Sourcing and freight, handled for you.
We write the specification, put it to several suppliers, compare the quotations on one basis, negotiate the commercial terms and coordinate the order through to the agreed delivery milestone.
You approve the supplier and the terms before anything is ordered.
No. 5, 17/F Strand 50, 50 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Engaged and paid by the buyer. No supplier commissions.
Sourcing, comparison, negotiation, order and freight coordination.
Define requirement, source, compare, negotiate, approve, coordinate.
Every brief runs through the same six stages. Open a stage to see what we are accountable for and what stays with you.
STAGE 1Define requirement
Specification, tolerances, packaging, volumes and target delivery written down in one document before anyone is asked to quote.
Confirms the specification and the quantity range.
STAGE 2Source
Candidate manufacturers identified against the specification; the same written RFQ issued to each.
Confirms any supplier the brief should include or exclude.
STAGE 3Compare
Quotations normalised to one basis — price basis, MOQ, lead time, payment terms, documentation and risk notes side by side.
Reviews the comparison and asks for the follow-ups that matter.
STAGE 4Negotiate
Unit price, payment terms, MOQ, lead time and remedies negotiated and recorded in writing.
Sets the limits: price ceiling, acceptable payment terms, latest date.
STAGE 5Approve
Recommendation issued with the trade-offs stated. Nothing is ordered before sign-off.
Approves the supplier and the commercial terms. The decision is the client’s.
STAGE 6Coordinate
Order release, production progress, commercial documentation and freight bookings run through one contact to the agreed delivery milestone.
Confirms consignee details and receives the goods.
One specification. Three quotations. One basis of comparison.
| Supplier | Price basis | MOQ | Lead time | Payment terms | Documentation | Risk notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplier A | EXW, USD | 1,000 pcs | 42 days | 30% deposit / 70% before shipment | Test report held; no origin certificate yet | Single production line for this item |
| Supplier B | FOB, USD | 2,500 pcs | 35 days | 30% deposit / 70% against B/L | Full document set previously issued | MOQ above current requirement |
| Supplier C | FOB, CNY | 1,500 pcs | 54 days | 50% deposit / 50% before shipment | Test report pending re-issue | Quotation in CNY — exchange exposure |
Payment terms, documentation and risk notes are shown on wider screens and in the written comparison we send you.
Price alone rarely decides it. The sheet exists so the MOQ, the lead time, the payment exposure and the missing document are visible at the same moment as the unit price.
Three purchasing situations we are usually brought into.
No internal procurement team
The buying is done by whoever has time — a founder, an operations manager, a finance lead. Suppliers are found by search and referral, and there is no written specification to compare quotations against.
We act as the procurement function: specification, RFQ, comparison, negotiation and order coordination.
Inconsistent supplier terms
Quotations arrive on different bases — one EXW, one FOB, one with a MOQ you cannot use — so they cannot honestly be compared, and the price agreed is not the price paid landed.
We re-issue one specification, normalise every quotation to the same basis and state the assumptions behind the landed cost.
Orders needing freight and documentation
The supplier is chosen but the order still has to be released, progressed, documented and shipped, across time zones and through third parties.
We coordinate order release, production updates, commercial documents and freight bookings with appointed providers, to the agreed delivery milestone.
From order release to delivery, one accountable contact.
Brief received
Requirement, quantity range, destination and required date captured and written up as a specification.
RFQ issued
The same written specification goes to each candidate supplier, with a common quotation basis and return date.
Comparison returned
Quotations normalised and issued as a comparison sheet with the trade-offs and risk notes stated.
Order released
Purchase order issued against the approved terms; deposit schedule and production window confirmed in writing.
Production progressed
Progress checked against the agreed lead time; deviations reported as they arise, not at the end.
Documents coordinated
Commercial invoice, packing list, certificates and transport documents coordinated with the supplier and the appointed forwarder.
Freight booked
Forwarder quotations compared and the booking placed. Carriage and customs clearance are performed by appropriately appointed third parties.
Delivery milestone
Shipment tracked to the agreed milestone; documents handed over and the file closed.
Two sourcing assignments, in commercial detail.
Supplier comparison assignment
A distributor buying packaging components had three quotations on three different bases and no way to compare them.
Written specification for the component, the annual volume and the packaging standard required.
Re-issue one specification to the existing suppliers and to further candidates, then normalise every quotation to a single basis — price basis, MOQ, lead time, payment terms and documentation held.
Which supplier is appointed and on what commercial terms.
A comparison sheet, the risk notes behind it, and a written recommendation stating the trade-offs.
Order and freight coordination assignment
A buyer had already chosen a supplier but had no one to release, progress and ship the order.
Purchase order placed against agreed terms, production progressed, documents coordinated and freight booked to a named destination.
Release the order against the approved terms, check production against the agreed lead time, coordinate the commercial and transport documents, and compare forwarder quotations before the booking is placed.
Approves the terms, the consignee details and any change to the delivery milestone.
One point of contact through to the agreed delivery milestone.
The assignments and figures shown on this page are illustrative descriptions of our scope of work. They do not describe named clients or live orders, and no outcome, saving or volume is claimed. The client appoints the supplier and approves the commercial terms. Carriage, customs clearance and inspection are performed by appropriately appointed third parties.
Open a sourcing file with us.
Five lines is enough to start. We will come back with what we would need to write the specification, and whether the requirement sits within our scope.