RFQ triage
Manufacturing RFQ workflow audit for quote intake, drawing review, and follow-up
Turn RFQ emails, drawings, specs, revisions, due dates, capabilities, material questions, and quote follow-up into a visible workflow before good jobs stall.
Built by Duncan Anderson, an AI engineer and data scientist who builds practical automation around real operating workflows.
What usually breaks
Where small manufacturers and job shops lose time or revenue
The first audit is deliberately narrow. We identify the repeatable workflow, the owner, the inputs, the status points, and the places where a small automation would actually survive daily use.
RFQs sit in inboxes waiting for someone to notice missing drawings or specs.
Quote/no-quote decisions depend on tribal knowledge.
Customers ask for status because there is no internal quote aging view.
Lost quote reasons are not tracked by lead time, price, capability, material, or fit.
Workflow map
The audit follows the real work, not a generic AI checklist
The audit supports quoting operations and status visibility; pricing judgment remains with the shop.
RFQ intake source, customer, due date, files, drawing revision, material/spec requirements, quantity, and delivery needs.
Capability and missing-info triage before estimating time is spent.
Estimator/production routing, quote status, customer follow-up, and won/lost reason.
Reporting for quote aging, close rate, bottlenecks, and fit patterns.
Automation candidates
Likely first builds
The right first build is usually small, specific, and close to revenue or deadline pressure.
RFQ intake checklist that catches missing drawings, specs, quantities, due dates, and revisions.
Quote/no-quote triage queue based on capability, value, deadline, and missing information.
Customer missing-info follow-up drafts.
Quote aging and follow-up dashboard for open opportunities.
Audit output
What you get back
The goal is a decision-ready plan: what to automate first, what to keep manual, and what data or tool connection is needed.
An RFQ intake and quote-status workflow map.
A missing-info checklist for drawings, specs, revisions, quantities, and due dates.
A quote/no-quote triage structure.
A first automation plan for intake, routing, follow-up, or reporting.
Request the audit
Send the workflow that is costing time, deals, or deadline confidence
Specifics help. Include the tools involved, how the work arrives, who owns it, where status gets lost, and what would count as a useful win.
Other workflow audits
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