Procurement staff have the correct inquiry
“Inquiry (Request for Quotation)” is a procurement personnel in the operating process on a necessary stage. Upon receipt of requisitions, understand the current inventory status and procurement budget, it is often the most direct reflection of that is immediately contact the supplier. If this is the norm of procurement, demand patterns is also part of standard parts, for suppliers are less likely to have problems. But in the new product development, for those not part of standard parts, inquiry of the story, you must pay particular attention to whether there is sufficient information to provide suppliers to facilitate their job offer. In order to avoid causing future procurement and supplier speaking the same language, as well as the quality of cognitive differences, for the inquiry should be provided when the information can not be sloppy preparations. Because the full and proper inquiry documents are available to help providers in the shortest possible time to correct and effective offer. A complete inquiry documents should at least consider including the following several key parts.
First, inquiry project’s “Name” and “Part Number”
First, the inquiry project’s “Name” and “Part Number” is a single on the inquiry should be higher than the most basic information prepared. Suppliers must know how to refer to the rates quoted are the products, which means that so-called “Name” and it represents the “expected number”, which is a follow-up buyers and sellers in the future when a fast-handling, as well as the basis for retrieval. Part Number because each client has a unique representation, in the use of particular attention to its correctness. Some large companies expected to frequent as many as more than 10-digit number, which also include the account numbers and letters. Material in a median number of different versions may be different, and may even become another product of the expected number. Name of the writing should be taken literally can be seen from its characteristics and types of products better.
Second, inquiry project’s “quantity”
Usually providers offer, we need to know the buyer’s demand, it is because the amount of purchases will affect the price calculations. Quantity of information provided typically includes the “annual demand,” “season demand” or even “on demand”; “the number of different levels of demand,” such as number of 500K, 1M, 3M, etc.; each in orders of approximately “Order Quantity”; or product “life cycle of the total demand.” In addition to the vendor to understand the demand and purchasing patterns, but also can simultaneously allow suppliers to analyze their own production capacity is enough to meet the needs of the buyer.
In the inquiry, the buyer usually has a common problem, that is, fear can not be good with low price, they then demand, or purchases to be “expansion.” At this point, although the procurement able to obtain short-term interests, even got the price of production, if the real procurement, you can not achieve the expected number of quotations, the suppliers not to raise prices, that is, in other ways to reduce customer service , or stop the supply, in the end not worth the candle, or their own. Therefore, the demand for information to be very real to communicate with suppliers, together with the purchase can come up with market forecasts to convince suppliers, so that it can achieve long-term cooperation, continuous supply purposes.
3, Inquiry project’s “specifications”
Specifications book is a tool to describe the procurement of product quality should include the “new version” of the drawing surface, test specifications, material specifications, samples, Color and other help to offer all the information provider. Drawing surface must be the latest version, if the surface can only be used for the valuation should also be indicated when the inquiry. As for the international procurement, if the original engineering drawing surface for languages other than English, such as German, French, Japanese, etc. should also be accompanied by an international language in English translation, bilingual (Bilingual) to facilitate communication between the form of presents. If the project can make use of surface delivery of electronic files, you must ask their acceptance to the supplier level, should pay attention to in the provision of an international common file formats such as DWG, IGES, DXF, PRO / E, etc., to enable suppliers Convert image file. However, in the use of e-mail delivery files at the same time, preferably also be provided with a clearly drawn in the drawing on the drawing surface, in order to avoid the file transfer may occur when the information missed.
4, Inquiry project’s “quality” requirements
Inquiry project quality specifications to express the way there are many kinds, usually several ways you can use the following show. Is difficult to separate the use of procurement staff will be able to complete a way to express the product or service quality requirements, it should be in accordance with the different characteristics of the product or service, combined use of a number of ways to carry out.
A. Brand (Brand or Trade Names): In general, the use of branded products in terms of procurement is the most easy one, not only can save procurement time, reduce procurement costs, but will also reduce the quality of testing procedures, since only confirmed that the product can be labeled. However, with branded products whose prices are generally relatively high, the use of the brand to buy in small quantities would be more beneficial to the procurement.
B. or equivalent goods, ( “Or Equal”): its meaning is a means to achieve the same function of the product, decide whether to allow the use of alternative products offer the same level when the inquiry should also be noted, at the same level products been used to confirm the use of units must be accepted.
C. Business Standard (Commercial Standard): commercial standards for products, size, material, chemical composition, manufacturing, construction method, etc., there is a complete description of common. For the general standard parts such as screws, nuts, electronic components, using commercial standards of quality, you can remove the misunderstanding.
D. Materials and Manufacturing Method Specifications (Material or Method-of-Manufacture Specification): When the right materials or manufacturing methods have specific requirements, must indicate the applicable standards. If the requirement to specify the rules for DIN Europe, its corresponding CNS or JIS specifications are the best they can be specified.
E. performance or functional specifications (Performance or Function Specification): This type of specification is more commonly used in the procurement of high-tech products, as well as Early Supplier Involvement (Early Supplier Involvement, ESI) of the situations. Supplier was informed only that products need to meet the performance or functionality, as to how the system can only meet the requirements to do the details of parts, is left to vendors to resolve.
F. Engineering Drawing (Engineering Drawing): engineering drawing surface is the most that can be used to describe the need for product quality, its content must be clear in addition, the accuracy of the dimensional tolerances can not be ignored.
G. Market Rank (Market Grade): commonly used in items such as timber, agricultural products, tobacco, food and other aspects of quality requirements, due to market levels can not be very clear demarcation line was generally the identification, procurement staff will usually be required to have a how to identify what kind of products are purchased from time to time rating capabilities.
H. Sample (Sample): This is a lazy approach, sample provides suppliers to understand the needs of the buyer very helpful, especially for color printing, with the market level of requirements to use more common.
I. SOW (Statement Of Work, SOW): mainly used in the procurement of services such as that of the Central preservation, building cleaning, waste disposal, engineering, contracting, etc. In addition to a complete job description should be simple things, to be achieved for the the quality of work should also be quantified as far as possible ways to regulate their performance evaluation. The contents of the statement of work must be able to protect the buyer can get a satisfactory service, also must be able to retain sufficient flexibility to allow suppliers to play to create value-added work.