Comparing manufacturing quotes is harder than it looks, because a quote is a response to an interpretation of your drawing. Two suppliers reading the same package can price very different objects — and the cheaper one is frequently the one that assumed less.
Establish what volume the price assumes
A unit price is meaningless without its quantity and its schedule. A price at ten thousand units delivered across a year is a different commitment from ten thousand in one batch. Ask for a price break table rather than a single number, and confirm whether tooling amortisation is inside or outside the figure.
Find out what is excluded
- Tooling, fixtures and their maintenance over tool life
- First-article inspection and sample rounds
- Packaging, labelling and palletisation
- Compliance testing and certification
- Freight, duties and insurance
- Rework or scrap allowance
Each of these is a legitimate line item. A quote that omits all of them is not cheaper — it is less complete, and the difference will arrive later as a variation.
Check what quality level was priced
Cosmetic standards, sampling plan and acceptable defect rates materially change cost. If your drawing did not specify them, the supplier assumed something. It is worth knowing what.
Ask what they would change
The most informative question you can put to a supplier is which single feature adds the most cost and what they would do about it. A capable manufacturer will have an immediate, specific answer. The quality of that answer tells you more about the partner than the number on the quote.