What to send us for a quotation you can actually use

A quotation is only as good as the brief behind it. These five things are what turn a price list into a number you can act on.

1. The hazard, not the product

"Gloves" tells us almost nothing. "Cut resistance when handling sheet metal" tells us the liner, the coating and probably the gauge. Describe what the person is being protected from.

2. The standard, if you are required to meet one

If your market, insurer or customer requires a specific standard, this decides which manufacturers can be used at all. It cannot be added afterwards without starting again.

3. Quantity and size run

Annual volume and per-order volume are often different numbers, and both matter. The size split decides how the cartons are packed.

4. Destination and terms

Port of discharge, and FOB or CIF. Packaging, marking and documentation requirements usually follow from the destination market.

5. Branding

Own label, packaging artwork or plain OEM. If you have artwork files, send them with the enquiry — the branding options differ per reference and we would rather tell you early than after the quote.

The result

Five lines of detail instead of a picture. In exchange you get a quotation with the minimum quantity stated per line, the lead time confirmed, and a clear note of anything we could not source against your requirement.