When considering a breathalyzer purchase, it is hard to compare terms based on the price of the main unit alone. Items that are replaced after use or need continual restocking, such as the mouthpieces used with breathalyzers that measure by having a person blow into them, are called consumables. Consumables can differ by breathalyzer model, and suppliers may sell them not individually but in packs containing several pieces.
The safety manager calculates the number of mouthpieces the site needs, and the purchasing staff prepare the order based on the quantity and unit price on the quote. You need to check the pack size so that you do not mistake quotes with the same numbers for the same amount of goods, and so that you secure as many consumables as needed for the breathalyzer you will use. Keeping the same basis of comparison from the quote through delivery inspection lets you judge consumable costs after the main unit accurately as well.
The number in the quantity field alone does not tell you the amount
Even if a quote says quantity "10," the actual meaning can differ. In one quote, 10 may mean 10 individual mouthpieces, while in another it may mean 10 packs of mouthpieces. If the number of pieces in each pack differs, the actual amount supplied differs even when the quantity number is the same.
Unit prices must be read the same way. If you cannot tell whether a unit price applies to one piece or one pack, you cannot tell what amount the total was calculated on. Rather than concluding that a quote is favorable just because its total is lower, first align whether the item, pack contents, quantity unit, and unit price basis are the same.
If the quote has no unit, it is better not to guess the meaning from previous orders or verbal explanations. You can ask the supplier to state whether a quantity of 1 means one piece or one pack, and how many pieces each pack contains. Only once this is confirmed can you convert the number of pieces the site needs into the number of packs to actually order.
Separate the number of pieces needed from the number of packs to order
The quantity the using department calculates is usually the number of individual consumables that will actually be used. The supplier, however, may sell by number of packs. If both quantities are mixed in one field, it becomes hard to check later why the order quantity was set as it was, or where surplus or shortfall came from.
You can consider recording the number of pieces needed in the quote request, and the contents per pack and number of packs ordered in both the quote and the purchase order. You can compare by converting to cost per piece, but before converting, confirm that it is the same item for the same breathalyzer and that the pack contents are the same.
| What to check | What to read on the quote | What to compare at ordering and receipt |
|---|---|---|
| Consumable to be used | Item name and the breathalyzer model it will be used with | Whether the item ordered and the item received match |
| Pack contents | Number of pieces per pack and included components | Whether the label on the outside of the pack matches the quote |
| Quantity and price | The unit to which the quantity and unit price apply | The quantity unit on the purchase order, delivery note, and actual goods |
The reason the table separates pack contents from the quantity unit is that the number "3" alone cannot explain the order amount. Even if you have previously ordered a consumable with the same name, if this quote does not state the pack contents, you cannot assume they are the same as before. Until the pack contents are confirmed, it is best to treat the order quantity as not yet settled either.
Set the calculation and check criteria with a hypothetical example
The following is a hypothetical example to explain the calculation. Suppose a workplace calculated that it needs 60 mouthpieces for a particular breathalyzer, and the supplier's quote says "20 per pack, quantity 3." What to observe here is not just the quantity of 3, but the 20 pieces per pack and the 3 packs ordered.
Interpreting this, the amount supplied is 3 packs of 20, for a total of 60. The quantity needed and the amount supplied match. Even so, even if the calculation is right, you also need to check whether those mouthpieces fit the breathalyzer model you will use, and whether the pack contents of 20 per pack are clearly stated on the quote.
A possible action is to write the pack contents and order unit side by side on the quote and purchase order, as in "3 packs of 20." The receipt completion criterion can also be set not as just counting boxes, but as confirming that the delivery note, the label on the outside of the packs, and the number of packs actually received all refer to 3 packs of 20 of the same item. The 20 per pack in this case is an assumption for the calculation, not the actual pack size of any specific product.
If breathalyzer models differ, adding up the totals does not make them interchangeable
For consumables, which breathalyzer an item is for comes before how many you have in total. The product information provided lists separately mouthpieces for the DM12S for precise measurement, the DQ10 for detection screening, and dedicated mouthpieces for the DM12M and AFM-5. So when comparing quotes, do not simply add up the total number of mouthpieces. Look at items and quantities separately for each breathalyzer model you will use.
For example, even if you are shown as holding 200 mouthpieces in total by combining those for different breathalyzers, if the item that fits a particular model is short, the amount needed for that model has not been secured. This is why, when requesting a quote, you should state the breathalyzer model it will be used with as well as the item name.
If the supplier proposes a different item, do not compare only whether the names are similar or the totals are the same. Get a revised quote that states how the proposed item's applicable models, pack contents, and quantity unit differ from the original request, and compare that. Only once the differences from the original terms are confirmed can you decide whether to accept the alternative or get a new quote for the original item.
Keep the quote's basis all the way to delivery inspection
Checking pack sizes does not end with comparing quotes. If you count only boxes on receipt and mark it complete, the basis of pieces and packs you aligned in the quote can be lost. Reread whether the quantity on the delivery note is a number of packs or pieces, and compare the contents labeled on the outside of the packs with the number of packs actually received.
When a problem is found, it is best not to lump packaging damage, delivery of a different item, and a quantity shortfall together as the same issue. Writing down separately the item name ordered, the promised pack contents, the number of packs ordered, and what was actually received gives a clear basis for checking discrepancies with the supplier. In particular, if consumables for a different model arrived, classify it as an item mismatch even if the quantity is right.
In the end, checking pack sizes is not simply a procedure for choosing the lowest price. It is the basis for judging whether you can receive the right consumables for the breathalyzer model you need, in the amount you need, and for comparing different quotes on the same terms. If you consider the consumables you will buy repeatedly after acquiring the main unit, clearly recording the item, pack contents, quantity unit, and unit price basis on the quote is the starting point for judging total cost.
