Coffee roaster sourcing green beans
A small roaster comparing 5 green-coffee importers needs a chart of per-pound pricing by origin, MOQ, shipping, and sample policies before committing to a 2-year relationship.
Supplier Comparison Chart
Tier 2 · Logistics & Supply Chain · $100 · 5-6 hrs · 10 day turnaround
Listed price is the project base price. A 3% payment processing fee is added at checkout. The full total is charged upfront when you place your order.
Research and compare 4-5 suppliers for a given product using price, minimum order quantity, lead time, and shipping costs.
You need a structured comparison of 4-5 suppliers for a specific product or material to make a procurement decision, but don't have time to collect pricing, minimums, lead times, and shipping costs across multiple vendors. A vetted student will research publicly available supplier data, organize it into a ready-to-review spreadsheet, and provide a one-paragraph recommendation based on your priorities.
Deliverables
- Supplier comparison spreadsheet
- Price, MOQ, lead time, shipping columns
- Short recommendation
What's included
- 4-5 suppliers
- Publicly available data
- One product/spec
Not included
- Direct supplier negotiations
- Sample ordering
- Site visits
What you'll get
Product specification or part number, target product category (e.g., 'stainless steel fasteners, M6 hex cap screws'), your geographic location or preferred shipping origin, and any supplier names or regions you want included or excluded.
Student identifies 4-5 qualified suppliers via public websites and catalogs, extracts unit price, minimum order quantity (MOQ), quoted lead time, and shipping cost to your location, cross-checks data consistency across supplier pages, and flags any missing or ambiguous information with notes.
Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet with supplier name, unit price, MOQ, lead time in days, shipping cost, and total landed cost for a sample order quantity; one text block summarizing trade-offs (e.g., 'Supplier A has lowest unit price but high MOQ; Supplier B offers faster lead time at premium pricing') and a clear recommendation tied to your stated priorities.
Payment is held in escrow until you confirm the spreadsheet is complete, calculations are accurate, and the recommendation is actionable—you're never charged for incomplete or incorrect supplier data.
Common use cases
Apparel brand evaluating overseas factories
An apparel brand comparing 4 overseas cut-and-sew factories needs a chart of unit pricing at 500/1,000/5,000 quantities, lead times, and minimum-fabric requirements.
Restaurant choosing a produce distributor
A restaurant comparing 4 produce distributors needs a chart of pricing on a standard market basket, delivery windows, and minimum-order thresholds.
Electronics manufacturer sourcing capacitors
A small PCB assembly shop needs to compare 4 distributors for 100µF ceramic capacitors (0805 package) to assess which offers the best balance of stock availability, unit pricing for 1,000-unit orders, and same-day shipping to their facility. The student research uncovers that two distributors have reels in stock while others require 5-day lead times, directly informing the shop's production schedule.
Packaging startup evaluating corrugated box suppliers
A direct-to-consumer brand needs to compare 5 box manufacturers for custom 12x8x6 white corrugated mailers to understand the real cost difference between domestic and overseas production, accounting for setup fees, per-unit price at 10,000-unit volumes, and freight to their warehouse. The student surfaces that one supplier includes free artwork revisions, shifting the total cost picture.
Nonprofit purchasing office supplies in bulk
A regional nonprofit organization wants to audit its annual spend on recycled office paper (8.5x11, 20lb white, case of 10 reams) by comparing prices from 4 major vendors and a local paper distributor. The spreadsheet reveals seasonal pricing fluctuations and contract discounts that the nonprofit can apply to future budget planning.
Frequently asked questions
Can the student include suppliers outside my country, or do I need to stick to domestic options?
You set the geographic scope upfront—tell the student 'US suppliers only' or 'include China and India manufacturers if MOQ is under 5,000 units' and they'll honor it. Shipping costs will reflect your stated location, so international options will show realistic landed costs.
What if two suppliers don't publish their prices publicly, or one supplier's website is behind a login wall?
The student will note 'price not publicly available' or 'contact sales required' in the spreadsheet and flag those gaps in the recommendation section. They'll never attempt to call suppliers directly or request quotes—only publicly posted data counts.
I need the spreadsheet in a specific format or uploaded to our procurement system—can the student deliver it as CSV, or only Excel?
The student can export as Excel, CSV, Google Sheets link, or PDF—just tell them your preference when you post the project. If you need it in a custom format like JSON or imported into QuickBooks, that's outside this project's scope and would require a separate request.
What counts as the 'recommendation'—do I get a pros-and-cons table for each supplier, or just one winner?
You get a single paragraph that outlines the key trade-offs (e.g., cheapest unit price, fastest delivery, lowest MOQ) and recommends one supplier based on those factors. If you need a detailed scoring matrix or decision tree, that's beyond the Tier 2 scope and would be a separate project.
If I need a revision because a supplier raised prices or I want to add a sixth vendor, is that included?
One round of revisions—adding or swapping one supplier, or updating prices if you find newer data—is included. Multiple rounds of re-research or expanding from 5 to 10 suppliers would require a new project posting.
Ready to get your project started?
Select a scope and let your Shamrck PM handle the rest. Pay the full total upfront at checkout, then review and approve the completed deliverable. Approval does not trigger a new charge.
Already have an account? Log in