Verification & procurement
How to evaluate and compare suppliers on a B2B marketplace
Updated
Bottom line
Compare suppliers by agreeing weighted criteria before you see any quotes, scoring each supplier from 1 to 5 on every criterion, and choosing the highest weighted total, not the lowest price.
Set criteria and weights before quotes arrive
Write down your evaluation criteria and their weights first, so the scoring stays objective and defensible in an audit.
A typical split for goods and services: price and total cost 25%, quality and capability 20%, compliance 15%, B-BBEE and ESD contribution 15%, capacity and lead time 10%, and 5% each for location, references and responsiveness. Adjust the weights to your purchase, but keep the total at 100%.
Compare total cost, not unit price
Add delivery, set-up, minimum order charges and the cost of the payment terms to each quote before you compare prices.
Check that every quote is on the same VAT basis. Mixing VAT-inclusive and VAT-exclusive prices is the most common comparison error, and at 15% VAT it can reverse a ranking.
Score compliance as pass or fail first
Exclude any supplier that fails a mandatory requirement, such as tax compliance or a required licence, before you score the rest.
Use the supplier verification checklist to run these checks consistently.
Use marketplace signals to shortlist
On BizKonnector, filter by industry, location and verified status, then read each profile's offerings, reviews and B-BBEE details to build a shortlist of three to five suppliers.
Browse suppliers by industry in the directory, then ask the shortlist to quote on the same RFQ so the quotes are comparable.
Document the decision
Keep the completed scorecard, the quotes and the verification evidence together, so anyone can see why the winning supplier was chosen.
Free templates for this guide
- Weighted supplier evaluation scorecard (CSV)
Compare up to three suppliers across eight weighted criteria. Opens in Excel or Google Sheets with formulas ready.
- Supplier verification checklist (CSV)
16 checks across CIPC, SARS, B-BBEE, banking, insurance, POPIA and conflicts of interest, with where to confirm each one.
Find suppliers in the directory
Frequently asked questions
Should the cheapest supplier always win?
No. Price is one weighted criterion. A cheaper supplier that misses delivery dates or fails compliance costs more overall.
How many suppliers should I compare?
Three quotes is a common minimum in South African procurement policies; shortlisting three to five gives you a fair comparison.