Commercial documents come first
An order starts producing paper before it produces goods. The quotation and the trade model are agreed in writing, then the PI is signed, and the purchase contract with the supplier follows on the terms already agreed with the buyer. The deposit moves after that signature, not before it.
Sample and production records
Sample approval is written into the file, with the material, size, colour and packaging that were confirmed. Once the supplier prepares material for the run, the pre-production material check records what was examined against the confirmed specification — the first time the specification is read back against something physical.
The inspection report and the written release
Before dispatch, the finished product and its packaging are inspected against industry standards and the requirements raised on the order. The result is a report with photographs and video, issued on our own template rather than a factory document. Where the order calls for one, a bulk sample is sent for confirmation. Nothing ships until the buyer confirms the report or the bulk sample in writing.
The shipping documents
With the release on record and the balance settled, the documentation desk prepares the shipping documents and arranges dispatch under the agreed trade term — FOB as standard, with EXW, CIF and DDP used according to the order. The term named on the documents decides where responsibility sits along the route.
Why the order of issue matters
Each document answers a question the next one depends on: what was ordered, what was approved, what was checked, what was released, and what was dispatched. Read in sequence, the file explains the order without anyone having to remember it.
The records are listed by stage on Sourcing Documentation, and the inspection step itself on Pre-Shipment Inspection.