Procurement Anomalies
Fabricated Quote Detection
Flags three-quote sets with suspicious price symmetry suggesting fabricated competing quotes.
Why three-quote sets get fabricated
Below the formal tender threshold, the three-quote requirement is the main competition control, and it is also the easiest to fake by a buyer who simply invents two losing quotes to dress up a pre-selected supplier. Such fabrication defeats the procurement principles of section 217 and produces irregular expenditure when detected. AuditPro Core analyses the price structure within quote sets to flag the suspicious symmetry that betrays fabricated competition.
The Numbers
AuditPro Core renders this view from your tenant's live, tamper-evident records. The figures below are illustrative sample data.
Quote Sets Analysed
1,940
below tender threshold
Suspicious Sets
162
8.4%
Uniform Mark-up
94
▲ 17
Value Implicated
R 31.2m
Suspicious Quote Sets by Month
Quote Sets With Uniform Mark-up
| Requisition | Winning Quote (R) | Spread % |
|---|---|---|
| RQ-5521 | 184200 | 5 |
| RQ-5588 | 96400 | 5 |
| RQ-5610 | 142800 | 7.5 |
| RQ-5644 | 78900 | 5 |
Figures shown are illustrative sample data for demonstration. AuditPro Core renders these views from your own tenant's live, tamper-evident records.
The three-quote control
Requesting three independent quotes is meant to test the market for low-value spend. Its assurance value collapses entirely if the competing quotes are not genuine.
Tell-tale price symmetry
Fabricated quotes often show prices spaced at suspiciously even intervals or rounded margins, because they were written to lose by a comfortable amount rather than independently priced.
Shared document fingerprints
Quotes produced by one hand frequently share fonts, layouts, sequential reference numbers or identical line-item wording across supposedly unrelated vendors.
Why it persists
Fabrication is low-effort and rarely tested in routine review. Systematic price-pattern analysis removes the assumption that competing quotes are authentic.
How AuditPro Core Bridges the Gap
- Pattern detection: scores each three-quote set for price symmetry and rounding that indicates fabrication.
- Exception workflow: suspicious sets are routed for verification with the named vendors before the order proceeds.
- Traceability to source: links flagged sets to the captured quotes and the winning order for evidence.
- Continuous monitoring: screens quote sets as they are captured rather than relying on sample-based review.
Key Takeaways
- The three-quote control is worthless if the losing quotes are invented.
- Even price spacing and rounded losing margins are red flags.
- Shared layouts and sequential references suggest a single author.
- Verify suspicious quote sets directly with the vendors named.
See This on Your Own Data
AuditPro Core renders this dashboard from your tenant's live, tamper-evident records — every figure traceable to source.