In this guide
A useful shortlist is a list of real options and unresolved decisions. It is not a ranking of pictures or a guarantee that a business is available. Start with your date, actual venue or area, essential requirements and the work you need someone to deliver. Keep that same request beside each quote.
Write the requirement before scoring an option
Separate essentials from preferences. An essential is something that would make the option unsuitable if it cannot be met. A preference can change while preserving the outcome. For example, a hosted lunch might need an agreed service window and complete provision for the final meal list; a particular linen color could be flexible. Ask the relevant venue and supplier to assess access, safety and their actual service conditions.
| Check | Record the answer | If it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Same service and count | The actual locations, pieces, people, hours or deliverables covered | Ask the same scope question before comparing totals. |
| Essential requirements | What must be possible and any requirement the option cannot meet | Do not let a low price hide an unmet essential. |
| Availability | The supplier’s answer, conditions and the date you checked | Treat availability as unconfirmed; ask for a current answer. |
| Quote basis | The currency, written total, date, inclusions and validity date if provided | Keep the missing value unknown rather than entering zero. |
| Delivery and return | Who supplies, receives, installs, moves and collects each item | Name the missing owner and ask who includes that work. |
| Next action | One question or decision, an owner and a date | Set the next action before advancing the stage. |
Put two or three records side by side
Open Supplier shortlist, enter the real options and expand “Compare the scope of saved suppliers.” The table shows scope, exclusions, unmet essentials, recorded availability, quote dates, open questions and next actions. A blank quote is unknown. A recorded zero is a real numeric entry and should only be used if it was actually confirmed.
The table calculates differences only for recorded totals with matching currency labels. Changing a label never converts money. It does not select a winner, infer included services or treat an old availability answer as a current booking. A quote with a past recorded validity date is flagged for reconfirmation; no validity date means the deadline is not recorded.
A worked comparison with an unresolved delivery
Illustrative example, not market pricing: two flower quotes both say 24 small table vases. Option A records 1,200 USD including delivery and collection. Option B records 1,050 USD but says collection is excluded and leaves delivery unanswered. The arithmetic difference is 150 USD. That is not a proven saving: B has different scope. Ask for the same delivery, setup, return and vessel terms, then compare the resulting written totals. Do not invent the missing charge.
If B is instead 1,050 EUR, the table shows the different labels and makes no currency calculation. If B has no recorded amount, it remains unknown. If A cannot meet an essential access window, keep that issue visible even if its quote is otherwise complete. The next action is to confirm the actual condition with the people involved.
Give the picture a bounded role
An original concept can explain a flower outline, atmosphere or service format. It is not evidence that a supplier stocks those materials, that a venue has that layout or that an installation is suitable. Add “keep,” “change,” “count” and “still to confirm” to your photo brief. Ask for a simpler option that preserves the priority instead of silently deleting work from one quote.
Use Compare quotes for a separate fixed/per-person cost scenario once the formula matches the supplier’s actual fee basis. For a confirmed written total with nonstandard fees, use that monetary total rather than forcing it into a formula that does not apply. Keep the accepted payment obligations in Budget & payments; the shortlist is not a second payment ledger.
Turn the selected record into a handoff
Reconfirm the record
Ask for the current availability and written terms. Add the checked date and quote validity exactly as supplied; leave unknowns blank.
Close or assign each question
Give unresolved scope lines an owner and due date. A selected stage does not by itself mean a contract is accepted or a payment has been made.
Keep one approved version
Record the final quantities, responsibilities, change process and arrival/collection windows in the actual agreement. Retain the original supplier document through your own records.
Share only what the next person needs
Download the scope comparison CSV. For a coordinated visual handoff, optionally include selected-supplier scope and next actions in the offline review copy. Supplier contact fields and the guest list are not automatically added. Read all entered notes before sharing.
A useful next-action message
Option / service: Actual date, setting and count: Essential requirement to confirm: Same scope we need priced: Unanswered delivery / setup / collection line: Please confirm the written total, currency and quote validity: Please confirm availability and any conditions: Our next decision, owner and date:
This site stores your own records locally. It has no live supplier feed, vendor verification, booking service or automatic inquiries. You decide what to enter and where to send a request. Review the full handoff process before moving files between people or devices.
