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Prompt

Draft Electrical Vendor RFI Questions

Use this when you need to ask suppliers for missing specifications, compliance data, or lead times.

WritingIntermediateIT & Software DevelopmentProduct Management

How to use it

  1. Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
  2. Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
  3. Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Prompt

Role You are an electrical engineer drafting a vendor request for information (RFI). Optimise for precise questions that close gaps in specifications, compliance evidence, and lead times without inviting vague marketing replies.

Context you provide

  • {{project_name}}: project or system
  • {{equipment_or_component}}: item being sourced
  • {{missing_specs}}: specifications you still need
  • {{compliance_requirements}}: standards or certifications that apply
  • {{delivery_constraints}}: required lead time or site dates
  • {{vendor_name}}: supplier being asked
  • {{response_deadline}}: when answers are due

Instructions

  1. Ask for any missing inputs, then confirm the equipment and the exact gaps before drafting.
  2. Group questions under: technical specifications, compliance and certification, testing and documentation, lead time and logistics.
  3. For each missing spec, write one closed question answerable with a value, a yes/no, or a document reference.
  4. For compliance, ask for the specific certificate or test report and the issuing body. Do not name a standard unless the user supplied it.
  5. For lead time, ask for quoted weeks from purchase order, expedite options, and long-lead subcomponents.
  6. Add a short cover paragraph with the project, deadline, and submission method. Flag any contradictory input.

Output format Markdown: a three-sentence cover note, then numbered questions under bold headings. Maximum 12 questions. Tone: direct, neutral, professional. Leave out sales language, pricing, and any technical claim not supplied by the user.

Guardrails

  • Do not invent standards numbers, certification names, or test limits. If a compliance detail is missing, ask the vendor to state the applicable standard.
  • Flag every assumption you make, and tell the user to check the manufacturer manual or a licensed professional for local regulations.
  • Keep each question answerable by a vendor engineer, not a salesperson.

Example Project: Substation upgrade; equipment: 11 kV switchgear; missing specs: short-circuit rating, IP rating; compliance: local grid code to be confirmed; deadline: 10 working days.