1. Problem
What takes time, creates errors, or stalls cases today, and for whom?
Resource / Request for quote
Good quotes start with a good request.
Most bad quotes are not caused by bad vendors, but by vague requests. Ask for a price on something undefined and you get a price on the vendor guess - and guesses are rarely comparable. This guide shows what your request should contain, with a template to copy straight into the email, what a good quote must answer, which red flags to watch for, and how to compare quotes that look different.
Last updated: September 26, 2026
- 01
Why the request matters more than you think
A vendor can only price what they understand. Send three sentences about wanting AI and they must guess at scope, data, integrations, and risk - with each vendor guessing differently. The result is quotes that cannot be compared, and a project that starts in misunderstanding. A good request costs you a couple of hours, but saves weeks of clarification and rework later. It also forces internal agreement on what you actually want to achieve, before money and calendars are at stake.
- 02
What the request should contain
Start with the problem: what takes time, creates errors, or stalls cases today, and who feels it? Then describe the job: what should the solution do, for whom, and what should be different afterwards? List the systems involved, and say something honest about the data - what exists, where it lives, and who knows what is correct. Mention user groups and access needs, sensitive data or approval requirements, and any timeframe you have. End with what you want answered: fixed scope and assumptions, testing, ownership, operations - and what the quote explicitly excludes.
- 03
What a good quote must answer
A good quote mirrors the request point by point: here is the scope as we understand it, here are our assumptions, here is what we do not know yet. It describes how quality is tested - which examples, who approves, and what counts as good enough. It says who owns code, design, and data, who operates after launch, and what happens on change. It tells you what the vendor needs from you, and how much of your peoples time to budget. And it is honest about risk: what is uncertain, what can go wrong, and how is that handled? A quote containing only price and deadline answers none of this - then you are buying a surprise.
- 04
Red flags in quotes
Be sceptical of fixed prices on things the vendor has barely seen - especially if your data is messy or requirements are strict. Be sceptical of quotes with no test plan: no examples, no approval, no definition of good enough. Be sceptical of unclear ownership: who owns the code if you part ways, and in what format do you take your data? Be sceptical of a missing change routine: every project changes, and without rules you end in fights or standstill. And be sceptical of vendors who need nothing from you - no access, no time, no decisions. They are building something for themselves, not for you.
- 05
How to compare quotes
Never compare the bottom line alone. Put the quotes side by side and first check they price the same scope - often they do not, and then cheapest just means smallest. Then compare assumptions: who understood the data, the integrations, and the risk best? Compare test plans, ownership, and operations: what do you take with you, who operates, and what happens on change? Ask for clarification where quotes stay silent - silence is information. Finally, weigh the people. You will work closely with this team for weeks or months; choose the ones you trust when things go wrong, not the ones with the prettiest slides.
- 06
Send the same request to everyone
This is the simplest way to get comparable quotes, and the most skipped. Tailor the request per vendor - more detail to the favourite, less to the rest - and you get quotes on different projects. Send the same text to all, answer follow-up questions identically, and share clarifications with every party. Then vendors compete on understanding and quality, not on who guessed your scope right. The template below exists for exactly this: fill it in once, and send it to everyone you want a quote from.
- 07
What Aprex needs from you
Feel free to use the template below when writing to us at post@aprex.no. The more you fill in, the more concrete our answer: does the case fit a pilot, what would we test first, and what is the next step? Where something is unknown, write unknown - that is information too. We give no fixed price before seeing the case, but we always give an honest answer on whether we think we can help, and what we need to find out.
Overview
Template: copy into the request
Seven points that make a request quotable. Illustration - adapt to your case.
2. Job
What should the solution do, and what should differ afterwards?
3. Systems and data
Which systems are involved, and how is data quality?
4. Users
Who uses the solution daily, and who approves?
5. Requirements
Sensitive data, privacy, security, or timeframe to respect?
6. Success
What is the one measurable criterion for success?
7. Answer
Ask for scope, assumptions, testing, ownership, operations - and exclusions.
Price guides
Read what drives AI pilot and website cost.
Read more →FAQ
Quote FAQ
- How long should a request be?
- Long enough to answer the seven template points - often one to two pages. Shorter usually means the vendor must guess.
- Should I ask for fixed price or hours?
- First ask for fixed scope with clear assumptions; then the pricing form matters less. Fixed price on vague scope buys either a high risk premium or a later fight.
- How many vendors should I ask?
- Few enough to compare, many enough to learn: two to four covers most cases. More than that drowns you in follow-up questions.
- What do I do with quotes I do not understand?
- Ask for clarification in writing, and share the answer with all vendors. A quote you do not understand cannot be compared - and the fog will not lift by itself.
- Should I share my budget?
- Yes, as a frame - not as an answer. An honest frame helps the vendor propose the right scope instead of guessing what you can take.
- What if no quote fits?
- Then the request did its job: it showed scope, frame, or timing is off. Narrow down, adjust, and ask again - cheaper now than mid-project.
Honest about quotes
We would rather decline a request than price something we do not understand. A good quote - from us or others - answers scope, assumptions, testing, ownership, and operations. Demand that of everyone, and you get quotes you can actually choose between.
Send the request to Aprex
Use the template above, fill in what you know, and write unknown where you do not. We answer honestly.
Contact Aprex →