How to structure a complete sourcing operation in China.
From briefing to production: the controls that cut risk and sharpen the decision.
6 min read
Start with the specification, not the supplier
Most sourcing problems are born before the first quote: the buyer describes what they want in commercial language and the manufacturer hears it in production language. Material, dimensional tolerance, finish, voltage, packaging and applicable standard must be written down before the RFQ.
A clear specification also changes the nature of the negotiation. Without it, you compare prices of different products; with it, you compare proposals for the same product — the only comparison that means anything.
A shortlist of three to five manufacturers
Fewer than three suppliers gives no basis for comparison. More than five scatters the negotiation, delays the decision and burns the team's time on quotes that will go nowhere.
The criteria behind the shortlist are installed capacity, quality track record, realistic lead time, cost transparency and regulatory compliance. Price alone is the worst selection criterion — it tends to be paid back later in rework, delay or inspection failure.
The sample is a technical contract
The approved sample becomes the reference for everything that follows. It must be checked against the specification — dimensional, functional and finish — with photographic records and a signed report.
Keeping the approved sample matters as much as approving it: it is what settles disputes at production inspection without subjective argument.
Pilot production before scaling
A pilot batch reveals what a handmade sample hides: part-to-part variation, line bottlenecks, packaging problems at volume and real cycle time.
It is cheaper to find that out across a few hundred units than across a whole container already at sea.
