A tile sourcing agent in India finds factories in Morbi that suit your specification, checks them, handles samples and communication, and oversees production and loading. A tile buying agent, a Morbi sourcing agent, a Morbi export agent and a tile consultant in India overlap, but the label tells you little. What matters is who pays the agent and what the agent actually does.
Our general guide, what a sourcing agent in India does, covers any product. Here we apply it to tiles.
What does an agent do in Morbi?
Morbi has a very large number of plants and many intermediaries, and it is hard from abroad to tell them apart. A tile-focused agent should do these things:
- Translate your specification into a request that factories quote on the same basis.
- Shortlist plants that make your product at your grade, and confirm they are manufacturers, not traders.
- Audit the plant, covering presses, kilns, sorting and packing, as set out in what a factory audit should contain.
- Collect and check samples, and arrange lab tests where needed.
- Follow production, inspect before shipment and supervise loading.
Agent, buying agent, export agent or consultant: what is the difference?
Titles overlap, so ask direct questions. A buying agent in the strict sense acts for the buyer. A Morbi export agent often acts for the factory, helping it find overseas customers. A consultant advises but may not place or follow orders. A trader buys and resells in its own name.
These differences decide where the agent's loyalty lies. Sourcing agent, buying agent or trader goes through each.
What should an agent not do?
Be wary of an agent who will not name the factory, who takes a payment from the factory as well as from you, or who asks you to pay the factory through the agent's own account without a written agreement. Read sourcing agent red flags and check how your agent is paid; see how sourcing agents in India get paid.
How do you judge a good tile agent?
Ask for a sample audit report and a sample inspection report. They should show specific measurements, photographs and findings, not just 'passed'. Ask how many factories the agent has visited in the last year, and how it handles a lot that fails inspection; see when goods fail inspection.
Ask what the agent knows about tile specifically: grading, calibre, shade control, gas supply interruptions, and the certificates your market needs. A generalist may not know where tile orders go wrong.
How does Creston work?
We find and audit manufacturers, check samples and documents, have lots tested, and supervise production and loading. We work only for the buyer, are paid one written fee agreed in advance, and take nothing from the factory. You can see the process on the how it works page.
Next step
Be clear about scope when you start. Some buyers want the agent only for supplier search and audit, others for the whole chain through to loading. Write down which services you are buying and which you handle yourself, so there is no argument later about who was responsible for checking what.
If you are choosing between agents, compare them on the points above. Or book a free sourcing review, a 20-minute call, and tell us what you are buying. See also our services.