A sourcing review is a short first conversation in which the agent learns what you buy and tells you how they would source it. You should leave with a clear view of the risks, the tests your market needs and the work involved.
Ours is free, takes 20 minutes and carries no obligation. You can accept the proposal that follows, or walk away with the notes.
What you tell the agent
The review is only as useful as the information you bring. You do not need a finished specification, but these points make the call much more productive.
- The product, in your words, with a photo or a label of what you buy today if you have one.
- The specification you have, or the problem with your current supply.
- The volume per order and how often you order.
- The destination country and port, so the right tests and documents are planned from the start.
- When you need the first lot, and any seasonality you know of.
What the agent should tell you
A good review is not a sales pitch. By the end of it, the agent should have given you something useful, even if you never hire them.
- Where the product is usually made in India, and what kind of factory makes it well.
- What to test for, given the product and your market's rules.
- Where the common failures are, such as substitution, short weight or off-grade lots.
- Which stages of work you need, and which you could skip.
- What drives the cost of the work, and how a fee would be quoted.
How to judge the agent on the call
The review is also your chance to test the agent. Ask who pays them, whether they take anything from factories, and whether you will see the factory's name and its own quote. Ask how they would check that a supplier is a manufacturer and not a trader. Clear, specific answers are a good sign. Vague ones are worth noting.
What a review does not include
A review is not a supplier search. The agent will not hand you factory names on the call, because names without checks are worth little. It is also not a price quote for the goods. Factory prices come later, once real manufacturers have been shortlisted and given a written specification.
If you want to prepare properly, our guide on what to send for a sourcing quote lists the details that help most.
What happens after the review
If you want to go ahead, the agent should send a short written proposal: the scope, the fee, what is billed at cost and the points at which you sign off. Nothing should start until you have agreed it in writing. The full sequence from there is set out on how it works.
If the review shows that you do not need an agent, or need only one service, a good agent will say so. Read using an agent for one service if you think that may be you.
Next step
Bring your product, your volume and your destination, and we will tell you what to test for and where the risks are. It takes 20 minutes. Book a free sourcing review.