What this is: a three-page template for briefing a supplier before you ask for a price. Fill it in, attach whatever you already have, and send it. It exists to fix one specific problem: two quotations for the same product that cannot be compared, because they were answered against different questions.
It contains no prices of ours and no default values. Every field is blank because the answers are yours.
Download the template (PDF, 7 KB)
Why a filled template beats a good email
Most first inquiries leave out four things that decide the answer: the destination market, the declared configuration, how the order will be phased, and who owns the tooling. A supplier who does not have those will guess — reasonably, but it is still a guess — and then quote against it. Three months later the price moves and nobody can say which assumption was wrong.
Writing them down takes about fifteen minutes. It is also the cheapest way to find out whether you actually know your own requirement yet.
What is in it
- 1. Market and destination — where it will be sold, whose name is on it, and any claim you intend to make. The destination decides which certification route applies, and that decides which product is even viable.
- 2. Product definition — category, function, reference sample, target user and price tier.
- 3. Declared configuration — motor or drive, battery or power, sealing, control electronics, and materials on touch surfaces. This is the section that decides whether a repeat order matches the first one.
- 4. Order and phasing — first quantity, annual volume, releases per year, required arrival window. Set-up is charged per release, so phasing moves the unit price even when the product does not change.
- 5. Commercial frame — your target band, Incoterm and destination port, how tooling is treated, and the payment terms you work on.
- 6. Verification you want — the tests you require, the batch records you need, and whether you will appoint a third-party inspector.
- 7. Packaging and presentation — format, delivery route, and who produces and approves the artwork.
- 8. What you want back — what the first reply should contain.
- 9. Notes and additional requirements — ruled space for everything that does not fit.
Two rules for using it
A blank is better than a guess. If you do not know the cell chemistry yet, write "unknown". A supplier who sees "unknown" will help you choose one; a supplier who sees a number you invented will quote against it and hold you to it.
Attach what you have. A photo, a competitor's specification sheet, a sample you own, a drawing, an old purchase order. An imperfect attachment is more useful than a perfectly completed form with nothing behind it.
Want us to work from your completed template?
Send it over, or send the parts you have and we will tell you what is missing. In return you get the specification sheet, the verification scope, the minimum order quantity, the lead time and the price structure for each line — in the first reply, rather than after a round of questions.
How this fits with the rest of what we publish
The template pairs with our supplier verification checklist: use the template to state what you want, then use the checklist when you are deciding who can deliver it. Both are written so you can use them on us — we are a product development partner rather than a factory, we hold the specification and the verification work, and production runs at manufacturing partners we select, test and manage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to complete the whole template before contacting you?
No. The sections worth filling first are market, product definition, declared configuration and order phasing, because those four decide which platform is viable and what a unit price even means. Sending the template partially completed, with a note on what is still open, is more useful than waiting until every line is answerable.
Why do you ask for a target price band?
Because it is the fastest way to route the project. A target band tells us which platform and which configuration are worth discussing, and it prevents us spending your time proposing something that was never in range. It is your band, not our price: no indicative pricing of ours appears in the template or on this page.
What if I do not know the technical specification yet?
Write unknown and say so. The declared configuration section exists to make the gaps visible early, when they are cheap to close, rather than after tooling. A supplier who is shown a real gap can help you close it; a supplier who is shown a plausible number will design around a figure nobody verified.
Can I use this template with a different supplier?
Yes, and we would expect you to. It is a briefing document, not a form we own, and a comparable brief sent to several suppliers is the only way to compare what comes back. If your current supplier answers it well, that is useful information too.
What happens after I send it?
We reply with what is possible on the actual platform before putting a price against it: the specification sheet, the verification scope, the minimum order quantity, the lead time and the price structure. If something in the brief cannot be delivered as written, we say so in that reply rather than after a development cycle.