Should factories share a master sample?
Usually, issue checked, matching reference sets so shortlisted factories can develop samples simultaneously against the same brief. Keep the master under your control. If it cannot be duplicated faithfully, arrange supervised access and record its condition between visits. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate this through its staff in China.
Choose the arrangement before dispatch
Matching reference sets let factories work simultaneously and retain a reference while making corrections. A travelling master creates a queue and adds handling between assessments. Use controlled access to the master when its texture, mechanism or construction cannot be represented faithfully by available copies, swatches and drawings.
Keep the master with you or a named custodian in China where practical. Arrange factory visits rather than unrestricted onward forwarding. If circulation is unavoidable, agree the visit order, permitted handling, return arrangements and what happens if the sample is delayed or damaged.
Make the sets equivalent before comparing factories
Check each set against the retained master before dispatch. Include the same product revision, relevant components, material swatches, photographs and written brief. Record any differences between reference pieces. If those differences affect the feature being assessed, replace the pieces or pause that comparison.
State which features factories should reproduce, which they should change and which are only illustrative. Define whether the written specification or physical reference governs each feature when they disagree. Use our product specification guide to prepare the brief and our reference product guide to define its purpose.
Separate handling from destructive work
Before sending anything, agree whether factories may dismantle, cut, wash, load or otherwise alter it. Reserve separate working pieces for destructive checks where available. If the master is irreplaceable, require written approval before any alteration and consider supervised examination instead.
Photograph condition before dispatch and ask for arrival photographs before work starts. Log the custodian, transfer date, packaging condition and any new damage at each handover. Stop circulation if damage could change the feature being judged. A worn closure or scratched finish can make later factories appear worse against a changed reference.
Control disclosure whichever route you choose
Issuing sets puts the reference in more locations; circulating the master still reveals it to every recipient. The Intellectual Property Office recommends a non-disclosure agreement when discussing a confidential invention. Get advice on suitable terms before sharing sensitive development material.
Give each factory only what it needs for the agreed assessment. Ask who will see the sample and whether outside workshops need access. Agree permitted use, restrictions on copying and photography, and return or disposal arrangements. Avoid forwarding a previous factory's annotations or development ideas with the master; retain your own neutral brief.
Keep a common revision and close the comparison
Give the brief a revision label and each physical set a distinct identity tied to that revision. Ask factories to acknowledge receipt and list missing items before starting. Send buyer changes to all shortlisted factories, record their acknowledgements and withdraw superseded instructions. Keep factory proposals separate until you decide whether to incorporate them into the common brief.
Compare returned samples against the same requirements and record deviations, reference condition and any authorised differences in scope. Do not circulate a factory's development sample as the new master without an explicit decision. Use our sample revision guide to manage corrections; after selection, follow matching bulk production to the sample for production approval.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send the same sample to every factory?
Prefer checked, matching reference sets for simultaneous development. Use controlled access to the master when copies cannot represent the features you need factories to assess.
Can factories work from photographs alone?
Use photographs for visible details alongside a written brief. Supply physical references where feel, fit, colour or function matters, and identify anything the photographs cannot establish.
What if a factory damages my master sample?
Pause onward transfer, record the damage and assess whether it changes the reference. Agree restoration or a replacement reference before resuming affected comparisons.
How do I keep factory sample versions consistent?
Use a common brief revision, identify each reference set and require receipt acknowledgements. Issue buyer changes to every shortlisted factory and withdraw superseded instructions.