# Manufacturing RFQ and Quote Readiness Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/manufacturing-rfq-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 that estimators use to confirm scope, costs, risks and terms are covered before a quote leaves the building. ## Category cost-finance ## Industry Discrete Manufacturing ## Audience - Estimator - Sales engineer - Plant controller ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Scope and drawings **Items:** **Text:** Drawing, model and revision level confirmed with the customer **Critical:** true Quantity breaks and annual volume stated in the RFQ **Text:** Critical, key and special characteristics identified **Critical:** true Applicable specifications and flow-downs listed **Text:** Required inspection reports, certificates and first article requirements noted **Critical:** true Packaging, labeling and delivery location confirmed Customer-supplied material or tooling identified Ambiguities logged as written questions to the customer #### Material and purchased items **Items:** **Text:** Raw material size, grade and certification requirements confirmed **Critical:** true Supplier quotes obtained and dated for all purchased items Minimum order quantities and cut waste included Scrap and yield allowance applied to material **Text:** Outside processing such as plating, heat treat and coating priced with lead time **Critical:** true Freight, duty and handling on inbound material included Price validity of supplier quotes covers the quote validity period #### Routing, time and rates **Items:** Routing steps listed in sequence including inspection and deburr **Text:** Setup time separated from run time and spread over the lot size **Critical:** true **Text:** Machine and labor rates match the current rate table **Critical:** true Programming, fixture and first piece time included Scrap and rework allowance applied to labor Capacity checked against the requested delivery date Tooling, gauges and consumables costed **Text:** One-time costs such as NRE and tooling shown separately from piece price **Critical:** true #### Risk, price and terms **Items:** **Text:** Margin meets the minimum policy for this customer and volume **Critical:** true Contingency stated and reasoned for unproven processes Currency and exchange rate assumptions documented **Text:** Price validity period and lead time stated on the quote **Critical:** true Payment terms, Incoterms and warranty terms reviewed Assumptions and exclusions written on the quote **Text:** Export control or compliance restrictions screened **Critical:** true Second person reviewed the quote above the approval threshold Quote saved in the ERP or quoting system for later comparison to actual cost **Scoring Note:** Aim to clear every critical item before submitting. A quote with unresolved critical items should be held or sent with explicit assumptions and exclusions. ## Content **Intro:** Most quoting losses come from items nobody checked: a drawing revision, an outside process, a setup spread over too few parts. This checklist walks an estimator through the review in four groups. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Work through the groups in order for each RFQ. Tick items as you confirm them, and treat the flagged critical items as blockers. When a check cannot be completed, turn it into a written question to the customer or an explicit assumption on the quote. Export the completed list as a PDF and attach it to the quote file. **Bullets:** - One checklist per RFQ - Critical items block submission - Convert gaps into assumptions or questions #### Why these checks matter **Body:** Drawing revision and characteristics decide inspection effort. Material and outside processing often make up most of the price, so stale supplier quotes hurt. Setup time spread across the lot size is the largest sensitivity on small orders. Margin policy, validity and terms protect the shop once the order is won. Together they cover the points where a quote most often differs from the final job cost. #### After the quote **Body:** Record the quoted time, material and margin so you can compare them with actual job cost when the order closes. A repeated gap on one operation tells you to change the standard rather than argue about it. Keep win and loss reasons next to the quote. Over time the checklist should be tuned to your shop by adding items that caused a past loss. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Quoting from an old drawing revision, forgetting to price inspection and documentation, using list rates that no longer match the cost base, and leaving validity open-ended are the most common. Another is hiding one-time costs in the piece price, which makes repeat orders look unprofitable. State tooling and NRE as separate lines. **Cta:** Netray can help connect your quote history to actual job cost in your ERP so that estimating accuracy is measured, not guessed. **Faq:** #### Who should review a quote before it goes out? **Answer:** At minimum the estimator completes the checklist. Quotes above a value or risk threshold should be reviewed by a second person such as the plant controller or operations manager. Set the threshold in writing so it is applied consistently. #### How long should a quote stay valid? **Answer:** It depends on how volatile your material and supplier quotes are. A validity period should not exceed the shortest validity among your key supplier quotes. State the date clearly on the quote and re-price after it expires. #### What should I do when the RFQ is unclear? **Answer:** Ask in writing and keep the reply with the quote file. If the customer cannot answer in time, state your assumption on the quote and price on that basis, noting what changes if the assumption proves wrong. #### Should setup be in the piece price or separate? **Answer:** Both approaches are used. Spreading setup over the quoted lot size is common for small runs. If lot sizes may change, show setup as a separate one-time line so repeat orders at different quantities remain fair. ## Search terms RFQ review checklist, quote review checklist manufacturing, estimator checklist, job shop quoting checklist, request for quote checklist, quote approval checklist, pre quote review --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json