How to write an RFQ that gets a usable quote back

Most requests for quotation are answered slowly for the same reason: the supplier cannot tell exactly what is being asked for, so the first response is a question rather than a price. Six additions fix almost all of it, and none of them takes long to write.

State the part number and the acceptable alternatives. A manufacturer part number removes all ambiguity. If a substitute would be acceptable, say so and say on what basis - equivalent specification, same manufacturer, or nothing but the exact item. Suppliers who guess will quote the cheapest thing that might qualify, and you will spend a week comparing quotations that are not comparable.

Give quantities per line, not in a paragraph. A table with quantity against each line means every supplier prices the same thing. It also means the quotation you receive can be pasted straight into a requisition.

Name the delivery location and the receiving constraints. A loading dock, a third-floor office and a school with no goods entrance are three different delivery costs. Say which one it is, and say whether inside delivery or scheduled delivery is required.

Give a date you actually need it by. Lead time is the single most common reason an order goes wrong. If you need it in three weeks, say so, and a good supplier will tell you which lines cannot make it before you commit.

Say how long you need the price held. Approval cycles take time. If a quotation is valid for thirty days and your board meets in six weeks, the price you approved is not the price you will pay.

Include the identifiers you will need on the invoice. Solicitation number, requisition number, cost centre, contract vehicle. Carrying them through from the quote to the invoice removes an entire round of correction later.