01

Establish a common basis

Compare the same requirement version, currency, service period and quantity assumptions. Keep unresolved differences visible rather than forcing a misleading total. A one-time implementation quote and a monthly service fee need different comparisons. Record the contract period and the assumptions behind each total.

02

Read the exclusions

Check licences, cloud usage, third-party services, tax assumptions, travel, support and optional work. Record which items remain unpriced. Ask which costs depend on usage or additional users. A missing figure is unresolved information, not a zero-cost item.

03

Assess the delivery arrangement

Compare the actual team, locations, dependencies, handover, acceptance and support commitments. Ask for evidence relevant to the proposed work. Identify who performs the work, where access takes place and what your own team must supply. Compare handover quality and exit arrangements as well as start-up work.

04

Record the decision

Keep the selected proposal and requirement versions, approval and reasons together. The comparison supports your decision; it does not make the decision for you. Record unresolved risks and the reasons for selecting an approach. A structured comparison supports the decision owner; it does not replace approval.

Turn the guidance into your brief.

Record the outcome, scope, assumptions and outstanding decisions in a shared requirement. Ask every invited provider to respond to the same version, and keep missing information visible rather than treating silence as agreement.

BlueBlocks helps structure that conversation. Specialist discovery that requires substantial work can be quoted as its own project before implementation is commissioned.

Explore the work behind this question.

When the next step needs specialist expertise, start with a focused requirement. Explore the service, then talk to BlueBlocks about what fits your organisation.

Research & references Reviewed 1 November 2026

These primary sources inform the context and questions on this page. Procurement recommendations are BlueBlocks editorial guidance. A cited organisation does not endorse BlueBlocks; applicability depends on your systems and obligations.