Apparel RFQ Comparison: Put Supplier Answers on the Same Basis
A lower quoted unit price is useful only when you know what it includes. One apparel supplier may price a blank garment; another may include printed artwork and individual packaging. Build one request for quotation (RFQ) with a fixed specification revision, then record each supplier's answer against it. The result should show comparable offers and unanswered questions, rather than a ranking based on the first number in an email.
This guide provides a buyer-side working sheet. It does not establish Sanchuan's prices, order minimums, production capacity or commercial terms. For the broader supplier screening stage, see how to find a reliable clothing manufacturer.
Establish the request before collecting answers
Assign an RFQ ID and a revision date. Attach the same tech pack, artwork and quantity matrix to every request. State whether you are requesting a sample quotation, a bulk quotation, or both. Keep alternatives in separate rows: an offered fabric substitute should not silently replace the requested material.
Use explicit units. A set containing a top and leggings is different from two separately priced garments. Write the requested quantity by style, color and size; do not leave a supplier to infer the breakdown from a total.
| Field group | Information to request | Comparison check |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | RFQ ID, supplier, quotation ID, revision, quotation date | Answers refer to the same request |
| Product | Style code, garment description, tech-pack revision | No substituted style or old artwork |
| Fabric | Composition, weight with unit, fabric reference, finish | Alternatives identified separately |
| Decoration | Artwork revision, dimensions, position, process | Printing and embroidery scope explicit |
| Quantities | Pieces or sets; style/color/size breakdown | Same quantity basis across suppliers |
| Branding and packing | Label types, hangtags, bag and carton scope | Included and excluded items separated |
| Price basis | Currency, unit price, quoted quantity | Price belongs to this exact configuration |
| Separate costs | Sampling, setup, testing or other named charges | No blank interpreted as free |
| Delivery scope | Agreed trade term, named place, included transport | Same endpoint before cost comparison |
| Timing | Proposed milestones and start conditions | Dates tied to approvals or other conditions |
| Commercial details | Payment proposal, quote validity, MOQ by relevant grouping | Supplier answer recorded, never assumed |
| Exceptions | Deviations, unavailable items, unanswered fields | Blockers remain visible |
International Trade Administration guidance describes quotations and pro forma invoices as information-bearing steps in an export sale. Its field examples include product description, price and delivery terms. The table above adapts that idea to apparel purchasing; it is an editorial tool, not a prescribed export document. Reference: quotations and pro forma invoices.
Buyer documents that show the comparison need
Two independent public purchasing documents illustrate why apparel quotes need consistent fields. Saldanha Bay Municipality's 2021 uniform RFQ connects specified uniforms and size quantities to item prices and asks that delivery costs be included. Kgatelopele Municipality's 2026 clothing RFQ provides specification and price lines and records deviations and addenda. These are examples of those buyers' dated procurement requirements, not a universal apparel RFQ form.
Even in the same currency, confirm the tax basis and whether delivery is included. Record unknown amounts as unresolved; do not insert a tax rate or assume a blank charge is zero. Use the worksheet's quote_line_reference to link each response to its original quotation line.
Normalize without inventing missing costs
Download the RFQ comparison worksheet. Use one row per supplier and style/color/size line. Repeat quote-level charges consistently, but count them once in any later total. The CSV contains a clearly marked fictional row and blank working rows; remove the example before using real purchasing data. It contains no automatic calculations.
- Record the original answer and its source, such as a quotation filename and date. Retain the original currency and unit.
- Mark a field
CONFIRMED,MISSING, orDEVIATION. A supplier's silence isMISSING; it is not agreement. - Send a focused clarification list using the RFQ ID and revision. Ask which costs are included, which are additional, and which have not been quoted.
- Separate confirmed costs from unknown costs. If currencies differ, document the exchange-rate source and date before any converted comparison.
- Compare timing only after recording its start condition. A period beginning after artwork approval cannot be treated as a period beginning today.
- Keep the unresolved items beside the comparison. Do not label an offer complete while its product scope or delivery endpoint is unresolved.
For discussion of the commercial fields, use the trade and payment terms guide. Obtain the actual proposed terms from each supplier before making a purchasing decision.
Fictional worked example: two answers that cannot yet be ranked
The following is invented solely to demonstrate the method. It is not a customer case or supplier offer.
A buyer requests style DEMO-TEE-01, black, sizes S and M, 24 pieces of each. Supplier A confirms the fabric revision and decoration but leaves bagging unanswered. Supplier B answers bagging but offers a different fabric weight. Even if both send unit prices, the buyer marks A's packing field MISSING and B's material field DEVIATION.
The next action is to ask A to confirm packaging scope and B to quote the requested fabric separately or explain its unavailability. The buyer does not average the two prices or declare a winner. This preserves the original comparison basis while allowing a deliberate alternative later.
Common errors to catch before selecting a quote
- Using the overall order quantity to assess a minimum that applies per color or style.
- Comparing a set price with a single-garment price.
- Treating an empty setup-cost cell as zero.
- Folding an unapproved material substitution into the baseline offer.
- Adding a sample charge to every size row and accidentally counting it repeatedly.
- Comparing delivery estimates without recording approval and payment conditions.
A finished RFQ sheet should let another buyer trace each answer to a source and identify every unresolved exception. It should not claim that a low price proves manufacturing quality.
Ready to discuss your apparel request? Contact Sanchuan Apparel with the RFQ revision, specification files and quantity breakdown. Ask for confirmation of the open fields before treating the quotation as complete.