PROCESS
How sourcing works
Four routes lead to the same place: a commercial answer. This page explains what to send, how each route is investigated, what genuinely restricts availability, and what a quotation will and will not contain.
Four sourcing routes
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ROUTE 1
Exact product sourcing
You name the product and manufacturer. We check whether it is still produced, whether distribution permits supply to your destination, and in what pack sizes.
SEND: NAME · MANUFACTURER · REFERENCE
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ROUTE 2
Equivalent sourcing
The original is discontinued or restricted. We look for a material with comparable composition, appearance or performance and state clearly how it differs.
SEND: ORIGINAL SPEC OR TDS · WHAT MUST MATCH
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ROUTE 3
Colour-reference sourcing
You have a code, a chip or a part. A physical sample or spectrophotometer reading is worth far more than a photograph, particularly for effect finishes.
SEND: CODE · SAMPLE · READING
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ROUTE 4
Performance-based sourcing
You know the result, not the product. Substrate, exposure, application method and measurable targets let us propose candidates to evaluate.
SEND: SUBSTRATE · EXPOSURE · TARGETS
What actually restricts availability
Manufacturer distribution policy
Some materials are sold only through appointed channels or only to approved applicators. Where that is the case, we say so rather than working around it.
Minimum order quantity
For made-to-order colours and specialty pigments, MOQ reflects the production batch rather than our preference. It cannot usually be negotiated downward.
Regulatory status at the destination
A material legal in one market may be restricted in another, and some historical pigments carry hazard classifications that limit professional supply.
Transport classification
Dangerous-goods classification determines packaging, labelling, carriers and cost. For small quantities to distant destinations, transport can exceed material value.
Lead time
Specialty materials are often produced to order. Where a production run governs the date, we quote the manufacturer’s schedule, not an optimistic estimate.
Samples, documentation and the quotation itself
Where a manufacturer offers them, sample quantities can be quoted separately for evaluation before a production order. For effect finishes we recommend agreeing a sprayed test panel rather than approving a colour from a chip.
Documentation is supplied as issued by the manufacturer for the material delivered — safety data sheet where the product is hazardous, technical data sheet for application parameters, and batch identification where your QA process requires it. We do not author or edit these documents.
A quotation states the material and grade, pack format, quantity, price basis, lead time, Incoterms and destination. It does not state technical values we cannot evidence.