Sourcing Workflow
How a deal moves from the client's request to factory quotes, costing, the order, quality control and shipment, and what works today.
Every deal starts with a Sourcing Request and every document made for it links back to that request, so you can open one page and see the whole deal.
Request → Request for Quotation → Quote Comparison → Costing → Order → Quality Control → Shipment
| Step | Status |
|---|---|
| Client request, messages, client portal | Available |
| Request for quotation with a WeChat PDF, quote comparison, costing sheet, client quotation and orders | Coming November 2026 |
| Quality control with photos for the client, shipment tracking, shipping documents | Coming 2027 |
1. The request (available)
A client asks for a product: from the portal (with a photo, quantity, destination, Incoterm and target date), or you enter it for them. The request is numbered SR-<year>-<number> and has:
- the client, the buyer and the product, with photos and specifications;
- the quantity, destination, Incoterm, target date, and whether a sample or compliance is needed;
- an internal target price and the agent in charge, which the client never sees;
- a message thread with the client, with attachments up to 10 MB.
Its status moves forward on its own: New, then Sourcing once factories are asked for quotes, Quoted once the client has a quotation, Won once there is an order. You set Lost by hand, with a reason.
2. Request for quotation (November 2026)
One click turns a request into a request for quotation to several factories, with a PDF you can send on WeChat.
3. Quote comparison (November 2026)
Factory quotes side by side, with price, MOQ, lead time and carton packing, so you can award the best quote.
4. Costing (November 2026)
The costing sheet goes from the factory price to the price your client pays: freight, duties and your margin under the business model you choose. See Business Models.
5. The order (November 2026)
Your client approves the quotation on the portal. It becomes the client's order and, from it, the factory purchase order, with the right documents for your model. See Document Generation.
6. Quality control (2027)
Inspections with photos, shared with your client on the portal before the goods leave the factory.
7. Shipment (2027)
Tracking from the factory to the port, with the commercial invoice, the packing list and the SABER or ACI checklist for the destination.
What your client sees
On the portal, each request and order shows a tracker with eight stages: New, Sourcing, Quoted, Approved, In production, QC, Shipped and Delivered. Your factories, their prices and your target price never appear. See Client Portal Guide.