Start with the requirement, not the price
A sourcing order begins with a written requirement, not a quotation request. Before anything is searched, the product, the quantity behind the order, the target price, the destination market and the brand positioning have to be clear, together with the material, size, colour and custom packaging the product is expected to carry. Where a buyer is new to importing, the trade process itself is explained at this point, because the requirement decides everything that follows.
Screen suppliers against that requirement
Suppliers are matched to the requirement rather than collected in a list. The screening basis is specific: product type, the country the goods are going to, the customisation quantity, packaging, price, the target market and the brand premium the product has to carry. Where an order calls for it, the factory is visited and the result is reported.
Quotation, and which trade model applies
Two models are used. Under the procurement agency model, the factory quotation is converted at the exchange rate and passed through, with the service fee charged separately. Under the resale model, the quotation carries the margin. Either way the model is agreed in writing before the deposit is paid.
Sample, production and the pre-shipment check
The supplier produces the sample and the buyer confirms material, size, colour and packaging on it. Once approved, that sample becomes the reference the bulk run is held against. Material is checked before production starts, production is followed against the approved sample, and the finished goods and their packaging are inspected before they leave — against industry standards and the requirements raised on the order — with photographs, video and an inspection report.
Release and shipment
Nothing ships until the buyer confirms the inspection report or the bulk sample in writing and settles the balance. The documentation is then prepared and dispatch is arranged under the agreed trade terms: FOB is the most common, with EXW, CIF and DDP used according to the order.
The stage-by-stage version of this flow, with owners and checkpoints, is set out on Our Procurement Process.