Quantity and lead time
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. 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 lead time, with its meaning: whether it counts from order, from payment, or from production start. Confirm what happens if it slips: whether the supplier notifies, what the remedy is, and whether the order can be changed. A lead time without a meaning is not a commitment, and a lead time without a remedy is not a protection.
Specification and certificates
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.
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. Keep the documents with the order paperwork, for the whole life of the product. Certificates are available upon request; the inquiry is where you name your market and ask for them.
Paperwork and trial orders
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.
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.
Before payment, confirm the minimum order quantity and lead time for your order. Certificates are available upon request.