How it works
The process, the deliverables at each stage, and who is responsible for what.
See it end to end. The case studies page runs a project through all six stages — the brief, the shortlist and why we dropped a candidate, the quotation, the sample that failed the load test, the inspection report and the document set — with every figure marked [sample]. A worked example, not a client case.
This page exists because most sourcing relationships fail quietly: nobody agreed in advance what happens at each stage, so nothing is ever late until it is too late. Here is the sequence we run, and what you receive at every point. The services page shows the same sequence as a scope list.
Timings: the elapsed times for manufacturing depend on the factory and the product, so we set them per project in writing at the quotation stage rather than publish a website average that would be wrong for your order. What we do commit to is that every milestone has a date attached before production starts.
The eight milestones
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01 · Requirement received
You send whatever you have: a product photo, a link to something you like, a drawing, a physical sample, or a written spec. Quantity and target price help us screen faster but are not required to start.
Deliverable to you: a written clarification list — what we still need in order to give you a price that will hold.
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02 · Supplier screening
We shortlist suppliers against your requirement and check the basics before quoting: can they make this, at this quality, at this volume, and do they own the production line.
Deliverable to you: a shortlist with the region and cluster each supplier belongs to — see where each cluster sits, and who else makes that product line — and why we rejected the others.
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03 · Quotation issued
Unit price, total order value, and the 5% service fee as its own line (what the 5% covers and what it does not). Where the price depends on a specification we have not pinned down yet, we say which part is provisional rather than quoting a number that will move.
Deliverable to you: a written quotation you can take to your own finance team without a translation.
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04 · Sample and approval
A sample is produced and sent to you. Sample cost and sample lead time are quoted per project. You approve it in writing — that approval is what fixes the quality standard for the order, and it is why the inspection in step 07 has something objective to measure against — the inspection routine is written off that approval.
Deliverable to you: the sample itself, plus photographs of the packaging and the print proof where branding is involved.
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05 · Order confirmed and deposit
Payment milestones are agreed in writing before any money moves: what is paid at confirmation, what is paid on which document, and what has to be true before the next payment is due. The factory’s deposit is covered by yours; you are not asked to fund anything the factory has not been asked to deliver against.
Deliverable to you: a written milestone and payment schedule with dates and responsible parties.
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06 · Production and progress reporting
We follow production against the schedule and report on it. If a date moves, you hear it when it moves. This is the single most common thing buyers say they never get from a supplier.
Deliverable to you: periodic progress updates against the agreed milestone dates.
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07 · Pre-shipment inspection
Goods are inspected against the approved sample and the written specification before they are packed for shipment. Quantity, workmanship, dimensions, function where relevant, and packing are all checked. What the report actually contains.
Deliverable to you: a written inspection report with photographs. Shipment does not proceed until you have seen it.
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08 · Shipment, documents and follow-up
Space is booked, the container is loaded and sealed with photographs taken, and the export documents are issued. We check that the invoice, packing list and bill of lading agree with each other, because a mismatch between them is a common reason goods are held at destination. How the document check runs.
Deliverable to you: booking confirmation, a consistent document set, and tracking.
If a date moves, you hear it when it moves — not when it becomes a problem.
That single sentence is the most common thing buyers say they never get from a supplier. It is also the cheapest thing to give, which is why we put it in writing rather than in a promise.
Who does what.
We are responsible for
- Finding and screening the supplier
- Negotiating the price and the terms
- Chasing the factory on the agreed dates
- Inspecting before shipment — the routine
- Checking the document set for consistency
- Telling you the moment something moves
You are responsible for
- The specification, and approving the sample
- Approving artwork and packaging in writing
- Meeting the agreed payment milestones
- Telling us your destination requirements early
- The final commercial decision on price and volume
The one thing we will not do: we will not tell you a date is safe when it is not, to keep the order calm. If a schedule is going to slip, you know as soon as we do.
Start with what you have.
You do not need a finished specification to send us a request. A photo and a rough quantity is enough for us to tell you what we would need to quote properly.
One flat 5% service fee · No subscription · No tiers
What the fee covers · A project run end to end · What we decline