1. Write down what you need
Before comparing factories, give each one the same brief. Define the product, intended use, material, dimensions, acceptable variation, quantity, packaging and required delivery date. Attach a drawing or reference photo when it helps explain the specification.
Separate requirements you cannot change from preferences you can discuss. For example, a precise component size may be essential while the packaging colour is flexible. A low price is only comparable when it covers the same product and scope.
2. Connect the profile to a real company
Use the factory profile as a starting point. Ask for the full company name, business address, main product categories and the contact person's role. Clarify whether you are speaking with the manufacturer, a trading company or another sales partner, and which site would produce your order.
- Compare the name and address across the profile, business documents and quotation. Ask for an explanation if they differ.
- Check registration details with the relevant official business registry where available; a document image alone is not independent confirmation.
- Ask for relevant customer references or an independent site assessment when the order justifies further checks.
Product videos can help you discover suppliers and prepare questions. A video, profile or conversation does not by itself verify factory ownership, certification, capacity or order quality.
For background on checking potential overseas partners, see the U.S. International Trade Administration's due diligence resources.
3. Ask how your product would be made
Review videos for the product and process that matter to your order. Then ask specific follow-up questions instead of assuming that every machine or finished item shown belongs to the supplier.
- Which production steps happen at this site, and which are subcontracted?
- What materials and equipment would be used for this specification?
- What is the minimum order quantity, and does it change with customisation?
- What is the current lead time, and what must be confirmed before that clock starts?
- How are incoming materials, work in progress and finished products checked?
Ask the supplier to explain a relevant recent production example or provide a current demonstration of a process you need to understand. Record unanswered questions alongside the evidence you receive.
Connect a factory video to your production requirements
A machine running in a video does not tell you whether there is time available to make your order. Ask for evidence that connects the process shown to your specification, quantity and delivery date.
- Identify the example: Ask when and where the video was recorded, what product and material are shown, and whether that process would be used for your order.
- Clarify the output claim: If the supplier quotes a daily or monthly capacity, ask which product, production steps and working hours that figure covers. Ask whether it describes a maximum estimate or recent completed production.
- Check the proposed schedule: Ask when materials would be ready, which work is already booked, and when your quantity could be produced, checked and dispatched. Keep production time separate from transport time.
- Request relevant evidence: Ask for a current demonstration or a redacted example of a similar completed batch. The supplier can omit other customers' confidential information; record what the evidence does and does not support.
For example, a video of a standard item does not resolve how a different material or finish would affect your order. Link that open question to the sample and acceptance checks, then record the answer and its date in your supplier comparison record. If the schedule remains unclear, keep delivery feasibility marked as unconfirmed.
4. Agree on a sample and acceptance checks
Before requesting a sample, agree on its specification, cost, timing and what it represents. A stock sample may show finish or workmanship without proving that a customised item will meet your requirements.
Write down what you will examine: dimensions, material, finish, function and packaging, as relevant to the product. Photograph and record the results. If a sample is approved, identify that exact version in later discussions so both sides know which reference applies.
A good sample does not establish that an entire production run will be consistent. Discuss how the finished order will be checked and how differences from the agreed specification will be handled.
Keep a sample evaluation record
Copy these fields into your own notes for each sample. Agree on the checks and acceptable results before reviewing it, and keep measurements separate from the supplier's claims.
Sample identity: [Supplier, sample reference, date received and specification version]
Check and method: [Feature to examine, agreed requirement and how you will check it]
Observed result: [Measurement or observation, with a photo or test reference where useful]
Decision and open items: [Meets the agreed check / needs clarification / needs a revised sample, with the reason]
For example, an acceptable surface finish does not confirm a required dimension. Record those checks separately. If a specification changes, identify which checks need repeating and which sample version the next quotation refers to.
Link the results to your supplier comparison record and resolve open items before comparing the full quotation. This worksheet is a buyer's record, not a certification or proof that a future production batch will meet every requirement.
5. Compare the full quotation
Ask each shortlisted supplier to quote the same specification and quantity. Keep exclusions visible so you can compare the work being offered, not just the headline unit price.
Before committing, resolve differences between the quote, product details and conversation. Keep a dated record of the final specification and agreed terms. If an essential question remains unanswered, clarify it before moving forward.
6. Send a supplier enquiry they can answer
Replace the bracketed details in this message with your own requirements. Send the same core brief to each supplier so the answers are easier to compare.
Hello, I am evaluating suppliers for [product] for use in [market or application]. Our initial quantity is [quantity], with [material, dimensions and other essential specifications]. Our target delivery date is [date].
Please confirm your company name and production location, whether you manufacture this product, and any production steps handled by another company.
Could you share your minimum order quantity, sample options, current lead time, quality checks and a quotation showing what is included and excluded? Please also identify any requirement you cannot meet or need us to clarify.
Use the reply to choose a concrete next step: clarify missing details, compare a quotation, or arrange a sample. Keep an unresolved item visible instead of treating silence as agreement.
7. Keep a supplier comparison record
Copy this record into your own notes once for each supplier. Use the same requirements for every candidate, and keep the source and date beside each answer so you can revisit it when a quotation changes.
Supplier and production site: [Company name, site, contact and review date]
Requirement: [Specification version, quantity and delivery target]
Evidence received: [Document, quotation or sample reference, with its date]
Current status: [Supported by the evidence / still unconfirmed / conflicting information]
Open question: [What is missing, who will answer and when you will follow up]
Next step: [Clarify a requirement, request a revised quote, arrange a sample or pause the evaluation]
For example, a sample made to specification A does not answer whether specification B can be produced. Keep B marked as unconfirmed and request evidence for that version. Avoid treating an unanswered requirement as a pass simply because other answers look promising.
This is a record of your evaluation, not a factory certification or an automatic approval score. Recheck essential requirements when the product, production site or quotation changes.
Start with discovery. Follow up with better questions.
Ftozon brings business videos, product and store search, company profiles and direct conversations into one app. Explore those features, then use this checklist to guide your own supplier evaluation.