Most sourcing problems are visible before the first order is placed. The trouble is that by then everyone wants the deal to work, so the warning signs get explained away. A supplier with a good price and a fast reply feels like a solution, and nobody wants to slow it down.
When a client asks us to find or check a manufacturer, this is the order we work in. None of it is complicated. It just has to be done before the money moves, not after.
1. Write the requirement down first
Before we contact anyone, we agree with the client on the product, the specifications, the volume, the target price and the deadline. It sounds obvious, but a vague request gets vague quotes, and vague quotes cannot be compared. If two suppliers are quoting on two different understandings of the product, the cheaper one is not really cheaper.
2. Look for more than one option
Even when a client already has a supplier in mind, we look at alternatives. Sometimes the first choice is the right one. Often it is simply the one that answered first. Comparing three serious candidates on the same written requirement tells you more than any single meeting.
3. Check that the company is what it says it is
Is it the factory or a trading company in front of the factory? How long has it been operating? Who else does it supply, and will those customers talk to you? A trading company is not a problem in itself, but you should know whose hands the order is passing through and what each step adds to the price.
4. See the production, or have someone see it
Where it matters, we visit the plant to check that it can actually make the product to the specification, at the volume and in the time required. Photos and certificates are a starting point, not proof. A visit also tells you how the supplier behaves when someone asks direct questions.
5. Get a sample against the specification
The sample is checked against what was written in step one, not against what looks acceptable. It goes to the client, and any gap is agreed in writing before production. A sample that “is close enough” usually becomes a production run that is not.
6. Ask for the documents your market will ask you for
More and more EU buyers and authorities ask importers for data about where a product comes from and how it was made. A supplier who cannot provide it today will not find it easier after you have paid a deposit. We ask for it at the start and treat it as part of the offer, the same as price and lead time.
Then negotiate, and stay with the order
Only after these checks do we negotiate price and transport terms. After that we follow the production timeline, shipping and delivery until the goods arrive. The checks above are what make that last part uneventful.
If you are about to commit to a new supplier and want a second pair of eyes before you do, send us the product and what you have so far.