An incomplete automation RFQ does not automatically mean you cannot provide a useful quotation. It means the quote must make its assumptions and limits visible. Start by defining the production problem, establish a concept using the information available, and identify which unknowns can materially change the equipment, price, or schedule.
The wrong response is to fill every gap silently. A neat price attached to an undefined scope gives the customer a number, but it gives neither team a reliable basis for comparison.
Define what the customer is trying to accomplish
Before selecting equipment, describe the existing process and the intended result. What part is handled? What operation is currently manual? Where does the part start, and where must it go? What production rate and quality outcome does the customer need?
Ask for the available part drawings, representative samples, product variants, current process sequence, machine information, and floor plan. If the customer does not have a formal RFQ package, a short call followed by written notes can still establish a common starting point.
Separate a requested solution from the underlying requirement. A customer may ask for a particular robot because it looks appropriate, while the real need is to load a machine at a defined rate. Understanding the job allows the integrator to assess alternatives and explain any departure from the requested approach.
Sort unknowns by their effect on the quote
Not every missing detail deserves a full engineering study before a budgetary proposal. Focus first on unknowns that could change the concept or commercial scope.
| Unknown | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Part family and variation | May change tooling, changeover, sensing, and robot payload |
| Required output and operating assumptions | Affects cycle-time assessment and equipment choices |
| Material presentation | Determines how parts reach the automation and what feeding equipment is needed |
| Existing machine interfaces | Can affect controls scope, downtime, and machine modifications |
| Available space and access | May constrain equipment positions, guarding, and service access |
| Acceptance criteria | Influences testing, production parts, documentation, and commissioning scope |
For each critical unknown, record the assumption, the person who can confirm it, and what changes if it proves wrong. This turns a vague risk into a question the project team can resolve.
Draw a concept and use it to ask better questions
A preliminary layout can expose missing information more effectively than a long list of questions. Place the equipment that is known, show the likely process flow, and label the assumed machine positions and infeed or outfeed arrangements.
In RoughCAD, the applications team can compare top-down alternatives and add notes or dimensions for the discussion. The layout is not a final safety or mechanical design. It gives the customer something concrete to confirm or correct.
If the part presentation is undefined, show the assumed infeed and ask how material arrives. If the layout relies on moving a machine, identify that move rather than treating it as included by default. The robot cell layout guide covers the drawing process in more detail.
State what the quotation includes
The scope should describe the proposed equipment and the boundaries between the integrator, customer, and other suppliers. Depending on the project, the questions may include machine modifications, electrical and pneumatic utilities, safety integration, installation, training, production parts for testing, and site acceptance.
Do not assume that an item shown on the concept layout is automatically included in the quoted supply. Name customer-supplied equipment, interfaces to existing machinery, and work that requires a separate agreement.
For a budgetary or ROM quote, explain the basis and the issues that may require revision. The appropriate commercial language and contractual treatment depend on your company and the transaction; the technical team should make the underlying assumptions clear enough for that review.
Decide what must be verified before committing
Some questions can remain open during early exploration. Others affect feasibility enough to justify work before a firm commitment. A difficult robot reach, uncertain process time, fragile part, or unverified machine interface can change the entire concept.
Choose the next action based on the risk: obtain measurements, review the interface with the machine supplier, conduct a reach or cycle study, test a process, or agree on a paid feasibility phase. Safety decisions require the applicable risk assessment and engineering process; an RFQ sketch is not a substitute. See OSHA's industrial robot guidance for the system and application considerations.
The objective is to give the customer a credible next decision, not to pretend the missing details do not matter. A readable concept, explicit assumptions, and a defined scope make the proposal useful even when the RFQ is incomplete. For a starting point, try the RoughCAD demo or use RoughScope to organize opportunity assumptions.