How We Work

How We Work: From Brief to Container

Sourcing is a chain of handovers. Cost and risk are added at the handovers, not inside any single step.

Six stages One written specification Original files at each stage

Opening

Sourcing is a chain of handovers. The brief becomes a specification, the specification becomes a sample, the sample becomes a quotation, and the quotation eventually becomes a container. Cost and risk are added at the handovers, not inside any single step.

This page sets out the six stages, what we do at each one, and what you can see at each one. We are a China buying office in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. We find factories, check what can be verified, and hand you the original documents so you can reach your own conclusion. We do not own a factory and we do not manufacture.

The Six Stages

One written specification runs through all six stages.
In text: Brief & scope: Written specification → Sourcing & verification: Original factory files → Sampling: Samples vs spec → Quotation: Price and fee apart → Inspection: Report with photos → Consolidation & DDP: Invoices at cost.

A redacted buyer specification we issue to every factory on a project.

A consolidation warehouse where orders are grouped before the first leg.

1. Brief and scope. We do: send us the product, the quantity and the destination. We will tell you whether the order needs one factory or several, and what the scope would look like before any fee is agreed. We build one written specification and hold every factory to it, including parts that are not in any catalogue. You see: a written specification and a stated scope, before any fee is agreed.
2. Sourcing and verification. We do: we screen on four questions only. Does it make this? Where is it? Can we visit? What is the quoted price? We check the business licence and unified social credit code, the registered business scope, and what is actually on the factory floor. See Supplier Sourcing & Verification in China. You see: original factory files as issued, a shortlist note per factory, a dated record of the visit, and our own conclusion, separately labelled.
3. Sampling. We do: we manage the sampling round. The factory makes the samples; we do not. We hold each sample against the same written specification, including the parts that come from a separate workshop. You see: samples checked against the specification, with what is still open written down.
4. Quotation. We do: quotation line by line. Unit price, quantity tiers, plug or custom version, tooling or mould cost, and whether the price includes tax and an invoice are written down before any comparison is made. You see: the factory price is shown as quoted and our fee is a separate, stated line.
5. Inspection before loading. We do: we check against an agreed checklist before the container is loaded and hand you a report with photos. Testing goes to a licensed third-party laboratory; we do not issue lab reports. See Shenzhen Sourcing Tour. You see: a report with photos, and the certificates the factory holds, with who issued each one and which model and production batch it covers.
6. Consolidation, freight and DDP. We do: we consolidate after assembly, then coordinate the first leg and DDP handling agreed between you and the factory or freight forwarder, billed at cost. You see: freight, duty and clearance at cost, with the invoices issued to you directly by the factory or service provider, without mark-up.

What Stays Constant

One written specification is held across every factory, including catalogue-external parts and work that happens after assembly.
We pass through original factory files (PDF, PPT, XLSX) as supplied, not screenshots or re-rendered images. You can verify every document yourself.
Our fee is a separate, stated line. We do not take a commission on the goods.

What This Page Does Not Promise

We do not manufacture, run production lines or issue test or inspection certificates.
We do not guarantee a factory's output. We verify what can be checked before an order is placed and report what remains open.
We do not state a fixed number of days for any stage. The timeline above describes stages, deliverables and who is responsible, not a duration.

FAQ

Can I use only one stage on its own?

Yes. Verification can be scoped on its own, and Factory Visit Coordination & Site Assessment can be scoped on its own. See Our Services.

What is the deliverable at the last stage?

Freight, duty and clearance at cost, with the invoices issued to you directly by the factory or service provider, without mark-up.

What stays constant across all six stages?

One written specification, original factory files as issued, and our fee as a separate stated line.

What do I receive at each stage?

Original factory files, as issued, and our own conclusion, separately labelled. You can verify every document yourself.

Start

Send us the product, the quantity and the destination. We will state the six-stage scope and the fee before any work starts.

hello@chinagosource.com WhatsApp +86 13640953729 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Request the Six-Stage Scope