The short answer
Ask what the supplier’s website did not answer, and nothing it already did. Open with the specification, the quantity and the destination. Then ask, in this order, whether they can do the job, what it costs and what the price includes, when it can arrive, what proof they can send, and on what terms. Ask only what the website could not tell you, grouped by what each answer decides: fit, price, timing, proof, terms.
Before you write: fix the request
A supplier can only quote what you define. Before any question, state four things: what you need and to what specification, how much and how often, where it has to arrive, and by when. For a contract manufacturer that is a drawing and a material. For a freight carrier it is the lane, the pallet count and the schedule.
Then say what you already know. If the supplier’s site confirms a capability, say so and do not ask again. It keeps the reply about the things you still need.
The questions, by what they decide
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Can they do this job?
Decides who stays on the list.
- Can you supply this to the attached specification? Please note anything you would change.
- Is the work done in-house, or is any part of it subcontracted?
- What is your minimum order quantity, and your capacity at our volume?
- Have you done similar work? Can you share an example?
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What will it cost?
Decides the comparison.
- What is the unit price at our quantity, and at the next two price breaks?
- What does the price include: setup or tooling, packaging, freight, duties?
- Are there one-time charges or surcharges we should expect?
- How long is this quote valid?
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When can it arrive?
Decides whether the price matters.
- What is the lead time from a confirmed order to delivery at our address?
- When could you start, given your current workload?
- What happens to the schedule and the price if we need it sooner?
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Can they prove it?
Decides how much you take on trust. Check any number you are given at its source: the FSC public certificate search, IAF CertSearch for accredited ISO management-system certificates, or the FMCSA company snapshot for a USDOT number.
- Please send the certificate we require, with its number and the legal name it is held under.
- Can you send a certificate of insurance?
- Can you provide a sample, or two references for similar work?
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On what terms?
Decides what you sign.
- What are your payment terms?
- Is there a minimum term or a minimum monthly volume?
- What happens if goods arrive damaged or out of specification?
- Who will be our contact once work starts?
Turn each gap into a question
Research leaves two kinds of gap: a requirement you could not confirm, and a thing only the supplier knows. Each becomes one question that says what you need and asks for a plain answer.
Sample data · Fictional carrier
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Liftgate
Unknown
No mention on the pages read.
Question 1
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USDOT
Unknown
No number on the pages read.
Question 2
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Weekly pickup
Claimed
A freight directory says so. Their own site does not.
Question 3
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Weekly rate
To ask
Only the carrier can answer.
Question 4
Unknown and claimed are two of the four evidence labels. How to verify supplier certifications and claims explains all four.
Put it together: a sample RFQ
SubjectQuote request: six pallets a week from Columbus, Ohio
Hello,
We ship six pallets a week out of Columbus, Ohio, and are looking for an LTL carrier with liftgate trucks and a standing weekly pickup. Your site confirms LTL service from a Columbus terminal. Four things it does not settle:
- Do the trucks on your Columbus routes carry a liftgate? If only some do, how do we make sure one is sent?
- What is your USDOT number, and what legal name is it registered under?
- A directory lists weekly pickup. Can you confirm a standing weekly pickup from Columbus, and on which day?
- What is your weekly rate for six pallets, liftgate included, and what would change it?
A reply by Friday, October 23 would let us decide that week. Thank you.
Send it so the answers compare
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Send every supplier the same questions. Same questions to everyone
Same wording, same numbering. A difference between two replies is then a difference between two suppliers.
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Number them, and ask for numbered replies. Number the questions
A numbered reply drops into a row of the supplier comparison matrix without retyping the question.
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Give a date. Give a reply date
Say when you need the quote and when you will decide.
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Check what comes back. Check what comes back
Look up any certificate or registration number you are sent before you rely on it, and note each reply and its date beside the question.
Ordren never contacts a supplier for you. It drafts the RFQ from the unknowns on your shortlist, and you send it yourself. See what a search costs, or start from the supplier vetting checklist if you do not have a shortlist yet.
Questions
What is an RFQ?
A request for quotation: a message that asks a supplier to price a defined product or service. It works when the specification, the quantity and the delivery point are fixed and you want prices you can compare.
What is the difference between an RFI, an RFQ and an RFP?
A request for information (RFI) asks what a supplier can do. A request for quotation (RFQ) asks for a price on a need you have already defined. A request for proposal (RFP) asks for an approach as well as a price, when the solution is still open.
Does Ordren send the RFQ for me?
No. Ordren drafts the RFQ for each shortlisted supplier; you copy it or open it in your own email and send it yourself. Nothing is sent on your behalf and nobody is contacted without you.