RFQ readiness: the intake checks before estimating starts

An RFQ is ready for estimating when the shop can identify the requested work and the assumptions that remain unresolved. A file attachment alone does not establish the applicable revision, material condition, quantity or inspection scope. A simple readiness record can prevent a polished quote from hiding an uncertain basis.

Create one intake record

Capture customer and contact, RFQ identifier, response date, part identifier, drawing revision, model filename and revision, quantity breaks, delivery expectations and destination. Add material specification, finish, special processing, inspection and required documentation. Mark fields as supplied, clarified, assumed or missing. Assign an owner and evidence link to each clarification.

Avoid an indiscriminate mandatory form. A repeat customer with a controlled specification may already have information on file. The intake record should show where it lives and why the estimator can rely on it. Store a snapshot of the basis used for the quote rather than only a link to a file that may change.

Resolve conflicts deliberately

If the drawing and model appear inconsistent, identify the conflict for a responsible reviewer. Do not let a parser silently choose the governing requirement. An older quote for the same part is context, not automatic authorization to reuse material or inspection assumptions. A new revision needs an explicit review.

Use a readiness status that reflects the next action: ready to estimate, waiting for clarification, estimating with stated assumptions, or no-bid review. Keep commercial judgment separate from completeness. A complete RFQ may still be outside the shop’s capabilities or available capacity.

Test incomplete inputs

Give candidate systems a synthetic RFQ with two attachments, conflicting revisions and a missing finish. Observe how each associates documents with line items, records clarification and preserves the original submission. Ask whether missing requirements can block approval or must be managed through a checklist. Also test a revision arriving after estimating has already started.

Paperless Parts describes manufacturing quoting workflows using part files and centralized requirements. Its published functionality makes these appropriate demo questions, but does not prove automated extraction will recognize every drawing note. Require human verification of the commercial basis before sending a quote.

Preserve the decision trail

When the buyer answers a question, record who answered, when, the revised requirement and the affected quote version. Production should see the accepted basis without searching an estimator’s inbox. Define who can approve an assumption and who can release a quote containing one.

Review recent RFQs to find fields repeatedly causing delay. Update the checklist from those observations. Useful measures include time waiting for clarification, rework after release and the proportion of accepted jobs with documented revision and scope. Measure before claiming that a longer form improves accuracy or conversion.