Included work
Identify the actual tasks and materials covered by each line. Excluded or undecided work needs its own scope; a blank charge does not mean zero.
Bring what you know.
Start with the product, approximate quantity, current stock location and the help you need. Add the intended destination if known; unknown dates or measurements can stay open during the first discussion.
Details that help a scoped quotation
- SKU quantities, product photos and packaging condition
- Unit and carton dimensions and weights, where available
- Supplier locations, ready dates and intended storage period
- Destination country, platform and target delivery date
- Prep tasks, freight scope and any local return requirement
If measurements are provisional, ask which costs can be estimated and which require the finished packed stock.
ILLUSTRATIVE QUOTATION STRUCTURE
A first batch and its next release.
A planning example: three SKUs from two suppliers, with an initial prepared release and some stock remaining in China. This shows quote categories, not a price offer.
| Quote line | Billing basis to agree | What the line should identify |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving & quantity checks | Per delivery, carton or counted unit | Number of arrivals, count coverage and discrepancy record |
| Agreed inspection | Agreed check unit or batch | SKU or batch, check-scope reference, tasks, coverage quantity and evidence format; state its inclusion with or separation from receiving counts. Define the check scope. |
| Preparation & kitting | Per unit, completed kit or batch | Accepted work, quantity and sample version |
| Packaging materials | Included allowance or separate quantities | Bags, cartons, labels, inserts, printing and other agreed consumables |
| China storage | Agreed unit, carton or pallet basis and billing period | Start date, expected hold, review point and any minimum |
| Picking & release | Per release, carton or unit | Quantity picked, carton record and stock balance update |
| Project coordination | Agreed task or project scope, if applicable | Supplier follow-up, instruction changes and other specified coordination work |
| Freight & destination handling | Confirmed route and shipment basis | Chargeable measurements, collection and delivery legs, appointment scope and receiving responsibilities |
Read scope, price status and approval separately.
Amount status
Distinguish confirmed amounts from estimates or charges that depend on measured quantities. An included service can still have a variable final amount.
Work authorization
A quoted optional task still needs your instruction before it is performed. A later release, changed packing or additional work needs its own agreed scope.
Confirm currency, quote validity, any minimum operation charge and which costs remain provisional.
Identify the costs beyond this first-batch example.
The example above describes China stock work and a shipment release. For the actual route, identify any destination receiving, delivery appointment, local return inspection, restock, replacement or disposal tasks separately, where accepted.
Confirm responsibility for taxes, duties, customs exams, rework and other shipment-specific charges. Keep included and excluded work visible in the written quote.
Before you approve the quote.
Confirm the price basis.
Check currency, billing units, minimums and quote validity. Establish whether materials, storage, freight and destination handling are included in the prep line.
Confirm the timing basis.
Agree when storage charging starts and which inventory, instructions and approvals must be ready before processing can begin.
Confirm the responsibilities.
Identify the carrier or destination handling scope and who arranges importer, tax and product compliance matters. Ask for exclusions to be written into the quote.
Confirm the payment terms.
Identify the contracting or invoicing party, payment timing and any amount due before work begins. Keep these terms with the approved scope.
Confirm how changes are handled.
Record which quantity, packaging, label or destination changes need a revised quote. Approve additional work and its timing before it proceeds.
Separate temporary storage from unit processing.
Stock awaiting a resale or removal decision may need a different scope from stock ready for relabeling. Confirm whether receiving records cover cartons, units or both, and what quantity visibility is available before any detailed processing.
Deferring unit counting can leave SKU quantities unverified. Record that limitation rather than treating an unopened carton count as a confirmed unit inventory. Agree the storage billing basis, charge start and review point; later inspection, rework and release tasks require their own included scope or approval.
Identify any label removal, new labels, replacement packaging and materials in the rework scope. Agree the additional work and any charges before it proceeds.
Plan the hold and its next decision.
Read the temporary stock hold guideWhen the stock or route changes.
Can you discuss a shipment before all dimensions are known?
Yes. Share the information available and identify the unknowns. Confirm whether any estimate is provisional and what records are needed for the final quote.
Does a prep price include the freight?
Check the written breakdown. Prep work, packaging materials, storage, transport and destination handling can have different billing bases.
What happens if the final cartons differ from the estimate?
Reconcile the packed quantities, dimensions and weights before dispatch. Any revised freight scope or additional preparation work needs approval.
Where can I review the work approval process?
Read the service standards and inbound release guide before approving a shipment.