Make the quotations comparable from the first email
A request for 'your best luggage lining fabric price' usually leaves too many decisions open. One supplier may quote a roll, another a different width, and a third a panel set with sewing excluded. An RFQ, or request for quotation, should establish the item and commercial unit before asking for a price.
Choose fabric rolls, cut panels or sewn liners. For rolls, state whether the price should be per linear metre and specify usable width. For panels or liners, define every piece included in one set and the quantities by shell model. Keep development charges, material, cutting, sewing, trims and packing identifiable where they affect the comparison.
A trade name alone is rarely a complete material specification. Include the reference sample or article, fibre composition if known, construction, finished fabric weight in g/m², usable width, colour and finish. If you are still choosing between fabrics, request clearly labelled alternatives and their differences rather than asking each supplier to guess an equivalent.
Attach the decisions that cannot fit in a price cell
For custom cutting or sewing, provide internal suitcase dimensions, approved patterns or a physical sample. Include wheel and handle obstructions and the attachment method. A size label such as 24 inches is not a cutting instruction. Request an installed fit sample before approving production.
Identify each attachment by date or revision so that a changed pocket drawing does not get priced alongside an old parts list. Separate confirmed requirements from proposed options. If a specification is not yet decided, ask the supplier to list its assumption explicitly.
- Material or physical sample reference, colour standard and any print artwork.
- Quantity by colour and model, with the intended order unit spelled out.
- Pattern pack and component schedule for panels or sewn liners.
- Required tests, methods and agreed acceptance criteria, or a request to propose these for review.
- Packing and labelling instructions, delivery location and target arrival date.
- Sample approval stages, requested quotation validity and the person authorised to approve changes.
Example RFQ: replace the brackets before sending
The following is an illustrative enquiry, not a SHIRE LINING offer or a confirmed production specification. Replace the bracketed fields and attach the documents you name.
Subject: RFQ — sewn suitcase liner sets for [shell model / revision]
Hello, please quote [quantity] complete liner sets, split by [model, colour and quantity]. One set includes [lid lining, base lining, divider, pockets and listed trims]. Please use the attached component schedule [revision] and pattern pack [revision].
Material reference: [sample or article], [composition], [finished fabric weight in g/m²], [usable width], [colour standard] and [finish]. List any proposed substitution separately. Our internal shell measurements and photographs are attached. We will provide [shell / physical sample / approved patterns] for development and require an installed fit sample before production approval.
Please state the price per complete set and currency, MOQ by material and colour, sample and tooling charges, included trims and packing, and any excluded costs. Please quote on [delivery rule and named port or place, Incoterms 2020], identify any alternative separately, and state payment terms and quotation validity.
Target arrival: [date and destination]. Please separate sample preparation, approval dependencies, production time and transport. Our inspection and testing requirements are [attached specification / to be agreed before order]. Confirm your assumptions and earliest feasible schedule. Thank you, [name and company].
Check the returned quotation before comparing totals
Put the responses into a comparison sheet with columns for specification revision, price unit, quantity, usable width or set contents, separate charges, delivery basis and exclusions. Mark an unconfirmed item as open instead of filling it with your own assumption. Ask for a revised quotation when an omission changes the scope.
For international delivery, include the chosen Incoterms rule, the named port or place and the edition. ICC's guidance recommends this full identification. Do not treat the three-letter rule alone as a complete description of where the seller's quoted delivery obligation applies.
Finally, ask what starts the production clock: approved colour, approved fit sample, material availability, payment or another stated condition. A target shipment date is only useful when its dependencies are visible. Keep the accepted quotation, approval records and final purchase order together so that the first production lot can be checked against the same agreement.