Choose the right question
- Related documentsAsk what changed, conflicts or departs from an earlier commitment.
- Independent offersAsk how the options differ across the same decision criteria.
- Missing termsTreat silence as unknown until the supplier or source resolves it.
- RecommendationApply your own requirements and weights after verifying the evidence.
Start with a shared requirement set
Write the criteria before comparing the offers. Otherwise the option with the most detailed marketing copy can appear stronger simply because it mentions more features.
A useful requirement set might include price basis, quantity, delivery, contract term, capacity, service, exclusions, implementation, renewal, termination and the evidence needed for approval.
Separate four kinds of result
Do not create a false contradiction
If one vehicle allows more mileage than another, or one software plan offers more storage, the sources are not contradicting each other. They describe different products. A contradiction requires a shared subject or commitment that cannot be true in both forms.
This distinction matters because contradiction language implies an error, broken promise or controlling-version problem. An alternatives comparison should instead describe the trade-off and preserve both values.
Do not rank until the basis is explicit
A lower price does not establish lower total cost. A larger capacity does not establish better fit. Before ranking, normalize units and periods, add required fees, identify mandatory conditions and decide how much each criterion matters to the actual buyer.
If the evidence cannot support a like-for-like calculation, say so. A bounded comparison is more useful than a confident but invented score.
Use the alternatives mode
In Aelipsis, choose Compare alternatives for different products, suppliers, plans, vehicles or agreements. Quick check compares supported labeled terms found in at least two sources. It keeps both source values visible, does not treat ordinary differences as breaches and does not calculate an overall winner.
Choose Check documents when the sources concern the same agreement or commitment and the question is what changed or conflicts.