RFQs arrive in several formats
Email, PDF, spreadsheet and representative technical files require one intake process.
Industry context
Manufacturing & Engineering
RFQs, technical documents, product information and operational records often move between email, ERP systems, spreadsheets, document repositories and people. Finch can design controlled workflows around those hand-offs without pretending every technical decision belongs to AI.
Operating observation
Technical and commercial exceptions matter when incoming requirements are incomplete, inconsistent or difficult to interpret.
Product information lives elsewhere
ERP records, databases, spreadsheets and technical documents provide different parts of the answer.
Quotation work requires several checks
Requirements, product fit, pricing, lead time and approval need explicit ownership.
Quality information is difficult to locate
SOPs, specifications, inspection procedures and work instructions need controlled retrieval.
Supplier information needs comparison
Quotes, lead times and commercial terms arrive in documents that staff reconcile manually.
Reporting crosses operating systems
Sales, quality and operations information often needs validation before consolidation.
Representative workflow
Technical RFQ → Quotation
A compact version of the RFQ workflow: interpret the request, validate technical and business data, then keep commercial release with a person.
- InputCustomer RFQ
- DocumentExtract requirements
- ValidationTechnical checks
- DataERP / product lookup
- RulesPricing + completeness
- HumanCommercial review
- OutputQuotation
- IntegrationCRM follow-up
Environment
Typical systems and documents
Systems
- ERP
- CRM
- Product database
- Quality repository
- Spreadsheets
- SQL databases
Documents
- RFQs
- Drawings
- Specifications
- Supplier quotations
- Quality procedures
- Inspection reports
- Work instructions
- Purchase orders
Design considerations
Exceptions define the system
- Technical and commercial exceptions should route to the appropriate reviewer.
- Representative document categories still require format and quality assessment during implementation.
Project context
Describe the process and systems involved.
Finch can assess where AI, software, integration, rules and human control belong.