How to Get Faster Responses to Requests for Quotes

Featuring: Elizabeth Graham

Title: Head of Production

Company: Haymarket Media Inc.

I manage a department of production staff that produces 21 titles. We … are asked for quotes daily for items like supplements, inserts, bellybands and many gimmicky specials. … We organize [quotes] for easy access in a shared area [that we can refer to] when we are asked to price something similar. It helps us to provide quick estimates to our publishers. …

We also enforce a strict procedure of getting a finalized quote from the vendor [before] producing any piece. We make sure all considerations to paper, print and postage costs are made. We also encourage our vendors to provide feedback on where we could possibly make [the project] more efficient … for example, if a supplement could be taken down a quarter of an inch in trim size, allowing it to print two-up on a larger press, [and] saving production time and money. …

Effective quoting definitely requires that the [person requesting the quote] completely understands the [project] specs … [and asks] all the [necessary] questions. Examples of obvious questions are trim size, paper stock [and] quantity, but an experienced production person knows to ask further, detailed questions: … Will the cover need a varnish? How will it be distributed? How will the proofing cycle work (will we need more than one set of proofs, can we soft proof, etc.)?

In my opinion, effective quoting … happens when several systems are working—first, a library of past RFQs to access in a pinch … for a ballpark answer. … Second, make sure … a comprehensive vendor quote is received [in advance]. Lastly, forming solid working relationships with the sales/publishing teams initiating the quotes and with the vendors … is crucial.

Featuring: Silvia Coppola

Title: Production Director

Company: Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Inc.

We have no [automated] pricing system, so everyone is on their own, relying on the vendors. Some of us have set up “cheat sheets” for standard units for each title in the beginning of the year. This includes standard, single-sheet inserts, four-pagers, eight-pagers, as well as [business reply cards]. We also include four-page gate[folds], six-page gates and incremental costs for a six-page cover. We include production costs for inserts that are both supplied and that we print.

For inserts, many managers use Excel templates that automatically calculate all costs—they just plug in the numbers.

For a short time, we used a program called “Superprice” from our vendor that, once you entered the specifications, it came up with a calculation based on our contract pricing. This worked well [until] the vendor stopped supporting it. This is probably the best solution [if it’s available].

Our “we print” department [a part of the production department that sends out all insert quotes] continually quotes and gives work to vendors that respond quickly. If you have a good relationship with one or two [vendors], they will come through for you, especially on those nonstandard units.

When desperate, we just estimate according to what we have done in the past. We have [15] titles here, so we are able to … get a close estimate until the actual price comes through.

[For] postal costs, we have an automated Postal Calculator [that was developed internally by our postal department] that we use to figure out postage and/or newsstand distribution for both the Periodical Rate and Standard A Rate. PE