The difference between a quote that comes back in two days and one that drags out over two weeks is almost never the supplier's speed — it is the RFQ package. A complete package lets an engineer price the harness on the first pass; an incomplete one triggers a chain of clarification emails, each adding a day. This is the exact document set to send with a wire harness RFQ, and the missing fields that quietly stall a quote.
A quote-ready RFQ lets the supplier confirm connector qualification (USCAR-2 where relevant), workmanship class under IPC/WHMA-A-620, and wire construction under UL 758 — without a single follow-up question.
1. The drawing (or a marked-up sample)
The single most important item. A controlled harness drawing with wire routing, branch lengths, connector callouts, and a revision block lets us price the exact part. No drawing yet? Send clear photos of a sample with a tape measure in frame, or a hand sketch with lengths — anything that fixes geometry. What we cannot quote is a paragraph of prose describing a harness. If your design is still moving, say so, and we will separate a prototype quote from a production quote rather than pretend the revision is frozen.
2. The bill of materials (BOM)
List every connector, terminal, seal, wire, label, sleeve, and tube with manufacturer part numbers. Generic descriptions (“4-pin waterproof connector”) force us to guess or ask. Where you are open to equivalents, say so — approved alternates are one of the fastest ways to cut both cost and lead time, and they are covered in our DFM checklist before you send your RFQ.
3. Wire list and gauge
Circuit-by-circuit: from-pin, to-pin, AWG, color, and any twisting or shielding. If you have not fixed the gauge, give the current, distance, and temperature and we will size it — the method is in our AWG selection decision tree. A clear wire list is also what makes the 100% continuity test adapter fast to build.
4. Test and inspection scope
State the acceptance class and test requirements up front: IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 1, 2, or 3; 100% continuity and hipot; pull-force sampling; first-article records. Test scope is a real cost driver — a Class 3 medical harness and a Class 2 industrial harness with the same BOM are not the same quote. Our IPC Class 3 walk-through shows what each class changes on the floor.
5. Quantity, forecast, and timing
Give the first PO quantity, the annual forecast, and the target date. A 50-piece pilot and a 5,000-piece annual program price very differently per unit, and the forecast tells us whether to quote tooling amortization or a one-time build. If there is a hard deadline, name it — expedite feasibility depends on connector stock and test scope, not on urgency alone.
6. Compliance and origin requirements
Flag any RoHS/REACH, UL, IATF 16949, or country-of-origin requirement. If you need Philippine origin for tariff reasons, say so — a Cavite-built harness can carry a certificate of origin that a China-built part cannot, and the landed-cost effect is worked out in our Cavite tariff math. If you are running a formal China+1 qualification, the full document flow is in the China+1 sourcing checklist.
Representative project (anonymized to industry and region — no client name). An earthmoving-equipment OEM sent an RFQ for a 200-piece harness batch, but the package left relay models, Deutsch connector variants, and enclosure details unspecified. Rather than guess and risk a wrong quote, we returned a short spec-lock list; once those fields were fixed, an accurate quote followed on the first pass. The takeaway: a five-minute spec lock up front is faster than a week of back-and-forth after a wrong quote.
What quietly stalls a quote
- “Standard” connectors with no part number. There is no standard; there is a specific housing, terminal, and seal. Name them.
- No acceptance class. Without a class, we either quote high (assume Class 3) or ask. Both cost you time.
- Quantity omitted. Unit price is meaningless without a quantity and a forecast.
- A moving design sent as if frozen. Tell us it is prototype-stage and we will quote it as one — cleanly.
Send the six items above and you will usually have a real quote — not a placeholder — on the first reply. Start with a drawing-driven quote, and for a Philippines wire harness program our manufacturing capabilities page lists the crimp, test, and inspection stations behind it.
FAQ
What if I do not have a formal drawing yet?
Send photos of a sample with a tape measure in frame, or a hand sketch with branch lengths and connector callouts. We can quote a prototype from that and produce a controlled drawing as a first-article deliverable. What we cannot quote accurately is a text description with no geometry.
Do I need to specify the acceptance class in the RFQ?
Yes — it is one of the biggest cost drivers. IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 adds inspection and documentation that Class 2 does not. If you are unsure, tell us the application (medical, automotive, industrial) and we will recommend a class rather than default to the most expensive one.
Will listing approved alternates really speed things up?
Often dramatically. A single allocated connector can stall a whole quote; naming an approved alternate lets us price and schedule around it immediately. If you cannot pre-approve alternates, at least flag which parts are firm and which are negotiable.
How fast can I expect a quote with a complete package?
With a drawing, a part-numbered BOM, a wire list, a stated test class, and a quantity, most harness quotes come back within a couple of business days. The clarification loop — not the pricing work — is what usually adds days, and a complete package removes it.
