KAYOU / B2B PURCHASING GUIDE

A clear RFQ makes every quote easier to compare.

Two suppliers quote “heavy-duty steel shelving, 300 kg per shelf.” One price is lower. Are the offers comparable?

Not necessarily. They may include different shelf sizes, numbers of levels, upright arrangements, reinforcement, accessories or packaging. Even the word “set” may refer to a different quantity of equipment.

A useful warehouse shelving RFQ defines what must be supplied, how it will be used and which costs belong in the quotation. This guide provides a copyable template and a worked example for importers, distributors and warehouse project buyers.

The scope is manually loaded steel shelving for cartons, bins, tools and parts. Forklift-loaded pallet racking requires a different specification.

Illustrative scene: review the goods, shelving layout and RFQ before requesting prices.

1. Define the Purchasing Unit Before Comparing Prices

Ask every supplier to use the same terminology:

For example, “five levels” should mean five supplied, decked storage levels if that is your requirement. State whether floor storage is excluded from the count.

For connected rows, compare the approved layout and bill of materials rather than treating every bay as an independent unit. See our starter bay and add-on bay guide.

2. Specify the Goods and Loading Conditions

A load rating needs context. Record the maximum loaded weight, dimensions and base contact pattern of the goods—not just the shelf’s target capacity.

The Storage Manufacturers Association distinguishes a uniformly distributed load, spread across a defined area, from a concentrated load acting over a relatively small area. A machine standing on small feet therefore needs a different loading assessment from cartons spread across a shelf. MHI / SMA technical guidance

Ask the supplier to confirm both:

• The permitted load on each complete shelf level.

• The permitted total bay load for the proposed shelf positions and configuration.

Do not establish bay capacity simply by multiplying an advertised shelf rating by the number of levels. Adding or repositioning levels can also require review; SMA advises checking the configuration drawings before reconfiguring shelving. MHI / SMA technical guidance

3. Copy This Warehouse Shelving RFQ Template

Replace the bracketed entries with your requirements. If a detail is unknown, write “supplier to propose” and ask for the proposed value to be stated clearly.

Attach a goods list and a simple room drawing. Mark columns, doors, available row lengths and the access needed for picking and replenishment.

Ask suppliers to answer the same RFQ revision. Any alternative should be quoted separately.

4. Worked Example: Turn “24 Sets” into a Defined Order

The following is a hypothetical purchasing brief, not a completed KAYOU project or a validated product rating.

A buyer requests:

• Four independent rows, each containing six connected bays.

• Proposed nominal bay size: 2,000 W × 600 D × 2,400 H mm.

• Five steel-decked levels per bay.

• Required loading: 300 kg UDL per level, with all five levels potentially loaded simultaneously.

• Label holders on every level.

For a conventional shared-frame arrangement, the requested quantities would be:

The requested simultaneous goods load is 1,500 kg per bay. This is a design requirement, not proof of allowable capacity. The supplier must confirm whether the proposed structure and configuration meet it.

The supplier should also identify upright-frame, beam, deck-panel, support and fixing quantities. One complete shelf level does not necessarily equal one steel panel.

Request the actual installed row length and usable openings. Six nominal 2,000 mm bays should not automatically be treated as a confirmed 12,000 mm installation.

5. Compare Supplier Responses Before Comparing Totals

Use “confirmed,” “deviation” or “not stated” against each requirement.

Suppose Supplier A includes 120 complete shelf levels, while Supplier B includes 96. Supplier B has not quoted the same order. Ask for a revised quotation before assessing the price difference.

Different suppliers may propose different structural designs that meet the same functional requirements. Equal specifications mean a common purchasing brief and acceptable performance—not necessarily identical component geometry.

Illustrative scene: compare size, levels, load requirements and packing on the same basis.

6. Keep Packing and Installation Costs Visible

Request the dimensions and quantity of every package type. For dimensions in centimeters:

CBM per package = length × width × height ÷ 1,000,000

Multiply each package type by its quantity, then add the results. Include pallet dimensions where applicable, and confirm whether the supplier’s total uses the same packing basis.

Separate product supply, export packing, transport, inspection and installation costs. Ask who assembles frames, positions shelving, supplies required fixings and completes installation checks.

A lower product price is only useful when the full order scope and delivery responsibilities are clear.

7. Confirm the Order Baseline Before Production

Retain one agreed package containing the final RFQ, accepted quotation, approved drawing, bill of materials and packing requirements.

Record deviations explicitly. If shelf positions, materials, supports or packaging change after approval, review the affected requirements before accepting the revision.

KAYOU’s quality-control process describes checks covering materials, dimensions, production, finish, accessories and packing. Buyers should agree which records and inspections apply to their particular order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request a quotation before I know the final dimensions?

Yes. Send your goods dimensions, weights, available space and estimated quantity. Ask the supplier to label assumptions and separate a preliminary proposal from a configuration confirmed for purchase.

Is thicker or heavier steel shelving always the better choice?

Thickness and product weight do not establish capacity by themselves. Compare the complete proposed structure, usable dimensions, loading conditions and supporting evidence.

What load documentation should I request?

Ask what configuration the evidence covers, which assessment or test method was used and any limitations. Request the applicable standard and edition where your project requires one. Do not assume a report for another size or arrangement covers your order.

Should alternative designs be allowed?

Yes, if useful. Ask for a compliant base quotation first, with alternatives shown separately and their dimensional, performance and commercial differences identified.

Send Your Shelving RFQ to KAYOU

KAYOU supplies adjustable steel shelving for warehouse and garage storage, with configurable dimensions, levels, colors and OEM packaging. Published load options are configuration-dependent and based on uniformly distributed loading.

Send your goods dimensions and weights, required levels, row layout, estimated quantity and delivery destination. Include the RFQ table above so the proposed configuration, packing and quotation scope can be discussed together.

Helpful details: goods dimensions + weights + shelf levels + quantity + delivery destination.

Technical reference

MHI — Storage Manufacturers Association FAQs: load definitions and guidance on shelving reconfiguration.

The RFQ and worked example are purchasing aids. Final load limits and installation requirements must follow the confirmed configuration and project documentation.