Supplier preparation
Questions to ask Chinese suppliers before a factory visit
Send your product specification first. Use these questions to identify who needs to join the meeting, which records to request and what remains unconfirmed.
These are conversation prompts for a buying decision. For unfamiliar terms, use the English–Chinese factory visit glossary. For what to observe on the floor, use the factory visit checklist.
Who will make the product?
- Which company will quote, manufacture and receive payment?
- What is the production address for this product?
- Which processes are done here, and which are handled by another company?
Request: the registered company name, the relevant production address and a description of outsourced work. A trading company or subcontractor is not automatically unsuitable; you need to understand responsibility and access.
If unclear: clarify the relationships before treating a showroom appointment as a production-site visit. See our supplier checking method.
Can the proposed schedule work?
- What assumptions support the stated capacity: product, line, shifts and yield?
- Which stages would be needed for our specification, including external processes?
- When could samples and production start, and what still needs approval?
Request: a schedule tied to your product and order assumptions. An output figure for another product is not a commitment for yours.
If unclear: ask the production contact to review the assumptions. Record a response date rather than filling the gap with an estimate.
How will quality be agreed and checked?
- Which specifications and approved samples will production follow?
- What checks are performed during production and before dispatch?
- How are defects, specification changes and corrective actions recorded?
Request: relevant examples of records, with customer-confidential information removed where needed. Agree what you may review during the visit.
If unclear: identify the evidence or specialist assessment still needed. Seeing equipment or a certificate alone does not establish that your order meets its requirements.
Are the quotes comparable?
- What quantity, specification, packaging and currency does this quote cover?
- What is included or excluded: tooling, samples, testing, freight and other charges?
- What are the MOQ, payment schedule, lead-time assumptions and quote validity?
- Who owns any tooling, and how will access or transfer be agreed?
Request: a written quote with the assumptions visible. Put different offers into the supplier comparison template before comparing totals.
If unclear: request a revised quote for the same specification. Record commercial terms for review; a visit does not replace contract or compliance advice.
End with an owner and a next step
Ask: “Which questions remain open, who will answer each one, and by when?” Send a short written recap linking the product specification, quote version, samples and outstanding evidence.
If the person with authority is unavailable, arrange a follow-up. Do not treat their absence alone as proof that the supplier has failed.