How to Specify a Task Chair So Two Quotations Can Be Compared

The parts that move the price

Foam density and thickness. Upholstery material and grade. Frame or back shell construction. Mechanism type - fixed, tilt with tension, or synchro. Gas lift class and stroke. Base material and diameter. Castor type and whether the floor is hard or carpet. Arm type - fixed, flip-up, height adjustable, or fully adjustable. Every one of those is a real cost line, and leaving one unstated is what makes two quotations differ by thirty percent for no visible reason.

State the use case, not just the chair

Write down who sits in it and for how long, what the floor is, and what the room temperature is like. A supplier who knows the chair is for a call centre on carpet in a hot climate will specify differently from one who is told only 'office chair, black'.

Say what your target price is

Buyers often hold the target price back, expecting a better opening quotation. In practice it produces a quote at a build the factory guessed at. Giving the target lets the factory tell you which specification actually reaches it and which parts have to be traded to get there.

Ask for the carton, not just the chair

Carton dimensions and the number of pieces per container decide your landed cost as much as the unit price. Ask for them in the quotation and compare the landed number, not the FOB number.

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