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
How many suppliers should I invite to bid for a large commercial poultry project?
What is the most common poultry equipment procurement mistake?
Should I choose the lowest-CAPEX supplier?
How do I evaluate an international poultry equipment supplier from another country?
What warranty length is realistic on poultry equipment?
Can FeedMatch Group help me compare suppliers?
Ready to compare suppliers?
FeedMatch 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.