“Please send us your best price for magnetite.”

Simple enough, right?

Not quite. If that is the entire request, the supplier is likely to come back with a few questions before anyone gets near a quotation. What specification do you need? How much are you buying? Where is it going? How often do you need it? And, perhaps most importantly, what exactly is the magnetite being used for?

A vague enquiry might save a procurement team a few minutes when the email is sent, but it can create a much longer conversation afterwards. When you are arranging bulk magnetite supply for a processing plant, giving suppliers the right information from the start can make the quotation process faster, clearer and far easier to compare.

The good news? You do not need to write a novel. You simply need to give the supplier enough information to understand what you actually need.

Start with the application

Before talking about quantities or delivery dates, explain what the magnetite will be used for.

This is particularly important for processing plants because the required characteristics of the material can depend on the application. Rather than asking for a generic grade of magnetite, provide the relevant process information and any specification already established by your technical team.

If your plant has an approved product specification, attach it to the enquiry. This may include requirements relating to particle size, magnetic properties, density, or other characteristics relevant to the process.

Already have a previous supplier’s datasheet or laboratory results? Include those too. The more useful technical information you provide, the less time everyone spends playing quotation ping-pong over email.

Martin & Robson has established quality-control and laboratory capabilities for assessing magnetite characteristics, including magnetic properties, sizing, and density. This technical capability can support discussions around the material requirements of a particular application.

How much are you actually going to use?

Next comes the number procurement teams probably already have sitting somewhere in a spreadsheet: quantity.

But do not stop at the first order.

If you are looking for an ongoing supply arrangement, provide both the initial quantity and your expected monthly consumption. There is a big difference between a plant requiring 500 tonnes for an initial requirement and one expecting to use 2,000 tonnes every month.

Giving the supplier an indication of expected consumption helps put the enquiry into context and allows the quotation to reflect the potential supply requirement.

It can also be useful to explain whether the requirement is a once-off purchase, a trial, a short-term contract or an ongoing supply arrangement.

Where is it going?

Here is another question that sounds obvious until it is missing from an RFQ: Where does the magnetite need to be delivered?

Include the full delivery location and, where relevant, the name of the mine, plant or processing facility.

For bulk materials, logistics are an important part of the supply chain. The distance to the site, available transport options and delivery requirements can all influence how the supply arrangement is structured.

Martin & Robson supplies magnetite to customers across international markets and has logistics capabilities covering road, rail and ocean freight.

So, if the magnetite needs to travel halfway across the country before it reaches your plant, it is probably worth mentioning that before asking for the final price.

What form should the delivery take?

“Bulk” does not necessarily answer the packaging question. Your plant may have specific requirements for receiving, storing and handling the magnetite. If you require bulk bags or another packaging format, include this in the RFQ.

Martin & Robson’s South African operations can supply magnetite in 1-tonne bulk bags and 25 kg bags on request, depending on the customer’s requirements.

It is also worth mentioning any site-specific unloading or storage considerations. A supplier can only plan around requirements that it knows about.

When do you need it?

A quotation without a delivery schedule is a little like being told where someone is going without being told when they need to arrive. Give the supplier the required first delivery date and, if the supply is ongoing, the expected delivery frequency.

For example, an enquiry could state that the first delivery is required by a particular date, followed by monthly deliveries of an estimated volume. If production shutdowns or other operational dates affect when deliveries can be received, include those details as well.

This gives the supplier a clearer picture of the supply programme and allows logistics requirements to be considered alongside the product requirement.

Your bulk magnetite supply RFQ checklist

Before hitting send, check that your enquiry includes:

  • Application: What will the magnetite be used for?
  • Specification: What technical characteristics are required?
  • Initial quantity: How many tonnes do you need?
  • Monthly consumption: How much do you expect to use?
  • Delivery location: Where must the material go?
  • Packaging: How does the plant need to receive it?
  • Delivery schedule: When is the first delivery required?
  • Supporting documents: Do you have specifications, test results or existing product information?

The better the question, the better the quotation

Nobody wants to spend three days exchanging emails simply to establish how many tonnes of magnetite are required and where they need to be delivered. A well-prepared RFQ gives the supplier a much clearer understanding of the requirement from the beginning. It also helps procurement teams compare quotations on a more consistent basis because suppliers are responding to the same set of technical and logistical requirements.

If you are preparing an enquiry for bulk magnetite supply, Martin & Robson can help you work through the information required for your application, from product specification and quantities to packaging and delivery.

Ready to start the conversation? Submit your magnetite requirements to Martin & Robson and let the team discuss the supply requirements for your processing operation.