A technical request for quotation should allow suppliers to price the same bathroom product, identify assumptions and return information that can be approved. Product photos and target prices are not enough. This guide sets out the RFQ structure for bathroom vanities, LED mirrors and coordinated packages.
Give the RFQ a controlled identity
Assign an RFQ number, issue date, revision and response deadline. Include the buyer entity, commercial contact, technical contact and confidentiality instructions. List every attachment with its revision. If you issue a clarification, update the RFQ register so that all bidders respond to the same information.
State the project or channel without disclosing unnecessary sensitive details. Suppliers need the destination country, intended use, programme stage and approximate order pattern to assess configuration, documents and packaging. Identify whether quantities are a firm order, an annual estimate, a project schedule or a price comparison.
Create a line-item schedule
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Buyer item code | Maintains a stable reference across suppliers and revisions |
| Product family and description | Separates vanity, mirror, cabinet and accessory scope |
| Drawing or model reference | Links price to an exact configuration |
| Quantity and unit | Prevents confusion between pieces, sets and cartons |
| Destination and use | Directs configuration and document review |
| Required options | Distinguishes base scope from alternatives |
| Supplier deviation | Makes assumptions and substitutions visible |
Require the supplier to add its own model code beside the buyer code. Preserve this cross-reference through sample approval, purchase order, inspection and packing records. If one line contains several products, break it into components or define a parent set with child codes.
Specify bathroom vanities as complete assemblies
Provide finished width, depth and height; installation type; cabinet construction; substrate; surface and edge treatment; door and drawer arrangement; hardware; colour or finish reference; countertop; basin; tap-hole and waste assumptions; mounting; plumbing zones; included fittings; and packaging expectations. State which parts are supplied by others.
Attach plans, elevations and sections. Mark finished wall measurements, adjacent fixtures, door swings, water and waste positions, wall build-up and reinforcement assumptions. If dimensions are provisional, label them and ask the supplier to identify consequences. For custom work, describe the design intent separately from mandatory interfaces.
Specify LED and smart mirrors by configuration
Record external dimensions, glass and edge, frame or backing, light location, colour temperature, light output information where required, driver, switching or sensor, anti-fog and other selected functions, electrical input, cable exit, mounting system, labels and packaging. Do not ask suppliers to price a “smart mirror” without a feature matrix.
Identify required versus optional functions and request separate prices for alternatives. The destination reviewer should define electrical and product evidence requirements for the exact model. Ask for sample documents with the quotation, but verify holder, model coverage, standard, issue date and applicability before approval. ArcQuay’s document and certificate centre explains how model-level evidence can be discussed.
State commercial terms without ambiguity
Request currency, unit price, price validity, payment terms, sample and tooling charges, packaging, spare parts, trade term and named place. Incoterms do not define every service, so ask suppliers to list inclusions and exclusions. State whether the buyer expects export clearance, insurance, consolidation or destination delivery to be priced.
Instead of demanding a fixed minimum order or lead time in the specification, ask the supplier to state its commercial assumptions for each configuration and quantity tier. Request a milestone schedule showing sample, approval, material decision, production readiness and shipment rather than one unsupported total duration.
Define the approval route
Tell bidders what will be approved before production: finish samples, complete sample, powered sample, shop drawing, component schedule, label artwork, manual, packaging or room mock-up. Identify reviewers and expected decision sequence. Supplier lead-time responses should account for these gates.
Ask for a proposed submittal register with document name, planned date and responsibility. This reveals whether the supplier understands the technical workload and helps the buyer schedule design decisions.
Request a quality plan tied to the product
Quality language should identify checkpoints and acceptance criteria. Ask suppliers to propose incoming, in-process, functional, appearance, dimensional and packaging checks relevant to the product. For mirrors, include powered behavior and electrical configuration. For vanities, include finish, assembly, hardware operation, basin or top fit and service-zone dimensions.
State whether buyer or third-party inspection is planned and what records must be available. Inspection does not repair a weak specification; the approved drawing and sample baseline must exist first. Ask how non-conforming items are controlled and rechecked.
Make destination documents a responsibility matrix
Do not write only “all certificates required.” List the documents identified by the buyer’s local consultant, importer or testing adviser and ask the supplier to respond at line-item level: available, not applicable, to be confirmed or requiring new work. Record who pays, who submits, who holds the final record and when it is needed.
Requirements can differ between furniture, plumbing interfaces and powered products, and between destination countries. A report for one model or component should not be presented as automatic coverage for an entire range.
Ask for logistics and packaging data
Request estimated carton dimensions, gross and net weights, volume, units per carton, pallet or crate assumptions and loading constraints. Describe handling risks, retail or project labels, language needs and allocation codes. For mixed packages, require the packing list to show parent and component codes.
If delivery is phased, provide the release logic and ask how order quantities will be allocated. If the supplier is expected to consolidate products, define receiving, storage, inspection, document and damage responsibilities.
Require a structured quotation response
- Completed line-item and price schedules in the requested format
- Compliance and deviation statement for every requirement
- Supplier model cross-reference and preliminary drawings
- Sample, tooling and approval plan
- Milestone schedule with buyer decision assumptions
- Quality checkpoints and packaging data
- Model-level document response and open questions
- Quotation validity, exclusions and named responsible contact
Issue the RFQ with a product shortlist
Use the ArcQuay product catalogue to select starting models, then add the dimensions, configuration and destination inputs needed for comparison. For configured ranges, review the OEM and ODM process. When the technical schedule and attachment register are ready, send the RFQ for review and quotation.