Price Matrix: Align Offers Line by Line and Compare Like for Like

When the offers come in, every supplier writes the same request differently: other descriptions, other article numbers, their own position numbers, sometimes a slightly different product. A bid comparison is only fair if each offer line sits on the right line of your request and you can see where an offer is not like for like. The price matrix in Streckenheld does that for you, and shows how sure it is about every single cell.

Key features

• Every offer on one grid, suppliers side by side against the lines of your request, with unit price, line total and the supplier's total
• Cheapest per line in green, so the best price stands out on every position
• A match badge in every cell: exact match, AI match with a score, set by you, alternative or accessory
• Match details with the offered lines, how each was matched, the AI's reason and the specs of your request compared with each offer
• Filter by match, for example only AI matches below 50%, and fix a wrong match in one click
• Alternatives a supplier offers instead of the main offer, one click apart
• Live totals when you change a quantity, plus an optional budget column
• Search, sort and group by description, EAN or product number, by subtotal or by category; a large view, its own window and CSV download

How offers are aligned to your request

Each offer line is placed on a line of your request, and the badge in the cell says how:

Lines that match no position, such as freight, are listed under "Not in the request", where you can assign them to the right position.

Match details and the specs side by side

Click a badge and the row opens. For every supplier you see the offered line, how it was matched (with the EAN or product number it matched on) and, for an AI match, the AI's reason in plain words, such as "Same XPS board and compressive strength, but 100 mm instead of 120 mm".

Below that, the AI compares the key specs of your request with each offer: thickness, strength class, dimensions, material. Every value is marked OK, Not OK or Not stated. That's where you see that the cheapest price on a line may be for a different product. If one supplier offers the same article for several positions that require different specs, a note in the row says so.

Filter weak matches and fix them

Open the filters and tick a match band, such as "AI match < 50%", to see only the lines that need a look. If an offer line isn't the item you asked for, click "Not the same item — unlink": the price leaves the line and the supplier's total, the cheapest price moves to the next supplier, and the line won't be matched to it automatically again. An offer line from "Not in the request" can be assigned to a position by hand; it then shows as set by you.

A second filter, "Quoted for", shows only the suppliers that priced the ticked groups.

Alternatives, quantities and budget

When a supplier offers an alternative for a line, the cell shows "1/2" with arrows. Step to the alternative and its price counts in the line and in that supplier's total.

Quantities are editable right in the matrix. Change one and every line total and supplier total recalculates. Switch on the budget comparison to add your budget column, with the difference per unit and per line for each supplier; the budget itself comes from the budget estimate.

How it works

1. Send the request to your suppliers, as described in quote requests. Their offers come in through the web form, as PDF or by e-mail, and are read in the background.
2. Open the price matrix on the request page: every offer is aligned to your lines, the cheapest price per line is green.
3. Check the badges: open the AI matches, read the reasons and the spec comparison.
4. Filter and fix: show the weak matches, unlink what isn't the same item, assign extra lines.
5. Adjust: step through alternatives, change quantities, compare with the budget.
6. Negotiate and award: test prices in negotiation mode, prepare the talk with the Negotiation Co-Pilot and accept the best offer, as described in compare offers.

Who it's for

• Buyers and estimators who compare several offers per request and need to trust that each price is for the right item.
• Project and site managers who check technical requirements, such as thickness or class, before the order goes out.
• Managing directors who want awards they can explain: like for like, with every difference visible.