Published via @AMTIL Magazine and eMag, February 2021
The majority of issues that arise in a job shop can be linked to miscommunication during the very first interaction with the customers and their request for quote (RFQ).
Common errors are made due to a lack of or missing information in the source drawing, correct interpretation of the process layers in the source drawing and duplicate data in part names or part IDs, to name a few.
These can occur in any one item of the quote request. Of course, with errors come unhappy customers who can’t rely on you to deliver exactly what they expected, and we all know what happens next.
The good news is that these issues can be addressed, and your customers’ experience enhanced if you have a system in place that addresses the “Three Rs”:
• Records: Maintaining a record of each and every communication with the customer about their RFQ and their requirements ensures compliance to quality systems and reduces the cost of quality.
• References: Digital thumbnail references in a quote line item with X-&-Y reference measurements ensures that visually the part and scaling is correct.
• Rules: Implementing system rules to calculate part prices ensures accurate and consistent quotes regardless of who repares the RFQ.
