IMPA codes vs plain-text requisitions: what actually speeds up your quote
IMPA codes solve one class of problem and create another. Here is when to insist on them and when they slow the process down.
IMPA codes are useful. IMPA codes are also over-used, and the wrong tool for about a quarter of a typical requisition. Here is how we think about it on the quoting side.
Where IMPA saves everyone time
Deck and engine stores. Ropes, wipers, brooms, packing, gaskets, tools, PPE — anything where a specific manufacturing standard matters. An IMPA code plus quantity is a clean quote. Both sides know exactly what is being priced.
Cleaning chemicals. Concentration and composition are safety-relevant. Quote by IMPA, not by trade name.
Cabin stores. Bed linen, cutlery, mugs, towels. IMPA codes disambiguate size and grade in a way plain text never quite does.
Where IMPA slows you down
Fresh provisions. "IMPA 88110" for beef will get you beef — but the cut, bone-in/out, grade and pack size are the actual variables that drive the price and the crew's opinion of the delivery. Add plain-text spec next to the code.
Bonded stores. Brand and country of origin matter for customs. IMPA codes do not capture either cleanly. Spell them out.
Local specialities. Palm oil, plantains, dried fish — items sourced from the local market do not have meaningful IMPA equivalents. Trying to force one adds delay while everyone works out what was actually meant.
The rule we use
If the product is manufactured to a spec, quote by IMPA. If the product is grown, aged or brewed, quote by IMPA plus plain text. If the product is local, use plain text and let the chandler photograph what they intend to source, before you approve.
What it changes at the office
A requisition prepared this way turns around in hours, not days, and eliminates the "is this what you meant?" email chain. If you want a template that already does this split, message us and we will send the one we ask new clients to work from.