Quotation Specification (Mitsumori Shiyosho): Sample Format
A Japanese plant contractor sends you a purchase specification and asks for your quote "with the 見積仕様書 (mitsumori shiyosho)." Or you sit on the buying side at a Japanese-owned plant, three pump makers have replied, and each sent a price sheet plus a thick technical document. The prices are far apart, and you need to know why before anyone starts negotiating.
The short answer: a quotation specification is the supplier's answer to the buyer's purchase specification. It states the specifications of the equipment the supplier has selected and exactly what the quote covers. It is submitted with the priced quotation, and together they define the equipment to be delivered, the scope of supply, and the price. In English-language tenders, the closest documents are usually called a technical offer or a techno-commercial offer.
This guide focuses on the quotation specification itself: what goes in it, the three jobs it does, a clause-by-clause sample format, and checklists for both the supplier who writes it and the buyer who reviews it. For the buyer's side of the exchange, see our guide to the purchase specification (kobai shiyosho). For what happens after the order, see the delivery specification (nonyu shiyosho).
Contents
- What Is a Quotation Specification (Mitsumori Shiyosho)?
- What Goes Into a Quotation Specification
- The Three Jobs of a Quotation Specification
- How to Write One: Answer the Purchase Spec Clause by Clause
- Checklists for Suppliers and Buyers
- Questions to Send the Other Side
- Related Terms: Mitsumori Yoko-sho and English Equivalents
- Where This Guide Does Not Apply
- FAQ
- Sources
What Is a Quotation Specification (Mitsumori Shiyosho)?
A quotation specification is a document the equipment supplier prepares in response to the buyer's purchase specification (kobai shiyosho, 購買仕様書). It describes the equipment the supplier has selected and states what the quoted price includes. The usual reader is the plant contractor or plant designer that issued the purchase specification, and the supplier normally submits it together with the priced quotation (mitsumorisho, 見積書).
It is one of the first documents a supplier returns after being asked to select equipment. The buyer marks it up in red (shuki, 朱記, red-ink comments) and sends it back, and the supplier revises it. The order is placed once the specifications are settled through this back-and-forth, and the same review then repeats on the delivery specification and approval drawings. Our delivery specification guide shows the full document sequence from quotation to delivery.
The quotation and the quotation specification come from the supplier at the same time, but they answer different questions.
The quotation states the price. The quotation specification states what that price buys.
(kobai shiyosho)
(mitsumorisho)
(mitsumori shiyosho)
Document names and the division of roles vary by company, industry, and project. Some suppliers put a specification chapter inside the quotation instead of issuing a separate document.
Quotes are comparable on price only when they cover the same scope. That is why the quotation and the quotation specification are always read together.
What Goes Into a Quotation Specification
The contents vary by supplier, but most quotation specifications cover the items below. Beyond the equipment data, a good one shows the basis for the claimed performance and draws a clear line between what is and is not included.
Specs, the basis for performance, and the scope line between included and excluded.
Item names and order differ by company. Figure 4 below shows how to write the response clause by clause.
The load data feeds the buyer's foundation design. Our guide to equipment loading data for foundations covers what to submit and when. The deviation list has its own format and review process, explained in Deviation List (Debikura): Format, Sample, and Checklist.
How much a supplier can include depends heavily on whether the equipment is standard or custom. For standard products, instruction manuals and detailed drawings already exist. For custom equipment, many details only become clear once detailed design starts, so at the quotation stage the supplier often provides reference drawings only. A quotation specification does not guarantee an order either, so suppliers differ in how much engineering time they put into it.
The Three Jobs of a Quotation Specification
A quotation specification exists to align the specifications, fix the scope, and only then agree on the price. The order matters, and price comes last.
1. Align the Specifications
This is the main job. The figures in a purchase specification are values the plant designer assumed from calculations. How to turn them into an actual machine is up to the supplier.
Typical questions are how much capacity margin the supplier adds over the specified duty, and whether a specified material applies only to wetted parts (the parts in contact with the liquid) or to the whole unit. Points like these drive the price, so they need to be settled at the quotation stage. A supplier that adds a generous margin and one that selects the smallest unit that works can offer very different sizes and prices against the same requirement.
2. Define the Scope of Supply
The quotation specification states which accessories, such as gaskets and valves, are included in the price. The buyer uses it to check that everything it expects is in the quote, and to confirm the scope of supply (shosho, 所掌): which party provides or installs each item.
Listing what is excluded and what the buyer supplies, not just what is included, exposes gaps and overlaps.
A fictional example for illustration. Which item goes in which column is decided with the buyer for each project.
Japan's public construction sector uses the same idea. In the standard estimate formats published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the client prepares an estimate conditions sheet that states what is included in the scope and what is not. Plant equipment quotes work the same way.
Including everything is not always the cheapest option. For some parts, the plant contractor buys in larger volumes and can supply them for less than the equipment maker would pay, so the parties discuss each item, often with past projects as a guide. Anything added after the contract that is not in the quotation specification costs extra, so differences in how each side reads the scope need to be cleared up before the contract. For mating flanges, see who supplies the mating flange. Whether shop performance tests and witness inspections are in the quote is also part of the scope. For how those tests run, see our FAT and SAT guide.
3. Agree on the Price
Price negotiation starts once the specifications are agreed. The buyer then checks the price against the budget set in advance. If it is far over budget, the usual fix is to change the scope or revisit the specifications, and the quotation specification often goes through several revisions.
When comparing several suppliers, split the price gap into three parts to see where it comes from:
- Equipment specs: margin, materials, and model type
- Scope: whether accessories, tests, and site work are included
- Assumptions: lead time, validity of the quote, and delivery point
Each revision gets a new revision number and date, and the purchase order cites the agreed final version. After the order, check that what was agreed actually appears in the delivery specification and the approval drawings (shonin-zu).
Related: Japanese Procurement: QCD Negotiation and Supplier Ratings
How to Write One: Answer the Purchase Spec Clause by Clause
There is no standard template; each company has its own format. The format that is easiest for the buyer to check, though, answers each clause of the purchase specification in turn. The table below is a fictional pump example, not any real company's format.
For each clause, show the requirement and the offer side by side, and mark it Complies, Deviates, or Open.
Fictional example. The figures and materials are not real selections. A real form also has fields for project name, equipment tag number, revision, date, and quotation number.
Each "Deviates" row is linked by number to an entry in the deviation list. Each "Open" row gets a reply deadline and must become either "Complies" or "Deviates" before the final revision.
The clause-by-clause format is not unique to Japan. Indian public-sector tenders from BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited), for example, ask bidders to confirm the technical specification and commercial conditions point by point, and to list deviations on a separate schedule with the clause number for each. Some of these tenders state that deviations not listed on that schedule will not be considered. A Japanese buyer and an international buyer will both read this format without difficulty.
Checklists for Suppliers and Buyers
A quotation specification is only one part of answering an inquiry. For the full sequence from inquiry to quote, see RFQ to a Japanese Manufacturer: The 7-Step Hikiai Process.
Before You Submit (Supplier)
- Every clause of the purchase specification has an answer
- Standard and custom parts are clearly distinguished
- Included, excluded, and buyer-supplied items are listed separately
- Quote assumptions are stated: validity period, the starting point for the lead time, and delivery point
- The document shows its own revision and date, and the revision of the purchase specification it answers
When You Receive One (Buyer)
- Performance, materials, and standards meet the requirement, and every deviation appears in the deviation list
- Someone is assigned to every item marked "by others"
- No items are still open
- When comparing several suppliers, scope and assumptions are lined up across all quotes
Questions to Send the Other Side
If you are the buyer and a quotation specification leaves gaps, these questions cover the points that most often change the price later. Suppliers answering a Japanese buyer can use the same list to check their own document before sending it.
- Which revision of our purchase specification does this quotation specification answer?
- How much margin did you add over the specified duty point, and where is that shown in the capacity calculation?
- Does the specified material apply to wetted parts only, or to the whole unit?
- Which accessories (mating flanges, gaskets, bolts, anchor bolts, valves) are included in the price?
- Are the shop performance test, the test report, and witness inspection included?
- Which items do you expect us to supply or arrange?
- From what date does the lead time count, where is the delivery point, and how long is the quote valid?
- Which items are still open, and when will you answer them?
A short email that asks for the missing pieces in one go:
Subject: Quotation specification for P-101 – clarification request
Thank you for your quotation and quotation specification (Rev. 0) for pump P-101.
Before we compare offers, please confirm the following against our purchase specification Rev. 2:
1. Scope: please list included, excluded, and buyer-supplied items separately, including mating flanges, gaskets, bolts, and anchor bolts.
2. Clause 3.2: does SUS316 apply to wetted parts only?
3. Clause 5.2: is the shop performance test included in the price, and is a witness inspection possible?
4. Please give the quote validity, the start point for the lead time, and the delivery point.
Please reply by [date] with a revised quotation specification (Rev. 1) and an updated deviation list.
Best regards,
The pump tag, revision numbers, and clause numbers are placeholders. Replace them with those in your own documents.
Related Terms: Mitsumori Yoko-sho and English Equivalents
A similar-sounding document, the mitsumori yoko-sho (見積要項書), comes from the other side. It is one of several names for the document in which the buyer sets out how and on what conditions quotes must be submitted: deadline, submission method, quote conditions, and so on. It goes out together with the specifications. In building construction, for example, a client may hand out a mitsumori yoko-sho with the design documents for quotation, setting out the scope of work, how to submit the quote, and payment terms. Some companies write it 見積要綱書, and MLIT's standard formats call the buyer's documents an estimate request (mitsumori irai-sho, 見積依頼書) and an estimate conditions sheet (mitsumori joken-sho, 見積条件書).
The buyer states requirements and conditions. The supplier answers with a price and a specification.
One example. Document names and combinations differ by industry, procurement method, and project. In Japanese public-sector purchasing by comparison of quotations (mitsumori awase), suppliers often submit only a quotation.
No single English term maps one-to-one onto mitsumori shiyosho. The name depends on what the submission contains:
- Technical offer / technical proposal / technical bid: the technical part of the response
- Techno-commercial offer (or bid): one submission covering technical and commercial terms. In Indian public-sector tenders such as BHEL's, it is Part I of a two-part bid, and the price bid is opened separately
- Schedule of deviations: a separate form some buyers require for listing deviations
Where This Guide Does Not Apply
- Document names, contents, and who prepares what vary by company, industry, and project. Some suppliers fold the specification into the quotation itself.
- How much detail to provide depends on what the purchase specification or request for quotation asks for. If capacity calculations or reference drawings are explicitly required, provide them.
- The scope split in Figure 3 and the sample in Figure 4 are fictional. Agree on the actual split with the buyer on each project.
- Public tenders, in Japan and elsewhere, have their own rules on what may be submitted and how deviations are treated. Follow the tender documents.
FAQ
What Is the Difference Between a Quotation and a Quotation Specification?
The quotation states the price, validity, payment terms, and similar commercial terms. The quotation specification states what that price delivers and what the scope of supply covers. Some companies combine the two in one document with a specification chapter.
Who Prepares the Quotation Specification, the Buyer or the Supplier?
The supplier. The buyer prepares the purchase specification and, in some cases, a document with the quote conditions (mitsumori yoko-sho or mitsumori joken-sho). The supplier answers with the quotation and the quotation specification.
How Detailed Should a Quotation Specification Be?
Start with what the purchase specification or request for quotation requires you to submit. If nothing is specified, a catalog and existing drawings are often enough for standard products. For custom equipment, write the specs and scope that drive the price first. Mark uncertain items as open, ask about them, and settle them in detailed design after the order.
What Should the Buyer Do with Deviations in a Quotation Specification?
Check that each one is listed in the deviation list, decide whether to accept it, and record the answer. Before placing the order, make sure no item is still open. The deviation list guide covers the response process.
Sources
- Estimate request documents and the role of the estimate conditions sheet (included and excluded scope): MLIT, "Standard Estimate Formats for Public Building Works (Building Works), 2012 edition (revised), excerpt" (Japanese)
- Clause-wise compliance confirmation and deviations in BHEL tenders: BHEL Seamless Steel Tube Plant (Trichy), "General Terms and Conditions (E-Procurement)," Annexure I
- Techno-commercial offer and schedule of deviations: BHEL tender documents (schedule of technical and commercial deviations)
Original article in JapaneseThis guide is adapted from a MONOSCOPE article written for readers in Japan: 見積仕様書とは？目的と書き方・記載例、購買仕様書との違い
About the editor
MONOSCOPE EditorFOUNDER & EDITORSpent about ten years at a plant equipment maker and a plant engineering company, proposing, designing, and commissioning equipment, then moved into web marketing. Now a web consultant for B2B manufacturers, helping them explain their products and technology. Licensed in Japan as an Energy Manager and a Third-Class Chief Electrical Engineer.
Has run an engineering blog since 2017 (500+ articles) and a Japanese YouTube channel with about 20,000 subscribers. Each English guide is written from the Japanese shop-floor point of view and checked against the cited standards.
