All guides
50 guides, organised by publication date.
Guides in this section
Registered office, sales office or factory: label the address correctly
An address on a filing may be a registered office. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to document a manufacturer, affiliate and distributor chain
A buyer may talk to a distributor, receive samples from a manufacturer and sign with an affiliate. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
What to do when a cited supplier source disappears
A directory article may retain a link after the underlying page moves or changes. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Using ABN Lookup to check an Australian supplier identifier
An Australian Business Number can make a quote look formal, but a copied number may belong to a different entity or may be presented without context. A...
Supplier audit or management-system certificate: keep the evidence separate
A site visit, customer audit and accredited certification are different activities. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to cite a supplier brochure without treating it as verification
Brochures are useful for discovering product names, options and claimed capacity. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to test a supplier's capacity claim without inventing a number
“High capacity” is not a measurable field. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
A dated method for checking certificate validity
A certificate PDF can remain on a website after its dates or status change. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to read the scope line on a supplier certificate
A certificate can be genuine yet irrelevant to the goods a buyer wants. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
What a CIF quote does not tell you by itself
A CIF label can look like an all-in price. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to handle conflicting sources in a supplier profile
A brochure may name one production site while a later quote names another; a register may show a changed legal name. A source-aware method for buyers and...
When contract, invoice and payment names do not match
A buyer can verify a company and still be asked to pay an account in another name. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Which register should anchor a cross-border supplier identity check?
An English trading name may appear on a website while the contract names a company in another jurisdiction. A source-aware method for buyers and directory...
How to treat a potential Consolidated Screening List match
A name search can return a similar party or a genuine concern. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
What to ask about software and data in a supplier relationship
Supplier due diligence can include systems that handle order files, designs, customer data or connected equipment. A source-aware method for buyers and...
Why supplier conversations need a dated decision record
Specifications and delivery promises often move through email and calls. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
What an EU VAT number check can and cannot establish
A VAT number is often copied onto quotations as shorthand for “the company is real. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Public record, company claim or human check: choose the right label
A supplier profile often uses one reassuring badge for statements with very different origins. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to describe a factory or trading company without guessing
“Factory direct” is often used as a sales description. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
A final editorial review before publishing a named supplier card
A supplier card can combine dozens of facts, making it easy for a weak claim to hide among well-supported ones. A source-aware method for buyers and...
FOB or FCA: avoid a transport-term shortcut in supplier listings
A website may quote “FOB” as a familiar shorthand even when the actual shipment plan is not specified. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Which freight fields belong beside a supplier's unit price?
A unit price may be identical across offers while one seller quotes a distant handoff and another includes more transport. A source-aware method for buyers...
What responsible-sourcing evidence can a directory actually show?
“Ethical supplier” is an attractive label but can hide complex labour and human-rights questions. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to record the Incoterms rule in a supplier offer
A three-letter delivery term without a named place and edition leaves important detail unresolved. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Who issues an ISO certificate? A source check for directory editors
A supplier may display the ISO logo beside the word “certified. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to check which ISO 9001 edition a source actually names
A supplier webpage may say “ISO 9001” without an edition. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to read a supplier lead-time claim
“Four weeks” might start at deposit, drawing approval or material arrival. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to separate a supplier's legal name from its trading name
A brand, website domain and company name can all differ. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to leave a supplier directory field blank without losing the lead
A blank field can feel incomplete, so editors are tempted to fill it with a plausible guess. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to ask for corrective-action evidence without overstating it
A supplier may claim that defects are “always solved. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
When a supplier website looks current but its claims are old
A modern website design can carry a decade-old certificate image or product page. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to evaluate supplier payment milestones before ordering
A quote with a small unit price can require most payment before inspection. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to make a supplier's product scope a checkable field
“Industrial components” is too broad to guide a purchase. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
A field-by-field method for comparing supplier quotations
Two quotations can display the same unit price while including different packaging, testing, tooling or transport. A source-aware method for buyers and...
How to keep an expired supplier quote out of a directory comparison
A quote can remain indexed after currency, raw material cost or availability changes. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
When should a supplier directory field be checked again?
A review date is useful only if someone knows what should prompt a new review. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Why a business registration does not prove manufacturing capability
A company number answers an identity question. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Build a supplier risk matrix without turning it into a trust score
A single numerical score suggests more certainty than the evidence can bear. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
Why an approved sample does not prove batch consistency
A sample can answer whether one submitted item matches a drawing. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to avoid merging two similarly named suppliers
Directory search rewards tidy single records, but two companies with a shared word or brand may be unrelated. A source-aware method for buyers and directory...
Why a supplier directory needs a visible source change log
A reader may revisit a profile after a register, certificate or company statement changes. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to record the date and edition behind a supplier claim
A link can keep working while the document or standard it points to changes. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to trace a supplier directory field back to its source
A practical way to separate public register facts, supplier statements and human checks without turning one link into a blanket endorsement.
What to ask when a supplier subcontracts part of production
A supplier can be responsible for a finished product while another entity performs coating, assembly or testing. A source-aware method for buyers and...
How ISO 20400 can inform a buyer's sourcing questions
A sustainability badge on a supplier listing can imply that a particular firm passed an official standard. A source-aware method for buyers and directory...
How to manage product changes after supplier approval
An approved drawing can become obsolete when a material, component or process changes. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to connect a product test report to the item being bought
A test report may show an impressive result for a product that differs from the current quote. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to record ownership and access to production tooling
A buyer-funded tool may sit at a supplier site, but possession and ownership are not the same. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
What batch traceability should connect in a supplier record
A quality-system claim sounds abstract until a defect needs to be traced. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.
How to read a UK Companies House result for supplier research
A search page can return several near-identical UK names. A source-aware method for buyers and directory editors.