Three suppliers. One tender. None of them quoted the same product.

When three compliant bids arrive at three different prices, the problem is rarely the suppliers. It is the specification leaving room for three different products.

Vague performance language — "equal or approved", "fire-rated as required" — transfers the decision to the supplier, and each one reads it through the lens of their own catalogue.

A tight specification names the standard, the rating, the test, and the conditions. It costs an hour to write and saves the variation claim that arrives during installation.