Book
For high-mix job shops
RFQs pile up because only one or two people can quote
In a high-mix shop, machine shop quoting comes down to whoever knows how to price setups and run times. When that's one or two people, every RFQ waits its turn on their desk.
Sound familiar?
- New RFQs land every day, and they all wait on the same one or two people.
- You could quote all week and still not reach the bottom of the pile.
- A quote you meant to send right away goes out days later.
- Quoting is where your sales come from, so when it slips, everything after it slips too.
What it costs you
- A late quote can lose the job to a shop that answered sooner.
- More RFQs come in, but the work you win doesn't keep up with them.
- Your best quoter spends the day at a desk instead of on setups, programs or customers.
- When your quoter takes a sick day or a vacation, the pile grows with nobody working it.
Why it keeps happening
- In high-mix work, a lot of RFQs are parts you haven't run before, so each one needs a fresh look.
- How you price lives in one or two heads, not on paper.
- The people who quote are also running jobs, checking parts and talking to customers.
- Getting a quote started is the hard part, so it slides to tonight, then to tomorrow.
Common questions
Why do RFQs pile up in a high-mix job shop?
Because every new part needs its own quote, and quoting waits on the few people who know how to price. Those same people are busy running the shop, and the RFQs keep coming either way.
Will I still set the prices?
Yes. Every price stays yours or your estimator's to set. Nothing here takes pricing out of your hands.
Is this only for big shops?
No. This is for small job shops and machine shops, from a family-run shop to one with a front office and an estimator.
What exactly do you build?
It depends on how you work today; we figure that out on the call.
Related shop bottlenecks
See all shop bottlenecks, or go back to the home page.
Tell me where your RFQs wait
Much of the work around a quote is busywork, and that kind of work can now come off your quoter's plate. Every shop prices its own way, so the fix gets built around yours.
On the call it's you and me, Kevin Kirchner. Tell me who quotes in your shop today and how big the pile gets in a busy week.
