Transcript
From requirement to site, in ten stages. One: the requirement. Scope, specification and quantities are defined and approved. Two: the request for quotation goes to qualified vendors with a clear deadline. Three: vendors return priced quotations against the same scope. Four: evaluation compares technical and commercial compliance side by side. Five: the award selects the compliant offer and records the decision. Six: the purchase order commits scope, terms and delivery in writing. Seven: expediting checks progress against the delivery schedule. Eight: inspection verifies the material against the order before it ships. Nine: shipment, with documents and logistics following the agreed Incoterm. Ten: delivery to site, where the goods are received and checked against the order. The illustrations are generic pictograms of the process.
What is an RFQ and what is it for?
- RFQ (request for quotation)
- A document sent to suppliers asking for a price, delivery time and commercial terms for a defined item to a defined specification.
An RFQ has two jobs. It lets each supplier quote the same scope, and it gives the buyer offers that can be compared line by line. Both jobs fail when the item description is loose.
Write the RFQ so that two suppliers reading it independently would quote the same product.
What must you specify for each item?
Use one line per item, with the same fields in the same order. For piping materials, the fields below cover most requests.
| Field | What to state | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Item | Product type and form | Pipe, seamless; flange, weld neck; elbow, 90° long radius |
| Size | NPS (nominal pipe size) or DN, plus length or dimensions | NPS 6; 6 m lengths |
| Schedule or class | Wall thickness schedule or pressure class | SCH 40; Class 300 |
| Material grade | Specification and grade | ASTM A106 Gr. B; ASTM A182 F316L |
| Dimensional standard | The standard governing dimensions and tolerances | ASME B36.10M; ASME B16.5; ASME B16.9 |
| Ends and facing | End preparation or flange face | Beveled ends; raised face (RF) |
| Quantity and unit | Number, length or weight with its unit | 120 m; 20 pieces |
| Special service | Sour service, low temperature, impact testing, supplementary requirements | NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156; impact tested |
The examples show format only. Choose grade, schedule and class from your design basis.
A complete line reads like this: Pipe, seamless, NPS 6, SCH 40, ASTM A106 Gr. B, ASME B36.10M, beveled ends, 120 m.
Always name the edition of each standard, or state “latest edition at the date of this RFQ”. Standards change, and the edition can change a requirement.
Which documents should the RFQ require?
List the documents in the RFQ, not after the order. Suppliers price documentation and some cannot supply certain types.
- Material test reports (MTRs). State the type under EN 10204, for example 3.1. Ask for one certificate traceable to each heat number. The guide Material test reports explained covers the types.
- Conformity statements. For example a declaration of conformity to the product specification.
- Test records. Hydrostatic, impact, hardness or NDT records when the specification requires them.
- Manufacturer data books. For equipment, the drawings, procedures and records you need at handover.
- Certificate of origin, if your import process needs it.
If the material is for sour service, say so and name the governing standard (NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156). It limits hardness and affects grade choice.
How do you specify inspection and testing?
Say what will be inspected, by whom and where. A statement such as “third-party inspection at the manufacturer's works before shipment” is enough for the supplier to price it.
- Inspection agency, if you name one, and the point of inspection
- Positive material identification (PMI), with the percentage of items to be checked
- Witnessed or non-witnessed tests
- Release rule: no shipment without inspector release
If you leave inspection out of the RFQ and add it to the PO, expect a price change and a schedule change.
What do packing and marking requirements look like?
State how the goods must be protected and identified for the route they will travel. Export packing for sea freight differs from domestic road delivery.
- Packing type: wooden crates, pallets, bundles, end caps, flange-face protectors
- Protection against corrosion for sea transport
- Marking on each item or bundle: material grade, size, heat number, PO number
- Packing list with item, quantity, weights and dimensions
Marking that matches the MTR lets the receiving party trace each item to its certificate.
Which commercial terms belong in the RFQ?
Commercial terms make offers comparable. Without them, one supplier quotes ex works and another quotes delivered, and the price gap means nothing.
| Field | What to state |
|---|---|
| Incoterm and named place | Incoterms 2020 rule plus the exact place, for example “FCA Houston, Texas” or “DAP [your plant], city, country” |
| Delivery date | Required date at the named place, and whether partial shipments are accepted |
| Offer validity | How long the price must remain open, stated in days |
| Currency and payment terms | Quotation currency and your standard payment terms |
| Response date | Date and time offers are due, and the contact for questions |
| Exceptions | Ask suppliers to list every deviation from the RFQ in a separate section |
The guide Incoterms 2020 explained shows how each rule changes who pays and who carries risk.
What are the most common RFQ mistakes?
- Naming the NPS and omitting the schedule or class
- Naming a specification without a grade (ASTM A106 covers Grades A, B and C)
- Asking for “certificates” without saying which type
- Leaving the delivery basis open
- Mixing metric and imperial dimensions in one line
- Not saying whether alternates are acceptable
Decide in advance whether equivalent grades are allowed. If they are, list which ones. If they are not, say “no alternates”.
How can JJ Projects help?
If you have a material list but not a finished RFQ, JJ Projects can turn it into one: we check each line for missing fields, send it to selected manufacturers or authorized distributors, and review the offers with you. Send your list through Request a quote, or read about procurement services.
Sources
- ICC, Incoterms 2020 rules
- BS EN 10204:2004, Metallic products: types of inspection documents
- ASME B36.10M and B36.19M, pipe dimensions and schedules
- ASME B16.5, Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings
- NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156, materials for use in H2S-containing environments in oil and gas production