Start with your single-line diagram, circuit or motor schedule and available supply information. Add the environment, space, interfaces and delivery requirements. If something is unknown, identify it rather than guessing.
Start with three useful inputs
- Single-line diagram. Show incoming supplies, couplers, outgoing feeders and any generator, UPS or other source. A clearly marked concept drawing can help early discussions.
- Load or motor schedule. Identify every circuit, duty and rating. For motors include starting method, control requirements and whether the drive is supplied separately.
- Supply and fault information. Include voltage, available fault-study data and the required protection basis. Mark unconfirmed values as open design inputs.
These documents establish what the board has to do. They do not replace the rest of the specification, but they let us identify the major scope and information gaps.
Add the details that affect the build
| Area | Useful details |
|---|---|
| Enclosure | Indoor or outdoor location, dust, washdown, corrosion and ambient temperature. |
| Installation | Footprint, height, cable direction, cable sizes and delivery access. |
| Construction | Required form of separation, platform preferences and spare capacity. |
| Equipment | Specified switchgear, metering, communications and control hardware. |
| Testing | Document requirements, functional tests and any witnessed FAT. |
| Programme | Tender deadline, drawing-approval dates, shutdown and site delivery. |
For an existing board, include the manufacturer and serial number if known, current drawings and photographs taken safely. Detailed internal surveys must be planned with the responsible electrical team.
A practical way to organise the enquiry files
Use a clear project name and put the current revision on each document. Include a short cover note listing the attached drawings and schedules. If an older drawing is provided for background, mark it as reference material so it cannot be mistaken for the current design.
For several boards, give each assembly its own tag and schedule. Show common project requirements once, then identify any board-specific differences such as cable entry, location, form or testing. This reduces the risk that a detail intended for one board is priced across the whole package.
- Project and site address, enquiry contact and tender deadline.
- Current single-line and relevant layout drawings.
- One identified schedule for each board.
- Technical specification and any approved departures.
- Photographs and existing records where replacement is involved.
- A short list of missing information and who will provide it.
For the Southern Charity Hospital project, the CWS package included both the main switchboard and downstream distribution boards. An enquiry for a similar package should identify each board and show how the schedules relate, so the quote covers the complete requested supply.
Budget indication or detailed quotation?
A concept-stage budget helps a project compare options before every design input is fixed. Its value lies in a clear basis: assumed configuration, principal quantities, allowances and exclusions. Tell the supplier what decision the budget needs to support.
A detailed quotation needs a more resolved scope. Check the supplied equipment, document package, testing, freight, installation boundaries and commercial terms. A price marked “firm” still applies to its stated scope and conditions; it does not absorb every later change.
If two prices differ substantially, compare their assumptions before treating the difference as a saving. The supplier and quotation comparison guide provides a useful review framework.
Make the scope easy to compare
Tell us whether the enquiry is for manufacture only or also includes design development, site work or other services. Name the party providing PLC programming, network configuration and site commissioning. If equipment is free-issued, provide exact references and expected arrival dates.
Separate essential requirements from preferences. If alternatives are acceptable, explain what must stay equivalent and who approves a change. This helps avoid a price comparison between fundamentally different supplies.
If information is incomplete
Send what you have and explain the project stage. A budget indication may be possible with a stated basis. A detailed quotation will set out its scope, assumptions, validity and terms; it should not be treated as an open-ended fixed price for later changes.
Do not insert an arbitrary current, fault level or IP rating simply to fill a blank. The resources page includes the enquiry workbook and supporting guides to help organise the information.
An enquiry example
The value of this example is the clarity of the boundaries. The same approach works for an MSB, a distribution board or a control panel. Replace the assumptions with your actual project information; do not copy the example as a technical specification.
What happens next?
We review the enquiry, identify clarifications and discuss a suitable manufacturing approach. Quotation timing depends on scope, engineering input, supplier pricing and workload. A complete brief helps, but it does not create an automatic same-day commitment.
Include your contact details and quote deadline in the first message. For a full technical brief, use the specification checklist. For programme planning, see what determines switchboard lead time.
Questions we hear
Can I enquire without a finished design?
Yes. Explain which decisions are still open and whether you need a budget indication or a detailed quotation.
Should I include the required delivery date?
Yes. Give the tender deadline, planned approval dates, FAT requirements and site date, especially where a shutdown is involved.
What if the drawings and schedule disagree?
Identify the conflict and request clarification before the scope is fixed. Give one responsible person ownership of the coordinated revision rather than asking the manufacturer to guess which document wins.