Sourcing agent services in China

Specifications of the project

Our employees, unlike our competitors, are the direct link between the buyer and the seller in order to limit the talkers and to gain accuracy and flexibility with regard to your requests.

We consequently made the decision within DocShipper to offer you a relationship of trust with customer officers who are themselves the architects of the research and negotiation process with suppliers. In fact the specifications will be taken into account and transmitted to the selected suppliers with attention.

These specifications must be transmitted precisely, thoughtfully and synthetically in a single email so that our teams and suppliers can save time, your time. It should include the following:

1. Your product(s) specifications:

• Link of the reference (Amazon, Alibaba, Aliexpress, etc.)
• Specifications if the link is not enough
• Pictures if the link is not enough
• Others details if necessary

 

2. The MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) for the first order:

If you want to order 10,000 motorcycles for example, we need to know what quantities by color and power as well as the target price by reference. It is not mandatory but if for example you have already had quotes from one or several supplier(s) in the past, we advise you to send us these quotes, in order to save time in our research and seek to beat a price that you have already negotiated. This target price will also help us to search directly with supplier providing the range of product you expect.

Sourcing Services Providers Search

The crucial step in the procurement process is we will directly check if suppliers meet your requirements in terms of:

• Pricing
• certifications and norms of your market
• Customization of your products and how
• Expertise to work on contracts in compliance with any manufacturing contracts (OEM-ODM) / subcontracting
• Respect for any intellectual property of the client
• Varied customer needs
• Additional subjective analysis of the quality of a supplier among many

An internal shortlist will be carried out on these requirements in order to select the appropriate supplier(s) for the next step.

Audit and standards

Our legal China sourcing specialist will verify all documents provided by your supplier (CE, ROHS, EEC, ISO, EN71 ...) to make sure it complies properly with the law.

This work necessitates close collaboration with the customs and administrations of the importing country, as well as contacts and verifications with the certifying laboratories.

Legislative awareness is important in order to always be up-to-date with new directives, which are constantly updated.

Negotiation

The 2^nd step is done, it's now time to negotiate with the supplier on different points. We are well experienced in this field and mainly... We deal in Chinese directly! In this step, we will clarify with the supplier the 4 following details:

• Pricing
• Guarantee
• Payment terms
• Delay and capacity of the production

(Optional but recommended) Sampling

Once the desirable conditions are met, we can opt for the final supplier matching to the project and come back to you with an optimal quote and answer any questions.

This estimate will include in total transparency the transport price, the manufacturer price, our commissions.

(Optional) Quality control

Quality control is a step that we often recommend, based on various variables, in order to verify your products and their characteristics. We work with our partners to offer you different types of QC, flexible and covering the entire Chinese territory.

This control is generally of 2 types: appearance / functional

90% of these checks take place at the end of the production and therefore after the payment of the supplier deposit (generally negotiated at the best conditions of 30% of the total amount of the order). This control will check compliance with the specifications and control any manufacturing defects. We will be able to enforce the manufacturing conditions (previously negotiated with the supplier) in order to obtain a correction, compensation with regard to the problem.

Payment of the supplier

Supplier payment takes place after validation of the quote through us and according to the conditions negotiated with the supplier. In general we obtain from them a deposit of 30% before production, then the remaining payment (70%) after optional quality control and before sending the goods.

More favorable and flexible conditions can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis with the manufacturers once the first transactions have been completed and trust established. In the last step, we will talk about supply chain management and cash management.

International Logistics

We are proud to be able to offer you, within our forwarding department, international transport services.

DocShipper is indeed one of the little china sourcing agencies with an integrated company model, offering the sourcing service in total synergy with the transport service.

However, in the spirit of always favoring our customers, we will constantly put our own transport department in competition with the supplier's transporter in order to select the best solution at the best price.

This transport will meet your convenience in terms of delay, cost, and method of transport (sea, air, train). We will thus negotiate the best prices according to the Incoterm of your choice. This is not only a great help for our customers but also a plus for our partner suppliers who are often lacking the capacity to deliver to the customer's door (Incoterm DAP).

Supply chain and treasury management

• Order & relationship management on recurring and long-term business with the supplier(s).
• Creation of a provisional order calendar taking into account the supplier's production capacity, transport transit times varying according to seasonality, manufacturer's holiday periods.
• Management and improvement of payment conditions in order to otpimize the cash flow of your business. We will try to negotiate with suppliers in order to reduce your working capital requirements to improve your net cash.
• Competitive and market price survey.

(Optional) : 3PL Services

Our distribution center is based in the earth of Europe, precisely in Camporosso in North Italia. This allow us to store, prepare and delivery your E-Commerce orders in the most optimized way. You will be able to check in real time your level of stock per reference as well as customized your parcel in order to develop your branding.

To summarize, we take care of all the logistics chain so that you focus only on marketing.

FAQ | Sourcing agent in China

Why use a sourcing agent?

There are many excellent factories in China; however, dealing with Chinese factories requires a lot of experience: product quality control processes (material requirements, processing technologies, in-process quality testing, and finished products), shipping, and export management. Using a professional company like DocShipper will help you buy goods in China with much less hassle and at a lower cost!

What is the role of a Sourcing Agent?

The sourcing agent is your right hand in China. He will be in charge of representing you, analyzing and selecting candidates in line with your needs.

Once the supplier is chosen, the agent can launch production while controlling the quality of the products and making sure that the shipment complies with the rules of the destination country. Generally speaking, this agent will make sure to avoid the slightest problem in the purchasing chain in order to facilitate the decision-making process on your side.

Are there minimum order quantities (MOQ) ?

There are no minimum order quantity requirements. However, we prefer orders with a purchase amount exceeding $5,000 USD. The reason for this is that if you are looking for small quantities for a low-priced item, you may find that customs clearance, duties, freight, and bank transfer fees cost more for your shipment itself.

Where do you find suppliers?

First of all, it's easy to find suppliers and get quotes from yourself or from sourcing agents. Web giants such as Alibaba, Taobao, 1588, and AliExpress… are the best-known sites for sourcing from China.

On the other hand, the advantage of using a sourcing agent is that we take care of the tedious but important details in order to make the whole sourcing process safe, fast, and simple so that you have more time to focus your efforts on marketing your products.

What are the criteria for the supplier search?

It is one of the most important steps to succeed with your business, so it is necessary to check different points when starting with a supplier such as price, certifications and standards of the importing country, ability to customize, ability to work on contract in compliance with possible manufacturing contracts (OEM-ODM), subcontracting, respect for the possible intellectual property of the client, the varied needs of the client …

Do you need to be in China to source?

You don't always have to be in China to source products, but there can be advantages to being there.

In this age of globalization, you can use various online platforms and resources to find and purchase products from anywhere in the world. There are many online marketplaces and sourcing platforms that allow you to connect with suppliers and manufacturers in China and other countries.

However, having a presence in China can have some sourcing advantages. It allows you to meet potential suppliers in person, visit factories and check the quality of their products. You can also negotiate prices and shipping terms in person, which can be more effective than doing it remotely.

If you don't have the ability to travel to China, you can always work with a third-party procurement agent or inspection company that can help you manage the procurement process and ensure you get the best quality products at the best price.

How much do sourcing agents charge?

Goods Sourcing agents typically charge a commission or percentage of the total order value, which can range from 3% to 10% or more. Some agents may also charge a flat fee for their services or charge by the hour.

It's important to understand what services are included in the sourcing agent's fee, as some only handle the initial sourcing and negotiation process, while others may provide additional services such as quality control inspections, factory visits, and logistics coordination.

When working with a sourcing agent in China, it is recommended that you understand their fees and included services before you begin working with them. It is also advisable to compare fees and services from several agents to ensure you get the best value.