Anytime a proposal is put forth by vendor, it is done with the express purpose of trying to get an entity (who can be anyone from a small business to a government agency) to accept and contract with said vendor. While the exact nature of the proposal will vary, when it comes to something as specific as an electrical wire harness, there have to be certain details that must be present in all of the information going back and forth from the very start.
Electrical wire harnesses, while not readily familiar to the general public, are actually something that is quite recognizable to people working across a number of major industries. Moreover, the electrical wire harnesses required for the agencies within these industries usually require a significant amount of custom engineering. As such, making sure the right vendor is chosen for a project is imperative so as to make sure that the right material is produced & delivered all while still maintaining a budget.
On the other side of things, vendors working to secure contracts are in a position where they are vying for business, and depending on the exact breadth of the possible contract, the amount of business can be quite lucrative. Ultimately, there has to be a meeting somewhere in the middle, and this can be easier said than done. Perhaps the hardest point of contention between parties is what is being requested by the prospected customer & what can be provided by the prospective vendor. An electrical wire harness is not that complicated, right?
Well, it depends on who you ask. At one point, the electrical wire harness was just a collection of wiring to transmit basic electrical power & signals along a path inside of a number of different environments (e.g., cars, computers, factory automation). It made things easier to service and replace. As the amount of functions of these devices has increased, as has the amount of efficiency needed as well as addressing the environments in which they are located, the design & engineering has only gotten harder over time.
This means that when an entity wants a proposal of electrical wire harnesses for a particular purpose, coupled with high-efficiency function, all while maintaining what can sometimes be a prohibitive budget, things can get tough. Nonetheless, the best vendors are also some of the best manufacturers in the business. This isn’t their first rodeo, and they know exactly what needs to go into a RFP (request for proposal) that comes across their desk.
Here are 3 things that every electrical wire harness RFP should include:
General/Product Specs — The entity will request information be provided about components being approved per their governing bodies & industry standards. Schematics will also be requested to easily understand the proposed materials.
Budget/Pricing — Perhaps the biggest info your RFP will need to have is pricing, invoicing, warranty info, etc.
Following Directions — You may not think it, but many contracts are lost simply because RFPs are not submitted in a certain fashion. Basically, if the entity feels you can’t follow directions at this stage, you’re not going to be a trustworthy partner later.
An electrical wire harness is, in the grand scheme of things, just a part used by many industries in many ways. It’s the relationship between the customer & the vendor/manufacturer that really is of significance. Today’s accepted & contracted RFP on electrical wire harnesses can actually be the start of a years-long business relationship.
Just click here, and you’ll see that an electrical wire harness is only a fraction of what LoDan Electronics, Inc. can bring to the table in terms of products and supported industries.