Practical resources for B2B buyers
A practical guide to sourcing products from China
A good sourcing project starts with a few clear decisions. Work through the stages below, use the examples to organize your questions, and ask the Seresway team about anything that remains unclear.
Where does your project stand?
I need a manufacturer
Start with your brief, then compare candidates and the evidence behind their offers.
Explore supplier comparison ↗ PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTI want to create or improve a product
Clarify the details that affect materials, samples, packaging and the quotation.
Start with your requirements ↗ EXISTING SUPPLIERI already have a manufacturer
Focus on the communication, sample revisions or follow-up your current project needs.
Explore existing-supplier support ↗In this guide · 6 practical stages
01 / START WITH THE REQUIREMENT
Define what you need
Before asking who can make a product, describe what a successful result would look like for your business and your customers.
Begin with the product's intended use and destination market. Then identify the details that would change a supplier's quotation: material, dimensions, construction, packaging, branding and order quantity. A reference photograph is useful, but it cannot explain which features matter or what may be changed.
Separate essential requirements from preferences. If a dimension must fit existing equipment, say so. If the packaging color is flexible, make that clear too. When a detail is unknown, record it as an open question rather than accepting whichever interpretation arrives first.
For a veterinary example, imagine a distributor exploring cohesive bandages. The brief below is illustrative, not a product specification or evidence of suitability for clinical use. The buyer would still need to define the required performance and review relevant product documentation before making a purchasing decision.
Send the same dated brief to each candidate and keep a record of later changes. This gives suppliers a common starting point and makes it easier to see whether a different price reflects a genuine alternative or a different interpretation of your request.
Questions to work through
- Describe the intended use, customer and destination market.
- List essential dimensions, materials and performance requirements.
- Specify packaging, labeling and branding needs, including artwork status.
- Give an indicative first-order quantity and target timing.
- Attach references and identify anything still open for discussion.
| Brief item | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Product range | Cohesive bandage rolls; required composition and performance to be defined |
| Proposed size | 5 cm width; define the length measurement method before quotation |
| Packaging | Individual wrap with buyer branding; artwork supplied after layout review |
| First order | Indicative 2,000 rolls; ask about quantity per color and packaging MOQ |
| Decision needed | Confirm material options, sample plan and required destination documents |
02 / LOOK BEYOND THE LISTING
Find and compare suppliers
A useful shortlist explains why each supplier may fit the project and which facts still need checking.
Start with evidence relevant to your product. A company selling many categories may be a manufacturer, a trading business or a combination of both. Ask which legal entity would contract with you, where the product would be made, and which production steps are handled elsewhere. A trading company can be a suitable partner when its role and responsibilities are clear.
Compare candidates against the same requirement rather than selecting on catalogue appearance or the fastest reply. Look for specific answers about materials, customization, capacity, sample arrangements and the proposed production process. Record the source and date of important information, together with the person who supplied it.
Request supporting documents that match the actual company, product and destination requirement. Check names, model references and validity rather than relying on a logo or badge. Where technical assessment or a site inspection is needed, agree the purpose and arrange appropriate specialist support. Company registration and product suitability are different questions.
An established supplier should go through the same project-specific comparison when a new product, material or production location is introduced. Previous orders provide useful history, but the next order may involve different assumptions. A short evidence table makes those differences visible and gives you better questions for a supplier conversation.
Questions to work through
- Identify the contracting company and proposed manufacturing location.
- Ask which operations are performed directly and which are subcontracted.
- Compare relevant product experience and customization options.
- Record the evidence available, its date and the checks still outstanding.
- Assess the clarity of responses to your specific questions.
| Question | What to record |
|---|---|
| Who would supply the order? | Contracting entity, role and manufacturing location |
| Can the proposed product be made? | Relevant capability evidence and unresolved technical questions |
| What has been reviewed? | Documents, sample status, inspection scope and review dates |
| What remains uncertain? | Missing evidence, responsible person and next action |
03 / PUT OFFERS ON THE SAME BASIS
Compare quotations and total costs
The lowest unit price is only useful when you understand the product, quantity and costs it covers.
Ask each supplier to quote against the same dated specification and quantity. Confirm the currency, packaging, customization, quantity per variant, lead-time starting point, payment milestones and quotation validity. Where a shipping term is used, record the named place and ask what each party is expected to arrange.
Keep one-off costs separate from recurring product costs. Tooling, artwork setup, samples and special packaging can make a first order look different from a repeat order. Identify any assumptions about combining colors or sizes: a total MOQ may hide a separate minimum for each variant.
The fictional example below uses the same illustrative specification for both offers: 2,000 reusable cotton drawstring pouches, 20 by 25 cm, one-color print on one side and the same agreed packing arrangement. The amounts are invented to demonstrate comparison arithmetic. Supplier A's higher unit price produces a lower goods-and-setup subtotal in this example.
Next, build the destination-cost picture with the relevant logistics and customs specialists. Add the actual agreed costs for checking, transport, insurance where applicable, clearance and destination charges. Taxes and duties depend on classification, origin, destination and the transaction. Keep unresolved amounts visible rather than presenting an incomplete subtotal as the final delivered cost.
Questions to work through
- Match product specification, order quantity, currency and packing basis.
- Separate product costs, one-off charges and optional services.
- List shipping assumptions, exclusions and payment milestones.
- Confirm whether the offer changes for a repeat order.
- Resolve missing destination costs before using a landed-cost total.
Scroll sideways to compare all columns. You can also focus the table and use the arrow keys.
| Cost item | Supplier A | Supplier B |
|---|---|---|
| Unit price | $1.20 | $1.16 |
| Goods: 2,000 units | $2,400 | $2,320 |
| One-off print setup | $120 | $240 |
| Goods and setup subtotal | $2,520 | $2,560 |
| Samples, checks and destination costs | Excluded; obtain separately | Excluded; obtain separately |
04 / MAKE FEEDBACK ACTIONABLE
Evaluate samples before approving production
A sample is most useful when everyone knows which version it represents and what the buyer is reviewing.
Agree the sample's purpose before it is made. It might demonstrate a material, a product function, a packaging layout or a production-ready combination. Ask which parts will match the bulk order and which are temporary. A stock sample with different branding should not be mistaken for approval of the final customized product.
Give each sample a reference and retain the specification version used to request it. Review it against written criteria: dimensions, finish, assembly, packaging, labeling and the intended use. Some properties require suitable testing or a specialist assessment; a visual check alone cannot answer every product question.
Write feedback that can be acted on. For example, an illustrative examination-table sample record might say: 'Sample T02, brief revision 3: measured tabletop width is 58 cm against the requested 60 cm. Supplier to confirm the cause and propose a corrected sample. Production approval remains open.' This is a fictional feedback example, not a technical assessment of a real table.
Keep requested changes, supplier responses and the buyer's decisions in one place. If a material or component changes after approval, record the change and decide whether another sample or assessment is needed. Where practical, agree how an approved reference sample will be identified and retained for comparison during production checks.
Questions to work through
- Identify sample reference, date and specification revision.
- State what the sample demonstrates and any temporary differences.
- Record observations against the agreed acceptance criteria.
- Assign each change a responsible person and next action.
- Capture approval, conditional acceptance or a request for another sample.
| Field | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Reference | T02 / brief revision 3 |
| Observation | Tabletop width measured at 58 cm; brief requests 60 cm |
| Next action | Supplier to explain difference and propose corrected sample |
| Buyer decision | Production approval remains open |
05 / AGREE THE CHECKPOINTS
Plan production and quality checks
A production update should tell you what has happened, what comes next and whether a decision is needed.
Build the timeline around dependencies. Artwork approval, material availability, sample acceptance and any agreed payment milestone may affect when production can start. Ask the supplier to identify those conditions explicitly rather than treating a lead-time estimate as a fixed completion date.
Agree a few useful checkpoints and the evidence expected at each one. For a printed packaging order, these might include material confirmation, artwork sign-off, the first production output and packing readiness. For a different product, the relevant stages may change. A dated update should identify any departure from the brief and the action needed to resolve it.
Define quality checks before the goods are finished. Specify which product characteristics will be assessed, who will conduct the checks, which method or criteria apply, and how findings will be reported. Where independent inspection or specialist testing is needed, confirm its scope, timing and cost separately. Photos and progress messages do not replace an agreed inspection or technical test.
Decide how changes and problems are handled. If the supplier proposes a substitute material, ask for the effect on appearance, function, documentation, price and timing before accepting it. For an existing supplier, the same record helps both sides avoid relying on an old conversation when the current order has different requirements.
Questions to work through
- Confirm the approved specification and conditions for starting production.
- Define milestone dates, update owners and required evidence.
- Agree inspection or testing scope and how results will be reviewed.
- Record deviations, proposed remedies and buyer approvals.
- Confirm the agreed decision process before shipment readiness.
| Update field | What the buyer needs |
|---|---|
| Completed | The finished step and its supporting evidence |
| Next milestone | Expected date, dependency and responsible person |
| Open issue | What changed and which options are available |
| Decision required | Who must respond and the effect of waiting |
06 / PREPARE THE NEXT HANDOVER
Prepare shipping and repeat orders
Shipment planning starts before the goods are packed, with clear information about the cargo, destination and responsibilities.
Ask for expected carton count, dimensions, gross weight and packing details early enough to compare transport options. Clarify whether the order needs consolidation with other suppliers and what delivery location is intended. An indicative freight estimate based on incomplete cargo details may change when the packed goods are measured.
Prepare a document list with the supplier and the responsible logistics or customs specialists. Check that product descriptions, quantities and contracting details are consistent across the records used for the shipment. Requirements vary with the product and destination, so confirm which declarations, supporting documents or handling conditions are needed for the actual transaction.
Make the handover explicit: who books transport, who supplies each document, who reviews outstanding findings and who confirms the next step. Retain the agreed packing record and relevant shipment references. If quantities, packaging or the schedule change, update the people working from those details rather than leaving them to discover the difference later.
Once the order arrives, record receiving feedback against the original brief. For the next order, confirm what stays the same and what has changed: material, artwork, quantity, price, packaging, production location or destination. A repeat order is easier to coordinate when the approved references and lessons from the previous batch are easy to find.
Questions to work through
- Confirm cargo dimensions, weights, packing and destination details.
- Resolve transport assumptions and excluded destination charges.
- Assign document preparation, review and shipment handover responsibilities.
- Record receiving feedback, shortages or other findings for follow-up.
- Reconfirm current specifications and commercial terms before reordering.
| Review area | Question |
|---|---|
| Product | Is the approved specification unchanged? |
| Supplier | Are the contracting entity and production location the same? |
| Commercial terms | Have price, quantity, payment terms or timing changed? |
| Delivery | Are packing, destination and shipment responsibilities confirmed? |
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