Most supplier vetting fails because the questions can be answered by anyone with a catalogue. The twelve below are chosen because a trading company cannot answer them consistently and a factory cannot avoid answering them specifically.
The twelve questions
| # | Question | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which machine makes this, and how many do you have? | For paulownia it should name a machine type, not a capability |
| 2 | What tolerance do you hold, and what did your last three lots measure? | e.g. slat thickness at 2.5-3.2 mm |
| 3 | Who signs the test report, and which laboratory? | A named person and an accredited lab |
| 4 | What did you reject last month, and why? | A factory rejects; a trader does not |
| 5 | Can we see the line running our material on a live video call? | Access, at a time you choose |
| 6 | Which parameter do you find hardest to hold? | e.g. air permeability for 3D mesh |
| 7 | What is your current lead time, and what counts as late? | A range with a start point |
| 8 | Which operations do you subcontract, and to whom? | Honesty about the boundaries |
| 9 | What happens if a lot fails our test? | A written consequence, not reassurance |
| 10 | How do you control shade between lots? | A process, not a promise |
| 11 | Can you book a video audit of the packing line? | The real test of access |
| 12 | What would you refuse to guarantee, and why? | Candour, and knowledge of limits |
Grouping the answers
Questions 1 to 4 establish capability. For paulownia, question 2 separates a mill from a trader, because a trader cannot know the tolerance on a lot they did not make. For 3D mesh, question 4 does the same job: a factory rejects material, and the reason is usually specific enough to be checkable.
Questions 5 to 8 establish candour. A supplier who claims no rejects, no difficult parameters and no late deliveries is either new or not answering. The useful answers are specific and slightly unflattering.
Questions 9 to 12 establish alignment. Subcontracting is normal; hiding it is not. A supplier who names the outsourced operations has given you a map of where the risk sits.
Scoring
| Dimension | Weight | A 5 looks like | A 1 looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process knowledge | 30 % | Names the parameter they struggle with | Describes the product from a catalogue |
| Traceability | 25 % | Lot number on every report | Reports on request, undated |
| Candour | 20 % | Admits rejects and subcontracting | No rejects, everything in-house |
| Responsiveness | 15 % | Answers within a day, with data | Answers fast, with reassurance |
| Commercial clarity | 10 % | States what is excluded | Quotes a single number |
The second-order test
A first order tests the sales process; a second tests the system. Between them, check four things: whether the lab dip arrived on the day promised, whether the report carried the lot number, whether the packing matched the agreement, and whether anyone told you about a problem before you found it. The last one is the best single indicator of a supplier you can plan around.
Six answers that should worry you
| What they say | What it often means | What to ask next |
|---|---|---|
| ‘We never have rejects.’ | Either new, or not measuring | Ask what the last rejection was and why |
| ‘Any tolerance you need.’ | No process control | Ask what they hold on their own standard |
| ‘Same lead time for any quantity.’ | No scheduling model | Ask what changes at triple the volume |
| ‘Certificate covers everything.’ | Scope is unclear | Ask for the scope, site and date |
| ‘We do everything in-house.’ | Subcontracting hidden | Ask to see the specific operation |
| ‘Price is fixed for the year.’ | Raw material risk is priced in | Ask what happens if resin moves 15 % |
This table is not a scoring system. It is a set of follow-up questions, because the first answer in each row is the one that sounds best and reveals least.
Related detail
Family specifications start from the fabric overview or the wooden blinds overview. Our documentation and testing regime is on the quality control page, and commercial terms are on the logistics page.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Can you quote against a specification I write myself?
Yes. Send it as written and we will respond line by line, including where we would deviate and why. That is more useful than a price against a document we have silently reinterpreted.
What do you need to start?
End use, quantity per colour, destination market and the date you need the goods. With those four we can quote; without them we are guessing.
From quotation to specification in seven lines
Leave the tolerance and the method out and every dispute is settled by whoever needs the goods more.
- Weight: the figure you will accept inside the 120-320 gsm band, the tolerance on it, and the method used to measure it.
- Stitch length (2.6-3.4 mm): name the number, not the word. If the answer only repeats the band, ask which point inside it is being offered for this order.
- Courses and wales: 18-32 cpi / 14-24 wpi is the market band. Fix the figure you will test at goods-in, and the instrument you will test it with.
- Width (open 160-180 cm / tubular 60-90 cm): fix the value per shipment, and state who pays for the re-test if a lot lands outside it.
- Who inspects: third-party, in-house or none, decided in advance, with the AQL level written down.
- Reference sample: the signed sample is the definition of the colour, not the photograph in the catalogue.
- Price validity: the period during which the quoted figure holds, and what happens to it when the raw-material index moves.
Questions worth asking before the price is agreed
The questions below are the ones that cannot be answered from a catalogue, which is exactly why they are worth asking.
| Question | Answer that should worry you | Answer that holds up |
|---|---|---|
| Who signs the test report, and against which standard? | “Our QC department signs it.” | A named standard, a named method and a signature that belongs to somebody who can be asked again next year. |
| How do you hold stitch length inside 2.6-3.4 mm? | “That is standard for us, no problem.” | The last three lots’ readings, the instrument used and who signs the report. Pilling starts here. |
| What happens if width misses the open 160-180 cm / tubular 60-90 cm requirement? | “It will not happen.” | A re-test clause, the tolerance on the re-test, and the point at which the lot is remade rather than discounted. |
The same question, asked of shutters
The two lines fail differently, so the wording that protects you differs too. On shutters the recurring modes are these, caught with a different test.
| Failure | What triggers it | Test to demand on the production lot |
|---|---|---|
| shutters: Hinge pull-out | Thin frame section or the wrong screw for the material. | Moisture content (wood) — meter; acceptance 8-12 % |
| shutters: Paint bridging | Paint applied after assembly without clearing the gaps. | Squareness — diagonal; acceptance <= 2 mm |
Send the five inputs and get a quotable answer.
Send the end use, the quantity and the destination market, and we will come back with a specification that meets it, a price at your volume and the test reports that back it up. Samples are free for qualified programmes; we charge the courier only.
Related reading
- MOQ and Lead Time in Textile and Window Covering
- How to Write an RFQ for Textile and Window Covering That Gets a Quotable Answer
- Inspecting Textile and Window Covering
Sample cut with your values on it · Neutral packing and private label · Consolidation, documents and lead times
