A supplier can deliver more reliably and still miss a procurement shortlist. In our synthetic MeritLens example, Bridgepoint Components has a better on-time delivery rate than Apex, the leading supplier. But the scoring formula discounts delivery and quality when there is less transaction and audit history, and uses revenue to score finances. Bridgepoint lands at 70.9, below the 80-point shortlist floor. The alternative uses raw delivery and quality rates and financial health directly, with the same price scoring and weights. Bridgepoint reaches 81.0 and qualifies for the preview shortlist. Apex still scores highest. That changes what a buyer needs to examine, not who gets the contract. The saved BLOCK decision still holds this simulated award for human review; the preview cannot overwrite it. Before committing to a supplier, inspect whether the scoring assumptions exclude a bidder that meets the shortlist floor under an explicit alternative. #Procurement #StrategicSourcing #SupplierEvaluation #ProcurementGovernance