Working with sourcing companies and intermediaries

A sourcing office stands between the final buyer’s product requirements and the manufacturer’s review of how the garment will be made. When quotations, sample comments and approvals all refer to one current specification, each party can see what has been agreed and what is still open.

One RFQ basis across suppliers

Two quotations can only be compared if both are built on the same fixed fields. Send every supplier the same package and ask each one to restate it in the reply:

• The tech pack with its version number and date, and a reference sample if one exists.
• Fabric as the buyer specifies it (fibre, construction, weight in g/m²), or an instruction for each supplier to state the fabric it has quoted.
• Branding method, positions and colours per style.
• Quantity per style and per colour, with the colourway count, and the size run per lot.
• Labels and packing: who supplies what, carton content and marking, packing list level.
• The delivery point the price is based on, the currency and validity, and sampling and production lead times requested as separate figures.

Who is responsible: buyer, intermediary and factory

An intermediary should confirm which work a supplier does in house and how each stage affects the schedule. Voyager Sportswear has a team of 70 people and runs production in house, from pattern making and sampling to cutting, sewing, finishing and quality control, with its own equipment for sublimation, DTF, heat transfer and embroidery. We assess the route for each garment, fabric sourcing and any external steps order by order. In-house production and subcontracting lists the questions to ask about responsibility.

Specification control and version numbers

Four rules keep the factory on the version the buyer signed:

1. One current version. The version number and date appear on every page of the tech pack and in the file name.
2. A change log at the front: what changed, who asked for it, the date and the version it appears in.
3. The version on the approved sample is the version that goes into production. Any change after approval creates a new version, and if it affects construction, fit, artwork or fabric, check whether another sample is needed.
4. Superseded versions are withdrawn in writing, so that a factory holding two files knows which one is no longer valid.

The intermediary owns that register. The factory holds the issued version and the approved sample, and checks bulk against both.

Approvals routed through the intermediary

The factory should receive one consolidated set of the buyer’s sample comments, with photographs and references to the current specification. The revised sample or the agreed corrections then go back to the buyer for approval, and the authorised contact releases the final version in writing, including quantities, artwork, labels and packing. Changes made after approval are best recorded separately, so that their effect on cost and timing can be assessed.

Agreeing confidentiality

If the end buyer's identity must stay off documents, if the intermediary is to remain the only contact, or if a written confidentiality agreement is needed before the tech pack is shared, say so in the first message so that the arrangement is agreed before work starts. Any neutral packaging, supplied labels or delivery requirements should be specified separately and confirmed in the quotation.

Record proposed changes separately from the brief

A sourcing office should be able to show the final buyer where an offer follows the brief and where it proposes a change. An open-points list kept alongside the quotation does this: the requirement, the supplier's proposal, the effect on sample or price and who has to decide. An alternative fabric is described by its composition, construction and weight, not simply called equivalent.

A proposed knit may, for example, match the requested weight but stretch differently, in which case the buyer's existing measurement chart may need checking on a sample. The material question and the fit question should go to the buyer together. Approving the price is a commercial decision and does not approve the substitution technically. Close each point in the revised specification before authorising production.

Start with the documents the buyer already has

To begin, send the current brief, references, estimated quantities, destination, required date and a note of the decisions still open with the final buyer. Voyager Sportswear can assess the manufacturing questions and propose points to clarify, while the intermediary consolidates the buyer's answers and keeps the valid files together. It also helps to agree who may approve a technical change, who may accept a change of price or date and who issues the final production authorisation, as these may be different people.

Questions and answers

How should a sourcing agent control tech pack versions with a factory?

A sourcing agent should keep one current tech pack version, with the version number and date on every page and in the file name, and a change log at the front. The version on the approved sample is the version produced, and any change after approval becomes a new version. Superseded versions are withdrawn in writing, so that a factory holding two files knows which one is no longer valid.

What should a sourcing office record when a factory proposes a different fabric?

A sourcing office should log the proposal on an open-points list: the requirement, the supplier's alternative, its effect on the sample or price and who has to decide. The alternative fabric should be described by its composition, construction and weight rather than simply called equivalent. A knit can match the requested weight yet stretch differently, so the measurement chart needs checking on a sample. Approving the price does not approve the substitution technically.

Can a sourcing agent keep the end buyer's name off factory documents?

Yes. A sourcing agent can ask for the end buyer's name to stay off documents, provided this is stated in the first message and agreed before work starts. The arrangement may be that the intermediary remains the only contact, or that a written confidentiality agreement is signed before the tech pack is shared. Neutral packaging, supplied labels or delivery requirements are specified separately and confirmed in the quotation.

For an enquiry

Send the garment and design (or a reference), quantities by style and size, your fabric requirements, any numbers required, the destination and the date you need the goods. Voyager Sportswear usually sends a first reply within 24 hours. Request a quote