Now let’s combine all this wisdom.
RFQs on the right projects from the right customers are where we want to spend our time and attention.

Under no circumstances do we send quotes to the wrong customers on the wrong projects.
Not even if the purchaser is your mother.

Those are easy ones. Now for the tougher decisions.
What if the wrong customer sends us an RFQ on a great project?
If they never bought anything and always blamed our prices? Well, if it’s a project where we can add some real value, and we can meet their techs and influence the design – maybe this is the time to show this customer that we make a difference.

What if the customer is right but the project is wrong?
If a good customer asks us for a quote, of course we often help them even if the project is not really right for us. But beware! We should never risk a good customer relationship by taking on projects that will make everyone unhappy in the end. A customer will be much more unhappy if we take an order and we can´t deliver, than if we say no to an RFQ.

So, to summarize – how to validate an RFQ:
– Is it the right customer? A+, A or B? Do we have a strong relationship, or do we believe we can build a strong relationship? Will this customer appreciate NCAB qualities?
– Is it the right project? Good design, within our PSL, makes business sense?

And finally: How can you make the most out of those quotes, meaning fewer quality problems, much added value to the customer and generate a healthy profit? Be creative!