The short answer
A supplier comparison matrix is a grid with your requirements down the side and one column for each supplier. Fill each cell with a label, not a tick: verified, claimed, unknown or not met. Beside it, keep the quote and the page it came from. Compare on must-haves first, then on price and terms. Requirements down the side, suppliers across the top, a source beside every answer. Copy the blank table below.
The template, with a sample filled in
Brief: FSC-certified folding cartons, 2,000 a month, four-color print, made in the United States and shipped to Portland, Oregon. Every supplier and source in the grid is fictional.
| Requirement | Sample supplier A supplier-a.example | Sample supplier B supplier-b.example | Sample supplier C supplier-c.example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folding cartons Must-have · The thing itself | Verified /cartons | Verified /products | Verified /packaging |
| FSC certified Must-have | Verified /sustainability | Claimed Directory listing | Verified /materials |
| Four-color print Must-have | Verified /printing | Verified /capabilities | Unknown Nothing found |
| Made in the US Must-have | Verified /about | Verified /about | Not met /how-it-works |
| Ships to Portland, OR Must-have · Location | Verified /shipping | Unknown Nothing found | Unknown Nothing found |
| Minimum order To ask | Only the supplier can answer · Filled in from the quote | ||
| Unit price To ask | Only the supplier can answer · Filled in from the quote | ||
| Fit From the must-haves | Strong | Promising | Weak |
Sample data · Fictional
-
Folding cartons
- A Verified supplier-a.example/cartons
- B Verified supplier-b.example/products
- C Verified supplier-c.example/packaging
-
FSC certified
- A Verified supplier-a.example/sustainability
- B Claimed Directory listing
- C Verified supplier-c.example/materials
-
Four-color print
- A Verified supplier-a.example/printing
- B Verified supplier-b.example/capabilities
- C Unknown Nothing found
-
Made in the US
- A Verified supplier-a.example/about
- B Verified supplier-b.example/about
- C Not met supplier-c.example/how-it-works
-
Ships to Portland, OR
- A Verified supplier-a.example/shipping
- B Unknown Nothing found
- C Unknown Nothing found
-
Minimum order To ask
-
Unit price To ask
- Strong A: every must-have has a source. Send the RFQ and fill in the last two rows. a source for every must-have.
- Promising B: ask for the FSC certificate code and whether it ships to Oregon. ask for the FSC code.
- Weak C: its own page says production is overseas. Move it down the list. made overseas, by its own page.
The copy is blank: the same columns, with starter rows for must-haves, a rule-out and the questions only a supplier can answer. It is tab-separated, so it pastes into a spreadsheet as cells. The sample is a brief for a packaging supplier, and the grid works the same for a contract manufacturer or a 3PL.
How to fill it in
-
List requirements down the side. List requirements down the side
One per row, with the thing itself first. Mark each as a must-have, a rule-out or something to ask. Keep to the requirements that would change your decision.
-
Add a column for each supplier. Add a column per supplier
Put a source column beside each one. Three or four suppliers fit on one screen. If you have more, rule some out first with the supplier vetting checklist.
-
Fill cells with a label, not a tick. Use labels, not ticks
Verified when the supplier’s own page says it, claimed when only a directory does, unknown when you found nothing, not met when its page says the opposite.
-
Paste the source beside each answer. Paste the source beside it
The sentence, the page address and the date you read it. Anyone can then check the same cell again without redoing the search.
-
Leave unknowns unknown. Leave unknowns unknown
Do not round a gap up to a yes. Copy each one into your RFQ, and fill the cell when the supplier replies.
-
Fill the to-ask rows from the quotes. Fill the to-ask rows last
Price, minimum order, lead time and terms come back with the RFQ. Enter them as quoted, with the date of the quote as the source.
How to read the finished matrix
Read down each supplier’s column, must-haves first. A column of verified must-haves is a supplier worth an RFQ today. A claimed cell sends you back to the supplier’s own site, and an unknown becomes one of the RFQ questions to ask the supplier.
A not met on a must-have moves a supplier down, however good the rest of the column looks. Price and lead time decide between suppliers that pass. They do not rescue one that fails.
That is why the template has no score row: a weighted total can hide a failed must-have behind a low price. Ordren works the same way. Fit is one of four words computed from the must-haves, never a number.
Ordren fills this grid from a brief: a Standard search labels every must-have for up to 15 suppliers, keeps the quote and the page behind each label, and lets you compare up to four of them side by side. See what a search costs.
Questions
What is a supplier comparison matrix?
A grid that lists your requirements down the side and your suppliers across the top, so every supplier is judged against the same list. It is also called a supplier comparison chart or a vendor comparison matrix.
How many suppliers should I compare at once?
Three or four is a workable number: enough to have a real choice, few enough to read side by side. Start from a longer list, rule suppliers out with a vetting checklist, and put the ones that remain into the matrix.
Should I score suppliers with weights?
Weights help when every supplier passes your must-haves and you are choosing on price, lead time and terms. They mislead when a supplier fails a must-have, because a high score elsewhere can cover the failure. Check must-haves as pass or fail first, then weigh what is left.