Procurement knowledge
How to compare agricultural equipment proposals accurately
Compare proposals by scope before price: list every inclusion and exclusion side by side, restate all offers to one common scope, add the cost of anything a supplier excluded, then compare landed cost, lifecycle cost, lead time, warranty and payment terms. Price differences of 20–40% usually come from scope, not from equipment quality.
How can agricultural equipment proposals be compared more accurately?
Compare proposals by scope before price: list every inclusion and exclusion side by side, restate all offers to one common scope, add the cost of anything a supplier excluded, then compare landed cost, lifecycle cost, lead time, warranty and payment terms. Price differences of 20–40% usually come from scope, not from equipment quality.
- Normalise first: add excluded civil works, installation, spares and freight back into each offer.
- Convert to a common unit — cost per usable m² or cost per m³/h of installed capacity.
- Warranty length means little without the service and spare-parts route behind it.
- Payment terms and lead times change project cash flow as much as headline price does.
Step 1 — build the inclusion matrix
Create one row per scope item and one column per proposal: structure, covering, climate equipment, screens, control system, irrigation, fertigation, pumps, filtration, electrical, civil works, freight, installation, supervision, commissioning, training, spares, warranty and documentation. Mark each cell included, excluded, optional or unclear.
Step 2 — restate to one basis
For each excluded item, add a realistic local or third-party cost to that proposal. The restated totals are the only comparable numbers. This step routinely reverses the apparent ranking of the offers.
- Convert currencies and incoterms to the same delivery point.
- Add local installation, civil works and crane or lifting cost where excluded.
- Add the cost of any capability the offer omits, such as cooling or backflush automation.
Step 3 — evaluate beyond price
Compare lead time against the funding and planting schedule, warranty against the service route, references against project type and climate, and lifecycle cost against expected operating hours. SeedMatchGroup does not manufacture, install, engineer or finance equipment, and guarantees no yield, saving, ROI or payback.