QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
How fast should a machine shop respond to an RFQ?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
Promise an acknowledgment quickly and a quote date you can meet. A simple repeat part may deserve a same-day quote; a new multi-operation drawing package may need several business days. Do not publish an invented industry average. Worked example: 18 routine RFQs at 25 minutes each require 7.5 estimating hours, while four complex RFQs at 90 minutes require 6 hours. With 10 focused estimating hours available, the queue is 13.5 hours and the last request cannot be finished in one day.
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Make two promises, not one vague SLA
The first promise is receipt: identify the part, revision and files, and say when you will ask questions. The second is the quote date after the package is complete. A buyer can plan around “we will confirm scope today and issue a quote by Thursday” much better than “we respond fast.” Make the date conditional on a complete drawing, quantity and delivery requirement.
Classify RFQs before assigning a date. Routine means a proven family, known material and no unusual inspection. Standard new work may need a routing and outside-process checks. Complex work includes assemblies, five-axis access, tight GD&T, export controls or a supplier with a long lead. Complexity is a workload signal, not a promise of price.
| RFQ class | Count | Minutes each | Total hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine repeat | 18 | 25 | 7.5 |
| Complex new | 4 | 90 | 6.0 |
| Total | 22 | — | 13.5 |
| Focused capacity | — | — | 10.0 |
| Queue over capacity | — | — | 3.5 |
Show the arithmetic behind the estimate date
The worked queue has 13.5 hours of touch time. If one estimator has two five-hour blocks per day after floor and customer work, the first 10 hours can clear on day one and 3.5 hours remain for day two. That is a planning calculation, not a guarantee: a missing print note or outside finisher can pause the clock. Send the buyer a question list as soon as you find a blocker rather than silently moving the date.
Track receive time, complete-package time, first question, quote issued time and final disposition. Calculate median and 90th-percentile elapsed time by class only after you have a useful sample. Label those as your shop’s measured results and date the sample; do not present them as a national benchmark.
Protect quality when the queue grows
A fast incomplete quote creates more delay when the buyer returns with corrections. Use one intake checklist, group questions in one email and keep the original revision attached to the quote record. If the drawing is controlled, route it through the approved handling path before an estimator opens it. If the job is outside your capability, return a clear no-quote promptly so the buyer can find another source.
When the queue exceeds capacity, change the promise before asking an estimator to skip verification. You can reserve blocks for routine work, defer low-fit RFQs, or ask for a target date and quantity before spending time on a complex estimate.
What to do next
Publish the acknowledgment wording, define your three complexity classes and review the queue at the start of each day. At week’s end, compare promised and actual quote dates, record why any slip occurred, and adjust the capacity assumption rather than quietly extending every promise.
Illustrative estimating-capacity assumptions
- • 18 routine RFQs at 25 minutes; 4 complex RFQs at 90 minutes.
- • One estimator has 10 focused hours available in the planning window.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Routine workload | 7.5 h |
| Complex workload | 6.0 h |
| Total touch time | 13.5 h |
| Capacity gap | 3.5 h |
Price one of your own parts
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