Why this catalogue names no brand

This catalogue names no manufacturer. It also names no answers. It lists the questions that decide whether a procurement succeeds — and that are regularly missing from first quotations.

The reason for the neutrality is practical: a quotation that does not answer these questions is not comparable. As long as two suppliers provide different information, you are not comparing two products but two answer formats. With this catalogue you normalise the basis of comparison — for every supplier, including us.

Block 1 — Evidence and documentation

Questions:

1. Which conformity documents exist for the specific model, and can you provide them as a file?

2. Does the document apply to this model, or to the series?

3. Who issued it, and is the issuer named?

Why this is the first block: evidence is most often assured verbally in the quotation stage and least often documented. The distinction between "the series is certified" and "this model has a certificate" is substantial in practice.

What to look for in the answer: a document with a model reference and a named issuer. Papers without a model reference are of little use in your file.

Block 2 — Samples and pre-production units

Questions:

4. Can we obtain a sample for trials before placing an order?

5. Is the sample the series version or a pre-production state?

6. Will the test be done at our site, and who supports it?

Why: a test on your own equipment — with your inrush currents, your dust load, your ambient temperature — is the only meaningful check. Derive the test duration from your work sequence, not from the quotation.

Block 3 — Statutory warranty and commercial guarantee

Questions:

7. What statutory warranty applies in your jurisdiction, and what additional guarantee is given?

8. What is explicitly not covered?

9. What is the process in a damage case — who do I contact, and how is transport handled?

10. Are repairs carried out in our country or at the manufacturer's site?

Why: point 8 matters more than point 7. Most disputes arise not about duration but about whether a damage is covered. A clear exclusion list is a quality feature, not a weakness.

Block 4 — Spare parts and service over the service life

Questions:

11. Which components are consumables, and at what intervals are they replaced?

12. How are spare parts available in your region, and through which channel?

13. Is there a documented procedure for a failure during a rental period?

Why: a unit is serviceable not for as long as its datasheet, but for as long as the parts supply is secured. This question decides the cost in years three to five — and it is almost never answered in first quotations.

Block 5 — Minimum order quantity and scaling

Questions:

14. How is the minimum order quantity defined — per model, per series, or per order?

15. Does the series offer a scaling path so we can start small and expand later?

16. Are follow-up orders of single units possible, and do they stay compatible with the first delivery?

Why: point 16 is the practically relevant one. If follow-up orders cannot be combined with the first delivery, a small initial order becomes an investment that cannot be extended.

Block 6 — Delivery, Incoterms and customs

Questions:

17. Which Incoterm is offered, and what does it include?

18. Who handles customs declaration and import duties, and who carries the risk of delay?

19. How is a multi-unit order delivered — one shipment, one pallet, individual units?

Why: transport and import are where costs appear that are invisible in the quoted price. Clarify which items you carry yourself before the order — not after.

Block 7 — Factory visit

Questions:

20. Is a factory visit or audit possible, on site or as a video session walking through production?

21. Can you show the manufacturing and test steps that support your quality statement?

Why: this question separates a dealer from a manufacturer in one sentence — and it is reasonable to ask both ways. Those who offer video sessions walking through production are rarely audited and often asked.

How to use this catalogue

1. Send it unabridged to every supplier you are seriously considering.

2. Compare not the completeness of the answers but their verifiability — documents that exist against statements that are assured.

3. Keep the answers in your file. In an inspection or damage case, the quotation stage is the only stage at which you can still obtain this information.

4. Ask suppliers who cannot answer several points why. The answer to that question is informative.

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Currently reviewing suppliers for portable power and want to apply this catalogue directly? Send us the questions critical to your application — we will answer them for our configurations and tell you openly which points we do not cover. Prices on request.