Understand — Your Sourcing Brief Starts Here

The first stage of sourcing — clarify product requirements, price, timelines and constraints before you begin.

Why the Understand stage matters

Every successful China sourcing project starts with a clear brief. Vague requirements produce vague quotes — and vague quotes produce failed projects. In the Understand stage we turn your product idea into a sourcing brief that suppliers can price and deliver against.

What we clarify together

  • Product definition: what the product is, how it is used, and which features are non-negotiable
  • Target economics: budget range per unit, target margin, and what you are willing to pay for quality
  • Timeline: launch dates, order lead times, and flexibility windows
  • Constraints: certifications, materials, packaging, branding, and market compliance requirements

What you get

  • A written sourcing brief you can reuse with any supplier or agent
  • A clear list of decisions you still need to make — and what each one costs
  • An honest assessment of what is realistic for your budget and timeline
A clear brief is the cheapest quality control you will ever buy.

Next step

With the brief agreed, we move to Match — identifying the right suppliers for your specific product.