A disciplined sourcing checklist reduces surprises after the purchase order is signed. Start with MOQ: most factories set a minimum by SKU or by total order value, and custom print or packaging usually raises the minimum.
Lead time has two parts: sampling and bulk production. Build buffer for Chinese New Year and peak seasons, when capacity tightens regardless of what the quote says.
MOQ: what the number is really made of
A minimum order quantity is not one number. Factories usually apply a minimum per SKU, a minimum per order value, and a minimum per material or print setup. A quote that says "MOQ 20,000 pieces" without saying which of the three it means will be renegotiated later, usually at the worst possible moment.
What raises the minimum: a new cutting die, a new print cylinder, a custom film structure, a size range wider than the line is currently set for, and packaging that has to be assembled by hand. What can lower it: accepting an existing die, using a stock film with a printed sticker for the first run, ordering a mixed pallet across sizes instead of a single SKU, and scheduling into a gap in the factory's line plan.
Ask for the MOQ to be quoted per size, not per product. A 20,000-piece order split across four sizes is a 5,000-piece run per size, and some factories will decline that even though the total looks healthy.
Lead time, broken into its parts
A single lead-time number is useless. Ask for four: artwork and pre-press approval, material procurement, production, and packing plus handover to the forwarder.
- Sampling. Roughly 7–15 days for a standard sample built from existing material; longer when a die or film print is new.
- Bulk production. Commonly 20–35 days after artwork approval for a standard construction. Add time for a new die, for a print run with tight registration, and for any component the factory has to buy in.
- Inspection. Two to four days for a third-party pre-shipment inspection, and longer if a re-inspection is needed.
- Booking and sailing. Space to Europe or North America can add a week in peak season even when production finished on time.
Two calendar effects deserve explicit treatment in the contract. Chinese New Year closes factories for two to four weeks, and the weeks immediately before closure are the busiest of the factory year. The pre-Ramadan and pre-Christmas shipping peaks tighten vessel space regardless of how much production capacity exists.
Sampling: what to test, in what order
Fit. Waist and hip range against your size chart, and how the product behaves when the wearer sits, walks and sleeps. Absorbency figures do not capture fit, and fit complaints arrive before absorbency complaints.
Absorbency and rewet. A millilitre target tested the same way each time, plus a rewet check — how much fluid returns under pressure. Rewet is where cheap constructions fail first, and it is the number the wearer actually experiences.
Leakage guards. Cuff height, elastic decitex and continuity along the full length. Test with repeated doses rather than a single large one; a cuff that holds the first 100 ml and fails on the third dose is a common pattern.
Packaging. Seal integrity, easy-tear behaviour, print registration, and whether the pack survives a carton drop.
Sign off on a sealed pre-production sample and reference it in the purchase order. Verbal approval of a sample that later disappears is the single most common cause of a quality dispute.
Quality control before shipment
Agree the inspection standard inside the order: AQL level, sampling plan, and the specific defect list — not just "AQL 2.5". For absorbent hygiene products the defect list should name cuff continuity, core positioning and coverage, seal strength, contamination, print registration and count accuracy per pack.
Third-party pre-shipment inspection is cheap relative to a rejected container, and cheaper still relative to a recall. If a factory resists it, that resistance is itself a finding.
Logistics, Incoterms and documents
Confirm the Incoterm and be explicit about what it includes. FOB means the supplier clears export and loads at the named port. CIF adds freight and insurance to the destination port, but not inland delivery or import duty. DDP means the supplier handles everything through delivery, priced against an import duty assumption you should verify yourself rather than accept.
Guangdong-based suppliers typically load at Shenzhen (Yantian, Shekou) or Guangzhou (Nansha). Ask which port, because it changes transit time and the forwarder's routing options. Confirm who provides the export documents — commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and any market-specific declaration — and ask for the data sheet that goes with the absorbent product, since customs in some markets will request a material description.
Payment terms, and what they should be tied to
The common structure is a deposit with the balance against the bill of lading or against an inspection report. Tie the balance to a document you control — an inspection pass, a shipping document — rather than to a date. For a first order with a new supplier, a smaller trial order at a higher unit price is usually cheaper than a large order at a good price that you cannot verify.
Frequently asked questions
How much deposit is normal? Thirty per cent is common, with the balance before shipment. Terms improve with order history, not with negotiation on a first order.
Can I mix sizes in one order? Usually yes, within the stated MOQ per size. Ask before the quote is issued, not after.
What if production runs late? Agree a written remedy in the order — a discount, a partial shipment, or a delivery window with a defined consequence. A lead time with no remedy is a forecast, not a commitment.
Should I inspect every order? Inspect the first two or three, then move to periodic inspection backed by a documented defect history. Stopping inspection entirely is how a gradual decline goes unnoticed until a customer reports it.
What should I ask for before placing a bulk order? The MOQ per size, the four-part lead time, the sample fee and whether it is credited, the AQL and defect list, the Incoterm and port, and the documents required at delivery.
Related reading
For program types, see OEM, ODM and private label. For the documents to request alongside an order, see certifications and compliance. Product formats by use case: overnight period pants, heavy flow and plus size.