Turn an enquiry into an engineering brief
A beverage bottling line RFQ should give every supplier the same product, process, package, output, factory and execution basis. “Send your best line” produces machine lists that look comparable but often have different boundaries.
Answer first
Include the beverage and recipe summary, preservation and filling route, approved container and closure drawings, label and secondary pack, output at one reference SKU, product schedule and changeovers, raw-water and utility information, factory layout and access, required supply limits, documentation, testing, installation, training and acceptance responsibilities. Mark unknowns openly and require each supplier to state assumptions, options and exclusions.
From requirement to decision
The two briefs below are fictional planning examples, not customer projects or validated processes. They show the level of detail that makes a first discussion useful. Replace the example quantities and leave genuinely unknown conditions marked “to be confirmed”; do not guess a thermal process or shelf-life guarantee.
| RFQ field | Example A: carbonated soft drink | Example B: juice from concentrate |
|---|---|---|
| Product and starting point | Flavoured carbonated beverage prepared from water and syrup. Request preparation, mixing and carbonation. | Juice drink blended from purchased concentrate. No fresh-fruit extraction requested; recipe, acidity and pulp specification pending. |
| Container and finished pack | Purchased 500 mL PET bottles with screw closures; 12-bottle packs. Bottle, neck and closure drawings to follow. | Purchased 500 mL bottles and closures proposed for hot filling, subject to compatibility approval; secondary pack still to be selected. |
| Output basis | 40,000 saleable bottles per 8-hour scheduled shift. Ask for the supplier’s stated loss and changeover assumptions, not only filler BPH. | 20,000 saleable bottles per day; shift arrangement and SKU change frequency to be confirmed before equipment sizing. |
| Process conditions still open | CO₂ target, recipe properties, inlet water quality and required utility conditions to be reviewed. | Desired distribution is ambient. A qualified process review must determine whether hot fill is suitable and establish the preservation basis; no temperature or shelf life is assumed. |
| Requested supplier return | Process flow, scope list, utilities, SKU-specific rates, interfaces, exclusions, test basis and itemized commercial offer. | Preparation and preservation route, optional-module rationale, compatible package basis, stop/restart plan and scoped quotation. |
Send a product summary, available bottle/closure drawings, pack photograph or drawing, required saleable output and a site sketch if available. Include destination, existing equipment and the requested start/end of supply. A non-confidential recipe summary is sufficient for the initial discussion; do not send trade secrets until the appropriate arrangements are agreed.
Request one assumptions register showing confirmed, provisional and missing inputs; a process-to-pack flow; equipment and utility boundaries; output by SKU; and acceptance conditions. Ask suppliers to flag alternatives explicitly. This lets the buyer compare the same project instead of comparing differently scoped machine lists.
Discuss your own project with Mr Kcal at Allot Tech. The email link opens a blank project brief for you to edit; nothing is sent automatically.
Interactive RFQ readiness check
A controlled “to be confirmed” is acceptable. The problem is an unstated assumption that each bidder resolves differently.
Rows with a usable status0 / 10
Rows still needing clarification10 / 10
Emailing this worksheet gives the Allot Tech project desk a defined starting point. The reply can focus on missing inputs, the preliminary process-and-package route, scope interfaces and the next drawings or samples needed before a comparable quotation.
Selections stay in this browser unless you choose to copy or email the summary. Verify the project desk at allottech.com.
01 / Technical basis
Select the SKU that will anchor process, speed and acceptance comparisons. Other beverages, bottle sizes, closures, labels and packs should be listed as additional formats with their own changeover and performance questions.
02 / Factory and scope
Provide layout, floor and access information, utilities and local constraints. Ask each supplier to mark equipment, process piping, conveyors, controls, utility generation, installation, consumables and buyer-supplied work as included, optional or excluded.
03 / Evidence and delivery
The RFQ should request a process description, equipment list, utility schedule, layout, document register and schedule. FAT, shipment, installation, SAT, training, spares and open-item closure need explicit conditions and owners.
RFQ completeness check
A quotation is comparable only when technical basis and scope status are visible.
| RFQ block | Buyer supplies | Supplier returns |
|---|---|---|
| Product + process | Recipe, condition and required route | Process description, assumptions and equipment |
| Package + rate | Drawings, pack and reference output | Compatibility, changeovers and performance basis |
| Factory + utilities | Layout, access and available services | Layout, load schedule and connection points |
| Commercial scope | Required boundary and destination | Included, optional, excluded and buyer-supplied matrix |
| Execution | Required schedule and acceptance intent | Documents, FAT, delivery, installation, SAT and handover plan |
Evidence boundary
Evidence labels keep a reference architecture separate from a final design or commercial promise.
The supplied catalog supports reference equipment and process-chain discussion but does not replace a project RFQ or signed specification.
A structured RFQ connects product, package, output, utilities, site, scope and acceptance into one comparison basis.
Only the final signed technical and commercial documents establish supply, performance, price, schedule and responsibilities.
Buyer questions
These are planning answers. Final process and equipment choices require a confirmed project brief.
No. Rate must be tied to a product, fill condition, container, closure, label and pack, while preparation and downstream systems need the same reference basis.
No. Mark it as open and assign a confirmation owner and date. Hidden unknowns become incompatible assumptions in supplier quotations.
That is a commercial decision, but every invited supplier should receive the same revision-controlled basis so scope and evidence can be compared fairly.
Catalog reference The supplied 2026 catalog supports the named CSD and juice/tea equipment chains and is the source for the redrawn functional routes.
Engineering principle Interface explanations show why product, process, package, utilities and line balance must be reviewed together.
Project confirmation The routes are not a final process design, P&ID, validated cycle, quotation, availability statement or performance guarantee. Signed project documents define the final scope.