Five questions before comparing proposals

Two proposals can present similar totals while describing very different scopes, risks and responsibilities. Before comparing price or presentation quality, make the assumptions comparable enough to understand what each supplier is actually committing to deliver.

1. What outcome is included?

Ask each proposal to state the business outcome and the boundary of the work in concrete terms. A list of activities is not the same as an outcome. Workshops, configuration and documentation may all be included while responsibility for implementation or adoption remains outside the scope.

2. Which assumptions affect effort and price?

Every estimate depends on assumptions about data quality, stakeholder availability, integration complexity, decision speed and the condition of existing systems or processes. Ask suppliers to expose the assumptions that would materially change effort if they prove wrong.

3. Who owns the dependencies?

A proposal should show what the client must provide and by when. Internal subject-matter experts, access to systems, approvals, data preparation and legal review can all determine the schedule. If these dependencies are invisible, the timeline is not yet a delivery plan.

4. How are changes handled?

Scope will sometimes change for legitimate reasons. The important point is whether the proposal explains how a new requirement is assessed, who decides, what happens to timing and how commercial impact is agreed before work continues.

5. What happens after handover?

Clarify support, warranty, measurement and ownership after the formal delivery date. A cheaper proposal can become more expensive if stabilisation, training, documentation or operational support are excluded and must be purchased later.

• Compare exclusions as carefully as inclusions
• Separate one-off delivery from recurring cost
• Ask how acceptance will be demonstrated
• Record assumptions that both sides agree are material