Quote Comparisons Need an Equivalence Policy Beyond Normalization
The article argues that sorting supplier offers by price is straightforward, but establishing what each price actually covers requires a clear policy. Different units, specifications, delivery terms, or validity periods can make offers look comparable when they are not. The author distinguishes normalization, which standardizes data for easier comparison, from equivalence, which judges whether an offer meets the approved need. A fictional mounting-kit example illustrates how a lower headline price can still be ineligible when components or delivery conditions are unclear. The piece recommends recording required attributes, permitted transformations, and review conditions, along with versioned policies and frozen comparison snapshots.
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