Over the decades, we have seen thousands of shredder quote requests. We’ve seen great ones and we’ve seen awful ones. Sometimes we are blown away by book length RFQs written for just a small office unit. Overkill maybe?

The toughest situations are the ones where we see folks end up with lemons. Those bad results often come from RFQs that are too short and simple. More so than ever, we see RFQs for major shredder purchases, with nothing, or almost nothing, specifying the minimum technical requirements. We know many customers who worked and waited over months or even years to put together approvals, research, and funding for a shredder purchase, only to get stuck in the end with equipment that doesn’t match up to what they requested or needed. Ouch!

So, how do you specify a shredder on a purchase request and RFQ in order to avoid getting a clunker?

The good news is that you don’t need to write a 100 page technical document. Shredders aren’t akin to aerospace or computer equipment. On the other hand, you don’t want to treat them like #2 pencils either. The good middle ground is a handful of key technical specifications. Consider these:

• NSA approval – if you need the machine to destroy classified materials, put this in.
• Throat width – if you have lots of wide materials, then specify a wide throat, otherwise 9.5” to 10.25” width is plenty for standard office paper.
• Control features – if the machine you prefer has better quality controls, like hard switches or touch screen, include that specification, to eliminate machines with flimsy touch pads.
• Cabinet type – most shredder cabinets are made of pressboard, but some have metal tops or metal bodies overall.
• Cutting head type – this is especially important if you’ve selected a machine with a “no- oil” or swappable cutting head.
• Local service availability – not all shredder vendors have local service in every region. Others will rely on office supply stores who only work on shredders one in a rare while. It is best to specify the type of support you want for local service.
• Oiling method – some shredders require manual oiling, some have automatic oilers, and there is even the eco-friendly 1201CC that operates without oil. The most popular option is automatic oilers using one-gallon, swappable jugs, like those found on most of SEM’s paper shredders such as the #1 selling SEM Model 244/4. The jug acts as the reservoir making it easy to determine when it’s empty and even easier to change…no fuss/no mess.
• Special features– some of the finest shredders on the market have useful
  features that are rarely found, like auto-sync dual voltage (110/220) or whisper
  quiet operation. These should be part of the specifications, or they probably
  won’t be features on the machine that gets purchased.

BUT, there is one more thing. You need to press for the specifications to end up in the advertized RFQ. Many procurement offices write RFQs in the loosest possible way, for example: “Acme Jet Pack Model XYZ, or equal” with no technical specifications whatsoever. Or they might use specifications that are so loose that someone could bid an Estes model rocket engine with a roll of duct tape and a “good luck” note and be within the RFQ requirements. No tech specs means pretty much anything goes.

Frequently, our customers report being pressed to accept the lowest priced offer that comes in, based on LPTA evaluation guidelines. With no technical specifications to fall back on, it is hard to resist that pressure.

SEM’s advice is to do your research, find what you really need as minimum specifications and features, and get those specs into the RFQ. Happy shopping!