Custom sourcing
Locating manufacturers for a defined specification, and returning offers that can actually be compared.
The problem this solves
Finding a factory is easy. Finding one that can hold your specification at your volume, at a price that survives the freight and duty on top, is the part that takes work.
Sourcing platforms are full of intermediaries presenting themselves as producers. The first job is therefore to separate manufacturers from resellers, because buying from a reseller adds a margin and removes your ability to control the production process.
What we need from you
- What the product must do, and the materials or standards it must meet
- Dimensions, tolerances and any certification the destination market requires
- Quantity for the first order and the expected repeat volume
- Packaging requirements, including retail presentation if relevant
- Destination and required delivery date
- Target landed cost, if you have one — it changes which factories are worth approaching
What you get back
| Element | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Supplier shortlist | Manufacturers assessed as capable of the specification and the volume |
| Specification sheet | The agreed technical description the order will be placed against |
| Quoted cost | Ex-works or delivered, with the Incoterms® 2020 rule and named place stated |
| Lead time | Production time and shipping time, separately, not blended into one number |
| Payment terms | What the supplier requires and what we can offer against it |
| Samples | Where a sample is warranted before commitment, and what it costs |
Terms of trade
Offers are made on Incoterms® 2020 terms with the rule and the named place stated in full, for example CIF Rotterdam Incoterms® 2020. The rule determines where cost and risk pass from us to you, and it must be read together with the sale contract — Incoterms® rules do not by themselves constitute a complete contract of sale.
Incoterms® is a registered trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce. We are not the owner of the mark and we reference the rules as published.