CASE 01 · Commercial Judgment
A new benchmark changed the negotiation
A buyer had a working baseline and a lower alternative. A structured market check revealed a much wider gap — and created a stronger decision path without choosing price alone.
Situation
The buyer was comparing an established baseline supplier with another supplier whose quotation was approximately 3.5% lower.
Challenge
The visible price difference looked modest, but neither quotation established whether the market reference, scope, quality assumptions, and commercial conditions were genuinely comparable.
The decision that changed the path
Our Judgment
Introduce a qualified third benchmark, normalize the commercial scope, and use the result to test whether the preferred supplier could remain viable on both risk and price.
Action
- Clarified comparable scope and quotation assumptions
- Developed a new supplier benchmark
- Compared commercial gaps alongside capability and risk
- Returned to the preferred supplier with a controlled negotiation position
Evidence
Business Impact
The third benchmark came in roughly 50–60% below Supplier B on the scaled comparison. Supplier B subsequently matched the benchmark, giving the buyer a commercially stronger option while retaining a reasoned supplier decision.
Capability proven by the example