing or additional processing, ask who arranges it, who pays, when it occurs and what record will be provided. Do not treat an unnamed service as included just because a seller can discuss it.
Compare the Named Delivery Basis
ICC describes Incoterms rules as allocating delivery tasks, costs and risks. For each quote, write the complete named rule, edition and place. Check the stated loading point, carrier or terminal arrangement, export documents, insurance if relevant, and the point at which risk changes. Do not infer those details from a three-letter code without its named place.
Also compare the proposed shipment date, validity period and any condition that could change the price before order acceptance. If delivery bases differ, ask the sellers to re-quote on one agreed basis or obtain documented costs for a transparent comparison; this guide supplies no rate or delivery promise.
Send One Clarification List to Each Seller
Before deciding, send each seller the same unresolved row list: material identity, configuration, documents, price unit, named delivery basis, date and exclusions. Ask them to mark deviations explicitly and issue a revised written offer. Compare only the latest accepted versions, retaining the previous quote and clarification trail.
The final decision can then separate technical compliance from commercial preference. A lower price on a different material, missing certificate or different delivery basis is a different proposal, not evidence that the approved specification is cheaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only after the material, quantity basis, included documents and services, currency and delivery obligations are aligned. Record missing fields and request written clarification rather than filling them with assumptions.
ICC explains that Incoterms rules clarify delivery tasks, costs and risks. Identify the named rule, edition and place before treating two offers as the same delivery basis.
Put it on a separate line, compare its full specification and form with the approved requirement, and obtain technical approval before ranking it as compliant.
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