Buyer Guide · Supplier Samples
How to order samples from multiple Chinese suppliers without losing control of the comparison.
Samples are most useful when several suppliers receive the same requirement and the buyer records what each factory is actually sending, on what terms, and by when.
Before requesting samples
Define what a comparable sample actually means.
Confirm model, material, dimensions, finish, colour, accessories, packaging, and any customization that matters to the evaluation. If each supplier sends a different configuration, the comparison becomes weaker.
Track the same fields for every supplier
A simple master record prevents sample work from disappearing across email threads and chat messages.
✓ Exact sample specification or configuration
✓ Supplier name and product reference
✓ Sample quantity
✓ Sample fee
✓ Tooling or setup cost
✓ Quoted sample lead time
✓ Shipping method and destination
✓ Questions that must be answered before sample approval
✓ Date requested and promised update date
Follow-up
Promised sample timing should remain visible.
Record what the supplier promised, what is still missing, and when the next update is due. Avoid treating “sample in progress” as a useful status without a date or open-action list.
Evaluation boundary
A sample can reveal fit and workmanship, but it does not prove future mass-production performance.
Production consistency, compliance, capacity, delivery, and batch quality may require additional controls or specialist inspection/testing.
When coordination becomes the problem
Five suppliers can create five different sample processes.
Sephalis can keep sample terms, promised timing, missing supplier answers, and sourcing-stage next steps organized within an agreed buyer-side scope.