Gains:
- May include technical requirements that vary from country to country
- Can see the impact of the specification difference on the cost
- Can list questions to ask before bidding
The same facility requires different documents and different equipment in different countries. If these differences are not asked at the bidding stage, the cost will arise later and eat into the profit.
Changing titles
- Electrical: voltage, frequency (50/60 Hz), panel standard, grounding.
- Food legislation: contact surfaces, traceability, additive limits.
- Certification: CE, local conformity certificates, inspection regime.
- Work safety: protection standards, emergency stop.
- Language: label, dashboard, manual and HMI language.
- Climate: temperature, humidity and dust conditions affect equipment selection.
Questions to ask before bidding
Mains voltage and frequency; local food legislation; requested certificates; manual and interface language; site climatic conditions; local assembly labor and crane availability; who has customs responsibility.
If there are no answers to these questions, write as an assumption in the offer: "400V/50Hz accepted." The unwritten assumption later turns into a discussion of additional costs.