How to Use These Questions
Send them with your URS and samples, and ask for written answers. A supplier who answers vaguely in writing usually stays vague at FAT. Score each answer against the evidence provided, not against the sales presentation.
A. Proof: Can They Show It on Your Product?
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Will you run a trial on our samples, good and defective, and share the results with images?
Look for a written report showing each defect type, detection results and false rejects on good samples. Video of a generic demo part is not evidence.
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Which installations on similar containers, labels or line speeds can we see or speak to?
Ask for references in your own product category. If a site visit isn't possible, a video call with the reference customer is a reasonable alternative.
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Which parts of the system do you design and build yourselves, and which are bought in?
Cameras and lenses are almost always bought in. What matters is who owns the application software, mechanical design, reject handling and integration, because that is who can fix things when they go wrong.
B. Performance: What Will It Actually Do on the Line?
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What detection and false-reject performance will you commit to, and how will it be measured at FAT and SAT?
The answer should name a challenge set, a run length and a speed. Be wary of “99.9% accuracy” with no method attached. See our false rejection rate guide for why this matters.
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At what maximum line speed are those figures valid, and on which SKU?
Performance on the slowest, easiest product doesn't tell you much. Ask for the hardest SKU at the highest speed.
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How is a new SKU added, how long does a changeover take, and who can do it?
Find out whether your own team can create a recipe or whether a vendor engineer has to visit, and what training is included.
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What happens on a camera fault, lighting failure, trigger loss or low air pressure? How is a reject confirmed?
The right answer is a line stop or reject-all, plus reject confirmation, a lockable bin and a bin-full sensor. A system that keeps passing product when a camera is down is a compliance risk.
C. Validation and Data Integrity
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Which qualification documents do you supply, and can we see sample formats now?
Ask about the FS/DS, FAT and SAT protocols, IQ/OQ protocols and PQ support. Agree who writes, who executes and who approves each one. Our IQ/OQ/PQ guide lists the typical contents.
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How are users, access levels, audit trails and backups handled, and how are they tested?
Unique logins, an audit trail with old and new values, time sync and backup/restore support revised Schedule M clause 20 and, for US-regulated sites, 21 CFR Part 11. Ask to see the audit trail working.
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How are software updates released, documented and controlled after installation?
Find out whether you get version numbers and release notes, and whether updates go through your change control. Remote access should be controlled by your IT team, not left open.
D. Service and Lifecycle
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Where is your nearest service engineer, and what response time will you commit to in writing?
Get the commitment for both remote and on-site response, and agree what happens on weekends and night shifts.
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Which spares do you stock in India, and what is the recommended spares list with prices?
Cameras, lenses, lights, sensors and reject valves are the usual items. Lead times for imported spares should be stated up front.
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What training is included for operators, maintenance and QA?
Training records are often needed for qualification. Ask whether they are provided.
E. Commercial Terms
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What exactly is in the price, and what is extra?
Check installation, commissioning, qualification support, additional SKUs, conveyor modifications, freight, taxes and travel. Compare complete scope. Our vision inspection price guide explains what moves the budget.
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What warranty applies, when does it start, and what do AMCs cost after it?
Warranty from dispatch and warranty from SAT can differ by months. Ask for the AMC price and scope now, while you still have negotiating leverage.
Download the RFQ Checklist + Scoring Sheet (Word + PDF)
All 15 questions with space for each vendor's answers, the evidence to ask for, a weighted scoring table you can adjust, and a red-flag list. Attach it to your RFQ so every supplier answers the same questions.
A Simple Scoring Sheet
Weight the groups to match your priorities. The weights below are only an example. A GMP plant will usually weight validation more heavily, and an FMCG plant may weight changeover and service more heavily.
| Group | Questions | Example weight | Vendor A (1–5) | Vendor B (1–5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proof on your samples | 1–3 | 25% | ||
| Performance and changeover | 4–7 | 25% | ||
| Validation and data integrity | 8–10 | 20% | ||
| Service and lifecycle | 11–13 | 15% | ||
| Commercial terms | 14–15 | 15% |
Score against the written evidence. Multiply each score by its weight and add them up. The downloadable version has the formula and space for four vendors.
Red Flags
- Refuses to test your defective samples, or only shows a generic demo.
- Promises “100% detection with zero false rejects” and gives no test method.
- Can't show sample IQ/OQ formats until after the purchase order.
- One shared login on the HMI, or an audit trail that can be switched off.
- Spare-part lead times or AMC pricing “to be discussed later”.
- Every new SKU needs a paid engineer visit, with no training for your team.
Why We Publish This
We would rather be compared on evidence. Optomech designs and builds complete inspection stations, covering mechanics, optics, reject handling and software, at our Hyderabad facility. Our product families include BIS, CIS, LIS, OCR/OCV and ISIVS. If you are weighing a global smart-camera brand against a local OEM, read Cognex & Keyence vs an Indian machine vision OEM before you finalise the RFQ.