| Technical Fit |
Equipment should meet the required production speed, accuracy, payload, working range, safety functions, and material-handling conditions. |
Technical proposal, layout drawings, machine specifications, cycle-time calculation, and application references. |
Confirm voltage, frequency, compressed-air requirements, local safety rules, and compatibility with existing production lines. |
High |
| Quality Management System |
A documented quality system with controlled design, purchasing, inspection, corrective-action, and change-management procedures. |
Current quality certificate, audit report, inspection plan, nonconformance procedure, and sample quality records. |
Check the certificate scope, issuing body, validity period, and whether the certified location is the actual manufacturing site. |
High |
| Machine Safety and Compliance |
Risk assessment, guarding, emergency-stop functions, safety circuits, operating instructions, and conformity documentation appropriate to the destination market. |
Risk assessment, safety circuit drawings, declaration of conformity where applicable, test reports, and user manual. |
Requirements differ by destination. Define applicable standards and conformity responsibilities before signing the purchase contract. |
High |
| Manufacturing Capability |
In-house control of critical fabrication, assembly, programming, testing, and final inspection, supported by qualified subcontractors when necessary. |
Factory audit, process-flow chart, production photographs, equipment list, subcontractor controls, and final inspection procedure. |
Determine which components are made in-house and which are outsourced, especially for controls, drives, sensors, and precision parts. |
High |
| Factory Acceptance Testing |
A documented acceptance test using agreed samples, operating conditions, performance targets, safety checks, and defect-closure records. |
FAT protocol, inspection checklist, test video, calibration records, and signed punch-list closeout. |
Define whether remote or on-site FAT is required and specify who pays for travel, testing, modifications, and repeat inspections. |
High |
| Delivery Lead Time |
A written production schedule with milestones for design approval, procurement, assembly, testing, packing, and shipment. |
Project schedule, long-lead-component list, production status reports, and historical delivery-performance data. |
Separate manufacturing lead time from sea or air transit time, customs clearance, installation, and commissioning time. |
High |
| Minimum Order Quantity |
MOQ should match the buyer’s pilot, replacement, or production-volume requirements without forcing unnecessary inventory. |
Formal quotation, volume-pricing schedule, spare-parts MOQ, and customization conditions. |
Ask whether the MOQ applies to complete machines, modules, spare parts, software licenses, or annual purchases. |
Medium |
| Commercial Terms |
Transparent pricing with separate lines for equipment, options, tooling, software, packaging, documentation, training, installation, and spare parts. |
Itemized quotation, payment schedule, warranty terms, validity period, tax treatment, and change-order procedure. |
Compare total landed cost rather than equipment price alone, including freight, insurance, duties, local services, and commissioning. |
High |
| Payment Risk |
Payment milestones should be linked to measurable deliverables such as design approval, production completion, FAT approval, and shipment. |
Pro forma invoice, milestone schedule, bank details, refund terms, and contract remedies for delay or nonconformity. |
Use appropriate payment protection for large orders and avoid paying the full balance before inspection and acceptance. |
High |
| Shipping and Incoterms |
The quotation should state the agreed Incoterms® rule, named place, packaging standard, cargo dimensions, weight, and shipping responsibilities. |
Commercial invoice, packing list, transport documents, export declaration, certificate of origin, and insurance information where applicable. |
Confirm who handles export clearance, main carriage, import clearance, duties, inland delivery, unloading, and cargo insurance. |
High |
| Traceability of Components |
Critical components should have identifiable manufacturers, model numbers, revision control, and replacement records. |
Bill of materials, approved-component list, serial-number records, certificates, and change-notification procedure. |
Verify long-term availability of controllers, drives, sensors, safety devices, and other parts that may affect future maintenance. |
High |
| Software and Data Access |
Buyer should receive necessary software backups, parameter files, operating instructions, user access rights, and password-management procedures. |
Software license terms, backup files, source-code escrow terms when relevant, network diagram, and cybersecurity procedure. |
Clarify remote-access permissions, data ownership, update fees, cybersecurity responsibilities, and offline recovery options. |
High |
| Installation and Commissioning |
Defined scope covering mechanical installation, electrical connection, programming, calibration, trial production, and operator training. |
Installation method statement, commissioning checklist, training plan, site-readiness requirements, and completion certificate. |
Confirm local labor availability, visa requirements, travel costs, translation needs, and responsibility for site utilities. |
Medium |
| Warranty and After-Sales Service |
Clear warranty duration, response time, troubleshooting process, replacement-part policy, and escalation procedure. |
Warranty certificate, service-level agreement, support contact list, spare-parts price list, and service-case statistics. |
Check time-zone coverage, language support, remote-diagnostic capability, and availability of qualified local service technicians. |
High |
| Spare Parts Availability |
Recommended start-up and critical spare-parts lists, with lead times and interchangeability information. |
Spare-parts catalog, preventive-maintenance schedule, stock policy, obsolescence notice procedure, and lifetime-support statement. |
Prioritize parts that can stop production, have long replenishment times, or require controlled software configuration. |
Medium |
| Supplier Financial and Operational Stability |
Evidence of stable operations, adequate engineering resources, repeat customers, and the ability to support the equipment after delivery. |
Company registration, audited financial information where available, customer references, organization chart, and continuity plan. |
Use independent verification and avoid relying solely on online listings, self-reported production figures, or unverified testimonials. |
High |
| Reference Projects |
Relevant installations using similar equipment, materials, throughput, automation level, and operating environment. |
Reference list, anonymized performance data, acceptance results, uptime records, and permission for reference interviews. |
Contact references in comparable industries or regions and ask about delivery accuracy, defects, support response, and ownership cost. |
High |
| Total Cost of Ownership |
Evaluation should include purchase price, energy, consumables, labor, maintenance, software, spare parts, downtime, and eventual disposal. |
Energy-consumption data, maintenance plan, consumables forecast, spare-parts pricing, and five-year operating-cost estimate. |
A lower purchase price may create higher costs through frequent maintenance, limited support, unavailable parts, or difficult integration. |
High |
| Risk Rating Method |
Use a weighted scorecard with documented evidence and require corrective actions for any high-risk finding. |
Supplier questionnaire, audit checklist, technical scorecard, commercial comparison sheet, and risk-mitigation plan. |
A practical weighting is technical fit and safety first, followed by quality, delivery, service, commercial terms, and price. |
Standard |
