Write the brief
I start with the product, volume, cost target, timing, and who can approve what. Open questions go into the brief instead of becoming factory assumptions.
Approach
How I vet and qualify suppliers
I don’t contact a factory until we’ve written down what we’re looking for. Most sourcing problems I’ve cleaned up started with a vague brief or an assumption nobody checked.
Find and screen factories
I look for factories that match the process and likely order size, then check whether they can work directly and show their work.
Put the quotes on one page
I compare the factory quotes with tooling, minimums, freight, duty, payment terms, testing, and other costs that can change the choice.
Verify the important claims
Depending on the risk, that can mean samples, documents, references, a video review, a specialist audit, or a factory visit. Capacity and subcontracting are verified before they go into the recommendation.
Make the call and hand it over
You get the recommendation, the open risks, and the next action in writing. You also keep the supplier contacts and working files.
The same eight questions, weighted for your product
The weighting changes with the job. Capacity may dominate one search; tooling control or compliance may decide another. Every score links back to evidence or an open question.
Download the scorecard- Process and product fit
- Quality system
- Capacity and continuity
- Commercial terms
- Delivered cost
- Compliance
- Communication
- Transition risk
Where my role ends
I own the sourcing work
I handle supplier communication, commercial comparison, the risk record, and the follow-through we agree on.
Your specialists keep technical authority
Your engineers, counsel, and qualified testing or regulatory specialists make the approvals that belong to them.