How to choose the best supplier?

This question puts not only many beginner entrepreneurs, but also a large group of those who already exist with their activities for some time, but enter a new market or invest in new products by expanding their offer. This is a basic step before we start importing goods or services.
The first standard activity is to draw up a list of conditions that we set for the product that we are interested in, that is, in a word, to identify our needs for the import of the goods. Such a list should include the product’s features and its technical data (if it has one), depending on its needs, its weight and the quantity, terms and delivery time of selected products, certificates and guarantees. It is also worth knowing where the product is made and which way it overcomes before it reaches us.
The next step we should take is to prepare an offer inquiry, i.e. an invitation for suppliers to participate in the offer submission process for a specific product or service. Here’s what should a well-prepared query contain:
• a detailed description of the subject of the contract

• conditions on which the return offer will be considered and their evaluation

• the terms of the delivery contract, including its duration

• terms of payment

• product evaluation characteristics which we are interested in

• date by when you should send a return offer

• the date of contract implementation after its possible conclusion

• our data, references, scale of operations

• warranty (both on the part of the delivery and the recipient)

• supplier’s references, sending a list of current customers

• other information that we want to add and those related strictly to the issue of the document

If our import of goods is insignificant, it is still worth sending a request to 2 suppliers in order to have a choice.

In the case of major purchases, you must provide information about the GDPR and whether the bidders are dealing with the tender, if so, whether it is public or not. In this case, it is worth to read Art. 35 of the Act on public finances and Art. 70 (70 (1) – 70 (5)) where it refers to contracts and tenders and a contract clause concerning the exclusion of publicity.
After preparing the inquiry, and having already a list of companies that have aroused our interest, we can start shipping. In most cases, these will be companies that exist on the internet, have their own websites and e-mail addresses. It is worth noting whether a given website is regularly updated and whether it has any recommendations, especially when acquiring foreign contractors. This will make it easier for us to decide whether we want to ask a given company for an offer of their product. The process of checking contractors is precisely described in the article “Checking the credibility of the contractor”.
The next step is to make control calls to bidders whose offers have gained our attention. We can then discuss the details of the offer that came to us and verify its content.
The most important factors in the final selection of the product as well as searching for a business partner both at home and abroad should be for us:
• Quality (remember to check the quality of the product, its control system)

• Price (must go hand in hand with the price, it is also worth remembering the option of discounts and possible negotiations)

• Punctuality (in this case it is a lack of downtime in deliveries)

• Location (the closer the supplier is to us, the better the contact with it and the lower the risk of delays in the delivery of the product / products, it is also worth considering the offer under the account of postal and forwarding services in a given country)

After going through all the way described in this text, we should be ready to choose the supplier, and thus sign a contract to receive the goods we are interested in. If you want to know more, read more articles