Illustrative example / Not a customer case study
Sample RFQ Automation Audit
See what a Free Workflow Audit actually looks like before submitting your own process.
Illustrative example — not a customer case study
Example Precision Components Co.
The company and workflow below are fictional. They illustrate the structure and level of detail you receive in a ManualZero Free Workflow Audit. No real company supplied this data.
Current workflow
How RFQs are handled today
S-RFQ-CURRENT / Example workflow
Current RFQ intake at Example Precision Components Co.
Customer sends RFQ
Email with PDF drawing and/or CAD file (STEP, DWG) attached
Estimator opens attachments
Manually downloads and opens each file to read the request
Manual field extraction
Copies part number, quantity, material, finish, tolerance, requested delivery date
Gap identification
Reviews for missing fields — tolerance, quantity, material, deadline — by eye
Clarification email
Emails customer for missing or unclear information; waits for reply
Transfer to quoting software
Re-enters collected data into the quoting tool or ERP
Estimator evaluation
Reviews manufacturability, applies pricing, builds the quote
Illustrative example. Steps and tools vary by company.
Audit finding
Where automation fits — and where it doesn't
Repetitive preparation steps — opening attachments, copying stated fields, checking for missing information, organizing files, and transferring data into the quoting tool — are candidates for automation. These steps follow repeatable rules and consume estimator time without requiring judgment.
The following should remain human-reviewed:
- Pricing — commercial terms, margins, and quote approval stay with the estimator and sales process.
- Manufacturability — feasibility, process selection, and capacity assessment require engineering judgment.
- Unusual tolerances — non-standard or ambiguous tolerance callouts need a person to interpret intent.
- Unclear specifications — conflicting or incomplete requirements are routed for clarification, not guessed.
- Exception handling — revised RFQs, duplicate requests, and format anomalies are held for review.
Proposed ManualZero workflow
From inbox to quote-ready record
S-RFQ-PROPOSED / Example workflow
Proposed managed RFQ intake workflow
RFQ arrives
Email + PDF / STEP / drawing received at agreed intake address
Extract structured fields
Part number, quantity, material, finish, tolerance, requested date prepared from assessed file types
Validate required fields
Check completeness against agreed intake rules; normalize formats
Flag missing / ambiguous information
Absent or unclear tolerance, quantity, material, deadline held for clarification
Create structured request
Assemble validated data into a quote-ready record with source files attached
Route exceptions
Unclear or conflicting fields sent to designated reviewer with context
Estimator reviews
Reviews prepared record, resolves exceptions, applies pricing and manufacturability judgment
Existing quoting / ERP system
System of record unchanged; reviewed data handed off via agreed method
Example flow. File types, extracted fields, and routing rules are confirmed against your samples during the audit.
Example audit output
Current state vs. proposed state
| Area | Current state | Proposed state |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | Email + attachments | Structured RFQ record |
| Field extraction | Manual | Automated preparation |
| Missing information | Found manually | Flagged automatically |
| Technical judgment | Human | Human |
| Pricing | Human | Human |
| Existing quoting system | Used | Kept |
No fake quantitative improvements are claimed. The audit identifies structure, responsibilities, and review points — not projected time savings.
Ready for your own audit
Get your own free workflow audit
Describe one repetitive RFQ or quote-intake process. We'll map the extraction, validation, and review steps, then identify how the result could reach your existing tools.
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