Direct answer
A comparable woven-product RFQ identifies the sell unit, construction, dimensions, appearance, function, packaging, quantity, delivery basis, evidence, owner, and revision. Each row uses two independent axes. Applicability is Required, Conditional with a recorded trigger, or N/A with a reason. Completion for applicable rows is Confirmed, Supplier to propose, or Open with an owner and due date; N/A does not receive a completion value. DCR is confirmed applicable required fields divided by applicable required fields, including triggered Conditional rows. It is a planning indicator only, not proof of feasibility, quote accuracy, compliance, quality, capacity, MOQ, lead time, or supplier certification.
Direct answer: an RFQ is a controlled decision record
- A useful request for quotation is a controlled product-and-transaction record, not a photo followed by a target price. It tells every invited supplier what is being quoted, which facts are approved, which items require a proposal, what evidence must accompany the response, and which commercial basis makes one response comparable with another. The same field names and revision should reach sourcing, design, quality, packaging, logistics, and the supplier.
- This data dictionary covers woven storage products and adjacent basket formats at the inquiry and quotation stage. It does not prescribe one basket construction, tolerance, inspection plan, test method, minimum order quantity, production rate, trade term, tariff code, or legal requirement. Those decisions depend on the SKU, destination, selling channel, route, buyer program, and confirmed supplier process.
- Use the dictionary before submitting the project through the RFQ workflow or discussing customization through OEM/ODM. A completed dictionary improves the quality of the question; it does not guarantee that a supplier can make, price, test, or deliver the requested item.
Name each field, value, owner, applicability, completion, and source
- Each RFQ row should contain a field ID, plain-English definition, unit or permitted values, product or pack level, current value, applicability, completion, responsible owner, evidence source, revision, and change note. Applicability and completion are two independent axes. Applicability uses Required, Conditional, or N/A (Not applicable); completion for an applicable row uses Confirmed, Supplier to propose, or Open. N/A does not receive a completion value. A blank applicable row is not a controlled completion state because readers cannot distinguish omission from an intentional decision.
- The identity block should state buyer item number, working product name, sell unit, number of pieces per set, intended assortment, colorway, sample reference, drawing or image reference, brand owner, destination markets, sales channel, and requested quotation currency. Where an identification key is needed, record who owns allocation and data. GS1 guidance normally places GTIN responsibility with the brand owner; it does not make the factory the automatic issuer of a buyer's identifiers.
- The product block should cover material names by component, visible construction, frame or reinforcement, shape, outside and usable dimensions, measurement points, color reference, finish, handles, closure, liner, label, intended contents, environment, and declared non-scope. The pack block should identify sell-pack arrangement, protection, nesting, case quantity, carton data, marks, pallet status, and requested pack evidence. Values need explicit units; a number without mm, cm, kg, g, or another agreed unit is not controlled data.
Build the minimum input set by applicability
- Start from the buying decision, not from a universal mandatory-field count. On the applicability axis, mark a field Required when its absence would prevent a supplier from defining the same sell unit, construction, cost basis, pack-out, delivery basis, or requested evidence. Mark it Conditional and record the trigger when a feature or market choice may activate it. Mark it N/A with a reason only when the field does not apply to this revision. For example, liner specification can be Conditional until the design decision activates it.
- On the separate completion axis, assign Confirmed, Supplier to propose, or Open only to Required fields and triggered Conditional fields. Confirmed means the buyer has approved the value for quotation. Supplier to propose means the response must state a value, assumption, and requested evidence rather than silently fill the gap. Open means a named party still owes a decision by a recorded date. An untriggered Conditional row or an N/A row has no completion value; it retains its trigger or reason so status logic remains auditable.
- Use a Data Completeness Ratio only as a queue-management tool: DCR = confirmed applicable required fields / applicable required fields. Applicable required fields are Required rows plus triggered Conditional rows; the numerator counts those rows whose completion is Confirmed. If 36 fields apply and 27 are confirmed, DCR is 27/36. Do not define a universal acceptable DCR. One unresolved field controlling sell-unit quantity or delivery point can make a quote incomparable even when many low-impact fields are complete.
Apply the RFQ field disposition flow
- For every candidate field, set applicability first. Ask whether it is always needed for this revision, activated only by a named feature or market trigger, or outside scope; record Required, Conditional with trigger, or N/A with reason. For every Required or triggered Conditional field, then set completion. If the buyer approved a value, record Confirmed with its source. If the supplier is authorized to define it, record Supplier to propose with the required proposal format and evidence. Otherwise record Open, owner, due date, and the decision blocked by the gap.
- Before release, freeze an RFQ revision and a response table. Require suppliers to quote against that revision, list every deviation, separate optional alternatives, identify exclusions, and state validity. A quote that changes set count, material, dimension basis, packing quantity, or delivery term is an alternate offer, not a directly comparable response.
- A buyer can use the visible product catalog to identify physical references without converting product-page labels into universal specifications. For example, a paper-rope tissue box cover, a cotton-rope desktop basket, and a water-hyacinth round basket require different applicable fields even when all are called woven products.
Detect ambiguity before it becomes quote variance
- Common identity failures include quoting one basket when the buyer means a nested set, using internal dimensions when the buyer expects outside dimensions, treating an inspiration image as approved construction, or applying one color name to unlike materials. Resolve these by attaching a level to every field: piece, set, retail pack, master carton, pallet, or shipment.
- Commercial failures include comparing different quantities, currencies, payment assumptions, included tooling, packaging, testing, delivery points, or Incoterms rules. Technical failures include hidden material substitutions, unapproved handle construction, unspecified contact surfaces, and dimensions copied from a sample without measurement conditions. The supplier response should expose assumptions in named columns instead of embedding them in a price footnote.
- Revision failures are equally costly. Email comments, chat approvals, revised artwork, and sample changes can create several competing specifications. Another control failure is collapsing applicability and completion into one status column, which makes a Conditional row look complete or an N/A row look unresolved. The RFQ owner should issue one current index, withdraw superseded attachments, and record every accepted deviation. Never infer approval from silence, and never describe a forecast, preliminary capacity indication, or sample observation as a committed production term.
Require a quotation evidence package, not a bare price
- The supplier response should return the buyer's field IDs with quoted values, assumptions, deviations, proposal evidence, price basis, quantity break, sell unit, pack basis, tooling or development charges, sample terms, requested test-cost allowance, delivery rule and named place, validity, and responsible contact. Images, sketches, component notes, and preliminary pack concepts should carry revision identifiers.
- Documented-information guidance supports maintaining information suited to an organization's needs, but it does not define this website's RFQ fields or establish compliance. The practical objective is traceability: a reviewer should be able to identify what value was quoted, who supplied it, which revision it belongs to, and what remains unconfirmed. Keep the original response as well as the normalized comparison.
- The release file should contain the approved RFQ revision, attachment index, clarification log, supplier responses, deviation register, quote-normalization sheet, selected assumptions, and unresolved-item list. Measurement records, inspection plans, compliance documents, and packaging test evidence belong in later controlled packages when required; an RFQ request for evidence is not the evidence itself.
Separate quotation readiness from project approval
- Quotation readiness means suppliers received enough controlled information to return transparent offers on a stated basis. It does not mean the product specification is frozen, the supplier is approved, the sample has passed, or the item is lawful in every market. Quality, product safety, labeling, customs classification, intellectual property, and retailer requirements need responsible review outside this dictionary.
- NIST's SI resources support consistent quantity and unit communication; they do not establish measurement locations or tolerances for handmade baskets. GS1 resources support identification and data-sharing responsibilities; they do not assign a buyer's GTIN to JINZHAO CRAFT. ISO documented-information guidance supports disciplined records; it does not certify this RFQ template or any supplier.
- After comparable responses are available, move the data into the project-specific specification, quote normalization, sampling, packaging, and readiness controls. Use the factory overview to understand currently described capabilities, then confirm the actual project with named people and evidence. No site page establishes universal MOQ, available capacity, fixed lead time, compliance, or certification for an unreviewed order.
Buyer comparison table
JINZHAO CRAFT factory recommendation
For a practical factory quote, share a reference image, target dimensions, material direction, expected order quantity, logo or label needs, retail/export packaging requirements and destination market. JINZHAO CRAFT can then discuss material feasibility, sample direction, MOQ, production timing and export carton planning for the woven storage product.
Primary sources
These references support the defined standards, regulatory context, or buyer process described above. Product-specific obligations and commercial terms still require confirmation for the actual order.
- ISO 10013:2021 Quality management systems - Guidance for documented information — International Organization for Standardization
Supports tailored development and maintenance of documented information; it does not define these RFQ fields, prove product compliance, or certify JINZHAO CRAFT.
- SI Units — National Institute of Standards and Technology
Supports consistent SI quantity and unit communication; it does not prescribe basket measurement points, tolerances, methods, or supplier capability.
- GS1 standards — GS1
Supports standardized identification and data-sharing context; it does not issue buyer identifiers, approve this RFQ dictionary, or verify a product.
- Who is responsible for numbering trade items? — GS1
Supports normal brand-owner responsibility for GTIN allocation and stated exceptions; it does not make JINZHAO CRAFT the owner or issuer of a buyer's GTIN.
FAQ
What is the minimum information for a woven basket RFQ?
At minimum, identify the sell unit, product construction, dimensions, appearance, intended function, pack basis, quotation quantity, delivery basis, required evidence, open assumptions, owner, and revision. The exact field count depends on the SKU and buying program.
Can a reference photo replace a technical specification?
No. A photo can identify a visual direction or physical reference, but it rarely controls material by component, usable dimensions, hidden frame, finish, pack-out, measurement method, or acceptance boundaries. State what the image controls and what it does not.
What does Supplier to propose mean on the completion axis?
For a Required or triggered Conditional field, it authorizes the supplier to return a stated value, assumption, option, and supporting evidence. It does not change applicability, authorize an undisclosed substitution, or make the proposal Confirmed until the buyer records approval.
Is a high Data Completeness Ratio enough to release an RFQ?
Not by itself. DCR is a conditional planning ratio, not a universal pass threshold. Review the importance of each remaining gap because one open sell-unit, construction, quantity, or delivery field can prevent comparable quotations.
Who should confirm GTIN or barcode data?
The brand owner or other party responsible under the applicable GS1 arrangement should confirm the identifier, data owner, symbol, placement, verification, and change control. A contract manufacturer should not invent or reuse buyer identifiers.
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