Two requests went out for the same product. The first asked for a price on a 65 W charger at a thousand pieces, and produced three numbers that could not be compared. The second defined the configuration, the markets, the packaging and the delivery term, and asked for five specific cost lines. The second produced a decision in a week.
Charger RFQ: what has to be in the document
Five sections: the configuration, the markets and certification, the packaging, the quantity and schedule, and the cost structure you want quoted.
The document does the work that a conversation cannot: it makes three answers comparable, and it puts the assumptions where they can be seen. A request that omits a section does not save time; it moves the missing definition into the quotation, where it is invisible.
Five sections is a manageable length, and each one corresponds to a cost line that will otherwise be quoted differently by each supplier.
Section 1: the product configuration
The output, the ports, the plug arrangement and the cable.
State the power tiers, the port layout, the profile support the product must claim, the plug systems required, the cable rating and the enclosure direction. Mark which items are fixed and which are tradeable, because the tradeable list is what allows a supplier to propose a platform instead of a new design. Where the configuration is described as a range rather than a product, each supplier will quote a different member of the range.
Section 2: the markets and the certification scope
The destination list decides which approvals are in scope and which are not.
Name the countries, the channel and whether the brand will appear on the product as the responsible party. That combination determines which certification the quotation has to include and who holds the file. A request that omits the market list receives a price for the supplier’s home market, and the certification work appears later as an addition.
Section 3: the packaging and accessory definition
The packaging version is a cost line, and it is usually the one that differs most.
Specify the carton type, the language versions, the accessory set, the insert and whether a printed manual is required. Each language version is a separate print setup, and the accessory list is assembled by hand in most factories, so this section is where two similar quotations diverge by the largest amount. Sending a packaging reference photograph with the request is often clearer than a paragraph of description.
Section 4: the quantity, the schedule and the delivery term
Quantity, launch window and Incoterm, stated together.
Give the opening quantity, the expected twelve-month volume and the month the goods are needed, then state the delivery term so that freight and risk transfer are quoted consistently. Suppliers price against different quantities and different terms by default, which is why these three items belong in the same section rather than in a later email.
Section 5: the cost structure you want quoted
Five lines, quoted separately, in every response.
The unit price, the tooling where it applies, the packaging setup, the certification work and the accessory cost, with the minimum quantity and the lead time for the quoted configuration. Asking for the lines separately is what makes the comparison possible, and it also shows which supplier has included work that another has priced as an option.
| Section | What it fixes | What happens without it |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | The product and what may be traded | Each supplier quotes a different variant |
| Markets and certification | The approval scope and the responsible party | Certification appears as an addition |
| Packaging and accessories | The print setup and the accessory list | The largest hidden difference between quotations |
| Quantity, schedule and term | The basis for pricing and freight | Prices quoted on different terms |
| Cost structure | Five comparable lines | One total figure that cannot be compared |
The questions to ask every supplier identically
Five questions, in the same words, in the same document.
Which platform is closest and what is running this month; which changes stay inside the existing tool; which certifications cover which markets and revisions; the minimum quantity and lead time for the quoted configuration; and what is measured on every unit with the source of the limits. Identical wording is what makes the answers comparable, and the answers usually reduce the list before any samples are requested.
Reading the responses against the request
A response is compared against the document, line by line.
Where a supplier answers a section with an alternative, that is useful information rather than a deviation to be corrected. Where a section is not answered at all, the quotation contains an assumption, and the assumption is where the difference will appear after the order. The practical method is a table with the five sections down one side and the responses across, filled in as they arrive.
FAQ
Should the RFQ include a target price?
A target price invites a supplier to engineer the specification to meet it, which is useful where the tradeable list is explicit. Where the configuration is fixed, a target price mostly produces a quotation that matches the target and a conversation later about what was removed. A target price invites a supplier to engineer the specification to meet it, which is useful only where the tradeable list is explicit.
How long should suppliers have to respond?
A week for a platform programme is realistic, and two weeks where the brief requires a specification review. A deadline is worth stating, because a shortlist compared across three weeks is a comparison of three market conditions. Allow a week for a platform programme and two weeks where the brief requires a specification review, because a shortlist compared across three weeks compares three market conditions.
Can we send a photograph instead of a specification?
Photographs are useful for packaging and finish, and they are not a substitute for the configuration, the markets or the quantities. Send both, and mark which elements of the photograph are fixed and which are illustrative. Send both the photograph and the specification, and mark which elements of the photograph are illustrative rather than fixed. Photographs are useful for packaging and finish but not for the configuration.
What if a supplier will not quote in five lines?
That is a useful answer in itself, because it means the comparison will rest on assumptions. Ask for the lines again with the reason, and where the answer is still a single figure, treat the quotation as a range rather than as a price. Ask for the lines again with the reason, and where the answer is still a single figure treat the quotation as a range rather than as a price.
Next step
Send the configuration, the markets, the packaging direction and the volume to Wecent Group through the contact page. The reply answers the five sections, quotes the five cost lines separately and states the minimum, the lead time and the certification scope. Related reading: OEM and ODM charger manufacturing, charger manufacturing services and the factory floor. External references: ICC Incoterms rules, IEC standards, EU CE marking rules, UL standards and certification, International Trade Centre Trade Map and TUV testing services.
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