You send an RFQ to five suppliers. Four reply. One is fifteen percent cheaper than the rest. You place the order.
Six weeks later the material arrives short of the required quantity, in a finish that does not match the approved sample, and two weeks after your ceiling programme needed it. The saving is gone and the delay is yours.
This happens constantly in Dubai fit out work, and it almost always traces back to the same thing. The quotes were compared on price alone.
Send a proper RFQ first
You cannot compare quotes fairly if every supplier answered a different question.
A usable RFQ states the exact specification and any approved equivalent, the quantity with the unit of measurement, the delivery location and the required delivery date, whether delivery is included, whether installation is included, the payment terms you expect, and the date the quote must be returned by.
If you send a one line WhatsApp asking for a rate on gypsum board, you will get five answers you cannot compare.
Build a comparison sheet, not a list
Put every quote on one sheet with the same rows. At minimum you need the unit rate, the total for the required quantity, the brand and country of origin, lead time, delivery terms, warranty, payment terms and validity of the offer.
Then read across the rows rather than down the price column.
A supplier quoting two percent higher with material in stock in Dubai and thirty day credit is usually cheaper in real terms than a supplier quoting lower on an eight week import with fifty percent advance payment. One protects your cash flow and your programme. The other puts both at risk.
Check what is actually excluded
Exclusions are where the money hides. Read the bottom of every quotation.
Common ones on UAE material quotes include VAT shown separately, delivery to site excluded, offloading excluded, out of hours delivery charged extra, minimum order quantities, and wastage not included in the quantity offered.
A rate that excludes delivery and offloading on a high rise fit out is not a real rate. Someone still has to pay for a crane and a team of men.
Confirm the specification matches, not just the description
Two suppliers can both quote acoustic ceiling tiles and supply completely different products. Check the technical submittal, not the line description. Thickness, NRC rating, fire rating, edge detail and finish all need to match what the consultant approved.
Approving a substitution to save money and then having it rejected at submittal stage costs you the lead time twice.
Verify capacity, not just price
Before you place a large order with a supplier you have not used, ask two questions. Have they supplied this quantity before, and can they show a recent delivery note or reference for similar work.
A supplier who is cheapest because they are hungry for the job is fine. A supplier who is cheapest because they have never handled this volume is a programme risk.
Keep the comparison on file
Once the order is placed, keep the comparison sheet with the LPO. If the client or consultant later questions why a particular supplier was selected, or if you need to justify a provisional sum, the sheet answers it in one page.
It also protects you internally. Procurement decisions taken by different people at different times, with no record of why, is how contractors end up with inconsistent pricing across projects.
The point
Procurement is not a purchasing task. It is a commercial task. The person comparing quotes needs to understand programme, cash flow and specification, not just price.
Most small contractors have their project engineer doing this between site visits, which means it gets done quickly rather than properly.
Hydrock Support prepares RFQs, chases suppliers and builds material comparison sheets for contractors across the UAE so your engineers stay on site. Contact us to discuss your procurement workload.