Placing your first order from China? This guide takes you from a product brief to delivery: compare suppliers, approve samples, agree payment terms, track production and check the shipment. At each step, it explains what to ask for and who should approve the next decision.
Start with a product brief and a destination
Write down what the product must do, who will use it and where it will be sold. Add quantity, materials, key sizes, packing needs and the target date. For standard electronic parts, include the maker and complete part number. For custom goods, use the current drawing and version.
Mark unknown points clearly. A reference photo may show the look you want, but it does not define hidden materials or test limits. Ask the technical owner to decide which details must be fixed before quoting. Use a clear RFQ and product spec to give every seller the same starting point.
Check the target market early. Assign customs, tax and product-rule questions to suitable advisers. A seller’s statement that it exports widely does not show that your exact item meets your market’s rules. Put any required testing, labels and documents into the plan before production starts.
For category-specific requirements, see the products we source before preparing your brief.
Compare quotes for the same product
Send the same brief to several suitable candidates. Ask each to confirm the requirement or list proposed differences. Record price, quantity, lead-time start, delivery term, one-time fees and exclusions. A low unit price means little if the offer leaves out packing or uses a different material.
Check who is making the offer. Record the legal entity, its role and the proposed production site. A trader can be useful when its role is clear. A factory can still rely on outside firms for key work. Ask which steps happen where and who controls quality.
Use a supplier comparison sheet to keep evidence and unanswered questions together. Decide the next check for each candidate. It may be a sample, a document request or a site visit. Do not spend equally on every lead when a basic requirement has already failed.
Check and approve the sample
Give each sample an ID linked to the supplier and drawing version. Check the features that matter to the use. Record actual measurements and test results where needed. A simple note saying “looks good” may leave important questions open for the factory.
Ask how the sample was made. A hand-built model can help test fit, but it may not reflect the planned tool or production process. Note the differences and decide how they will be checked. Keep an approved reference where practical, together with the written requirements.
If changes are needed, issue one clear list. State whether you need another sample or other evidence before approval. Make sure the final quote covers the approved version. A change that improves the sample may also change price, tooling or lead time.
Agree the product, price and payment terms
Allow for purchasing support as well as goods and delivery. Our purchasing fees and cost examples separate the service fee from products and approved extra costs.
Before the deposit, match the company, contract, invoice and bank details. Check unexpected account changes through a trusted contact route. Use the pre-deposit checklist to organize the review. Keep the final payment decision with the buyer’s authorized staff.
Link the order to the current product files, quantity and packing rules. State when the delivery lead time starts. Agree on the records needed at each payment or review stage. Those stages should reflect the actual project and contract, not a percentage copied from an unrelated order.
Set a process for changes, delays and failed checks. Name who can approve a substitute, extra cost or revised date. If the contract needs legal review, arrange it before signing. A clear process is easier to follow than trying to invent one during a dispute.
Example: the lowest quote leaves work unpriced
This is an invented first-order example. A buyer needs 1,000 packed items. Supplier A quotes $10 per unit. Supplier B quotes $10.40 with the approved retail box included. A later confirms that its quote covers a plain bulk pack; the required retail boxes add $600.
On those assumptions, A totals $10,600 and B totals $10,400 before any other costs. The buyer asks both to confirm the same box, tests and delivery scope. It then reviews the samples and timing. B’s lower adjusted total does not remove the need for those checks.
The buyer also learns that B’s lead time begins after artwork approval. That date was missing from its first schedule. By closing the price and timing gaps together, the team avoids choosing an offer that appears cheaper or faster only because part of the task is unstated.
Ask what is finished at each stage
Ask for progress against your order, not general factory activity. Useful stages may include material arrival, machining, assembly, testing and packing. Record the number of units at each stage. Find the step that controls the finish date and ask what evidence supports the forecast.
Ask for short updates that show the task, person responsible and next date. A proposed material change must go to the person who can approve it. The factory saying it plans to change a part does not mean you agreed. Keep progress updates separate from approvals.
Book checks early enough to leave time for likely repairs. Agree on the sampling plan and required tests with the inspection provider. An inspection can reveal faults in the sampled goods; it does not guarantee every unit or replace any formal approval the product requires.
NIST’s acceptance-sampling explanation describes using a randomly selected sample to decide whether to accept a lot. It is not a check of every unit. Our recommendation is to agree the sampling and release plan before production, rather than treat a sample approval as a guarantee for the full order.
Check the shipment and brief your warehouse
Match the invoice, packing list and required records to the final order. Check quantities, weights, labels and box marks. Confirm factory readiness with the forwarder before arranging collection. Track port deadlines separately from the expected sailing and arrival dates.
Give your warehouse the final packing list and delivery plan. Tell it about any changes you accepted. Decide how staff will record damage, missing goods or wrong items when the shipment arrives. These records help your buying team raise a clear query with the seller.
- Keep one current product file and approved sample record.
- Confirm the seller’s role and the complete quoted scope.
- Record payment stages, changes and approval owners.
- Review production, inspection and shipping evidence before release.
- Give the receiving team the final files and reporting steps.
After the goods arrive, compare the result with the approved order. Record defects, missing items and lessons from the schedule. Ask which part of the process would have caught each issue earlier. Use those findings to improve the next RFQ and check plan. A repeat order should benefit from the first order’s evidence, not simply repeat its assumptions.
JFScope can help collect supplier answers and arrange checks. Appointed third-party providers carry out inspections or lab tests and issue the reports. Your team keeps final technical and buying approval.
