Factory only answers part of my email: what next?
Turn the email into a numbered response table, keep the same references and ask for an answer against every open point. Separate decisions blocking work from routine questions. Follow up only on missing or unclear answers, with a named owner and an agreed reply deadline. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate this with its staff in China.
Make each question answerable
Split combined questions into separate rows. Replace “Please confirm everything” with a specific request, such as confirming the material against the attached drawing. Identify the order, product and document version, and say whether you need a decision, a measurement, a photograph or a revised document.
Check whether the sales contact needs information from production or engineering. Ask them to name the person handling each unresolved point. For quotation-stage omissions, use the guide to recording unanswered quotation questions.
Use a numbered response table
Assign sequential numbers to the rows before sending and keep those references through later replies. Ask the factory to type its answer beside each question. If it cannot answer yet, request the missing information, the person obtaining it and an agreed response date. Leave unresolved rows visibly open.
Use the layout below, adding your own row numbers. Keep attachments clearly named and refer to the relevant drawing or photograph within the question. A general “OK” is insufficient when the row asks for a measurement or supporting evidence.
| Question reference | Exact question | Answer or evidence needed | Factory reply | Owner and reply deadline | Buyer status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assign a row number | Does the proposed material match the attached approved specification? | Confirm the material designation or identify the difference | Factory to complete | Named factory contact; agreed date and time zone | Open until the answer is checked |
| Assign a row number | Which drawing revision will production use? | Identify the revision and return the marked drawing | Factory to complete | Named factory contact; agreed date and time zone | Open until the document is checked |
| Assign a row number | Can packing proceed with the carton artwork still unresolved? | Explain the proposed action; buyer to decide | Factory to complete | Factory contact and buyer decision owner | Awaiting buyer decision |
Separate urgent decisions from routine questions
Send a focused message for a decision that blocks cutting, printing, packing or another irreversible step. Put the order reference and required decision in the subject. Explain what is waiting, what answer you need and the reply deadline, including the time zone. Keep routine information requests in the main table.
State which activity you want held pending your decision and ask the factory to confirm the hold. Avoid “Please proceed” if its scope is unclear. Use decision ownership and separate inspection, packing and shipment approvals to clarify who can authorise the next action.
Follow up on the gaps
Acknowledge usable answers, then resend only the unresolved rows with their original references. Preserve partial answers and specify what is still missing. Use wording such as: “Thank you for confirming the material. The drawing revision remains open. Please identify the revision production will use and return the marked drawing by the agreed deadline.”
For each open row, request a complete answer or a named owner and a proposed reply date. If another partial reply arrives, ask what prevents the answer and arrange a focused call with the relevant factory colleague. Send the resulting decisions back in writing and request confirmation.
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Close points when the answer is usable
Close a row after checking that the answer addresses the question, refers to the correct product and version, and includes the requested evidence. Record the answer, supporting file and buyer decision in the master table. “Checking”, “no problem” and an unanswered question remain open.
Where a reply changes the specification, price or proposed action, record the change and obtain the relevant buyer decision before marking the point closed. Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can pursue the missing answers with factory colleagues and return a consolidated table for the buyer to review.
Frequently asked questions
Should I resend the whole email?
Resend only the unresolved rows, keeping their original references. Acknowledge completed answers and state exactly what is still missing.
What if the factory replies “OK”?
Ask what “OK” confirms. Request the material, drawing revision, measurement or document needed to answer that row before closing it.
Should urgent questions go in a separate email?
Separate a decision that blocks work. Identify the activity, required decision and reply deadline with its time zone, then record the outcome in the main table.
When should I call the factory?
Call when focused written follow-ups still leave a point unclear. Include the colleague who can answer, then send a written record and ask for confirmation.