Sourcing Diary: Five Things I Should Have Confirmed Before the First Order
A buyer’s process note on how unanswered questions became cost and time later.
Start with one real order
This note follows a small first order: the product specification was clear, but packing, spare units and the balance milestone were not in one shared file.
Five questions added later
How is packaging defined? Who owns revisions? How are defects graded? What triggers the balance? Which conditions remain unchanged on replenishment? The questions did not make the first call longer; they made the second one more concrete.
A note for the next buyer
Record not only what a supplier said, but also the assumptions you made. A useful review makes the next order less dependent on memory.
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Sourcing information earns its value when it is verified, compared and turned into a decision.