Before you contact a factory in China: what to put in a sourcing brief

What is the product for, and what is fixed?

Describe the intended use before listing features. A supplier needs to understand what the product must do and the conditions in which it will be used. Separate essentials from preferences so an alternative can be assessed without silently changing the requirement.

• Product name or plain description and intended application.
• Operating environment, interfaces and any known constraints.
• Non-negotiable requirements and acceptable alternatives.
• Who will review technical questions and confirm any changes.

If you are starting from an idea, say so. A reference product or image can begin the discussion, but it does not replace dimensions, material requirements or acceptance criteria.

Which drawings, materials and standards should you include?

Attach the current drawing or specification and give it a revision and date. State dimensions, tolerances, material grade, finish and any matching parts. Label reference images as references, not approved production instructions.

List any documents, test evidence or standards your business needs the supplier to address. If the requirement is not yet settled, mark it as an open question for the appropriate technical or regulatory specialist. Do not assume that a familiar certificate name proves suitability for your intended product and destination.

How much do you need, and where will it go?

Separate the sample request, initial order quantity and any later quantity you are only considering. State the number of variants and the quantity per variant. Describe the packaging you need and the destination so suppliers can explain the basis of their response.

• Initial quantity and the unit of measure.
• Sizes, colours or other variants and quantities for each.
• Packaging, labelling and any handling requirements.
• Destination and the delivery basis you want the supplier to quote.

If volume or delivery terms are unknown, ask the supplier to state the assumptions used. Do not present a possible future order as a confirmed commitment.

How should you describe timing and commercial constraints?

Distinguish a target from a hard deadline. State whether you need a sample, production readiness or arrival by that date, and explain which approvals still need to happen. Ask the supplier to give its own timing and the event from which that timing starts.

If you have a budget constraint, specify its currency and what it needs to include. Otherwise, ask for the quotation basis rather than inventing a target price. Ask suppliers to state payment stages, quote validity and the exact delivery term and named place used.

What should the sample and supplier response establish?

Describe what you want to learn from a sample and how it will be reviewed. Ask whether the sample represents the proposed production specification. Keep any inspection, testing, freight or customs responsibilities explicit and agreed with the responsible providers.

Request a structured response: specification match, deviations, MOQ, timing, quotation basis, required documents and unanswered questions. A supplier should be able to say ‘not confirmed’ rather than feeling obliged to fill a blank with an assumption.

What can you copy into your first sourcing brief?

Use this field list to prepare the first written discussion. Leave unknowns visible rather than delaying until every detail is settled.

• Product and application: what it is and what it must do.
• Reference: drawing, revision, specification or clearly labelled reference image.
• Requirements: material, dimensions, tolerances, finish and essential constraints.
• Quantity: samples, initial order and variants, kept separate.
• Destination and packaging: where it will go and how it should be prepared.
• Timing: requested milestone, target date and approval dependencies.
• Response needed: offered specification, deviations, MOQ, payment and delivery basis.
• Sample review: purpose, acceptance criteria and responsible reviewer.
• Open questions: unknown, person to confirm it and next action.

What if you do not have a finished specification yet?

Send what you know and label the gaps. Ask which details are needed to make the first search useful. Once those details are clarified, issue a dated brief and use the same revision for every supplier you approach.

Before comparing responses, check that each supplier has understood the same requirement. If the brief changes, send the revision to all relevant suppliers and request an updated response. See the companion guide on comparing Chinese supplier quotes on one basis.