The situation
A buyer wanted a second price for an existing flexible package but did not have an approved structure sheet available.
What complicated it
A photograph showed the package but not every layer, coating, gauge, or roll requirement. Guessing the structure would create a fast but unreliable comparison.
How the question was approached
The inquiry shifted toward evidence: an unused sample, dimensions, product and storage conditions, filling equipment, artwork, quantities, ship-to, and a description of what had to remain unchanged. Unknown fields stayed labeled unknown. The package could then be reviewed before a manufacturing proposal was treated as equivalent.
What a buyer should know
- Do not invent a structure to finish an RFQ.
- Send a physical sample when matching matters.
- Explain the job around the package, not only the package itself.