Keep a sourcing agent while buying factory direct
Agree a revised written scope before taking over factory communications. Name who performs each retained task, who receives the evidence and who approves changes or shipment. Introduce direct contacts and transfer the working records before the next order. Discuss the retained scope with Cambridge China Bridge.
Replace the old scope before changing the relationship
Keep the work you still need, such as inspections, production follow-up or sample coordination. Mark everything else as transferred to your team or ended. Agree the effective date, affected orders, deliverables, exclusions and charging basis in writing. The guide to deciding whether you need an agent covers the broader decision; this guide covers the working arrangement after that decision.
Check who currently sells you the goods and invoices you. Taking over factory emails does not establish a new purchasing arrangement. Agree who issues purchase orders, receives payment and handles unfinished orders or unresolved defects. Separate existing commitments from future direct purchases.
Make direct factory contacts usable
Ask for introductions to the factory's commercial, production and quality contacts, with named substitutes. Confirm their roles and contact details through a joint conversation. Tell the factory who can issue instructions and what the retained agent can still do. Do not leave the factory choosing between conflicting buyer and agent messages.
Transfer the approved specification, sample references, inspection history, open issues, order status and relevant tooling records into a folder your team controls. Ask the factory and agent to confirm which versions are current. Record missing files and who will supply them before they affect production.
Assign responsibility for every retained task
Use a task schedule rather than a promise to provide general support. For every retained task, name the person doing the work, the evidence required, the reporting recipient, the completion trigger and the buyer's decision-maker. Include a substitute and an escalation contact. Adapt the examples below to the work actually agreed.
| Retained task | Agent responsibility | Factory responsibility | Buyer responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-shipment inspection | Inspect against the approved brief; report findings and limitations directly to the buyer | Provide access and identify the goods; carry out agreed rework | Approve the brief; decide acceptance, re-inspection and shipment release |
| Production follow-up | Check agreed milestones; distinguish observed progress from factory statements | Provide production status and disclose changes or delays | Decide schedule changes and customer commitments |
| Sample coordination | Identify samples and record dispatch, feedback and outstanding changes | Make samples against the current specification | Approve or reject samples and authorise specification changes |
| Corrective-action follow-up | Gather corrective-action evidence and report unresolved findings | Investigate the defect and implement agreed corrections | Decide whether evidence is sufficient to close the issue |
Set reporting routes and approval limits
Have the factory report commercial matters directly to your buyer contact. Have the agent send retained-task reports directly to the named buyer recipient, copying the factory where action is needed. Use an agreed shared record for decisions. The production update guide explains report content; the revised scope should specify who receives it and acts on it.
Define what must be escalated immediately, including failed inspection, material substitution, unauthorised subcontracting or a missed milestone. State whether the agent can request a shipment hold, who confirms it and who can release it. Make clear that an inspection report, a factory assurance or silence from the buyer is not your agreed shipment approval.
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Check the boundaries and test the handover
If customs support remains, distinguish coordination from submitting declarations. HMRC says a customs representative cannot act without written instructions stating direct or indirect representation. You remain responsible for due diligence for your declarations. Use the agent, forwarder and broker guide for the wider role distinctions.
Before using the new arrangement, walk through a live order with the buyer, agent and factory. Check that contacts respond, records are accessible and a failed inspection reaches the person authorised to decide. Record any gaps, assign their resolution and confirm the revised scope is accepted by everyone involved.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy directly and keep my agent for inspections?
Yes, if agreed. Specify the inspection brief, access arrangements, reporting recipient and who decides rework or shipment release. Confirm which other services have ended.
Who should instruct the factory after handover?
Name your buyer contact as the instruction route. Give the agent explicit authority for retained tasks and tell the factory which changes require buyer approval.
What should a revised sourcing agent agreement include?
Include retained tasks, exclusions, affected orders, effective date, deliverables, named owners, reporting routes, approval limits, charging basis and escalation arrangements.
Who handles defects found after the handover?
Separate existing orders from future direct purchases. Record who investigates, who follows up with the factory and who decides the remedy. Do not assume retained inspection work includes managing every later claim.