Wire Harness RFQ Review Checklist
A harness RFQ often arrives as a drawing, a spreadsheet BOM and a page of quality clauses, and gaps among them cause most of the quoting regret later. This checklist walks the package in the order an estimator needs it.
0 of 38 items complete
10 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
Drawing and data package
Workmanship and test
Materials and sourcing
Compliance and regulatory
Commercial and delivery
Mark each item that you have confirmed. Items flagged critical should be resolved or documented as an assumption on the quote before it is released.
Structured RFQ and contract review in your ERP
Optional: discuss keeping RFQ review records and assumptions linked to quotes and orders.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the checklist
Go through the five groups before you finalize pricing. Tick what is confirmed, and for everything unclear either send the customer a question or write the interpretation into the quote assumptions. The critical items are those that, if wrong, change the price by a large amount or create contractual risk. Save the completed checklist with the RFQ so reviews are consistent between estimators.
- Do the review before costing, not after
- Send clarifications in one batch, not scattered across emails
- Convert unresolved items into stated assumptions
- Record who reviewed and the date
Why contract review matters
Quality management systems such as ISO 9001 and AS9100 expect an organization to review requirements before committing to supply, including requirements the customer did not state but that are needed for the intended use. A structured checklist is a simple way to show that review happened and to keep estimators from repeating the same oversight, such as unpriced test fixtures or a flowed-down clause on counterfeit parts.
Where RFQs usually go wrong
Drawing and BOM disagree on a connector or terminal part number. The class or test scope is not stated. A long-lead part has not been checked with the distributor. Export control or domestic-content requirements are discovered after the PO. NRE is expected to be free. Each of these shows up as a line item on this list so that it is raised while you can still decline, adjust the price or ask a question.
Common mistakes
Quoting from a spreadsheet BOM without opening the drawing. Assuming alternates are acceptable. Not reading customer flowdown clauses until after the order. Combining unit price and NRE so that a canceled order leaves you with fixtures and no payment. Letting verbal clarifications stand without writing them on the quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important item on a harness RFQ review?
Matching the drawing revision, BOM and wire list, followed by the workmanship class and test scope. Errors in these change both cost and acceptance criteria, and they are the hardest to renegotiate after you have accepted the PO.
Do I need to ask about export control?
Yes if the program is defense related. Ask the customer whether the data or the product is subject to ITAR or EAR, because that affects who can handle the data, which suppliers you can use and how you transmit files.
When should I decline to quote?
Consider declining when critical data is missing and the customer will not clarify, when required capabilities such as a certified process are not in place, or when flowdown terms conflict with what you can commit to.
Where should I store the completed checklist?
Keep it with the quote and RFQ record so that when an order arrives, the assumptions and clarifications are available to production, quality and purchasing.
If RFQ review and contract-review records currently live in email and spreadsheets, we can look at structuring them inside your ERP or quality system.
Related Tools
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Discrete ManufacturingJob Shop RFQ Intake Form Template
A one-page request for quote intake form so every RFQ reaches the estimator with the same information before anyone opens JobBOSS, E2 Shop System or Global Shop Solutions.
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Guides
- How to Quote a Wire Harness From a Customer DrawingStep-by-step wire harness quoting: read the drawing, build the BOM, price wire and connectors, time every termination, and add NRE, test and scrap.
- AI for Wire Harness RFQ Review and EstimatingHow AI helps harness and cable assembly estimators: read RFQ packages, find similar past jobs, flag missing data and draft quotes for human approval.
- ERP for Cable Assembly and Wire Harness Manufacturers: What to RequireWhat a cable assembly or wire harness shop needs from ERP: BOM by drawing revision, wire by the foot, lot traceability, kitting, and test records.
Manufacturing hubs
- WHMA and wire harness manufacturing: the A-620 standard, harness BOMs and the ERP problems that followWHMA and wire harness manufacturing: IPC/WHMA-A-620, crimp and cable assembly requirements, and the ERP, BOM and private AI issues harness shops face.
- IPC and its standards: what electronics manufacturers need to know, and the ERP and data work behind themIPC standards explained for electronics manufacturers: IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC-6012 and IPC/WHMA-A-620, plus the ERP, traceability and private AI issues EMS shops face.