The Comparability of Alternatives using the Bonus System

Abstract

There is theoretically precisely only one difference between sales and purchasing auctions.¹ In a sales auction, all bidders bid for one and the same item. In a purchasing auction, however, the bidders only bid respectively for the same item. This means that the bidder items in a purchasing auction can differ more or less. It does not matter at all whether it is a question of simple merchandise, complex component supplier parts, a project order or a service, for example. Each bidder can fulfill the needs of the customer only with his individual item or individual service. The goods and/or services of the different bidders rarely correspond to the extent that a decision can be made based solely on the price.² Consequently, the customer has to compare the bidders. The perfect method for doing this is the bonus system.