KEVOS · Templates & Examples · Project Templates
Tooling Quotation and Approval Schedule Template
A reusable tooling quotation schedule covering drawings, BOM, supplier quote, quote review and the tooling/testing approval gate.
Executive summary
The tooling quotation stage is one of the most stable patterns in the source schedules. It repeatedly contains technical drawings and BOM, tooling quotation, quotation review, then a formal approval meeting for tooling and the testing plan. This stage converts an approved product design into a decision-ready manufacturing package.
Why tooling quotation is a project stage, not a purchasing task
A tooling quote is only meaningful when the technical definition, commercial assumptions and verification expectations are coherent. The schedule examples place technical drawings and BOM before the quote request, then include a separate review task and an approval gate. That structure prevents the project from treating a supplier price as self-validating.
The purpose of the stage is to answer four questions: what exactly will be tooled, what is included in the quoted scope, what lead time and commercial conditions are being accepted, and how will the resulting off-tool samples be tested and approved.
Source-derived four-step workflow
Technical package before quotation
The source simply names “Tech Drawings and BOM”; it does not prescribe drawing content or a BOM standard. The following is implementation guidance for making that activity schedule-ready.
- Drawing configuration: identify the design revision being quoted and the components included.
- BOM scope: separate tooled parts, purchased parts, standard items and prototype-only items so the quotation boundary is clear.
- Material/process intent: include only requirements genuinely needed for the supplier to quote the tool and part process.
- Interfaces and critical features: make the features that drive tooling approach or inspection visible.
- Quantity assumptions: state forecast or quotation quantities if they affect cavity count, tooling concept or piece price; label them as planning assumptions, not guaranteed demand.
- Sample and test expectation: indicate what off-tool evidence is expected so the supplier can include trial quantities or support where required.
Quotation review matrix
| Review area | Questions to resolve before approval | Schedule consequence if unresolved |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Does the quote cover all required tools, operations, samples and any gauges? | Clarification loop before commitment. |
| Technical basis | Is the quote based on the current drawing/BOM revision? | Requote or formal confirmation if configuration changed. |
| Lead time | What starts the clock—purchase order, deposit, final files or another event? | Set the tooling start milestone to the real trigger. |
| Corrections | What rework or modification responsibility is included after first-off-tool testing? | Plan contingency and approval path. |
| Testing support | Are sample quantities and timing compatible with the test plan? | Adjust tooling/test tasks or sample request. |
| Commercial boundary | Are freight, taxes, trial material, spare inserts or other items inside or outside scope? | Record dependencies rather than hiding them in a lump-sum duration. |
| Approval authority | Who can commit the tooling spend and accept technical/commercial assumptions? | Make Gate 2 an accountable decision, not an informal meeting. |
Gate 2: approval for tooling and testing plan
Every normal project schedule in the source set includes a second meeting or gate between quotation review and tooling/testing. The blank template explicitly calls it approval for tooling and the testing plan. This is a strong control point because tooling commitment is often difficult or expensive to reverse.
The gate should therefore confirm both the manufacturing commitment and the verification path. If the project approves the tool but has no defined plan for evaluating off-tool samples, the downstream schedule is incomplete.
- Approved product/design revision is identified.
- Quotation scope and exclusions are understood.
- Tooling lead-time trigger is known.
- Off-tool sample quantity/timing assumptions are understood.
- Testing responsibilities and required facilities are identified.
- Likely gauge or test-rig needs are recognised before samples arrive.
- Authority to proceed is recorded.
- Any residual risks are carried into the tooling/testing stage with owners.
What not to copy from old projects
Historical quotation-stage durations in the source schedules range from very short to extremely long. Some old projects contain long elapsed periods that reflect waiting, redesign, commercial delay or incomplete logic rather than the intrinsic effort of producing drawings and reviewing a quote. Use current supplier response times and internal review capacity to build the estimate.
Likewise, do not assume that a quotation must wait for every downstream document to be final if the supply strategy deliberately uses progressive definition. If progressive quotation is used, define what is provisional, what is fixed and what event causes final commitment.
Related KEVOS templates
Turning a quotation into an executable tooling commitment
A tooling quotation should be treated as a package of assumptions, not just a price. Before Gate 2, review whether the supplier has quoted against the correct design revision, expected process, tool concept, deliverables, sample expectation and timing basis. If the quote excludes a required feature, gauge, trial, freight activity or correction allowance, that gap should be resolved or explicitly accepted before approval.
Create a simple comparison record when more than one supplier or concept is considered. Cost is one criterion, but schedule risk, technical capability, previous performance, communication, change responsiveness and the ability to produce the required verification samples may be equally important. The source schedules repeatedly place supplier selection and quotation review before tooling approval, which supports making this decision visible rather than allowing it to occur informally outside the plan.
Gate 2 commitment record
- Approved technical package revision sent for tooling.
- Selected supplier or internal tooling route and the reason for selection.
- Quoted scope, lead-time basis and commercial approval reference.
- Known exclusions, assumptions and interfaces requiring follow-up.
- Planned first-off-tool sample event and the intended test/inspection pathway.
- Change-control rule for design changes after tooling authorisation.
After Gate 2, design changes should not disappear into email or verbal instruction. Record the change, assess whether it affects tool cost or lead time, and update both the technical configuration and the schedule. This protects the project from the common situation in which a supplier is measured against an obsolete promised date after the approved scope has changed.
Quotation-review meeting method
Use a short structured review rather than a price-only email approval. Walk through the current technical package, supplier interpretation, tool concept, lead-time assumptions, sample deliverables, correction pathway and any exclusions. Capture questions that require clarification and do not treat the quotation-review task as complete until they are resolved or explicitly accepted. If the selected route changes after review, update the schedule and technical issue record together so the project retains one coherent basis for the tooling commitment.