What does a buyer check before sending you a drawing or an RFQ?
Answer
They check that the standard, material grade and property class you work to match their drawing, and that you can issue the test certificate their inspection process needs. Naming the standard number and the certificate type you supply resolves both questions before they attach a file.
A design engineer has a drawing in hand and three supplier sites open, deciding which one to send it to first.
Information to make clear
Use the fields that affect this buying decision. Leave unsupported claims out.
- Standard and standard number
- "As per DIN" is not a specification; DIN 933 is.
- Material grade
- The buyer's drawing names a grade, and the match is binary.
- Property class or strength grade
- 8.8, 10.9, A2-70 and A4-80 are the shorthand every buyer scans for.
- Size and thread range
- Tells the buyer in one line whether their part is inside your envelope.
- Finish and coating
- Plating, passivation and coating change corrosion performance and lead time.
- Tolerance class
- Decides whether your process can hold their drawing.
- Made-to-drawing capability
- A catalogue supplier and a job shop attract different enquiries.
Documents to prepare
State what can be published, shared on request or issued with an order.
| Document | What it supports | Suggested handling |
|---|---|---|
| Material test certificate to EN 10204May be requested at: with shipment, and often specified on the purchase order | Chemistry and mechanical properties: type 3.1 is issued by your own inspection function, type 3.2 is countersigned by an independent inspector | Issue per shipment |
| Dimensional inspection or First Article Inspection reportMay be requested at: first production run | That the produced part matches the drawing | Issue per shipment |
| PPAP packageMay be requested at: automotive sourcing | Production part approval for automotive customers, at a stated submission level | Share on request |
| ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 certificateMay be requested at: vendor approval | Quality system, with certificate number and certification body | Publish |
| Salt spray test report (ASTM B117)May be requested at: when the application is outdoor or marine | Corrosion performance of the coating you quote | Share on request |
| Hardness and tensile test reportsMay be requested at: technical evaluation and incoming inspection | Mechanical conformance to the property class | Issue per shipment |
| RoHS and REACH declarationMay be requested at: by eu and electronics buyers | Substance compliance for the destination market | Publish |
Details to ask in an enquiry
Collect only the information needed to assess the request and respond.
- Drawing or part reference
- The single most useful thing on the form.
- Standard and material grade
- Determines whether you can quote.
- Property class and finish
- Changes both process route and price.
- Quantity and call-off pattern
- One-off, annual and scheduled volumes price very differently.
- Certificate type required
- 3.1 and 3.2 have different costs and lead times.
- Destination and required date
- Freight and capacity planning.
Related questions
What is the practical difference between EN 10204 3.1 and 3.2?
A 3.1 certificate is validated by the manufacturer's own inspection representative, independent of the manufacturing department. A 3.2 certificate is additionally validated by the purchaser's representative or an independent inspector. Some purchase orders require 3.2 and cannot accept 3.1, which is why buyers look for the statement before enquiring.
Should we publish a capability matrix with our maximum sizes?
Yes. The most common reason an RFQ wastes both sides' time is that the part was outside the supplier's envelope all along. A size, tolerance and material matrix filters those out before the drawing is sent, and it signals a shop that knows its own limits.
Do we need to show the factory to win an RFQ?
Photographs of a shop floor help less than a machine list with makes, sizes and counts. Buyers are trying to work out whether you can hold the tolerance and the volume; a list answers that, a wide-angle photograph does not.
This is an editorial checklist, not a compliance standard. Requirements vary by market, customer and contract. Confirm current requirements with the responsible technical and commercial teams.
Plact Research. Plact's editorial desk for buyer-evidence guides. The guides organize common buyer questions, documents and enquiry fields. Requirements should be checked against current standards, regulations and contracts.