What a search actually returns.
At the end of a sourcing brief you get one document: the factories worth talking to, compared on the same terms, with the weak ones removed and the reason written down. Here is one, anonymised.
The shortlist
| Factory | Location | Unit price | MOQ | Lead time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factory A | Ningbo, Zhejiang | $4.20 | 500 | 25 days | Shortlisted |
| Factory B | Foshan, Guangdong | $3.85 | 1,000 | 30 days | Shortlisted |
| Factory C | Dongguan, Guangdong | $4.05 | 500 | 22 days | Recommended |
| Supplier D | Zhongshan, Guangdong | $3.60 | 300 | 18 days | Rejected |
Prices at 5,000 pcs, FOB Ningbo, after first-round negotiation. All four quoted the same specification.
How the field narrowed
Fourteen suppliers were contacted from a market scan and two industry directories. Nine replied, six sent a quotation against the specification, and five passed a licence and export-record check. Four survived a capacity question — the lamp needs in-house injection moulding and an assembly line, not a trading desk with a catalogue.
Why Factory C
- Owns its moulding and assembly lines; the audit confirmed 11 machines and 140 staff on site.
- BSCI audited, with a test report for the driver and USB-C board within 18 months.
- Accepted 30/70 payment with the balance released against the inspection report.
- Quoted 22 days against 25–30 elsewhere, which matters for a Q1 replenishment.
What was rejected, and why
Supplier D had the lowest price and the shortest lead time, and no factory. The business licence listed a 40 m² office address, the "production line" photographs were reused from a manufacturer's website, and the contact could not name the moulding subcontractor. Removed from the shortlist after a video call.
Factory B remains a valid second source: cheapest per unit, but a 1,000-piece minimum and a 30-day lead time. Worth a sample if the order grows past 10,000.
Next steps
- Samples from C and B — 2 pcs each, buyer pays cost plus freight.
- Mould fee confirmed in writing, refundable against 20,000 pcs.
- Pre-shipment inspection booked at 80% production, AQL 0 / 2.5 / 4.0.
- Balance released only after the report is accepted.
This is a worked example, not a client's file. The structure, the comparison fields and the reasoning are what every shortlist contains.
Send the product. We'll send the shortlist.
Five to seven working days from brief to document. Free quote first.