In the food industry, competitors with the same product or similar product lines have a number of comparison points to rest on — taste, quality, distribution and so on. Ultimately, however, cost savings at the manufacture point offer a tempting "leg up" that can free up budget to invest beyond the food supply chain. With this in mind, opting for a low-bid supplier or service provider seems to be the best way to increase margin — but is it really? The cheapest vendor can actually end up being a lot more expensive than their closest rival, even if it doesn't seem that way at a glance.