RFQ / ONE BASELINE FOR EVERY QUOTE
Request a Manufacturing Quote that Suppliers Can Price and Buyers Can Compare
A useful RFQ connects the product revision, SKU quantities, customization, evidence, packing, destination and trade scope. Unknowns stay visible as questions instead of being converted into silent supplier assumptions.
EverBen can screen an early brief or a complete technical file. The response should state what is confirmed, what remains open, what the price includes and which changes require requotation.
01 / commercial objective
Start with the buying decision the quotation must support
A launch sample, pilot run, replenishment, tender, promotion or multi-category consolidation has a different risk and information threshold. State the business context without replacing technical facts with a target price.
01
Identify buyer and channel
Name company, contact, country, sales or use channel, intended user and whether the request is a new project, supplier comparison or reorder.
02
State timing as a decision path
Provide sample need, internal approval date, target shipment or arrival window and any fixed event. Ask the supplier to confirm dependencies rather than promise an unsupported date.
03
Separate must-haves and options
Mark required fields, preferences, acceptable alternatives and open questions so suppliers do not quote different products under one description.
02 / product baseline
Give every supplier the same product and SKU definition
Product name alone is not a specification. The RFQ should identify intended use, material and construction direction, dimensions, components, colors, artwork, labels and meaningful tolerances at the current revision.
01
Attach controlled references
Provide drawings, tech pack, photos, physical sample, material cards, artwork or current supplier specification with revision and authority clearly identified.
02
List measurable product fields
Include dimensions, tolerances, material or performance priorities, construction, closures, components, decoration, labels and any buyer-specific standards.
03
Show quantity by variation
Break quantity into product, material, color, size, artwork and pack combinations. Add price tiers only where the same approved specification applies.
03 / customization and evidence
Quote design work, samples and evidence as visible scope
Artwork preparation, patterns, tooling, material development, samples, laboratory work and inspection are not automatically included in a unit price. Ask each supplier to identify the route, assumptions and ownership.
| Scope family | Buyer provides | Supplier should confirm | Requote trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development | OEM/ODM route, files, references and approval owner | Engineering, pattern, tooling and sample assumptions | New construction, material or revision |
| Branding | Authorized artwork, colors, size, position and labels | Method, setup, proof and physical sample route | Artwork, substrate, placement or method change |
| Evidence | Use, destination, buyer requirements and decision boundary | Document, inspection and laboratory scope included | New product, market, method or claim |
| Packing | Individual pack, assortment, marks and destination needs | Materials, count, carton assumptions and excluded services | Pack format, quantity, weight or routing change |
04 / packing and logistics
Name the packed unit, destination and trade scope
EXW, FOB, CIF and DDP quotations include different responsibilities. A usable request specifies the named place, destination, packed configuration and data needed for freight or landed-cost review.
01
Define the sellable pack
State bag, sleeve, box, insert, label, barcode, assortment, kit and presentation requirements for each SKU.
02
Define the export pack
Give units per inner and master carton, protection, carton marks, dimension or weight limits, pallet needs and any destination handling constraints.
03
Name the trade boundary
Request the Incoterm and named place, destination postal or port details, preferred mode and services included or excluded. Confirm the current official rule set in the contract.
05 / quotation response
Require inclusions, exclusions and assumptions beside the price
A low number is not comparable when another quote includes sampling, testing, branded packing, inspection or freight that it omits. Ask suppliers to answer the same fields and flag deviations from the RFQ.
01
Price and quantity basis
Show currency, unit, quantity tier, SKU split, included packing and whether tax, duties, freight or local delivery are outside the scope.
02
One-time and recurring costs
Separate development, samples, tooling, screens, plates, tests, inspection and freight from recurring unit cost. State ownership and refund or amortization conditions.
03
Calendar and validity
State material assumptions, sample and production milestones, capacity window, quote validity, payment or commercial conditions and events requiring requotation.
06 / controlled unknowns
Use a clarification log instead of forcing premature certainty
An early RFQ can still be useful when gaps are explicit. Classify each gap by who decides, which evidence is needed and whether it blocks feasibility, sample pricing, production pricing or delivery planning.
- 01Record the open field
- 02Assign an owner
- 03Choose evidence
- 04Update the baseline
01
Permit ranges carefully
A material, quantity or dimension range may support feasibility or tier pricing, but the quote must identify where the range ends and a released value is required.
02
Separate supplier options
Ask suppliers to label alternatives rather than silently replacing the requested specification. Compare cost and risk only after the buyer accepts an option.
03
Keep one answer log
Consolidate questions, decisions, dates and revised files so different email or messaging threads do not create multiple quote baselines.
07 / send checklist
Check the RFQ package before pressing send
The same package should go to every supplier being compared. Remove irrelevant requirements, protect confidential files appropriately and preserve an exact copy of the sent baseline.
01
Commercial file
Buyer contact, intended use, destination, route, timing, quantities by SKU, currency and requested trade term.
02
Technical file
Revision-controlled drawings or references, dimensions, materials, construction, components, artwork, labels, samples and evidence requirements.
03
Packing and response file
Individual and carton pack, marks, logistics data, price template, inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, deviations, validity and required reply date.
08 / product routes
Use the relevant product pillar to fill technical RFQ fields
The company checklist controls comparability. Product pillars explain the material, construction, application and evidence decisions that differ by category.
RFQ FAQ
Questions buyers ask before requesting manufacturing pricing
Can I request a quote without a complete tech pack?
Yes. Send the available drawings, photos, samples or references and clearly label unknown fields. The first response may be a feasibility range or clarification map rather than a final production quote.
Should quantity be one total number?
No. Show quantity by product, color, size, artwork and packing variation, plus the first-order and potential reorder tiers. Setup and material minimums often apply to smaller sub-runs hidden inside the total.
Which trade term should I request?
Choose the scope your team can compare and manage, then state the named place or destination. EXW, FOB, CIF and DDP are not interchangeable prices; responsibilities and exclusions must be reviewed for the exact quote.
Can EverBen quote before artwork is final?
A provisional quote may use stated assumptions, but final artwork method, size, position, colors and substrate can change setup, samples, unit cost and timing. Those fields must be confirmed before a firm production baseline.
What should be included about quality and compliance?
State intended use, destination, buyer standards, inspection expectations, product-specific documents or tests and release authority. Do not request generic certificates without defining the product and scope they must support.
Why can the quote change after sampling?
Sampling may reveal material, construction, component, decoration, tolerance or packing decisions that differ from the original assumptions. A controlled quote states which changes trigger requotation.
Next decision
Send one controlled request and receive one transparent question map
Provide the product route, use, destination, references, quantities by SKU, customization, evidence, samples, packing, trade scope and decision date. EverBen can screen feasibility and return confirmed fields, open questions and quotation assumptions.