price-comparator

# Price Comparator ## Quick Start Compare prices across vendors or products with structured breakdowns including unit costs, volume discounts, hidden fees, and total cost of ownership (TCO). Present clear side-by-side comparisons with savings calculations. ## Workflow 1. Identify comparison scope: same product across vendors, or different products/plans 2. Collect pricing data: unit price, quantity discounts, fees, delivery costs, payment terms 3. Normalize pricing to the same unit and currency for fair comparison 4. Calculate TCO including hidden costs: setup, maintenance, shipping, warranties 5. Generate side-by-side comparison with savings analysis 6. Recommend the best option with rationale ## Examples **Example 1: Vendor Price Comparison** Input: "Compare prices from 3 A4 paper suppliers for an order of 500 reams" Output: ``` PRICE COMPARISON ================ Product: A4 Paper 80gsm Quantity: 500 ream Date: 03/23/2026 SIDE-BY-SIDE ------------- | Cost Component | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C | |-------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| | Unit Price | $2.30 | $2.20 | $2.50 | | Volume Discount | -5% (≥500) | -3% (≥300) | -8% (≥500) | | Price After Disc | $2.19 | $2.13 | $2.30 | | Subtotal | $1,095.00 | $1,065.00 | $1,150.00 | | Delivery Fee | Free | $20.00 | Free | | Sales Tax (varies)| $87.60 | $86.80 | $92.00 | | TOTAL COST | $1,182.60 | $1,171.80 | $1,242.00 | | | | | | | Payment Terms | Net 30 | COD | Net 45 | | Delivery Time | 3 days | 1 day | 5 days | | Min Order | 100 ream | 50 ream | 200 ream | RANKING BY TOTAL COST: 1. Vendor B: $1,171.80 (cheapest) 2. Vendor A: $1,182.60 (+$10.80 / +0.9%) 3. Vendor C: $1,242.00 (+$70.20 / +6.0%) SAVINGS: Choosing Vendor B saves $70.20 vs most expensive option. RECOMMENDATION: Vendor B offers best price, but requires COD payment. If cash flow is a concern, Vendor A is 0.9% more but offers Net 30 terms. ``` **Example 2: Subscription Plan Comparison** Input: "Compare pricing plans for these 3 project management tools" Output: Monthly/annual cost comparison with feature matrix and per-user TCO. ## Tools - Use `Read` to load vendor quotes and price lists - Use `Write` to save comparison reports - Use `WebSearch` to verify current pricing or find additional vendors - Use `Bash` to calculate totals and percentages ## Error Handling - If pricing is in different currencies → convert to a single currency and note exchange rate - If some cost components are missing → note assumptions and mark estimated values - If volume discounts have complex tiers → calculate for the specific quantity requested - If pricing has expired → flag the date and suggest re-quoting ## Connectors (Optional) This skill works standalone. When connected to external tools, it unlocks additional capabilities: | Connector | What it enables | |-----------|----------------| | ~~ERP | Access product catalogs, historical purchase prices, and volume discount tiers | | ~~vendor portal | Pull real-time quotes and pricing sheets directly from vendor systems | | ~~spreadsheet | Import pricing data from spreadsheets and export comparison reports | | ~~email | Retrieve vendor quotes and pricing proposals from email | ## Rules - Always normalize to the same unit (per piece, per month, per user) for fair comparison - Include ALL costs: unit price, discounts, shipping, taxes, setup fees, hidden fees - Calculate total cost of ownership, not just sticker price - Show both absolute difference and percentage difference - Rank options by total cost with clear #1, #2, #3 - Note non-price factors: payment terms, delivery speed, minimum orders - Currency defaults to USD; show exchange rate when converting - Flag any pricing that seems unusually low (potential quality concern) ## Output Template ``` PRICE COMPARISON ================ Product: [Product/Service] Quantity: [Amount] Date: [MM/DD/YYYY] SIDE-BY-SIDE ------------- | Cost Component | Option A | Option B | Option C | |----------------|----------|----------|----------| | [Component] | [Amount] | [Amount] | [Amount] | | TOTAL COST | [Amount] | [Amount] | [Amount] | RANKING BY TOTAL COST: 1. [Best option]: [Total] (cheapest) 2. [Option]: [Total] (+[Difference] / +[%]) SAVINGS: [Amount saved by choosing best option vs worst] RECOMMENDATION: [Best option with rationale including non-price factors] ``` ## Related Skills - `vendor-evaluator` — For holistic vendor evaluation beyond pricing alone - `bid-analyzer` — For structured bid evaluation with technical and financial scoring - `po-generator` — For generating purchase orders after selecting the best-priced option