Things Needed To Get An Industrial Automation Project Quote

12th  July, 2024.

In this post, we will see the things needed to get an industrial automation project quote.

So, you are starting your new industrial automation project and very excited to cite the features that you will get. Your time will be saved, your money will be saved, manpower will get reduced, efficiency will increase, bugs will get reduced and overall production will improve. Before that, you have to prepare an RFQ for the vendors, that will help them understand the scope of your requirements. But wait, did you first of all check what are the conditions that need to be checked in your company before fitting an automation project in it? Without that, you cannot prepare an RFQ properly and ultimately, your work will get hampered. So, it is necessary to check the prerequisite factors of your company before preparing an RFQ for the vendors to quote. In this post, we will see the things needed to get an industrial automation project quote.

1. What is the standard practice or component requirement in your factory?

There are lots of automation vendors in the market. If you are installing an automation system in your factory, that means either you will have some staff who can operate and program it too, or you will have some staff who can only operate them. People are used to a particular brand after some experience and become familiar with them. For example, if you have 90% staff who are familiar with Siemens PLC, then it would be easy for you to float tenders for Siemens PLC requirement. This will save your time for training required for them. Also, they will quickly be able to troubleshoot the system. So, get an idea of how your current staff is used to with some automation vendors and what are their comfort levels in exploring new brands which they have not used before. You can also check some standard practice which has been followed in your company for some previous automation systems installed.

2. What is the volume of production required?

The volume of production varies from company to company. Depending on your requirement, you have to choose whether you want a fast system like servo or stepper type, or a normal system with standard PLC. Depending on that, it will be easier for you to determine the type of automation components required. Because as the speed changes, the types of components also change. This also has a direct impact on your project costing and is thus a very important factor to consider. I have seen two similar systems where one had a servo motor and one a normal VFD motor. Both were designed according to production requirements, and where a normal slow output was ok for their business.

3. What is the waiting period and urgency of your project?

You have many vendors in your contact. But, there arises a need sometimes when the project is urgent to install. Instead of finding new vendors, you will go with the tried and tested ones for quick execution. So, you will prepare an RFQ accordingly which suits their capabilities and gets them an order quickly. Determining the timeline of your project execution is important in preparing an RFQ. In that process, even if you get new enquiries afterwards, do not forget to consider them. Maybe they could give some better output than your current vendors. For that, you need to invest some time and so, the execution waiting period is a must factor to consider.

4. What are your current site conditions?

The area where you are installing an automation system requires some factors to be considered like electrical power supply, power stability, utility presence and their backup (like water, steam and air), network stability, network providers, and scope of area for laying communication cables. Depending on these, you can easily think what to write in RFQ. Because site conditions will affect the types of components required and accordingly, you need to prepare the document. You cannot ask for a PLC which is volatile with power supply, when you do not have enough power backup in your plant. For that, you will require a robust PLC.

5. Is your drop site and area confirmed for installation?

You cannot install an automation system blindly without seeing the space and civil works. If your drop site (the area where the materials will be dropped and installed by the vendor) and area consumed is ready, then you can write properly in the RFQ your project requirements in precise conditions. Suppose some of your site work is pending or still not sure about the area, you can accordingly write in the RFQ that the space of your project will be tentative this or this. So, you need to ask the vendor to design the specifications accordingly or keep spare parts for future stock. They too will be prepared to give you a proper quote.

6. What are the nearby environment conditions of your site location?

If the area around the site is hazardous or non-friendly to work, then you have to specify such terms in the RFQ. Accordingly, the vendors can quote for commissioning time, safety kit expenses and other related factors. So, studying your site environment condition is a must before preparing RFQ.

7. Do you have sample tools or drawings?

There are special cases where you can have some sample electrical drawings, mechanical drawings, tools, or parts similar to the project you are going to install. If you have it, mention in the RFQ that you will be providing references and there is no need to prepare a complete new system. This saves considerable cost for you.

8. Do you have a qualified QA or QT team?

Just installing a system and using it is not the standard procedure. The quality of the system too needs to be checked. So, a qualified quality assurance and testing team of yours helps in this case. If it is there, then you can confidently ask for stringent requirements from the vendors to qualify for the order. Otherwise, you will have to hire third party auditors and quality checkers and that will increase your costing. So, depending on your QA backup, you can write in the RFQ accordingly.

9. What is your budget?

This is the part on which your whole RFQ is dependent. Depending on what is your budget, you can accordingly write in the RFQ of your requirements. It is also necessary to understand your rate of return after installation, so that you can think of going a little bit higher in your budget.

10. What is your current network architecture?

No industrial automation system today works without communication. Data sharing has become an important factor in increasing production outputs, reducing bugs and increasing reliability of the system. According to your current network installations or the scope of their expansion, you have to choose the corresponding communication parameters in your RFQ. It will not be like you are demanding extra network features, but your own network system is not in place to support it.

11. Are your automation goals clear and defined?

Before preparing RFQ, you need to have a clear idea of your working staff, your vision for output, your current company strengths and weaknesses, obstacles that may arise during commissioning or after commissioning, whether you are ready for smart manufacturing involving IoT or robotics, and understanding automation working style. All these things matter a lot before writing a perfect RFQ for your requirement.

I have covered a general theory related to RFQ in industrial automation. I have also not attempted to cover all the topics, as it can vary from systems to systems. Once you are familiar with this engineering, you can easily tackle all types of problems in it. I would really recommend going to my earlier post - How to understand RFQ in industrial automation for more detailed knowledge.

Thank you for reading the post. I hope you liked it and will find a new way in this type of technology.