Quick answer
How do you prepare an office furniture RFQ that a supplier can answer?
Describe the project once, then repeat a line for each model, configuration and variant. Record quantity, materials, color, dimensional source, drawing or BOM version, sample and document requests, packing and actual shipping state. Add the intended destination, proposed trade rule and exact named point, site-service boundaries, milestones and response format. Mark unknowns TBC with an owner and next action. Request a written confirmation or deviation for each line; fields in this worksheet are buyer requests, not MENBRO offers.
Decide which RFQ fields are required and which depend on the project
Required means the buyer should supply a fact or make the unknown explicit. Conditional fields become necessary when the selected product, target market or delivery arrangement makes them relevant. Do not invent a missing value to make the worksheet look complete.
- Use and destination
- Buyer and review contacts
- Timing and target-market questions
- Model, version, quantity and variant
- Drawing/BOM and material references
- Sample, packaging and document scope
- Confirmed, alternative or TBC
- Included and excluded services
- Open-item owner and next version
| Field | When to include it | What a useful entry looks like | If unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project, use and destination | Every RFQ | Application, receiving country/site and buyer contact kept in a private brief | TBC; identify who will confirm site and market |
| Line identity and quantity | Every product/variant | Model or reference, requested quantity per distinct configuration | Provisional reference; supplier to identify candidate |
| Dimensions and source | Every dimension-driven selection | Named drawing, measured site record or model sheet and its version | TBC; request an approved model drawing |
| Material, finish and branding | For each selected or requested variant | Material/color reference, application, logo and approved artwork version | TBC; request options and samples |
| Sample and acceptance | When a sample decision is needed | Purpose, represented line, reviewer and agreed acceptance source | TBC; assign a reviewer and sample plan |
| Target-market documents | When regulations, tenders or project standards apply | Specific market, use and requested model-level records | TBC; ask project specialist to define request |
| Packing and shipping state | For import, install or handling decisions | Requested supplied-state/BOM, packing and site assembly boundary | TBC; request available confirmed alternatives |
| Trade and site services | For delivery quotations | Rule/edition/exact point, unloading and installation requests | TBC; ask logistics and site leads to clarify |
| Dates and quote response | Every RFQ | Requested answer date, target milestone and confirmation/deviation column | TBC; state who sets the dates |
Build a brief that survives product and version changes
A project can contain office chairs, height-adjustable desks, conference tables and lounge seating. They share a destination and buying team, but do not share one product identity. A line that says '200 workstations' without a known version can conceal different tops, bases, controllers, materials and installation responsibilities. The RFQ should allow a buyer to ask an informed question even when a model is not selected yet. Use a provisional reference, clearly mark it as such and ask the supplier to identify the proposed configuration.
This office furniture RFQ template is a working brief, not a pricing formula. It organizes the information a supplier needs to review and gives the buyer a place to see exceptions. It does not assert that MENBRO can provide a particular fabric, quantity, certification, trade arrangement or delivery service. Only the current written response for a chosen configuration can establish what is offered. Keep private customer names, contact details and commercial terms out of any publicly shared version of the worksheet.
Give each configuration a line ID and a source
Begin with a line ID that remains stable through revisions. List the product family or model reference, the requested quantity for that exact variant, and the material/color/finish combination. When the same chair appears with two bases or upholstery colors, make the alternatives visible as separate line entries or a clearly named variant schedule. A total order quantity cannot show which version each number belongs to. Ask the supplier to repeat the line ID in its answer so the comparison is traceable.
For dimensions, cite a model-specific sheet, buyer drawing or measured site plan with a version. If a photo only suggests a form, say 'reference image; dimensions TBC.' An illustration is not a dimensional contract. State whether a custom size is requested or whether the supplier should propose an available model. For an assembly or module group, attach a BOM or configuration drawing and identify what is included in the line. This prevents a drawing update from silently changing the requested goods.
Separate requested appearance from approved documentation
Material names can be ambiguous across ranges and color batches. Provide any buyer-owned swatch/reference and where it should apply; ask for a physical or documented sample when appearance matters. A generic color description does not confirm the exact upholstery, finish or production reference. Branding and private-label work need their own artwork, placement, labeling and packaging versions. Treat these as feasibility questions until the selected model and production method are confirmed.
A document request should identify the intended market and application, exact model/version and the file needed for project review. Ask what first-party originals, reports or declarations are available for that coverage and what they actually cover. A request for 'certification' in an RFQ is not proof that an original document has been issued or published; material or component information is not automatically complete-product documentation. Put the review owner on the buyer side where target-market interpretation is required.
Ask for a sample plan that answers a decision
Write why a sample is needed: appearance, configuration, interface, shipping state, installation reference or another agreed question. Name the line and variant it represents, the reviewer and the source of any acceptance criterion. One swatch can help decide a color; it cannot approve an entire chair or sofa. If a representative item is proposed for several lines, require an explicit coverage statement and list the variations it does not cover. Link to a separate cross-category sample decision record where the project is complex.
Do not write 'sample approved' as a free-floating note. Identify the inspected sample, date, decision authority, exceptions and version that will act as the production reference. A later BOM, material or finish change may need a new sample or document review. Sample sign-off also does not replace agreed quality inspection, contract terms or legal/target-market review. In the RFQ, ask what can be sampled and what information is required to quote the sample itself.
Define delivery and installation as separate requests
A trade-rule acronym does not specify a complete installation service. If a buyer proposes an Incoterms rule, include the edition and precise named place or port, and ask the parties and appropriate specialists to confirm route suitability and responsibility. Record transport assumptions only when known. Write unloading, carrying to the final room, assembly, placement, packaging removal and on-site inspection as separate requested tasks with a responsible party. Do not infer any of them from a label such as DDP.
The actual shipped state should describe assembled units, preassembled groups and separate components for the selected model. CKD and SKD are not a consistent enough substitute for a BOM, packing identity and site-work list. For powered or structural furniture, identify who will confirm the maker's instructions and any qualified-person work; do not improvise wiring or dismantling. The quotation response should state what is included, excluded or subject to clarification for packing, documents, carriage and site services.
Keep timing and changes visible without inventing promises
State a requested quotation response date and project milestones, distinguishing them from supplier-confirmed production or transit timing. A buyer's desired opening date is not a manufacturing commitment. Ask the supplier to identify dependencies such as a confirmed configuration, material sign-off, artwork or a representative sample. If a field remains unknown, add an owner and requested answer. Do not fill a blank with a generic MOQ, lead-time range, freight allowance or price that the current quotation has not established.
When the brief changes, issue a new RFQ version with a short delta log and ask the supplier which previous answers still apply. Preserve the old line IDs where the same configuration remains; create or revise an ID where goods change. A revised site location, finish, sample acceptance or shipping state can affect price and feasibility. A agreed response column—confirmed, proposed alternative, excluded or TBC—lets the buyer ask one focused clarification at a time instead of guessing what silence means.
Move from a rough request to an answerable RFQ
Use this sequence with the editable worksheet. It keeps the buyer's requirements separate from a supplier's proposal and makes unresolved questions easy to assign.
- 1. Frame the projectRecord intended use, destination, the private buyer contact and the people who will review configuration, documents, delivery and installation.
- 2. List lines and variantsGive each proposed chair, desk or lounge configuration an ID, quantity and version. Mark alternatives and incomplete identities as provisional.
- 3. Attach the sourcesName drawing/BOM versions, product sheets, measured plans, swatches and artwork. Distinguish a reference photo from an approved dimension.
- 4. State the decisions requestedDescribe sample purpose, target-market documents, packing and supplied state, delivery point, site services and desired dates. Leave unknowns visible.
- 5. Ask for a line-by-line answerRequest confirmed configuration, feasible alternatives, inclusions/exclusions, missing inputs and owner for each open item. Obtain actual commercial terms in writing.
- 6. Freeze or reviseResolve deviations, record the next brief and response versions, and align any approved sample or contract reference before placing an order.
What to Check Before You Order
Fill, copy and check the RFQ before sending it
- Use a private contact channel for real buyer identities; do not paste confidential details into a public post or screenshot.
- Give the project a brief ID, version, use, destination and review owners.
- Repeat the line block for each distinct model, version, material/color or quantity decision.
- Cite where dimensions came from; mark photos and tentative sketches as references only.
- Record drawing, BOM, material, color, branding and packaging versions where relevant.
- Define sample purpose, represented lines, reviewers and the acceptance source.
- Identify target-market document questions by exact product and intended use.
- Describe actual supplied state and who handles receiving, assembly and qualified tasks.
- Name any proposed trade rule, edition and precise point; separate site services.
- Ask for included/excluded coverage, alternatives and dependencies in the written response.
- Keep desired dates separate from dates the supplier confirms.
- List every TBC item with its owner, next action and RFQ version before release.
Editable office furniture RFQ working brief
Edit in your browser, repeat the line block for each configuration, then copy the current text. The page does not send or save it. Print and Save as PDF include the edited text in this browser session.
Ask MENBRO to review the named configuration
Share a private version of your RFQ through the contact route once your project team has identified the lines, sources and open items. Ask for a written model-specific response; no worksheet field represents a standing offer.
See the MENBRO Showroom and Product Range
Watch a short introduction to MENBRO's office chairs, standing desks, lounge furniture and showroom. Ask our team for the current details of any model you are considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information must an office furniture RFQ contain?
Identify the buyer's project and destination, each product or proposed configuration, quantity by variant, material and color, the source of dimensions, drawing or BOM version, sample purpose, target-market document requests, packing and shipping state, the proposed trade rule with its exact named place, site-service boundaries, target dates and open questions. Ask the supplier to confirm or qualify every uncertain field in writing. A field in a template is a request, not a promise of capability.
Can I send an RFQ before I know every dimension or material?
Yes, if the unknown is visible rather than guessed. Enter TBC, state who will resolve it and what source or sample is needed. Separate a requested alternative from the baseline line item. Ask the supplier which information is necessary before a firm configuration or quotation can be confirmed. Do not silently turn a reference image into approved dimensions.
Should a chair, desk and lounge item share one line in the RFQ?
Use a separate line for each distinct model, configuration and variant that needs its own quantity or decision. A project-level header can cover shared destination and contact details, but line-specific materials, dimensions, documents, packaging and sample requirements must remain traceable. Repeat the line block in the editable template for each configuration rather than hiding variants in a single total.
Does an RFQ template confirm MENBRO pricing, MOQ or delivery time?
No. The template records what the buyer requests and what the supplier must review. Price, minimum quantity, available materials, sample timing, production timing, trade terms and services are confirmed only in a current written response for the selected model and project. Leave an unanswered item marked TBC with an owner and response date instead of assuming an offer exists.
How should I ask for test reports or certificates?
Name the target market, intended application, model or component and the document or applicable requirement you need reviewed. Ask which current originals or other records can be supplied and what product/version each covers. A document request category does not mean an original certificate is already published, and a material or component report does not prove complete furniture compliance.
Where do EXW, FOB, DDP or CKD/SKD belong in an RFQ?
Record a proposed Incoterms rule and edition with the precise named point, transport context and separately requested services. Record actual supplied-state components or assemblies and site responsibility, rather than relying on CKD/SKD shorthand. The appropriate rule or shipping state must be confirmed for the selected product, route and parties; the RFQ does not establish universal MENBRO availability or customs treatment.
Is this fillable RFQ a contract or an enquiry sent to MENBRO?
No. You can edit and copy the worksheet in your browser, and Print or Save as PDF will include its current text. Nothing is submitted or saved by this worksheet. Review and remove private details before sharing it through an appropriate channel. A completed brief is still a request for clarification or quotation, not an accepted order, signed agreement or certification file.
References and Further Reading
These references support the product-selection and technical guidance in this article. Product availability and specifications can vary by model and project.
- Coalesse Concierge — specification and project support — First-party example of product, customization and project questions that need a defined brief.
- Muuto Professional — orders and delivery — First-party professional quotation route; its own terms do not describe MENBRO.
- JSI Design Studio — First-party access to model, surface and design resources; this worksheet does not copy a supplier form.
- Haworth COM resources — Illustrates why a named material application and sample record matter; acceptance is supplier and model specific.