Three suppliers, three figures, and none of them truly comparable. One included shipping costs, the other didn't. One offered material of a different grade, the other calculated quantity in another way. You end up spending two days calling them one by one just to equalize numbers that should have been equal from the start.
Almost always, this is not the supplier's fault. They fill in assumptions that you didn't write down, and everyone fills them in differently. The good news is, this problem is solved upstream: a neatly prepared specification used once will be reused for subsequent requests. This article discusses seven elements that make a specification unambiguous, how to condense them into a small space like the description column on the Industry ID Request for Quotation (RFQ) page, and before-and-after examples you can copy directly.
Vague specifications always cost you, sooner or later
When a request doesn't mention standards, tolerances, or delivery points, suppliers don't stop and ask. They guess, then protect themselves from that guess. That protection takes the form of an additional margin slipped into the price, or an offer deliberately made for the cheapest specification that still makes sense. Both are detrimental to you: the first makes you pay a premium for your own ambiguity, the second makes you accept goods you didn't intend.
The greater cost often arises later, when offers need to be compared. Three figures with three different assumptions cannot be put into one table without prior correction, and that correction takes up your team's time. If you ultimately choose based on unstandardized figures, the decision is fragile and difficult to justify when questioned later. Several other common accompanying mistakes have been discussed in notes on five RFQ mistakes that secretly lead to waste.
Seven elements that make specifications unambiguous
The order below is not an administrative formality. Each closes a gap that suppliers typically fill with guesses.
Object along with binding standards. State its function and technical specifications, not just a generic name. "Steel plate" can mean dozens of things; "ASTM A36 hot-rolled steel plate, 12 mm thick" means only one. If there are standards, serial numbers, or certificates you require, write them here too.
Quantity and its unit. Forty sheets, thirty tons, or a thousand meters are three different requests even if the item is the same. If you want tiered pricing, state the alternative quantities you wish to know the price for.
Tolerances and negotiable items. This section is most often missing, yet it's the most cost-saving. State what is absolute and what is flexible, for example, sizes may adjust to factory stock while material grade cannot be compromised.
Delivery point and cost division. State the destination address, whether the price includes shipping and unloading costs, and whether it includes taxes. For imported goods, also state the terms using standard terminology so that responsibilities and risks are not debated. The basis for choosing terms is discussed separately in the guide to Incoterms 2020 for procurement teams.
Two dates, not one. The date the offer closes and the date the goods are needed are different things, and suppliers use both for different purposes. The first date determines when they must work; the second date determines if they are capable at all.
Payment terms you offer. Payment terms change the price, sometimes more significantly than discount negotiations. Stating them upfront prevents offers from needing revision once your terms are found to differ from their assumptions.
The answer format you request. This element makes comparison easy. State what must be included in the reply: price per unit, total, lead time in working days, validity period of the offer, and origin of the material. If all suppliers reply in the same order, the task of comparing is simply copying.
Once replies are received, how to weigh them fairly is a separate topic, and the method has been discussed in the guide to comparing supplier offers using a scoring method. But no matter how good the scoring, it doesn't help if what's being scored are three offers based on different assumptions. The work indeed must be completed here first.
Condensing seven elements into 1,000 characters
The space for writing requirements is almost always narrower than you think. In Industry ID, the request for quotation description column can hold a maximum of one thousand characters, and the form does not provide an attachment column. Such limits sound cumbersome, but they actually help: one thousand characters are enough for all seven elements above, as long as not a single sentence is wasted.
Three habits that free up a lot of space:
Discard openings and closings. "Dear Sir/Madam, we hereby inform you that our company intends" consumes over a hundred characters without conveying any technical information. Start directly with the needs.
Write labeled, not narrative. One line for each element, starting with keywords like "Requirement," "Delivery point," "Schedule," "Payment." Readers scanning dozens of requests will find what they're looking for in two seconds.
Use numbers and standard codes. One standard code replaces a paragraph of description, and is far more precise than that paragraph.
What doesn't fit, don't force. Technical drawings, long item lists, and certificate attachments cannot indeed be uploaded in the request form. Just close with a sentence stating that complete documents will be sent via email after the first reply is received, because supplier replies do reach you as emails you can reply to directly.
Example: before and after
The version usually written in a hurry, 125 characters:
We need steel plates for a construction project. Please provide your best price offer along with stock availability. Thank you.
This request cannot be answered without guessing at least six things. The following version contains all seven elements in 766 characters, still leaving almost a quarter of the space:
Requirement: ASTM A36 hot-rolled steel plate, 12 mm thick, size 1,500 x 6,000 mm, 40 sheets (approximately 33.9 tons). Thickness tolerance follows ASTM A6. Must be accompanied by a mill certificate per heat number.
Delivery point: our warehouse in Cikarang Industrial Estate, Bekasi, including unloading costs. State price per kilogram and total, indicate whether or not it includes VAT.
Schedule: offers close September 30, 2026, goods needed no later than October 20, 2026.
Payment: 30 days term after complete goods received. State if your terms differ.
Please include in your reply: price per kg, total, lead time in working days, validity period of the offer, and material origin. Equivalent alternatives may be offered provided the differences are stated. Technical documents to follow via email.
Note the last sentence. Opening the door for equivalent alternatives is a way to ask for a better price without sacrificing control, because you still require the differences to be stated. Without that sentence, suppliers who have equivalent material at a cheaper price often choose to remain silent rather than appear not to meet specifications.
Other columns in the form are also part of the specification
The description is not the only place information is stored. Four other columns in the request for quotation form help determine who finds your request and how quickly they reply.
Title. Its length is a minimum of ten characters and enough for 255 characters, so don't be stingy here. The title is the only part that is readable when someone scans a list, and there is no automatic notification that knocks on a supplier's door. A pattern that works: object, then key specification, then quantity, then location. "A36 Steel Plate 12 mm Thick, 40 Sheets, Cikarang" is much more likely to be opened than "Need Steel Plate."
Industry and sub-industry category. Both are mandatory and both are used as filters. Misplacing a category means your request is hidden from the people most likely to answer it. If nothing fits exactly, an 'other' option is available with a free text field.
Location. Province and city are both mandatory, and both can be filled in more than once. Filling in multiple locations is useful if you have several unloading points or are willing to pick up from a supplier's warehouse in another region. If only one point is correct, just one, as excessive locations result in offers coming from uneconomical regions.
Request period. This is the active period of your request, not the date the goods are needed. Its length can be one to sixty days and cannot go back to a past date. If the start date is today, the request is immediately active; if you choose a future date, the request waits until that day arrives. The transition happens automatically once a day at midnight Jakarta time, and when its active period ends, the reply form on the request page stops functioning. Since the goods needed date doesn't have its own column, write that date in the description.
Four things you should avoid writing
An open request for quotation can be read by anyone, including competitors and suppliers you ultimately don't choose. There are four things that are better saved for further conversations via email.
Internal budget figures. Stating a budget limit makes offers gather just below that figure, not at the actual market price.
Prices from other suppliers. Besides violating trust, this encourages adjustments unrelated to actual costs.
Single brand without comparison. Mentioning a single brand without adding that equivalent alternatives may be offered will filter out almost all potential bidders. Mention brands as a reference, not as a strict requirement, unless there is a strong reason.
Personal data and confidential documents. Someone's personal number, contract copies, or protected work drawings do not need to be in an open request. Supplier replies already reach your email complete with their contact information, so a private channel for exchanging documents is always available.
Remember that responders also have space limits
One thing procurement teams rarely realize: the supplier reply column is even narrower than your request column, only five hundred characters, and also without attachments. If you ask for a dozen pieces of information at once, some are bound to be left out, not because the supplier is careless but because it doesn't fit.
Therefore, limit your requested answer format to the five most important things, and let the rest follow via email. The five almost always worth asking for are price per unit, total, lead time in working days, validity period of the offer, and one specific detail that is most crucial to you, such as material origin or certificate number. That way, the first reply is enough to compile an initial comparison, and official documents can be requested only from those who pass that screening.
Sixty-second checklist before sending
Can someone who has never spoken with you give a price without asking anything? If not, what part still needs to be guessed?
Does the quantity have a clear unit, and have the standard or grade been mentioned with their codes?
Have the delivery point, shipping costs, unloading costs, and tax status been mentioned?
Are both dates present, when the offer closes and when the goods are needed?
Have you specified the requested answer format, and is the quantity still reasonable for five hundred characters?
Does the title include the object, key specifications, and quantity?
Are there any budget figures, competitor prices, or personal data that shouldn't be open?
Write once, use repeatedly
This framework of seven elements is not tied to a single channel. The same framework works for requests via email, for messages to supplier groups, or for formal tenders, and compiling it once means subsequent requests only need to change the numbers. Save a blank version as a template in an easily accessible place for the entire team, so that the standard does not depend on whoever happens to be typing that day.
This improvement also does not add work. The time you spend writing specifications correctly is almost always less than the time spent calling three suppliers to equalize unequal figures.
Already have neat specifications and want to disseminate them more widely? You can post them for free via the Industry ID request for quotation page, where registered suppliers browse open requirements. Posting a request only requires an account with a verified email, without paid membership, and every reply received is sent to your email complete with the sender's contact information.