Quantity terms

Confirm the minimum order quantity for your order, and whether it differs by line or by type within the line. Confirm whether the quantity is per type, per order, or per shipment, because the three meanings give three different orders, and a quantity confirmed under one meaning may not hold under another. Confirm what happens if the quantity changes after ordering: whether the price, the lead time, or both change, so a later change is a variation, not a dispute.

Confirm the quantity in writing, as a number tied to a type, not as a general statement. A quantity that is not written down will be remembered differently by the two sides, and a dispute about quantity is a dispute about the whole order. The bulk inquiry pages per line list the quantity questions for each line.

Lead time, with its meaning

Confirm the lead time, with its meaning: whether it counts from order, from payment, or from production start. A lead time without a starting point is not a commitment, because the two sides may count from different points and arrive at different dates. Confirm what happens if it slips: whether the supplier notifies, what the remedy is, and whether the order can be changed.

Confirm the lead time in writing, tied to the same starting point on both sides, and confirm the remedy for slippage in the same document. A lead time with a remedy is a protection; a lead time without one is a hope. The inquiry process page explains the sequence, and the bulk inquiry pages list the lead time questions per line.

Specification

Confirm the specification for the exact type: the document that describes what you will receive, so the goods can be checked against it on arrival. Check the specification against the type you named: if it describes a different type, say so, and ask for the right one. A specification that does not match the inquiry is not a specification for your order, whatever its quality.

Check the specification for completeness: the type, the form, and any characteristics it states. A specification that omits the characteristic you care about does not cover it, and the inquiry should ask for it explicitly. A complete specification, checked on arrival, is what turns a delivery into a confirmed delivery.

Certificates, by name, with documents

Confirm the certificates that apply to your market, by name, with documents attached. A certificate for one market does not necessarily cover another, and a certificate for one type does not necessarily cover another type. Ask for the documents, not just the names: a document can be checked for its scope, its dates, and the product it covers, while a name alone cannot be checked.

Certificates are available upon request; the inquiry is where you name your market and ask for the documents that apply to it. If the documents for your market cannot be provided, that is an answer too: it means the order cannot proceed for that market on the evidence available. A missing certificate is better known before payment than discovered at customs.

Trial orders

Consider a trial order: a small quantity ordered before the bulk quantity, to test the product and the supplier together. A trial answers questions no specification sheet can: whether the product matches the sheet, whether the packing survives transit, and whether the supplier communicates clearly when something goes wrong. A trial costs a little time and saves the whole order.

A trial is most valuable on a first order with a new supplier, where nothing is yet known about the product or the relationship. A buyer who skips the trial saves a little time and risks the whole order; a buyer who runs a trial spends a little time and learns whether the bulk order is safe. The trial is the cheapest insurance in the whole process.

Paperwork

Confirm the terms in writing, in one document or one confirmed reply, before payment: the type, the quantity, the lead time, the specification, and the certificates. Keep the inquiry, the reply, the specification, and the certificates together, per order, not per supplier, because terms change between orders and a file that mixes orders proves nothing about any single one.

Keep the paperwork for the whole life of the product. When a later batch differs from the first, the paperwork is what proves what was agreed, and when a customer asks about compliance, the paperwork is what answers. Good paperwork is boring, and it is what wins disputes.

What not to assume

Do not assume a quantity from a general statement, a lead time from an unstated starting point, a specification from a type name, or a certificate from a general assurance. Each assumption is a common cause of a wrong order, and each is avoided by confirming in writing, before payment, with documents attached. The checklist is short, and following it is the difference between an order and a gamble.

Do not assume that a supplier who answers quickly answers completely, or that a supplier who answers slowly answers poorly. Judge a reply by whether it answers the four confirmations, with documents, not by its speed. A slow, complete reply beats a fast, incomplete one, because completeness is what the order rests on.

Questions this checklist raises

Have you confirmed the quantity, the lead time, the specification, and the certificates, in writing, with documents, before payment? Have you considered a trial order, and have you filed the paperwork per order? Those questions, answered yes, mean the order can proceed; answered no, they mean it should wait.

If any answer is no, ask the question before paying, not after. A question asked before payment is a term; a question asked after payment is a request. The inquiry process page explains the sequence, and the bulk inquiry pages per line list the confirmations for each line.

A final word on ordering well

Ordering well is a habit, not a talent: confirm the quantity, the lead time, the specification, and the certificates, in writing, with documents, before payment, every time. A buyer who follows the checklist on every order will rarely face a dispute, because disputes grow from unconfirmed terms, and the checklist confirms them all.

If any item on the checklist is unanswered, ask it before paying, not after. A question asked before payment is a term of the order; a question asked after payment is a request that the supplier may or may not grant. The checklist is short, and following it is the difference between an order and a gamble.