1. Supplier comparison framework
Score every supplier on the same weighted framework. Weights below are a starting point — adjust to your project's risk profile (climate, financing structure, in-country service depth).
| Criterion | Weight | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Technical fit | 25% | Does the specification match your climate, stocking density, welfare and offtake requirements — not the supplier's default catalogue? |
| Manufacturing quality | 15% | ISO 9001, welding standards, material grade, third-party CE / UL / ETL certification. |
| Reference installations | 15% | At least three comparable farms in a similar climate. Site visits or verified video walk-throughs. |
| Spare parts & service SLA | 15% | In-country stock, response time in hours, mean time to repair (MTTR). |
| Installation & commissioning | 10% | Scope, staff count, FAT + SAT protocols, training days included. |
| Warranty & after-sales | 10% | Length, coverage, exclusions, remote support, firmware updates. |
| Commercial terms | 10% | Price, Incoterms, payment schedule, currency, penalties, retention. |
2. Questions to ask every supplier
Ask these in writing and expect written answers. If a supplier deflects, that is your answer.
- Can you supply three reference farms of similar scale and climate?
- What is your in-country spare-parts stock level and average delivery time?
- What is your service SLA — first response and mean time to repair?
- Do you offer FAT before shipment and SAT after installation, in writing?
- What certifications (CE / UL / ETL / ISO 9001) apply to each subsystem?
- Is the price on FOB, CIF or DAP terms — and what does DAP include and exclude?
- Which components are subcontracted, and where are they manufactured?
- What is included in the installation scope — supervision only, or turnkey install?
- How many days of on-site training are included for staff and management?
- What is the warranty length and what specifically is excluded?
- Can you support ECA-backed equipment financing? Which ECA?
- How is remote monitoring handled — VPN, cloud, on-premise?
3. Delivery, installation, warranty & after-sales
Manufacturing 10–18 weeks + shipping 4–8 weeks. Realistic ex-works to on-site is 4–6 months from PO for typical commercial scope. Compress with parallel civil works.
Two models — supervisor + local labour (lower cost, more risk) or full turnkey install crew (higher cost, cleaner handover). Insist on documented daily progress and photo evidence.
12–24 months standard for structural + electromechanical components. Read exclusions: consumables, wear parts, water quality damage, mis-use.
Ask for a service SLA in the contract, not a marketing brochure. First-response in hours, MTTR in days, spare-parts stock guarantee for 10+ years.
4. Cost comparison — beyond the CAPEX line
"The supplier with the lowest CAPEX is rarely the supplier with the lowest 10-year cost of ownership."
| Cost line | Note |
|---|---|
| Equipment CAPEX (line-item) | Direct comparable across suppliers. |
| Shipping & Incoterms adjustment | DAP vs FOB shifts 8–15% of invoice. |
| Local taxes, duties, port fees | Country-specific — model per Incoterm. |
| Installation & commissioning | Included or supplemental — verify scope. |
| Training & documentation | Language and duration — often under-scoped. |
| 10-year spare-parts cost | Ask for indicative pricing on top-20 wear parts. |
| Energy consumption (kWh/bird) | Compare on same climate — OPEX difference over 10 years can exceed CAPEX gap. |
| Downtime cost / MTBF assumption | Reference-farm data; not marketing datasheet. |
Model the full 5-year picture: TCO calculator · ROI calculator.
5. Risk management & international sourcing
Sole-source contracts leave you exposed on price, delivery and service. Benchmark at least 2 European + 1 Turkish or American alternative.
Multi-currency exposure (EUR equipment, USD financing, local revenue) needs a documented hedging or milestone plan.
Country-specific import duties, anti-dumping and origin rules can shift landed cost 5–20%. Verify HS codes early.
Some markets require documented welfare compliance for offtake. Missing certification blocks the sale of first flock.
ECA-backed finance ties you to the manufacturer's country. Approve the financing structure before signing.
More: Commercial risk guides.
6. Common mistakes
- Comparing quotes with different technical specifications — the numbers look comparable but are not.
- Ignoring Incoterms differences — a lower FOB price can be higher DAP.
- Choosing the local agent instead of the manufacturer for warranty — different SLA, different accountability.
- Skipping reference-farm site visits for large orders.
- Committing before evaluating spare-parts stock and service response.
- Not writing warranty exclusions into the contract.
- Treating training days as filler instead of critical hand-over risk.
7. Buyer checklist
- Written technical scope signed off by an independent engineer
- Minimum three qualified manufacturers invited to bid
- Identical Incoterms, currency and delivery date across bids
- Line-item pricing (not lump-sum) for each subsystem
- Reference-farm list with contactable owners
- Certifications (CE / UL / ISO 9001) documented per subsystem
- Spare-parts stock guarantee in writing (10+ years)
- Service SLA with response and MTTR clauses
- FAT and SAT protocols in the contract
- Training scope (days, language, on-site vs remote) specified
- Warranty length and exclusions written into contract
- Payment milestones tied to delivery and commissioning gates
- Retention (5–10%) held until successful SAT
- Penalty clauses for late delivery and non-conformance
- Financing structure approved before equipment PO
Download this framework as printable PDFs
Take the weighted scorecard and the 12-question RFQ checklist into your supplier meetings. One email — link to both PDFs — then continue straight into the RFQ builder.
Download the full planning package: Planning checklist · All checklists.
8. FAQ
Ready to compare suppliers?
HatchMatch Group is a vendor-neutral procurement platform for commercial poultry projects. We help buyers issue comparable RFQs across leading manufacturers and evaluate quotes on the full framework — not just headline price.