Let’s look at the Request for Quotation (RFQ). Over in the forums on PrintPlanet.com two questions were recently raised regarding RFQ’s.

The first question related to the fact that specs often changed after the RFQ was released and this seemed to be a problem. In addition, and this point scared me as a Print Production Evangelist, it was stated that these constant changes resulted in NOT bringing new vendor-partners into the fold. It was stated that the current partners knew the quirks of the company and because of that, no new vendor-partners were sourced.

The second question asked if a RFQ was necessary for every project a company did.

We can speak to both of these questions simultaneously.

Every project should have an RFQ sent out before releasing to a vendor-partner.
- The RFQ is your way of laying out all the specific specifications of a project to your quoting vendor-partners. Without one, how can the competing companies supply a price?
- The only instance where I could see not sending out an RFQ is if the project is a straight reprint. In this case, the original vendor-partner would produce the project. They have your files; they have your approval sheet from the first press-check...why mess with success?
- Without the RFQ, and pricing, you will be hard-pressed to produce a Purchase Order. No project should be released without a purchase order. This is your "contract" with the selected partner. I know of few vendor-partners that will accept a project without a purchase order.

What should be included on your RFQ?
Let’s begin by saying the RFQ does not have to be a 10-page document. It certainly becomes one if you are bidding out a contract project that runs over a long time frame and includes many different components. What we are discussing here is a basic project, be it collateral or direct response. These can normally fit on one page, two at the most.

Every RFQ should contain the following:

- Your company name, address, phone and fax.
- The name, email, phone and fax number of the contact person for that project, should there be any questions regarding your specifications.
- The date the quote is due back. This one gets left off many times and will only result in your having to call the vendor-partner to find out when your numbers will be ready. You are too busy for this, include the date, and you are covered.
- The name of the project or your Project/Job number. The vendor-partner can then include this on their quote to you.
- An approximate date the files will be released to the vendor-partner and the delivery date desired. If this is a mailing, the lettershop RFQ should include a drop date or an in-home date required.

What else is included:

- Quantity required.
- Flat size of the piece.
- Folded size (or finished size).
- Stock required. Whenever possible specify a specific sheet or at least specify a grade of stock. To ask for a 70# gloss, will result in your being quoted different grades of stock, which could skew your selection.
- Number of colors to be printed. When specifying a PMS color, it is recommended that you specify which PMS color. This is especially important if the color is a metallic, which cost more and sometimes results in a different press setup.
- Artwork. How will you be releasing the project? Will it be on disk? Will the color art be on the disk in high resolution or will the vendor be responsible for scanning images and then replacing low-resolution files on the disk?
- Proofs. What kind of proofs do you require? Also, how many of each is needed? If you send every round of proofs to your client simultaneously, the bidder needs this information up front.
- Bindery and Finishing. Be specific as to all bindery and finishing operations. These tend to be expensive and you do not want surprises at this late stage in the process.
- If the project mails, the lettershop will need to know the following:

When will the data tapes be delivered?

What format will the data tapes be in?

What part of the piece is personalized?

Does the project have a multiple-match requirement?

If inserting into an envelope, what is the insertion order?

What proofs are required?

For the second part of the question, what if the specs change?

Well many projects have changes in specs after the RFQ is released. Coming from an ad agency background, in more cases than not there was some change. This should not result in your not seeing potential vendor-partners.

They have all dealt with revisions to specifications and, if they are good at their jobs, should have no problem responding to these changes. By not interviewing potential suppliers, you limit your ability to do your job and also hinder the creative teams, as no new format ideas are available.

Bottom line.... Every project needs a complete RFQ to protect your company and your vendor-partners from incurring expenses that are unnecessary, and to also make your job easier. Spend the 20 minutes and save yourself hours of headaches.

What do you think? Let me know….

The more we communicate, the better we will be at our careers.