A sourcing checklist is useful because most quotation delays come from missing project information, not from the act of pricing itself.
Project information
- Destination country and city
- Project type
- Current project stage
- Target installation / delivery date
- Responsible person for technical approvals
Drawing and quantity information
- Latest drawing revision
- BOQ or product schedule
- Room / unit types
- Quantity by item
- Spare or waste allowance where relevant
Product specification
For every material category, confirm the fields that change performance or price.
Examples include:
- dimensions
- material
- finish/color
- hardware/accessories
- glass/configuration
- voltage
- mounting method
- packing requirement
- required test or certification
Commercial comparison
Ask suppliers to make inclusions and exclusions visible. Confirm:
- what is included
- what is optional
- sample/tooling cost where applicable
- packing
- shipping term
- payment milestones
- quotation validity
Approval workflow
Define who signs off drawings and samples. Avoid approvals scattered across different chat threads without a final record.
Quality control
Create acceptance criteria before production when possible. The inspection should compare the actual goods with the approved specification.
Logistics
For mixed-category orders, decide whether goods will be consolidated in China and how each package should be labeled for destination handling.
For a multi-category project, send your scope rather than requesting isolated prices one product at a time.