How a Sourcing Trip Works, Week by Week
Most of the work happens before you land. This page shows what we do in each phase and what we need from you.
Before you fly
Three to four weeks before the trip.
- A call to understand the product, order size and what you need to see
- A shortlist of factories that make your product and export at your volume
- Pre-visit calls to each factory and confirmed appointments
- A day-by-day route with travel times
On the ground
- An escort who knows manufacturing and speaks Vietnamese and English
- Translation in meetings and on the shop floor
- Notes and photos for each factory, where the factory allows photos
- Car and driver arranged for the factory days
After the trip
Within a week of your last visit.
- A written comparison of the factories you visited
- Follow-up on the questions each factory promised to answer
- Help sending the first RFQ or sample request, if you want it
What is not included
- Flights, hotel and visa. We tell you which area to stay in.
- Factory audits to a formal standard and product inspections. Those are a separate job.
The fee
We charge a service fee that depends on the number of days and factories. You get it in writing after the planning call and before you book anything.
Planning rules we work by
Two factories a day
A useful visit takes two to three hours with the shop floor, the inspection room and a meeting. Add the drive and two is a full day. Three only works when they share an industrial park.
Avoid the Lunar New Year weeks
Factories close for Tet in late January or February and are busy clearing orders before it. Check the dates for your year before you book.
Give us lead time
Three to four weeks before you travel is enough to shortlist and confirm appointments. Less than that limits which factories can receive you.
Bring samples and drawings
A factory quotes better with a part in its hands. Bring one for each factory if you can.