First 30-day scope
Does the proposal name the exact work included, excluded, and delayed until later?
Proposal comparison tool
Compare provider proposals side by side before you choose.
Use this matrix to compare outsourcing proposals by the same scope, first-month cost, ongoing fees, access needs, quality review, replacement rules, and open assumptions.
No paid rankings, instant matching, or provider recommendations. This is a buyer-side comparison matrix for proposals you already received.
Matrix fields15
Scope, cost, access, QA, replacement, assumptions, and decision notes.
Best used afterWritten proposals
Use it after provider calls and red-flag checks, before signing or sharing access.
Main ruleSame scope
Do not compare price until each provider has priced the same work.
Matrix preview
Put every proposal into the same fields.
A low monthly number is not useful if one provider priced a support role, another priced admin cleanup, and a third assumed you already have SOPs. Start by making the proposals comparable.
| Field | Provider A | Provider B | Provider C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Proposal date | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| First 30-day scope | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Out-of-scope work | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Staffing model | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Weekly hours and coverage | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| First-month cost | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Ongoing monthly cost | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Setup, tool, or management fees | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Access requested | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Quality review plan | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Replacement terms | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Hidden assumptions | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Follow-up question | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
| Decision: advance, clarify, or pause | Add Provider A's wording. | Add Provider B's wording. | Add Provider C's wording. |
Pricing terms decoder
Clarify the terms before you compare totals.
The same term can cover different services in different proposals. Ask what the billing unit includes, what costs extra, and what can change after launch. Put the written answer in the matrix.
| Term | What it may mean | What to ask | Where to record it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat fee | A recurring charge for one worker, user, or workstation. The billing unit and included services vary by proposal. | What counts as one seat, which hours and services are included, and which charges sit outside the fee? | Ongoing monthly cost; setup, tool, or management fees |
| Setup fee | A one-time charge before or near launch. The proposal should state which setup work it covers. | What does the fee include, when is it billed, and could another setup charge apply later? | First-month cost; setup, tool, or management fees |
| Minimum hours | The smallest number of hours the provider will bill or require during a stated period. | Is the minimum weekly or monthly, do unused hours carry forward, and what happens if we need fewer hours? | Weekly hours and coverage; ongoing monthly cost |
| Shared team | A pool may handle the work instead of one named person. Ownership, availability, and handoffs depend on the written terms. | Who owns the work, how is capacity assigned, and who covers an absence? | Staffing model; weekly hours and coverage |
| Dedicated staff | A person or team may be assigned to the account, but the term alone does not confirm hours, exclusivity, management, or backup coverage. | Who is assigned, which hours are included, can they support other accounts, and who manages or replaces them? | Staffing model; weekly hours and coverage; replacement terms |
| Pass-through tools | Software or service costs may be billed separately from the provider's main fee. | Which tools are required, who approves them, how are they priced, and is any markup added? | Setup, tool, or management fees; first-month and ongoing cost |
| Replacement fee | A charge may apply when an assigned worker is replaced. The trigger, amount, and exceptions should be written down. | When does the fee apply, what does it cover, and who pays for recruiting, retraining, and ramp time? | Replacement terms; setup, tool, or management fees |
Record every answer in the matrix above before treating the quoted totals as comparable. If staffing labels differ, compare dedicated and shared-team terms first.
Proposal criteria
Score clarity before you compare price.
Give each proposal 0 to 3 points for every criterion. Only count what is written down, not what the sales call made sound likely.
Staffing model
Who does the work, who manages them, and what backup coverage exists?
Hours and coverage
Are weekly hours, overlap expectations, response times, and after-hours limits clear?
Pricing assumptions
What changes the first-month or ongoing price?
Access risk
Which tools, data, and permissions are requested, delayed, or blocked?
Quality review
How will work be checked in weeks 1, 2, and 4?
Replacement terms
What happens if the first person is not a fit?
Hidden assumptions
What must be true for the proposal to work as priced?
Score bands
Use the score to pick the next action, not the winner.
Not comparable yet
The proposals do not describe the same scope, access, review load, or pricing assumptions clearly enough to compare.
Next step: Send clarification questions before treating any price as final.
Comparable with follow-up
The proposals can be compared, but one or more assumptions still need written confirmation.
Next step: Clarify the weak areas, then compare total operating fit before rate.
Clear enough to shortlist
The strongest proposal has enough written detail on scope, staffing, cost, access, QA, and replacement terms to move into final review.
Next step: Use the provider onboarding packet before signing or sharing broad access.
How to use it
Keep the comparison boring and fair.
- Put two or three provider proposals next to the same role scope and first-30-day output.
- Score each criterion from 0 to 3 based only on what is written in the proposal.
- Write one follow-up question for every vague or missing answer.
- Compare scope, access, review load, replacement terms, and hidden assumptions before comparing the headline rate.
- Move only the clearest option into shortlist, contract, or onboarding review.
Copy-ready follow-up
Ask providers to fill the gaps before you decide.
Hi [provider name],
Thanks for the proposal. Before we compare options, can you clarify a few items in writing?
Please confirm the first-30-day scope, out-of-scope work, weekly hours, first-month cost, ongoing monthly cost, setup or management fees, access needed, quality review owner, replacement terms, and anything that could change the quote.
We are using the same matrix for each provider, so a clear written answer will help us compare the proposals fairly.
Thanks,
[Your name]
Provider review path
Use the provider review tools in order.
Start with a clear quote brief, score the provider call, check red flags in the written proposal, then compare only the options that are clear enough to evaluate.
Provider question bank
Use stage-by-stage questions to clarify provider proposals before you compare price, access, QA, and replacement terms.
Open resourceProvider quote brief builder
Write the same scope, access, review, and pricing questions before providers send proposals.
Open resourceDedicated staff vs shared-team support
Decode named, pooled, and rotating staffing labels before comparing capacity, coverage, handoffs, access, and price.
Open resourceProject outsourcing vs staff augmentation
Clarify whether the provider owns a defined result or supplies people managed inside your delivery team before comparing price.
Open resourceProvider call scorecard
Score the call before the written proposal arrives so notes do not get lost.
Open resourceProvider red flag checker
Check vague scope, hidden fees, weak access rules, missing QA, and risky savings claims before comparing price.
Open resourceProvider shortlist worksheet
Use this when the shortlist mixes agencies, managed providers, freelancers, or candidates.
Open resourceOffshore SLA review worksheet
Check whether each service target has a clear measure, source record, exception rule, owner, and escalation path.
Open resourceProvider onboarding packet
Turn the strongest proposal into a safer first-week handoff before signing or sharing broad access.
Open resourceOutsourcing cost calculator
Check setup, tools, review time, and ongoing cost after the proposal assumptions are clear.
Open resourceReady to choose?
Bring the full review pack before you sign.
If you have two or three proposals, collect the same notes for each provider before you ask for a planning review. The call is more useful when scope, access, QA, cost, and handoff gaps are already visible.
What to bring
- The quote brief that set the original scope and questions
- Call notes or scorecard answers from each provider
- Any red flags, vague fees, access requests, or missing QA rules
- The completed proposal matrix with one follow-up question per gap
- The onboarding packet you would use if the best option moves forward
Build your handoff system
Ready to plan your first offshore role?
Use OutsourcedU to write the role, SOPs, onboarding steps, and weekly review before you hire more people.