Supplier finding
The product is the starting point. Its purpose, quantity and commercial priorities shape the search. We find suppliers against that complete picture.
01 · Requirement anatomy
Six parts of a requirement do most of the work. Select one to see why it matters to the search and how it might be written. The examples are hypothetical.
A · Product and intended use
The same product description can point to very different suppliers depending on use. A storage container for a homeware shelf and one for a commercial kitchen share a name and little else. Stating the use lets a search rule sources in or out early.
Example“Lidded ceramic storage jar for retail sale in a homeware range, food-contact use, sold individually.”
Can it stay open? No — this is the one part every enquiry needs.
B · Specification
Measurable requirements — dimensions, materials, finish, tolerances, required markings — narrow the field. Preferences widen it again if you are prepared to accept alternatives. Marking which is which tells us where there is room to look.
Example“Height 180 mm ±5 mm, stoneware, matt glaze required; colour preferred in sage but open to neutral alternatives.”
Can it stay open? Partly. A reference product or photograph is a useful start while details are settled.
C · Quantity
Quantity changes which suppliers are realistic and what they will quote. Say how many you intend to buy first, whether repeats are expected, and whether any later figures are firm commitments or forecasts.
Example“Initial order around 1,200 units; repeat orders likely if the line sells, not yet committed.”
Can it stay open? A range is fine to begin with — a rough order of magnitude still helps.
D · Budget basis
A target unit cost only helps if both sides read it the same way. Note whether your figure includes packaging, transport, duties or the intermediary’s commission or margin, so supplier quotes can be compared on the same basis.
Example“Target landed cost per unit, packed for retail, delivered to our premises, before VAT.”
Can it stay open? Yes, if you prefer to see offers first — but say so.
E · Destination
Destination affects which suppliers are practical, how offers are priced and which costs sit outside the unit price. A town or region is enough at first; exact delivery details can follow once a purchase is in view.
Example“Single delivery to one site in the East of England.”
Can it stay open? Give at least the country and whether it is one delivery point or several.
F · Timing
Say when you need the goods and what that date depends on — a launch, a season or a customer commitment. It is the difference between a deadline that can move and one that cannot, and it shapes which offers are worth pursuing.
Example“Needed on shelf for an autumn range change; arrival by the end of August is fixed.”
Can it stay open? Yes, if timing is flexible — that is useful to know as well.
02 · Comparing alternatives
Suppliers rarely offer exactly the same thing. The useful comparison is not which quote is lowest, but where each one departs from your requirement and whether that departure is acceptable.
Compare these on the basis of price, quantity terms and timing. Check that each quote covers the same quantity, packaging and delivery point before reading the totals side by side.
A different finish, material grade or pack size you marked as open. Weigh the difference against what it saves or improves, and confirm a sample or reference before treating it as equal.
Sometimes the better answer is a different product that does the same job. Worth seeing — and worth deciding deliberately, because it may change your own specification or your customer’s expectations.
03 · Inputs and agreed scope
04 · Begin a search
It does not need to be complete. Send what you know and we will come back on fit and the commercial basis before any search is agreed.