Normalise the operating brief
Use the same product, capacity, duration, receipt and dispatch assumptions for each option. A lower headline rate may cover a different commitment or exclude services included elsewhere.
Separate facts from open questions
Record included services, access conditions, minimum term and additional charges. Mark missing items as unconfirmed. Do not convert an unanswered question into an assumed zero cost.
Compare the complete arrangement
Review operational suitability alongside the total stated cost. Keep quote validity, contract counterparties, billing start and extension terms visible in the decision.
Build the cost comparison from a shared scenario
Write down capacity, units, storage period, expected receipts and dispatches and additional service requirements before entering rates. Keep an unknown charge blank until clarified; entering zero would imply that the item is included or waived. Compare quotations in the same currency or obtain an explicit conversion basis outside the worksheet. A subtotal is only as complete as the charges supplied.
- Capacity charge: identify the unit and charging period.
- Movement charges: identify the activity and quoted basis.
- Minimums and exclusions: record them beside the total.
Test what happens when the plan changes
Ask how the proposal treats a delayed arrival, longer holding period, extra movement or unused capacity. These questions expose differences that a headline rate cannot show. Use the expected case and one plausible changed scenario when reviewing the commitment. The worksheet does not supply market prices or interpret contractual conditions; request written clarification where the quote is incomplete.
Record the decision and the remaining conditions
Keep the quote reference, date, assumptions, stated total and unresolved questions together. A cheaper quote with an unconfirmed operational condition may not be comparable with a complete proposal. Review the commercial and operational conclusions before proceeding, and preserve the final accepted scope for the contract and cargo handover.