# How to Win More RFQs as a Build-to-Print Job Shop > Source: https://netray.co/resources/how-to-win-more-rfqs-as-a-build-to-print-job-shop > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Knowledge Base ## Short answer How build-to-print job shops win more RFQs: which bids to skip, how to quote faster, what to put in the quote, and how to track hit rate by customer and part family. ## Category ai-automation ## Content **Intro:** To win more RFQs as a build-to-print job shop, quote fewer of the wrong jobs and answer the right ones faster and more completely. Most shops win 10 to 30 percent of what they quote, and the gap between shops is rarely price alone: it is response time, a clean quote that matches the print, and knowing which RFQs fit your machines, materials and certifications before an estimator spends hours on them. This guide covers a practical RFQ triage method, what a strong quote contains, and how to measure hit rate so you stop guessing. **Sections:** #### Qualify the RFQ Before You Spend Estimator Hours **Body:** An RFQ from Thomasnet, MFG.com or a direct buyer lands in a shared inbox, and the first mistake is quoting everything in order of arrival. A five-minute triage saves more margin than any pricing trick. Check whether the part fits your spindle envelope, tolerance capability and inspection equipment, whether the material is one you buy regularly, whether special processes need an outside vendor you already use, and whether the quantity and annual volume justify the setup. Also check who is asking: a known buyer with purchase history is a different bet than a first-time requester asking for ten parts with a one-day deadline. **Bullets:** - Fit: envelope, tolerances, CMM or gauge capability, material you stock or buy weekly - Compliance: ITAR or CUI markings, required certs such as AS9100 or ISO 13485, flow-down clauses you cannot accept - Customer: prior orders, payment history, how often they re-quote parts - Volume: one-off prototype, repeat blanket order, or a first article that leads to production #### Respond Fast, Because the First Complete Quote Gets Read First **Body:** Buyers working a long RFQ list often shortlist the first three or four suppliers that respond with a usable number, then stop. A quote returned in 24 to 48 hours with a clear price, lead time and stated assumptions beats a slightly cheaper quote that arrives on day six. The bottleneck is almost always the estimator: one or two people reading prints, looking up the last time you made something similar, and calling an outside processor for anodize or heat treat pricing. Fix the queue first. Standardize your material price list, keep current outside-processing rates in a table, and give the estimator a template that starts from the most similar past job rather than a blank sheet. #### Put the Things Buyers Compare Into the Quote **Body:** A buyer comparing five quotes looks at unit price, lead time, tooling or setup charges, quantity breaks and risk. Quotes that list only a single price force the buyer to email back with questions, and many do not bother. State your assumptions in writing: material and spec, finish, inspection level, whether a first article report is included, how long the price is valid, and what happens if the quantity changes. Offer two or three quantity breaks so the buyer sees where setup amortization drops off. If you cannot meet a drawing note, say so plainly and propose an alternative rather than ignoring it, because a mismatch found after PO is the fastest way to lose a customer. **Bullets:** - Break out setup or NRE separately from piece price so it reads as fair - Quote 2 to 3 quantity breaks, for example 10, 50 and 250 pieces - State lead time from PO and from material receipt, since steel and aluminum lead times vary - List exceptions to drawing notes or flow-downs up front #### Track Hit Rate by Customer, Part Family and Price Gap **Body:** Most shops know their overall win rate at best and have no idea why they lose. Record every quote with customer, part family, material, quantity, quoted price, quote date and outcome. When a buyer says you lost, ask what the winning price or lead time was and log the gap. After a quarter, patterns appear: you win turned parts under a certain size and lose large weldments, or you lose every RFQ from one buyer who shops on price alone. That data tells you where to sharpen price, where to stop bidding, and where to raise price because you win too often. A spreadsheet works to start, but ERPs such as JobBOSS, E2 Shop System, ProShop and SyteLine can store quotes and convert them to jobs so you can compare quoted and actual cost. #### Where AI Helps and Where It Does Not **Body:** AI is useful for the reading and lookup work that eats estimator time: extracting material, tolerances, finish and special process callouts from a drawing and RFQ email, finding the three most similar past jobs with actual hours and scrap, and drafting a quote for the estimator to correct. A private deployment can do this over your ERP and drawing folders without sending customer prints to a public service. It does not replace judgment about risk, capacity or whether you want the customer. If you quote fewer than ten RFQs a month, or most of your work is repeat orders at known prices, a template and a disciplined spreadsheet will do more for you than any AI project. **Cta:** If RFQ review and past-job lookup are consuming your estimator, Netray can show a private, ERP-grounded draft quote built from your own history and prints. Bring two or three recent RFQs. **Faq:** #### What is a good RFQ win rate for a job shop? **Answer:** It varies by work type. Many build-to-print shops land between 10 and 30 percent of quotes, with repeat customers converting far higher than marketplace leads. A very high rate can mean you are underpricing, and a very low rate can mean you are quoting jobs that do not fit. Track it by customer and part family rather than as one number. #### How fast should a job shop respond to an RFQ? **Answer:** Aim for 24 to 48 hours for standard parts and acknowledge receipt the same day for complex packages. Buyers working through long lists tend to engage with the first complete quotes. If a quote will take longer, tell the buyer when to expect it rather than going silent. #### Should a small shop quote every RFQ it receives? **Answer:** No. Quoting everything spreads estimator time thin and lowers quality on the jobs you could win. Triage on fit, compliance, customer history and volume, and decline politely when the part is outside your capability. A short no keeps the relationship and protects hours for better bids. ## Related Slugs - ai-for-machine-shop-estimators-rfq-drawing-review - job-shop-erp-comparison-jobboss-e2-proshop-global-shop - ai-quoting-aerospace-defense-manufacturers - erp-for-aerospace-build-to-print-machine-shops ## Search terms how to win more RFQs, job shop RFQ win rate, build to print machine shop quoting, how to quote faster machine shop, RFQ response best practices manufacturing, improve quote hit rate job shop --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json