How to request an alternative material without losing the baseline

Suppliers can spot a cheaper or more available material, but an unlabelled substitution makes quotations impossible to compare. Keep the required material as the baseline. Invite alternatives in a second, clearly marked response.

Ask for the difference

Have the supplier name the proposed material and grade, the affected drawing lines, unit-price and lead-time effects, available evidence, and any change to finish or durability. If a claim matters to safety or compliance, obtain product-specific evidence for the destination market; a generic statement of equivalence is not enough.

Control approval

Evaluate price only after deciding whether the alternative meets the intended use. Record who can approve a change and the sample or test needed. Keep the approved version on the purchase order. This preserves a meaningful comparison: baseline against baseline first, then a separate decision on whether the proposed trade-off is worth taking.

Worked baseline and alternative

For a handle specified in grade A polymer, put “grade A required; quote substitutions in a separate option” in the RFQ builder specification field. Ask the supplier proposing grade B to state the changed part number, sample ID, test evidence, unit price, and lead time. Compare all baseline quotes first. Common error: replacing the baseline cell with the grade B price, which makes the supplier appear cheaper even though the products differ. Record a separate approval if grade B is acceptable.

Source context: Microsoft Learn — Requests for quotation (RFQs) overview supports this limited point: An RFQ can request prices, delivery times, incidental charges, and discounts. The buyer procedure above is Suppliers Help editorial guidance. Source checked 2026-09-27.