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Manufacturing conversations

Prepare a request for quotation

Comparable quotations begin with a shared scope.

Devon Design Journal editorial · October 7, 2026 · 3 min read

Sketch sheets, a caliper and metal samples on a product designer’s desk.

Describe the deliverable

Include the current design package, intended quantity, material requirements and the purpose of the requested work. Explain whether you need a prototype or a production proposal. Ask providers to identify exclusions and assumptions clearly. A price without a defined deliverable is difficult to compare, particularly when one supplier includes inspection or finishing that another leaves outside the offer.

Compare the scope before the total

Review lead time, documentation, packaging and change arrangements alongside cost. Clarify whether an alternative design or process is part of the quote. Keep the exact package each provider received. A request for quotation can reveal unresolved requirements before an order is placed; use those questions to improve the specification rather than treating them as an inconvenience.

A practical review checklist

  • Identify revision and quantity.
  • Ask for explicit exclusions.
  • Compare like-for-like scope.

Further reading

General design-planning material. Actual specifications, machine operation and safety decisions require suitable qualified expertise.