Management ConsultancyService
Scoring a freight tender
What belongs in the scoring matrix, and how to agree the weights.
Kaelo Global is a Dubai company licensed in Meydan Free Zone, with over 100 clients served so far.
At a glance
What it is
Weights set after the bids arrive tend to justify a decision that has already been made.
A principal, Kaelo Global management consultancy
A freight tender is decided by its scoring matrix, and the matrix is often put together in the week before award by whoever has the spreadsheet open. The result is a model nobody can defend three months later when the winning carrier underperforms. Building the matrix first, and agreeing the weights before the bids arrive, is one of the most valuable hours in the whole process.
Freight tender scoring works best when the criteria reflect what matters to your customers and your network. We help you choose the criteria, agree and record the weights, put every bid on the same basis and test how sensitive the result is before you award. The aim is a decision your team can explain and stand behind long after the contract is signed.
The same principles apply whether you are tendering ocean freight, air freight, road transport or warehousing, although the criteria and weights differ for each.
What's included
Six areas of scopeThe criteria that belong in the matrix
Rate by lane and weight break, transit time and how much it varies, which often matters more than the average, capacity commitment and what happens when it is breached, customs and compliance competence, claims history, systems integration and financial standing. Anything you would not be willing to explain to a carrier does not belong in the matrix.
Weights agreed before bids arrive
Weights set after seeing the bids tend to justify a preferred answer. Fix them beforehand and record the reasoning.
Putting bids on the same basis
Bids arrive with different assumptions about surcharges, fuel and currency. Normalising them is detailed work, and it is where most comparison errors creep in.
Testing sensitivity before award
Run the model again with the rate weight moved by 10 points. If the winner changes, the award depends on a number that deserves a closer look, and you should know that before signing.
Scoring service quality
Clear, measurable definitions for on-time performance, communication and claims handling, so that service scores reflect evidence instead of impressions from a presentation.
Recording the decision
A short written record of the criteria, weights, scores and reasons for the award, which helps when the decision is reviewed internally or the contract comes up for renewal.
How the work runs
Criteria workshop
Agreeing what matters, and what you would be willing to explain openly.
Setting the weights
Weights discussed and recorded before the RFQ closes.
Normalisation
All bids restated on one common basis.
Sensitivity testing and award support
Testing the model before it decides anything, and supporting your team through the award.
When to come to us
- 01You are designing a tender instead of reacting to one.
- 02A previous award produced a carrier you would not choose again.
- 03You need the decision to be defensible inside your organisation after the fact.
- 04Procurement, operations and finance have different views on what matters most.
What we do not do
- Setting weights after seeing the bids.
- Publishing a standard weighting that has not been built for your network.
- Scoring on criteria you would not be willing to show the carriers.
Related reading
Tender design, carrier selection and cost baselining, explained as a practical method.
The questions that reveal how a logistics provider really works.
Decision rights come first, and the structure follows from them.
Common questions
