# Converting Job Quote Review Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/converting-job-quote-review-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Check a label, carton or flexible packaging quote before it goes out: specification, material yield, process times, makeready, and commercial terms. ## Category cost-finance ## Industry Packaging & Converting ## Audience - Estimator - Sales manager - Plant manager ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Scoring Note:** Every critical item should be a yes before the quote leaves the building. Open critical items are the reason most converting quotes lose money. **Groups:** #### Specification capture **Items:** **Text:** Customer artwork or die-line version is on file and matches the quoted size **Critical:** true **Text:** Material, caliper or gauge and adhesive or coating are written down **Critical:** true Number of colors, special inks and coatings are listed Finishing is specified: die cut, emboss, foil, window patch or lamination Packing, roll direction or bundle size and pallet pattern are specified **Text:** Regulatory or customer standards are noted, such as food contact or barcode grade **Critical:** true Sample or approved proof requirement is noted #### Material and yield **Items:** **Text:** Layout, ups or lanes across and web or sheet size are calculated **Critical:** true **Text:** Matrix, trim or sheet waste is included in material cost **Critical:** true Material price is current and surcharge exposure is considered **Text:** Makeready material is included for each operation **Critical:** true Overs and unders are consistent with the waste allowance Stock width or sheet size is available from the supplier at lead time Minimum order quantity or roll size from the supplier is checked #### Process time and cost **Items:** **Text:** Routing includes every operation, including inspection and packing **Critical:** true **Text:** Run speeds are achieved speeds from similar jobs, not nameplate speeds **Critical:** true Setup hours reflect color count, die change and plate change Machine rates are current burdened rates Outside services and freight are quoted and included Tooling, plates and dies are quoted separately with an ownership statement Short-run penalty is checked: setup share of total cost is known Lead time is feasible against the current schedule and load #### Commercial terms **Items:** **Text:** Margin meets the minimum target for this job type **Critical:** true Price breaks are built from computed cost, not discounted by feel Payment terms and credit status of the customer are confirmed Quote validity period and material surcharge clause are stated **Text:** Overs and unders, freight terms and incoterms are stated **Critical:** true Cancellation, change order and artwork change charges are stated Previous quote or similar job history is compared for a sanity check #### Approval and release **Items:** **Text:** A second person has reviewed any quote above the approval threshold **Critical:** true Quote number, version and date are on the document Assumptions are written on the quote **Text:** The customer PO is checked against the quote on receipt **Critical:** true Job ticket reflects the quoted spec, materials and quantities Actual versus quoted cost is reviewed after the job closes ## Content **Intro:** Most losses on converting jobs trace back to the quote: a missing operation, an optimistic run speed or an unclear overs clause. This checklist walks an estimator or reviewer through the points that matter before a quote is released. **Sections:** #### How to use it **Body:** Run through the checklist for each new quote or any quote above your approval threshold. Tick items as they are confirmed and pay special attention to those marked critical. The list is grouped in the order an estimator works: specification, material and yield, process time and cost, commercial terms and approval. Export the completed checklist with the quote for a record of what was checked. #### Why these checks **Body:** A converting quote carries three kinds of risk: technical, where the spec is not understood; cost, where yield, speed or setup are too optimistic; and commercial, where the terms leave the converter exposed. Each group addresses one. Material and yield checks catch the largest dollar errors, because material is usually the biggest cost, and routing checks catch the most common omission, which is a forgotten operation. #### Using it for improvement **Body:** After the job closes, compare actual hours, material and waste to the quote. If a particular check keeps failing, such as run speed, change the estimating standard rather than the individual quote. Keep the checklist short enough that people will actually use it, and update it when a loss reveals a new risk. **Bullets:** - Compare quoted and actual cost monthly - Update achieved speed tables from shop-floor data - Review win and loss against margin by job type #### Common mistakes **Body:** Quotes fail when the review happens after the customer has been told a number, when the second reviewer rubber-stamps, or when special requests in an email never reach the job ticket. Make the review part of the release step and attach the checklist to the quote record. **Cta:** If quote history, actual job costs and material prices sit in different systems, we can help build a private assistant that compares a draft quote with past jobs and flags risks for the estimator. **Faq:** #### Which items are critical and why? **Answer:** Critical items are the ones whose failure usually costs real money or creates a dispute: spec match, yield and waste, makeready, routing completeness, achieved speeds, overs and unders, margin and review. Treat any open critical item as a stop. #### Who should run this checklist? **Answer:** The estimator completes it before release, and a second person such as the sales manager or plant manager reviews quotes above a set value or margin risk. Small shops can have one person do both with a pause between. #### How is this different from a quote template? **Answer:** The quote template is the customer-facing document. This checklist is internal and verifies that the numbers and terms behind the document are complete and realistic before it is sent. #### How often should we update the checklist? **Answer:** Review it at least yearly and after any job that loses significant money. Add the missed check, and remove checks nobody uses. A short, current list beats a long list people ignore. ## Search terms quote review checklist, converting estimating checklist, packaging quote checklist, estimator checklist label printing, job quote verification, carton quote review, print estimate review form, quote approval checklist manufacturing --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json