The numbers match. Are they measuring the same thing?
A customer writes “300 × 200 × 100 mm”. A quote repeats those numbers and looks ready to send. First ask: are these product dimensions, the internal space or the outside of the box? If each document describes something different, copying the numbers correctly does not resolve the enquiry.
In a box-making workshop, you can trial a text assistant to prepare that comparison and draft clarification questions. Here are fictional documents, a manual reference and a trial instruction. The responsible person still checks dimensions, box style, the sample and packaging acceptance.
FEFCO helps interpret a specification; it does not fill gaps in an email
The dimensions section of the FEFCO Code, edition 12, expresses internal dimensions in millimetres as length × width × height (L × W × H). The code identifies box designs; it does not replace the specific specification you need to confirm with the supplier.
Do not read every sales page through the same rule: MálagaPack’s published configurator asks for internal dimensions and labels the fields in centimetres; Zypack’s e-commerce-box size table is headed “External dimensions”. These are observations of those pages’ text, not tests of their configurators. Keep the source label; do not impose “internal” on an unlabelled dimension.
A fictional enquiry with three references you must keep separate
All the following data are invented. D1, message for job C-24: “Product P: length 300, width 200, height 100 mm, without protective packaging. We need 80 boxes. Before manufacturing, send a sample to test with the product and dividers.” D2, draft quote: “Box B, external L × W × H: 300 × 200 × 100 mm. Quantity: 80.” D3, unconfirmed internal note: “Send 300 × 200 × 100 as internal dimensions to supplier; dividers to be defined.”
This table is our manual reading reference, not assistant output or the result of testing a box. The numbers are for practising record-keeping, not recommended dimensions or a design formula.
| Document | What to retain | Outstanding decision |
|---|---|---|
| D1: product P | 300 × 200 × 100 mm; length, width and height of the product without protection. | Request the box specification to assess with the product and dividers; do not copy these as internal space dimensions. |
| D2: box B | 300 × 200 × 100 mm external; 80 boxes. | Do not present it as equivalent to the product requirement. Request internal dimensions for that style and check the sample as agreed. |
| D3: internal note | The same numbers proposed as internal, unconfirmed; dividers to be defined. | Flag the reference change from D1 and D2. Retain the note without turning it into an approved specification. |
| D1: sample | Testing with product and dividers is requested before manufacturing. | Record testing and acceptance as outstanding. Requested quantity is not production authorisation. |
Turn the comparison into a question that moves the job forward
A useful draft could be: “For C-24 we have dimensions for the product without protection and a quote with the same external numbers. Can you provide internal dimensions for box style B? Dividers remain undefined, and we need to confirm the sample specification to test the assembly before manufacturing.” This is proposed wording, not a sent enquiry or an accepted response.
If the supplier confirms internal dimensions, record who replied, which style and version they describe, the unit and the document. That completes a documentary field; it does not by itself prove fit or protection. If the style changes, request its specification. Do not derive internal dimensions by subtracting a generic thickness or invent a clearance.
When a unit, axis or measured object is missing, return a specific question. For the first trial, retain original units in separate columns: you do not need to convert centimetres and millimetres to identify texts describing different references.
An instruction to trial with D1, D2 and D3
Use only the fictional texts above in an authorised assistant. Before introducing real orders, review permissions, processing terms, access and retention. Do not paste personal data, confidential designs or real commercial documents without appropriate conditions.
- Proposed instruction: “Review C-24 before quotation. For each dimension copy literal text, unit, axis, object measured, internal/external reference and document. Mark missing fields pending. Do not turn product dimensions into box dimensions. Flag the difference between D2 and D3 without choosing a version. Separate requested quantity, specification, pending sample and authorisation. Return a record and a short clarification draft. Do not calculate thickness, clearance, strength, fit, prices or lead times. Do not approve manufacturing or send messages.”
- Check the response against the manual table. Specific failures include writing “internal dimensions confirmed”, claiming “the product fits” or recording sample acceptance. The instruction describes the trial task; the assistant can fail to follow it. We have not run this trial or validated a particular program.
Test a complete enquiry too: another question is not always needed
Prepare three fictional cases and their manual references before testing: the case above; one clearly identifying the product, confirmed internal dimensions for the style and a still-pending sample; and one with numbers but no unit. In the second, the assistant should retain documentary confirmation without requesting it again or approving fit. In the third, it should ask for the unit.
Count missed reference changes, invented dimensions, redundant questions and unsupported acceptances. Record total preparation, review and correction time against manual comparison. These are proposed metrics, not results or promises of savings or accuracy. Any invented authorisation or fit claim requires correction before using the record. Technical and physical checks remain with the appropriate person.
When to assess custom development for the workshop
The manual trial involves copying text and reviewing a draft. Connected automation would be a separate project: linking enquiry, product, quote, style and version; retaining each dimension’s source; and separating specification, sample and acceptance with permissions. Available formats, software and access would first need assessment, with no assumed compatibility.
Adaris can assess custom software, CRM or AI automation for that bounded process. An initial scope could prepare internal records and highlight discrepancies, with human review before quotation or manufacturing. This is a case-by-case development proposal. Commercial enquiries are handled in Spanish.
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Do the email and quote describe different dimensions?
Tell us how you prepare box orders and samples. We can assess bounded custom development for your workshop; commercial enquiries in Spanish.