Acceptance Criteria in the RFQ, Not in the Contract

What to define early

• Sample size for the cycle-time test.
• How the cycle time is measured: from which signal to which signal.
• The permitted number of manual interventions per shift.
• Which safety functions are tested, and who witnesses them.

Why it belongs in the RFQ

If acceptance is defined after award, the vendor has already priced an assumption. Writing it in the RFQ means every bidder prices the same obligation, and it removes the single most common source of disputes.