QuoteVitalsWhat vendor quotes leave out: a checklist
Most of the difference between two capital quotes is not in the prices they show. It is in what one includes and the other leaves out. This is the checklist to run on every quote before it goes on a bid tab. Each item is a question to send back to the vendor, in writing, before the comparison goes to committee.
The checklist
Freight and delivery
Is freight included, priced, or not mentioned? "FOB origin" generally means title and the risk of damage in transit pass to your hospital when the goods leave the vendor; who pays the freight is a separate term. Inside delivery and removal of packaging are often extra.
Installation, training and go-live
Is installation included, and does training mean on-site sessions for every shift, or one remote session? Check that the quantity matches what you asked for: "1 lot" and "2 sessions" are different things.
Software and licenses
Is the software in the price, on a separate quotation, or a subscription? Is the license per device, per site or per user? A perpetual license usually carries annual maintenance from year 2; a subscription may renew at a price the quote does not state.
Interfaces
EHR, middleware and network interfaces are often quoted separately or by a third party. If the specification calls for one, a quote without it is not complete.
Warranty
How long, and does it cover parts and labor or parts only? When does it start: shipment, installation or acceptance? A shorter or parts-only warranty moves service cost into your budget sooner.
Service and preventive maintenance
Is there a service agreement after the warranty, at what price, and does it include the manufacturer's preventive maintenance at the interval the device requires?
Consumables and accessories
Which consumables does the device need, are they proprietary, and is there ongoing unit pricing, not just a starter supply?
Quantities and the specification
Does every line match the quantity and the model in your specification? Look for substitutions: a single-channel model quoted against a dual-channel requirement is a different product, not a cheaper one.
Expiry and price protection
When does the quote expire, and does the price hold after it? "Pricing subject to change after the validity period" means a lapsed quote is not a price.
Tax
Is tax shown, and should it be? Some hospitals are exempt from sales tax, depending on the state, but a quote that adds tax and one that does not are not comparable until you adjust.
Arithmetic
Recalculate quantity times unit price on every line, and the total. Errors happen, in either direction.
How to ask
Send each vendor one written list of its own gaps, quoting the line or the page, and ask for a revised quote rather than an email reply. A revised quote is a document you can file with the purchase; an email answer is easy to lose.
In QuoteVitals. QuoteVitals runs these checks on every quote it reads, raises what it finds as findings, and drafts the question to the vendor from the quote itself. The checks can miss things; your team reviews every finding. See it on the worked example (no sign-up), or start a free trial: 30 days, a worked sample plus one capital request of your own, no card.