Purchasing · Original fictional case
Compare supplier quotes after pack size and freight
You need at least 95 units within seven days. Compare the cost of feasible orders, including the supplier’s pack size and one freight charge.
Related work: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products · O*NET task 1145.
Your source data
| supplier | unit usd | pack units | minimum units | freight usd | lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 10 | 100 | 30 | 5 |
| B | 3.8 | 25 | 25 | 60 | 6 |
| C | 3.5 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 9 |
The rules
- Order quantity is the smallest pack multiple at least as large as both 95 units and the minimum order.
- A quote is eligible only when lead_days ≤ 7. There are no taxes, discounts or other fees in this fixture.
- Compare order quantity × unit price + freight. Report the extra cost of the second-cheapest eligible offer.
A method you can reuse
- All three quotes require 100 units after pack rounding. Do not compare a 95-unit hypothetical order that suppliers will not accept.
- A costs 100 × 4 + 30 = 430; B costs 100 × 3.8 + 60 = 440.
- C has a lower nominal total of 370 but misses the required arrival window. Select A from the two feasible offers.
A common wrong turn
The lowest unit price is not necessarily the lowest usable order cost. First check feasibility, then compare the full order.
Use it in a handoff
For a real comparison, document quotation validity, currency and included charges before adding taxes or currency conversion. The fixture’s omitted fees should not silently become real-world zeroes.
Check your calculation
Enter numbers without currency or percent symbols. A matching result confirms this exercise’s calculation; keep the method in your review note.
See the worked answer
Eligible suppliers: 2
Only A and B meet the seven-day requirement.
Units from the selected supplier: 100
A’s minimum order is 100 and its pack size is 10.
Selected order total (USD): 430
400 in goods + 30 in freight.
Extra cost of next eligible quote (USD): 10
440 − 430 = 10.
Source and practice material
Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.
Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.