Capability template for procurement and suppliers
RFQ clarification list
A buyer sending drawings and specifications out for quotation gets one list of missing details, conflicting revisions and ambiguous tolerances, and a record of each supplier's answers. The buyer approves every message; the engineer settles every technical question.
Listed under
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The outcome
An incomplete request for quotation costs more than the time it takes to fix. Suppliers fill the gaps with their own guesses, quote different revisions, and send back prices that cannot be set side by side. This capability finds the gaps before the quotes come back, and keeps them in one place afterwards.
The buyer works from a single list. Each line of the request is checked against its drawings and the document register. What is blank is listed as a missing detail. Where one document says one thing and another says something else, such as a revision, a thickness or a specification, the list quotes both documents side by side and sends the question to the responsible engineer. Where a tolerance is missing, stated twice in different ways or written only in words, the list quotes the text exactly and sends it to the engineer too.
As suppliers answer, each answer is recorded against the item it belongs to, by supplier and date. The list shows which suppliers have not answered past the reply date, where two suppliers have assumed different things, and where a supplier has volunteered a tolerance or a revision of their own. A volunteered assumption is recorded as that supplier's assumption and nothing more.
The capability sends nothing and settles nothing. It does not decide which revision is right and does not interpret a tolerance. The buyer approves every message to a supplier, and the responsible engineer settles every technical conflict.
Who starts the work, and when
The buyer or purchasing lead starts it once the request for quotation package is assembled, ideally before it goes out, and runs it again each time supplier answers or an engineer's ruling arrive. The responsible engineer is named at the start, because every conflict and tolerance item is theirs to settle.
What they supply
- The request's lines: part number, description, revision, quantity, unit, material, finish, delivery date and drawing reference.
- The request's cover details: reference, quote due date, delivery location, currency, how long a quote must stand, and certificate or inspection requirements.
- The document register: each drawing and specification with its revision and date.
- The text of each drawing's title block, notes and tolerances, typed or pasted in.
- The buyer's own notes: messages already sent, with dates, and any value the buyer has confirmed.
- The responsible engineer's rulings, in their own words, as they arrive.
- Supplier answers, with the date, the supplier and the item each answers.
What comes out
One list in a fixed order: missing details, conflicts between documents, ambiguous tolerances, the record of supplier answers, a draft message and a short list of what needs a person. Every item has an identifier built from its line and the check that raised it, so an answer can be pinned to it. Every item says who can settle it and where it stands.
The draft message carries only what is ready: an engineer's ruling to pass on, a request for a supplier's assumption, a reminder. It never carries an unsettled conflict or a tolerance in question, and it never names one supplier to another.
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. The company, the people, the suppliers, the part numbers and every figure below are made up. It shows the inputs a buyer supplies and the list that comes out.
The situation
Quillfeather Assemblies, an invented maker of enclosures, has sent a request for quotation, RFQ-2611-04, for four sheet-metal and turned parts to three suppliers. The buyer is Priya. The responsible engineer is Tomas. Today is Monday 16 November 2026. Priya runs the capability to see where the request stands. The working days are Monday to Friday and no day is closed.
What the buyer supplies
Request cover details
- Reference RFQ-2611-04, issued Friday 6 November 2026.
- Quote due: Friday 20 November 2026.
- Delivery location: Quillfeather Assemblies, Unit 4 goods-in.
- Currency: blank.
- How long a quote must stand: blank.
- Certificates or inspection: "Material certificates required."
- Suppliers: Supplier A, Supplier B, Supplier C.
Request lines
Line | Part number | Description | Revision | Quantity | Unit | Material | Finish | Delivery date | Drawing
1 | QA-1042 | Mounting bracket | C | 500 | ea | 5052-H32 aluminium, 3 mm | Clear anodize | 2027-01-18 | QA-1042
2 | QA-1043 | Hinge plate | B | 250 | ea | 304 stainless, 2 mm | | 2027-01-18 | QA-1043
3 | QA-2210 | Shaft collar | A | | ea | 1045 steel | Black oxide | 2027-02-01 | QA-2210
4 | QA-3305 | Cover panel | D | 100 | ea | 5052-H32 aluminium, 2.5 mm | Powder coat to PS-07| 2027-02-01 | QA-3305
Document register
Document | Title | Revision | Date | Used by lines
QA-1042 | Mounting bracket | D | 2026-10-02 | 1
QA-1043 | Hinge plate | B | 2026-08-14 | 2
QA-2210 | Shaft collar | A | 2026-06-30 | 3
QA-3305 | Cover panel | D | 2026-09-21 | 4
PS-07 | Powder coat finish spec| 3 | 2026-05-11 | 4
Drawing text, typed in from the title blocks and notes
- QA-1042, title block Rev D. Material 5052-H32, 3 mm. Finish: clear anodize. General tolerance: ±0.2 unless stated. View 1 shows hole spacing 60 ±0.05. Note 3: "Hole spacing ±0.1."
- QA-1043, title block Rev B. Material 304 stainless, 2 mm. Note 1: "Deburr and passivate." Dimensions shown: overall length 75, width 40, hole centres 55. No tolerance on any of them. No general tolerance note.
- QA-2210, title block Rev A. Material 1045 steel. Finish: black oxide. General tolerance: ±0.1 unless stated. Note 2: "Bore to give a close running fit on shaft."
- QA-3305, title block Rev D. Material 5052-H32, 3 mm. General tolerance: ±0.3 unless stated. Note 1: "Powder coat to PS-07 rev 2."
The buyer's notes
- 10 November 2026: sent clarification 1 to Supplier A, Supplier B and Supplier C by email, asking each to state what it had assumed for the currency, the quote validity, the finish on line 2 and the quantity on line 3. Reply requested within three working days.
The engineer's rulings
- 13 November 2026, Tomas, on L4-SPEC: "PS-07 revision 3 applies to line 4. The drawing note citing revision 2 is out of date."
Supplier answers
Date received | Supplier | Item ID | Answer
2026-11-12 | Supplier A | RFQ-CUR | USD.
2026-11-12 | Supplier A | L3-QTY | Assumed 300 pieces.
2026-11-13 | Supplier B | RFQ-CUR | GBP.
2026-11-13 | Supplier B | L2-FIN | Passivation assumed, per the drawing note.
2026-11-13 | Supplier B | L1-REV | Quoting to the drawing as attached, Rev D.
2026-11-13 | Supplier A | L2-TOL1 | We would apply ±0.1 to dimensions without a tolerance.
What comes out
RFQ CLARIFICATION LIST: RFQ-2611-04
For: Priya, with Tomas (responsible engineer). Run on 2026-11-16. Quote due 2026-11-20 (4 working days left). Suppliers: Supplier A, Supplier B, Supplier C.
Package read: 4 lines; 5 documents in the register; drawing text read for 4 of 4 drawings.
Summary: 10 items. Waiting for the buyer's value: 4. Waiting for the engineer: 5. Settled by the engineer: 1. Closed by the buyer: 0.
1. Missing details
RFQ-CUR Request: the currency is blank. No other document states it. Why it matters: quotes in different currencies cannot be set side by side. Settled by: the buyer. Status: Waiting for the buyer's value.
RFQ-VAL Request: how long a quote must stand is blank. No other document states it. Why it matters: the buyer cannot tell how long a price stands. Settled by: the buyer. Status: Waiting for the buyer's value.
L2-FIN Line 2, QA-1043: the finish is blank. Drawing QA-1043, note 1, says "Deburr and passivate." Why it matters: the finish sets the price and the process route. Settled by: the buyer. Status: Waiting for the buyer's value.
L3-QTY Line 3, QA-2210: the quantity is blank. No other document states it. Why it matters: there is no quantity to price. Settled by: the buyer. Status: Waiting for the buyer's value.
2. Conflicts between documents (for the responsible engineer)
L1-REV Line 1: the request line, Revision, says "C"; the document register, QA-1042 Revision, says "D"; and the QA-1042 title block says "Rev D". Why it matters: the supplier may price a different revision. Settled by: the responsible engineer. Status: Waiting for the engineer.
L4-MAT Line 4: the request line, Material, says "5052-H32 aluminium, 2.5 mm"; drawing QA-3305, material, says "5052-H32, 3 mm". Why it matters: material and thickness set the price. Settled by: the responsible engineer. Status: Waiting for the engineer.
L4-SPEC Line 4: drawing QA-3305, note 1, says "Powder coat to PS-07 rev 2"; the document register, PS-07 Revision, says "3". Why it matters: the supplier may work to a different revision of the specification. Settled by: the responsible engineer. Status: Settled by the engineer (note of 2026-11-13).
3. Ambiguous tolerances (for the responsible engineer)
L1-TOL1 Line 1, QA-1042, view 1 and note 3: "60 ±0.05" and "Hole spacing ±0.1." Kind: (b) stated twice. Why it matters: the supplier cannot meet both. Settled by: the responsible engineer. Status: Waiting for the engineer.
L2-TOL1 Line 2, QA-1043, dimensions: "75", "40" and "55" are shown with no tolerance, and the drawing has no general tolerance note. Kind: (a) none stated. Why it matters: the supplier has to guess how closely to make it. Settled by: the responsible engineer. Status: Waiting for the engineer.
L3-TOL1 Line 3, QA-2210, note 2: "Bore to give a close running fit on shaft." Kind: (c) words only. Why it matters: the requirement cannot be measured. Settled by: the responsible engineer. Status: Waiting for the engineer.
4. Supplier answers record
Messages sent, as the buyer reported: clarification 1, 2026-11-10, Supplier A, Supplier B, Supplier C, items RFQ-CUR, RFQ-VAL, L2-FIN, L3-QTY, reply date 2026-11-13.
RFQ-CUR, Supplier A, 2026-11-12: "USD." Reading: answers the question asked; differs from Supplier B.
RFQ-CUR, Supplier B, 2026-11-13: "GBP." Reading: answers the question asked; differs from Supplier A.
L3-QTY, Supplier A, 2026-11-12: "Assumed 300 pieces." Reading: answers the question asked.
L2-FIN, Supplier B, 2026-11-13: "Passivation assumed, per the drawing note." Reading: answers the question asked.
Unprompted statements: L1-REV, Supplier B, 2026-11-13: "Quoting to the drawing as attached, Rev D." Reading: volunteered, not asked.
Unprompted statements: L2-TOL1, Supplier A, 2026-11-13: "We would apply ±0.1 to dimensions without a tolerance." Reading: volunteered, not asked.
Unanswered past the reply date: Supplier A: RFQ-VAL, L2-FIN. Supplier B: RFQ-VAL, L3-QTY. Supplier C: RFQ-CUR, RFQ-VAL, L2-FIN, L3-QTY.
5. Draft message (not sent; the buyer approves and sends)
To: Supplier A, Supplier B, Supplier C, sent separately. Subject: RFQ-2611-04 clarification 2.
Addenda: PS-07 revision 3 applies to line 4. The drawing note citing revision 2 is out of date.
Please state: none new; every missing detail was put in clarification 1.
Reminders (each supplier receives only its own): Supplier A: "Please still state what you have assumed for how long a quote must stand on the request, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (RFQ-VAL)." "Please still state what you have assumed for the finish on line 2, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (L2-FIN)." Supplier B: "Please still state what you have assumed for how long a quote must stand on the request, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (RFQ-VAL)." "Please still state what you have assumed for the quantity on line 3, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (L3-QTY)." Supplier C: "Please still state what you have assumed for the currency on the request, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (RFQ-CUR)." "Please still state what you have assumed for how long a quote must stand on the request, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (RFQ-VAL)." "Please still state what you have assumed for the finish on line 2, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (L2-FIN)." "Please still state what you have assumed for the quantity on line 3, or tell us you cannot quote it without it (L3-QTY)."
Reply by: three working days after the day the buyer sends it. If sent today (2026-11-16), that is 2026-11-19.
6. Needs a person
Nothing.
Every item traces to the lines and cover details of RFQ-2611-04, the register of 5 documents, the drawing text for lines 1 to 4, the buyer's note of 2026-11-10, Tomas's ruling of 2026-11-13 and the six supplier answers received to 2026-11-13. The list changes no record, interprets no tolerance and sends nothing.
Checking the figures
- Items: four missing, three conflicts and three tolerances make 10. Four wait for the buyer's value, five wait for the engineer and one is settled, which also make 10.
- Next reply date: if the buyer sent the draft message today, Monday 16 November, three working days would give Thursday 19 November. The buyer has not said when it will be sent, so the list prints the rule and that one worked date.
- Earlier reply date: clarification 1 went out on Tuesday 10 November, so three working days gives Friday 13 November. Today is Monday 16 November, so the unanswered items are past the date.
- Unanswered: of 12 answers asked for (four items, three suppliers), 4 arrived, so 8 are outstanding: 2 from Supplier A, 2 from Supplier B and 4 from Supplier C.
- Working days left: Tuesday 17 to Friday 20 November, counting the due date, is 4.
- The one item kept for line 2 QA-1043 covers all three untoleranced dimensions, because kind (a) is one item for each drawing.
- The two volunteered statements are not among the 12 and change no status.
Where it fits
- Procurement and suppliers, where the buyer owns the request and the replies.
- Supply chain and inventory, where a quote on the wrong revision becomes a part that arrives wrong.
- Manufacturing, where parts are bought to drawing and revisions change often.
- Hardware and physical technology, where new parts are quoted from drawings that are still moving.
- Engineering firms, where fabricated parts are bought to a client's design.
- Established businesses, where the drawing set has grown by habit and nobody has checked it against the request.
- Growth & scaling, where more requests are going out than one buyer can read line by line.
What has to change for your company
- The required details. Which fields every line and every request must carry. The defaults are listed in the template; add your own, such as packaging or country of origin.
- The reply period. The working days a supplier has to answer; three is the default.
- Who settles what. Which engineer owns which drawings and specifications, and whether quality or production also rule on some items.
- Your column headers. The names your request export and document register use, so the assistant can read them.
- Your message style. The wording, the sign-off and whether suppliers get one message or one each.
- Your reviewer for commercial terms. Questions about terms and conditions in the request are left to whoever you name; this capability does not answer them.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template from its own map of the work. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. It was tried once on its invented example in Claude on 10 November 2026, and the record of that run is published with the template; it lists the small edits made afterward that have not been run again. It has not yet been tested in a client environment.
Testing in your environment means running it on a past request whose problems you already know, with cases written in advance: a revision that differs between the request and the drawing, a tolerance stated twice, a supplier who guesses. The buyer and the engineer check every item against the documents before anyone relies on the list. Vendor quote comparison takes over once the quotes are in, setting them side by side; this one stops at what suppliers say about the request and leaves any price unread. Supplier issue notice handles the later step, when a supplier falls short of what was agreed; this one is about the request before the order.
The full capability template
Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.
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