The sourcing brief: what exactly are you asking for?

A good supplier cannot rescue a vague brief. The more precise your request, the more comparable the offers and the fewer the sampling rounds.

What the brief contains

• Product: The tech pack: drawing, measurements, fabric, trims and labels.
• Quantity: The first order quantity and an expected later quantity.
• Target cost: The price that makes your product profitable after shipping and duty.
• Timeline: The date the goods must arrive and the dates in between.
• Quality: Inspection standards and acceptable defects.
• Packing and shipping: The method and the destination.

Work out the target cost backwards

An illustrative example: the selling price is 60 and the markup you need is 3, so the target landed cost is 20. Subtract shipping, duty and inspection and you know the highest factory price you can accept. This sum protects you from an offer that looks cheap and is then swallowed by shipping.

The clearer the request

Write in numbers and pictures, not general descriptions: “180 grams per square metre cotton” rather than “good cotton”. Attach a sample or reference photo if you have one.

Exercise

Write the sourcing brief for your product on two pages using the sourcing brief and RFQ template. Work out the target cost backwards before you message any supplier.