I have three flash quotations with different prices — how do I compare them properly?
Normalise to landed cost per usable gigabyte, then check what each price actually includes. A unit price is not comparable across quotes until you add freight, duty, tooling amortisation, packaging, testing and payment fees, and divide by the capacity you can actually use — not the nominal number. Two quotes that look 15% apart routinely reverse once one includes a print setup the other charges for. Ask each supplier the same five questions and put the answers in one table before deciding.
The number that is comparable
Unit price is a starting point, not a comparison. The comparable number is landed cost per usable gigabyte: everything you pay to get working capacity into your hands, divided by the capacity you can actually store data in.
Usable, not nominal. A 32GB drive holds roughly 29–30GB of files, and if a quote is for 32GB while another is for 30GB of usable capacity, the apparent gap is partly arithmetic rather than price.
| Cost line | Often omitted from a quote | Effect on comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Unit price | — | The visible number |
| Tooling / setup | Frequently quoted separately | Can dominate a small order |
| Print / artwork setup | Sometimes per colour | Adds a one-off to each run |
| Testing level | Rarely itemised | A cheaper quote may test less |
| Packaging | Often assumed bulk | Custom boxes can exceed drive cost |
| Freight and duty | Depends on Incoterm | Moves the total by a wide margin |
| Payment fees | Bank charges, FX spread | Real, and rarely discussed |
Five questions to ask all three
Send the same list to every supplier and require written answers. The value is less in any single answer than in how clearly each one can answer.
- What test level applies to every unit, and will you provide a per-batch report?
- What is included in the quoted price, and what is invoiced separately?
- Which controller and memory grade are in the BOM, and can they be substituted without my approval?
- What is the lead time from payment to dispatch, and what has moved it recently?
- What is the remedy if a batch fails my inspection?
Why the cheapest quote is often the most expensive order
A low unit price is achieved by removing something. Sometimes that is legitimate efficiency, and a large buyer with a simple specification can genuinely pay less.
More often, it is one of three things: a lower memory grade, a lower test level, or a BOM that will change on the reorder. Each of those costs more later than it saved now — in field failures, in rejected batches, or in a second batch that does not behave like the first.
The way to see which it is, is to ask what is included. A supplier who can itemise their quote is usually a supplier who knows what they are selling.
Sources
- International Chamber of Commerce — Incoterms 2020
- SD Association — capacity standards and usable capacity
Figures quoted on this page are from the published reporting listed above. Where a number is an estimate rather than a published figure, it is described as approximate.
Frequently asked questions
Should I compare FOB and CIF quotes directly?
No. FOB and CIF place the freight and insurance on different parties, so the unit prices are not comparable. Convert both to the same Incoterm before comparing — usually FOB, then add your own freight estimate — or ask all suppliers to quote the same term.
How do I value a supplier who tests more?
By the cost of the failure it prevents, not by the price difference. If a lower test level means a small share of units arrive bad, multiply that share by your rework or replacement cost, and add the customer-relationship cost if the failure reaches an end user. For anything shipped to consumers or used in a medical or safety context, the more-tested quote is almost always cheaper in total.
What if one supplier will not answer the five questions?
That is itself the answer. A supplier who cannot state their test level, their BOM, or their remedy for a failed batch is telling you that those things are not defined — which means any dispute will be resolved by whoever has more leverage. Treat the inability to answer as a risk that is priced at zero in the quote and paid for later.
Working on a specification?
Send us the product type, capacity, quantity and target date. We reply to business enquiries within 1 business day.
Request a quote