What Helps a Fabrication Quote Move Forward?
Most quotes stall on information rather than price. These are the gaps the estimating desk has to close before it can give you a number.
A quote stalls for a small number of predictable reasons, and almost all of them are about information rather than price. This is what the estimating desk has to know, and why a missing answer changes the number.
The files and the request do not match
A vector drawing in DXF, DWG or STEP is the fastest thing to quote from. A clear photo with a dimensioned sketch or a PDF will also get a quote. What slows the process is a photo with no dimensions next to a request for something similar. Estimating has to reconstruct the part before it can price it, and every reconstructed dimension becomes a question back to you.
Name files so they match the part they belong to, and include a part number where one exists.
The quantity is not stated, or the repeat is not mentioned
A one off and a short run of fifty are priced differently. So is a part that will come back every quarter. Tell us the quantity you need now and whether you expect to order it again, because the answer changes how the work is set up.
The finish is decided after pricing
Powder coat, raw mill finish and a clear coat on Corten are different costs. Powder coating is coordinated with a finishing partner rather than done in the shop, so it adds a step to the schedule as well as to the price. If the finish is still open when you ask for a number, say so. A quote conditional on finish is still useful, but it is not the same quote.
If you have a Cardinal colour name or number in mind, include it. "Black" and a specific colour code can be two different jobs.
The material is left open
Mild steel A36, 5052-H32 aluminum and stainless steel are not interchangeable in cost or in behaviour outdoors. If you do not know which to specify, describe the environment and the load instead. We will recommend a material and thickness, and the quote will say what it is based on.
Every dimension is marked tight
A part with one tight tolerance and several loose ones is much less expensive than a part where everything is held tight. If certain dimensions are functional and others are not, say which is which.
It is not clear whether you want parts or an assembly
Ordering cut and formed parts is a different quote from ordering a welded assembly. An assembly brings in welding drawings, fixturing, finishing and packing, and it changes what has to be checked before the parts ship.
The date is not stated
Give the date you actually need the parts. We will tell you whether it is achievable rather than simply agreeing to it. Quick turn is the positioning, and what keeps work moving is complete information, not an optimistic booking.
What happens next
Estimating reviews the package and comes back on the gaps. Every question you answer before sending removes a round trip.
The Component RFQ Guide sets out the full list of what an RFQ should contain. Sending what you have and letting us fill the gaps also works, as long as you expect the questions that follow.