What to include in a post-fair sourcing debrief

Report what the fair actually achieved

Start with the original buying objectives: product fit, manufacturing capability, commercial terms and supply alternatives. Mark each objective as achieved, partly achieved or unresolved, and explain what evidence supports that status. Separate a useful supplier introduction from a supplier ready for procurement approval.

Record what changed in the brief and who accepted the change. A promising display product may differ from the intended specification or target cost. Keep those differences visible rather than redefining success after the visit. Use the sourcing brief guide to resolve unclear requirements.

Expose gaps in the supplier shortlist

Organise candidates by the buying need they could meet, rather than booth order or personal preference. Identify missing capabilities, unsuitable order quantities, unconfirmed manufacturing locations and dependence on the same underlying factory. Record why excluded suppliers were dropped so colleagues do not restart unsuitable enquiries.

Give each retained supplier an unresolved question and a next action. Distinguish what staff observed, what the supplier claimed and what remains unchecked. For example, a booth sample supports an appearance assessment; it does not show that the proposed factory can reproduce it. Assign identity and capability checks through factory verification.

Make follow-up spending requests reviewable

For each request, state the supplier and product, uncertainty to resolve, proposed work, quoted cost, inclusions, exclusions, spending limit and approver. Cover sample production and delivery, factory visits, testing, development and staff time where relevant. Separate already committed spending from new requests, and show any shared costs.

Explain how the result could change the decision. Specify the evidence required, acceptable outcome, responsible person and review date. Prefer work that can eliminate an unsuitable candidate before committing to further development. Request approval for the defined activity; record any order, tooling or deposit commitment separately.

Attach evidence that supports the recommendation

Keep an evidence register linking each recommendation to dated meeting notes, supplier identities, sample references, photographs, specification revisions and written quotations. Label supplier claims, buyer observations and independently checked findings separately. Record contradictions and missing documents alongside favourable findings.

UK manufacturers and importers placing products on the market need to demonstrate compliance with relevant safety requirements. In the debrief, identify unresolved safety evidence and the person responsible for reviewing it. Check whether reports match the proposed product and configuration using the test report guide.

Compare quotations on the same specification, quantity basis, delivery terms and scope. State which freight, packaging, testing or development costs remain estimates or exclusions. Use the landed price guide for the calculation method; the debrief should explain how uncertain costs affect the recommendation.

Record the next procurement decision

Finish with a decision record for each candidate: continue evaluation, hold pending evidence, stop, or seek purchase approval. State the reason, supporting evidence, remaining conditions, owner and review date. Make clear what has been authorised and which commitments still need approval.

Assign follow-up between the UK buying team and staff in China. Specify who requests documents, arranges samples, checks the factory and reports findings. Keep the original evidence accessible to the buying team. Reopen the recommendation when a specification, production location, quotation or test result changes.