# Engineer-to-Order Bid or No-Bid and Quote Readiness Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/eto-bid-no-bid-and-quote-readiness-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A pre-submission checklist for ETO quotes covering requirements, engineering basis, capacity, supply chain, risk and contract terms, with critical items flagged. ## Category industry-templates ## Industry Engineer-to-Order Machinery ## Audience - Estimator - Sales engineer - Commercial manager ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Scoring Note:** Tick each item you can confirm with evidence. Any unchecked critical item should be resolved or accepted by the bid approver in writing before the quote is submitted. **Groups:** #### Requirements and scope **Items:** **Text:** Customer specification, drawings and standards list reviewed in full **Critical:** true **Text:** Scope boundary documented: what is included, excluded and customer-supplied **Critical:** true **Text:** Performance requirements (throughput, accuracy, uptime) stated in measurable terms **Critical:** true Site conditions captured: utilities, floor loading, space, environment **Text:** Acceptance tests defined: FAT and SAT criteria agreed in principle **Critical:** true Documentation, training and spare parts deliverables listed Applicable safety and regulatory standards identified (for example machine safety, electrical codes) #### Engineering basis **Items:** **Text:** Concept layout or preliminary design supports the price **Critical:** true Reuse of existing designs verified against current files **Text:** Engineering hours estimated bottom-up or cross-checked against similar jobs **Critical:** true New technology or first-of-a-kind elements identified and costed Customer design review cycles and approval times included Software and controls effort estimated separately Vendor-supplied equipment specifications confirmed in writing #### Capacity and supply chain **Items:** **Text:** Engineering, fabrication and assembly capacity checked for the delivery window **Critical:** true **Text:** Long-lead items identified with supplier lead times confirmed in writing **Critical:** true Supplier quotes valid through the expected award date Sole-source or import risks noted, including tariffs where relevant Outside processing and subcontractor capacity confirmed Installation and commissioning resources and travel planned Freight, crating and rigging costs included #### Pricing and risk **Items:** **Text:** Estimate includes engineering, material, build, install and commissioning **Critical:** true **Text:** Quote risk register completed and contingency set from it **Critical:** true Escalation or price validity addressed for volatile commodities Warranty reserve included for the stated warranty period **Text:** Margin meets the minimum for this risk level, or exception approved **Critical:** true Cash flow reviewed: milestone payments cover costs incurred Currency exposure addressed for foreign-currency items #### Contract terms and approval **Items:** **Text:** Liquidated damages, caps and delivery penalties reviewed **Critical:** true **Text:** Payment terms, retention and milestone triggers acceptable **Critical:** true Change order clause and notice requirements understood Intellectual property and ownership of designs clarified **Text:** Export control and data handling requirements checked (for example ITAR or EAR if relevant) **Critical:** true Insurance, indemnity and liability limits reviewed by contracts or legal **Text:** Bid approval recorded by the authorised manager before submission **Critical:** true ## Content **Intro:** Most ETO margin problems are decided before the order arrives. A written bid or no-bid and readiness check forces the team to confirm scope, engineering basis, capacity and contract terms while there is still time to walk away or re-price. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Run the checklist at two points: first at the bid or no-bid decision, to decide whether the opportunity deserves estimating effort, and again before submission, to confirm the quote is ready. Tick only what you can show evidence for, such as a document, supplier email or approved layout. The critical items are the ones that most often drive large overruns. If a critical item is open, either fix it, price the risk or record that the bid approver accepts it. **Bullets:** - Assign an owner to every unchecked item - Keep the completed checklist with the quote file - Review it again when the customer awards the job #### Why these checks matter **Body:** Scope definition and acceptance criteria are the root of most disputes, which is why they head the list. Engineering basis matters because ETO quotes are often priced before the design exists, so the estimate is only as good as the concept behind it. Capacity and long-lead items determine whether the delivery date is real. Contract terms like liquidated damages and payment milestones can turn a normal-margin job into a loss, so they need to be read by someone who knows the commercial consequences. #### Making it work in practice **Body:** Keep the checklist short enough that people use it, and adapt it by product family. Track the result of each bid, including no-bids, and compare the open critical items at quote time with the problems on the job at close-out. Over a year this shows which checks prevent real losses. Pair the checklist with the risk register and engineering hours estimator so the numbers used in review are consistent. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Teams treat the checklist as a form to sign rather than a discussion, rush it when the customer sets a short deadline, or skip the contract review because the customer is a repeat buyer. Another error is bidding every request to keep the estimating team busy, which fills capacity with low-probability work. **Bullets:** - A no-bid decision is a successful outcome when the fit is poor - Do not let the sales team be the only approver - Revisit the list after each lost bid and each loss-making job **Cta:** Netray can help build a quote assistant on your own drawings, past quotes and ERP data that pre-fills this check and flags missing information. Talk to us about a private pilot. **Faq:** #### When should we say no-bid? **Answer:** Say no-bid when scope is unclear and the customer will not clarify it, when capacity is not available for the delivery window, when contract terms put uncapped risk on you, or when margin cannot reach your minimum even with a fair reserve. Record the reason to learn from it. #### Who should approve the bid? **Answer:** Someone with authority over both the commercial and the delivery risk, typically a general manager or a bid review board with engineering, operations and finance represented. Sales alone should not approve high-risk bids. #### How long does the checklist take? **Answer:** For a repeat product with a standard scope, 30 to 60 minutes. For a large new project, expect a short meeting plus follow-ups to close the open critical items. The time is small compared with the cost of a loss-making order. #### Does it cover export control? **Answer:** It includes a prompt to check export control and data handling requirements such as ITAR or EAR where they may apply. It does not replace advice from your export compliance officer or counsel. ## Search terms bid no bid checklist, quote review checklist, engineer to order quoting process, bid decision checklist manufacturing, contract review checklist before quote, custom machine quote checklist, rfq readiness checklist, estimate review checklist --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json