Start with One Product Group: Running a First Commercial Furniture Order from China on a Live Project
A live project rarely has room for a long run-in with a new source. Pricing one product group first gives you a reference on real items from your own schedule; if quality and price fit, the rest of the package follows the same route.
An FF&E contractor on a live project may have a full schedule, a programme to meet and no history with a source in China. The whole package does not have to be placed at once. Many clients start with one category. We share examples of previous quotations to show the price range; further sourcing work requires an upfront sourcing fee, fully credited toward your first order. Many clients start with one category, or a trial order of one or two containers.
This article sets out how that first order runs with FBM Furniture, the furniture sourcing line of FBM Sourcing Limited, from the schedule you send to the container that leaves China.
Why one product group, not one item
A contract furniture package does not come from one factory. Furniture manufacturing is highly specialised: seating, casegoods, upholstery, metal frames and fixed joinery come from different factories, and we use each one only for what its line actually makes. How that split works on a full schedule is set out in why a contract furniture package goes to several factories.
A product group is therefore the natural unit for a first order: the guestroom casegoods, the task and meeting chairs, or the lounge seating on your schedule. It maps to the production lines that make it, so the reference price you receive is for the items as they would be made for the whole project.
What to send for the first product group
The same information we need for a full package, limited to the group you choose:
- An FF&E schedule or product list, room by room, with quantities, plus drawings for any custom pieces.
- The specification or a reference photo or link for each item: dimensions, materials, fabric and finish.
- Your fabric and finish selections, or ask us to propose them; tell us if the fabric is supplied by you (COM).
- Where your project is, so we check the standards your market requires. Compliance is checked before we quote; see our compliance page.
What the quotation shows
Per line: item, specification, materials, fabric and finish, dimensions, unit price, quantity, packing and lead time, quoted like-for-like against your specification, with any substitution flagged on the line. Because the quotation follows your schedule line by line, you can read it against the rest of your package and against what you already know about the same items.
Send the first product group
Send the schedule and drawings for one product group. We will price it line by line against your specification.
From reference price to first order
If the reference fits, the product group becomes the first order. We issue a proforma invoice with full product details, prices, deposit, warranty period, Incoterm and estimated dates, and you pay the deposit stated on the PI to the FBM Sourcing Limited company account named on it.
For custom items, the factory then prepares shop drawings and material lists, going back and forth with you until you sign off before production. For large orders, samples are couriered to you for approval before production. What you sign off becomes the reference for bulk production and for the inspection.
If you cannot travel, the first order can still run by drawings, photos and video of shortlisted products, couriered samples and swatches, and selections on video calls; see running the package without a factory visit.
A full container, even for the first order
The minimum order is a full container. Categories of the same project can share containers, and we consolidate goods from several factories into full containers. We do not ship loose cargo. If one product group alone does not fill a container, it can travel with other groups from the same project.
One inspection before shipment
When bulk production is finished and before shipment, our own team checks quantities, dimensions, finish, fabric and foam, hardware and packing against the signed-off specification, and you receive a QC report with photos and video. Your own project team is welcome to attend the inspection with us.
The balance, including sea freight, is paid before shipment. We arrange container loading, sea freight and documents, and send a loading report so unloading is easy. All quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing.
How we are paid on a first order
The same two ways apply to a first order as to any other. For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. How the nominated-supplier model runs is set out in working with a supplier you nominate.
After the first product group
Once a category has been bought from a factory, we keep it for your following projects so quality stays consistent, and we keep widening the supply chain behind the scenes. Any change is agreed with you in advance. The next product groups on the schedule follow the same route: specification, quotation line by line, sign-off, one inspection before shipment and full containers.
If you are an FF&E contractor planning a package, see how we work with FF&E contractors and how we work.
Frequently asked questions
Can we start with one product group instead of the whole FF&E package?
Yes. Many clients start with one category. We share examples of previous quotations to show the price range; further sourcing work requires an upfront sourcing fee, fully credited toward your first order.
What is the minimum for a first order?
A full container. Categories of the same project can share containers, and we consolidate goods from several factories into full containers. We do not ship loose cargo.
What do you need to quote the first product group?
The schedule or product list for that group with quantities, drawings for any custom pieces, the specification or a reference photo for each item, your fabric and finish selections, and where your project is.
Who inspects the first order before shipment?
Our own team, once bulk production is finished and before shipment, against the signed-off specification. You receive a QC report with photos and video, and your project team is welcome to attend.
How do you charge?
For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price.
More from FBM Furniture
- Why a Contract Furniture Package Goes to Several Factories: Splitting an FF&E Schedule by Factory Type
- Hospitality Furniture Procurement Without a Factory Visit: Running the Package by Drawings
- Working with a Supplier You Nominate: How the Managed-Order Model Fits a Contract Furniture Project
- For FF&E contractors
Send the first product group
Send the schedule and drawings for one product group. We will price it line by line against your specification.
Related project guide: Flat-Pack vs Assembled Commercial Furniture: Packing and Container Loading for Project Orders.