A vague RFQ gets a vague quotation. Worse, it gets a fast one — usually a catalog price with your name pasted in, which tells you nothing about whether the supplier understood your problem. The fix isn't a formal specification package. It's about ten specific facts, roughly organized.
This is the same list our engineers work through when a requirement arrives. Send as much of it as you have — a good supplier asks for the rest.
About to talk to a supplier?
You don't need a full spec package — describe the job in a few sentences, photos if handy. The reply comes from an engineer, not a salesperson.
Describe Your RequirementThe checklist
- 01 · Application — What the equipment must do, in one paragraph. "Seal and cut PE film into bags at up to N cycles per minute" beats "need sealing machine".
- 02 · Material — What runs through or into the machine: material type, thickness or gauge range, and how much it varies.
- 03 · Size & geometry — Part or web dimensions, including the largest and smallest cases the machine must handle.
- 04 · Throughput — Cycle time, line speed, or parts per shift — and whether that's today's target or next year's.
- 05 · Environment & utilities — Floor space, available power (voltage matters more than people think), air, and anything unusual about the plant.
- 06 · Interfaces — What the equipment must connect to: upstream machines, your HMI/PLC, mounting points, operator language.
- 07 · Standards — Any compliance or safety requirements for your market — say so early, because they shape the design.
- 08 · What you have — Drawings, a sample part, photos of the station, or the machine being replaced. Attach whatever exists; imperfect files are fine.
- 09 · Constraints — Honest ranges for budget and timing. Suppliers can't hit a target they can't see, and "no budget yet" is more useful than silence.
- 10 · Success criteria — How you'll judge the machine at acceptance. Even two or three concrete checks change how the equipment gets built.
Two things you can leave out
A formal specification package. If you had one, you wouldn't be buying custom. Engineering review exists precisely to turn partial input into a buildable scope — a supplier who demands a complete package before talking is telling you they don't do engineering.
A drawing of the machine you want. You know your process; the machine is the supplier's job. Describe the outcome and let them propose the means. You'll compare proposals on engineering substance instead of quotation-sheet formatting.
What happens after you send it
A competent supplier replies with questions, not a brochure — typically one to three clarifications that show they actually read your items. Then a realistic scope, schedule, and a firm quotation stating what's included. If any of those pieces is missing, that's information too.
Using this with any supplier: if the reply comes back inside a day, fully formed, with no questions asked — be suspicious. Real requirements are always partly ambiguous.
Ready to try it?
Send what you have — the checklist above is optional, and an engineer reads every inquiry.
Send Your Requirements