| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fields in the template | 15, from product family through to timeline and named contact |
| Fastest route to a quotation | A reference photo checked against the 96 model catalog before any development is quoted |
| MOQ guide | Many projects are discussable from about 2,000 units; custom packaging is discussable from about 2,000 units |
| Flow | State a target flow with the pressure it must be met at; ZHONGHE flow tests selected specifications at 0.3MPa |
| Threads | State the thread for each end; G1/2 is the default, with S, G, K and M adapters covering legacy fittings |
| Logo methods | Pad printing, silk screen printing, laser marking, molded-in logo, applied label, packaging print |
| Development guides | About 15 days appearance design, 15 days structure design, 60 days mold making, 30 days production |
| Where to send it | [email protected], with reference photos attached rather than described |
Why a Quotation Comes Back Slowly
Most slow quotations are not slow factories. They are incomplete enquiries. A message that says "please quote your best price for shower heads, 5,000 pcs" cannot be priced, because price here is set by the model, the finish, the media, the packaging and the quantity per SKU, and none of those is in the message.
The fix is a template. Sending the same fifteen fields to every supplier gets a first quotation back in one round instead of five, makes competing quotations comparable, and exposes the suppliers who quote a number without reading the brief.
A template is also a discipline for the buyer. Several fields below are decisions people postpone, and postponing them is what causes expensive changes later. The logo method has to be settled before steel is cut, the destination market decides the compliance list, and the carton rules come from the receiving warehouse.
The Fifteen Fields
Each row below is one line in an enquiry. The examples are illustrative and are meant to be overwritten, not copied. Where a value is genuinely unknown at enquiry stage, write "to be advised" against the field rather than deleting it, so the reply can propose an option instead of guessing at one.
| Field | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product family | 3 mode handheld shower head, ABS body, chrome finish | Sets the mold family and the price band before anything else is discussed |
| Model code or reference photo | ZH2258, or a photo of the product you are matching | A photo is checked against the 96 model catalog before development is quoted, which is the fastest feasibility answer available |
| Quantity per SKU | 3,000 chrome plus 1,000 matte black | Price is per SKU, not per order; a colour split moves masterbatch and setup cost |
| Colour and finish | Chrome plated head, white handle, PANTONE reference for the printed logo | Colours are usually subject to an MOQ per colour, so the split is a planning question, not a detail |
| Cartridge media | ACF plus calcium sulfite, replaceable, refill sold as a separate SKU | Media decide the claim you can make and whether a refill programme exists |
| Thread standard per end | G1/2 at head and hose; 1/2 inch NPT arm at the wall, converted at the hose | A head, a hose and a holder can each carry a different thread |
| Target flow at a stated pressure | 1.8 gpm at the reference pressure of the destination rule, bench verified at 0.3MPa | A flow figure without a pressure is an aspiration rather than a specification |
| Logo method | Pad printed on the handle; molded-in logo if tooling is opened | Only the molded-in logo needs a mold change, so it must be decided before steel is cut |
| Packaging type and artwork | Retail colour box, dieline required, artwork supplied as vector with text outlined | Custom packaging is discussable from about 2,000 units and drives the carton specification |
| Carton and pallet needs | Master carton under 15 kg; the retail DC requires euro pallets | Carton and pallet rules come from the receiving warehouse, not from the factory |
| Certifications required | NSF/ANSI 61 and 372 as a wetted material requirement; WaterMark if Australia is in the plan | An approval is granted to an applicant for a product, so name who will hold it |
| Destination port and Incoterm | FOB Ningbo to Los Angeles | Decides the quotation structure and who files the customs entry |
| Target price band | A landed target per unit at 3,000 units | A band lets the factory propose a specification that fits, instead of quoting one that does not |
| Timeline | Artwork approved by week 4, shipment by week 14 | Mold making runs about 60 days and production about 30 days as guides, so the calendar has to be tested against them |
| Contact and decision maker | Name, company, destination market, and who signs the specification sheet | Samples stall waiting for an approval that nobody has been made responsible for |
Copy Ready Template
Paste the block below into an email, replace everything in brackets, and delete nothing. An unanswered field is information too: it tells the factory where to propose an option.
- Company and market: [company], selling into [country], channel [retail / marketplace / project].
- Product: [3 mode handheld shower head], body material [ABS], face plate [silicone nozzle].
- Reference: [model code from the catalog, or photo attached].
- Quantity: [3,000] pcs [chrome] plus [1,000] pcs [matte black], first order.
- Colour and finish: [chrome head, white handle]; colour reference [PANTONE number or physical sample].
- Filter: [ACF plus calcium sulfite cartridge] or [no filter]; refill as a separate SKU [yes / no].
- Threads: head inlet [G1/2], hose ends [G1/2 both], wall fitting [1/2 inch NPT arm], adapters in the box [S / G / K / M / none].
- Flow: target [1.8 gpm] at [stated pressure]; bench verification at 0.3MPa acceptable [yes / no].
- Logo: method [pad print / laser / molded-in], placement [handle front], artwork [vector, text outlined].
- Packaging: [retail colour box]; dieline needed [yes]; languages [EN, FR]; barcode [EAN-13 supplied].
- Carton: target units per carton [ ], maximum carton weight [15 kg], pallet requirement [euro / GMA / none].
- Compliance: wetted material requirement [NSF/ANSI 61 and 372], scheme [WaterMark / WRAS / none], approval held by [importer].
- Shipping: destination port [Los Angeles], Incoterm [FOB Ningbo], target ex factory date [week 14].
- Price: target band [ ] per unit at [3,000] units, quoted per SKU.
- Documents wanted with the quotation: specification sheet, flow test data with conditions, packaging dieline, carton specification.
- Contact: [name], [email]; specification approvals signed by [name].
What the Factory Replies With
A complete reply is not just a price. Seven items make a quotation usable, and their absence is diagnostic: a supplier who cannot state the test pressure behind a flow figure is telling you something about how numbers are handled in that factory.
| Item in the reply | What it should contain | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Quotation per SKU | Unit price at the stated quantity, the packaging assumed and the Incoterm | That the price is per SKU and the quantity break is named |
| Specification sheet | Model, materials, spray modes, thread per end, and a flow figure with its test pressure | That every number carries a condition |
| Carton specification | Units per inner and master carton, carton dimensions, net and gross weight | That it matches what your warehouse can receive |
| Lead time | Sample lead time and production lead time, with the mold stage shown separately if tooling is opened | That your inspection window sits inside the quoted lead time |
| Sample offer | What will be sent, when, and on what basis | Sample charges and courier arrangements are quoted per enquiry |
| Tooling position | Whether an existing mold fits, or new tooling is needed and at which development stage | That the existing mold answer arrives before any development quotation |
| Document list | Which records and reports can accompany the order | That the list is agreed at RFQ stage rather than requested at inspection |
Six Ways an RFQ Wastes a Week
Each of these appears in real enquiries several times a month, and each one costs at least one round trip.
- A quantity for the whole order but not per SKU, so nothing can actually be priced.
- A flow target with no pressure attached, which sends the entire thread back for one missing number.
- A reference photo with no indication of which features matter, so the reply has to guess what you were pointing at.
- Certifications listed as acronyms with no destination market, when the market is what decides the list.
- A colour named in words rather than against a PANTONE number or a physical sample.
- No named decision maker, so the sample arrives and sits waiting for an approval nobody owns.