PROCESS
Five steps from brief to delivered container
A sourcing order has more moving parts than most buyers expect. This is exactly what happens, in what order, and what you receive at each step.
TYPICAL CYCLE60–90 days brief to delivery
UPDATESWeekly, with photos
DECISIONSYou approve at three points
01
Brief
You You send the product, quantity, target price and destination.
We A 20-minute call or an email with a photo, a link or a drawing.
Output Written brief confirmed back to you within one business day.
02
Search & vet
You We search 1688, cluster directories and our own vetted database.
We Licence checks, capability calls and factory visits where needed.
Output Shortlist of 3–5 factories with verification notes.
03
Quote & sample
You We return normalised quotes and coordinate samples.
We Price at your quantity, MOQ, tooling, lead time, packaging cost.
Output Quote comparison sheet and physical samples in your hands.
04
Order & produce
You You approve the golden sample and pay the deposit to the factory.
We We place the order, follow the schedule and send weekly photo updates.
Output Production schedule, weekly updates, pre-production inspection.
05
Inspect & ship
You We inspect before you release the balance, then consolidate and ship.
We AQL 2.5 inspection, rework supervision, consolidation, export documents.
Output Inspection report, loading photos, tracking to your door.
WHO DOES WHAT
You approve. We execute.
The most common failure in sourcing is unclear ownership. Here is the split, in writing.
| Decision | You | WELSEEK |
|---|---|---|
| Choose the factory | Approve | Recommend, with trade-offs |
| Approve the sample | Approve | Produce, measure, photograph |
| Pay the factory | You pay, or we manage escrow | Invoice verification |
| Release the balance | You decide | Inspection result first |
| Choose the freight | You choose | Quote modes and transit times |
| Customs and duty | Named importer | Documents and clearance |
TIMELINE
What 90 days actually looks like
For a first order with tooling. Repeat orders without new tooling typically run 45–60 days.
| Stage | Duration | Dependency |
|---|---|---|
| Brief to shortlist | 3–5 days | How specific the brief is |
| Sample round | 10–20 days | Tooling required or not |
| Production | 25–40 days | Product complexity, factory load |
| Inspection | 1–2 days | Goods packed and ready |
| Consolidation and loading | 2–5 days | All suppliers delivered |
| Sea freight door to door | 25–40 days | Destination and mode |
QUESTIONS
Common questions, answered plainly
If your question is not here, ask us directly — a sourcing specialist, not a chatbot, will reply within one business day.
Can I skip the sample?
You can, but we advise against it for any private-label product. The golden sample is the reference for inspection; without it, a defect argument becomes an opinion argument.
What if the factory misses the deadline?
We escalate in writing the same week, agree a recovery plan, and tell you the real date rather than the polite one. Where the delay is the factory’s fault we negotiate compensation or air freight at their cost.
Do I need to visit China?
No. Most of our clients never do. If you want to visit, we arrange factory visits, interpretation and a market tour in Yiwu or Shenzhen.
Can you work with my freight forwarder?
Yes. We can deliver FOB to your forwarder’s named port, or hand over at our warehouse with all export documents prepared.
NEXT STEP
Tell us what you need. We will tell you what it costs.
Send one product link or a photo. Within five working days you get factory options, unit prices, tooling, lead time and a landed cost to your door.
Request a quote