The Process / 005 Gates

From "I need to source X" to "it's at my warehouse" — in five disciplined steps.

Every order moves through the same five gates so you always know where things stand. Typical end-to-end timeline is 8–14 weeks depending on whether goods are stock or made-to-order.

Overview / Five Gates

The path, at a glance.

Every engagement runs the same five gates. You focus on selling. We own the supplier work, the production, the inspection, and the freight.

01 / Brief

The Brief

Specs, sketches, samples, references — we confirm scope in writing.

02 / Match

Match & Vet

2–3 best-fit factories audited on-site, benchmarked on price.

03 / Order

Approve & Order

You approve sample. We negotiate, draft PI, handle deposit.

04 / QC

Production & QC

PPI · DUPRO · PSI inspections. Defects fixed before shipping.

05 / Deliver

Ship & Deliver

EXW · FOB · DDP — freight, customs, final-mile coordinated.

Gate 01 · Days 1–3

The Brief.

You tell us what you need. We confirm what we heard, in writing, before doing anything else. No assumptions, no scope creep.

What we need from you

  • Product description (specs, sketches, photos, sample)
  • Target unit price (or your current quote)
  • Volume / MOQ
  • Required certifications
  • Destination & preferred Incoterm
  • Target launch / arrival date

What we deliver back

  • Scope confirmation document (1 page)
  • Fee quote (commission or flat fee)
  • Project timeline
  • Account manager intro & channels (email / Slack / phone)
Gate 02 · Days 4–14

Match & Vet.

We narrow our network of 500+ factories down to 2–3 best-fit candidates, audit them on-site, and request apples-to-apples quotes.

  1. 01

    Database long-list filter

    Capability, capacity, certifications, and historical defect rates run against your spec to produce 8–12 candidates.

  2. 02

    On-site factory visits

    Our team walks the production floor. Photos, video, capability profile — never a forwarded report.

  3. 03

    Spec-by-spec quote collection

    RFQ packets sent to qualified factories with identical specifications so quotes are directly comparable.

  4. 04

    Comparison report + recommendation

    A shortlist of 2–3 factories with side-by-side numbers and a written recommendation. You decide.

  5. 05

    Counter-samples shipped to your U.S. address

    Where physical samples matter, the shortlisted factories produce and ship counter-samples for your hands-on review.

See sourcing details →
Gate 03 · Days 15–18

Approve & Order.

You approve a factory and sample. We negotiate final terms, draft the PO and PI, and manage the deposit. IP-protection agreements are signed before any IP changes hands.

Your role

  • Approve the chosen factory & sample
  • Sign the PI (Proforma Invoice)
  • Pay deposit (typically 30%)

What we do

  • Negotiate final price & lead time
  • Draft PI & PO templates
  • Execute NDA + IP-protection agreement with factory
  • Handle deposit flow (you pay us in USD; we pay the factory in their local currency)
Why we hold the deposit. The U.S. entity sits between your money and the factory. If the factory misses its obligations, you don't chase an overseas bank — you have a U.S. counterparty under U.S. contract.
Gate 04 · Days 18–60+

Production & Quality Control.

Factory produces. We monitor. Three QC checkpoints — pre-production, in-line, and pre-shipment — catch defects when they're cheap to fix.

  1. PPI

    Pre-Production Inspection

    Raw materials and components verified before assembly begins. Catches material substitution and incoming-quality issues at zero rework cost.

  2. DUP

    During-Production Inspection (DUPRO)

    In-line audit at 20–60% completion. Defect trends caught early; corrective action implemented before the whole run is finished.

  3. PSI

    Pre-Shipment Inspection

    ISO 2859 / AQL 2.5 sampling on the packed-out goods. Photo and video evidence. Signed PSI report <24h. No release without your sign-off.

  4. WK

    Weekly status reports

    Production photo/video updates every Friday. No more chasing factories in messaging apps.

  5. BAL

    Balance payment — only after QC pass

    Factory receives the remaining payment only after PSI sign-off. Defect remediation is negotiated with the factory before any release.

Defect remediation. If PSI fails, the factory reworks, replaces, or refunds — at their cost, before the goods leave the dock. We negotiate the remedy on your behalf and the contract gives us the standing to do so.
See QC details →
Gate 05 · Days 60–100+

Shipping & Delivery.

Goods leave the factory. We book freight, file export docs, clear U.S. customs, pay duties, and deliver to your warehouse, FBA, or 3PL.

Your role

  • Receive shipment tracking updates
  • Accept delivery at destination

What we do

  • Book freight (sea / air / rail)
  • Export clearance + ISF filing
  • U.S. customs clearance + duty payment
  • Final-mile delivery (warehouse / FBA / 3PL)
  • Document package: BL, COO, invoice, packing list
See logistics details →
Accountability / Per Gate

What we own vs. what you own.

Sourcing fails when ownership is fuzzy. Here's the boundary, gate by gate.

GateYou ownVerity United owns
01 · Brief Product spec, target price, timeline Scope confirmation, fee quote, AM intro
02 · Match & Vet Shortlist review & selection Long-list, on-site audits, RFQ, comparison report
03 · Approve & Order Sample approval, PI sign-off, deposit Final negotiation, PO/PI drafting, NDA & IP, deposit flow
04 · Production & QC Weekly review, PSI sign-off PPI · DUPRO · PSI, defect remediation, balance payment
05 · Ship & Deliver Accept delivery Freight, export, customs, duty, final-mile, documents
Typical Timeline / 12 Weeks

What twelve weeks actually looks like.

Sample timeline for a mid-size custom order, 5,000 units, sea freight DDP. Stock items are 4–6 weeks shorter; OEM/custom adds 2–4 weeks for tooling.

Phase
W1W2W3W4W5W6W7W8W9W10W11W12W13W14
Brief intake
3d
Sourcing & vetting
2 weeks
Sampling
2 weeks
PO & deposit
~1 wk
Production
4–6 weeks
QC inspections
QC ×3
Ocean shipping
3–4 weeks at sea
Customs & last-mile
~1 wk
Communication / Weekly

What weekly updates look like.

Every Friday during production, your account manager sends a status email. No more chasing factories in messaging apps.

Go Deeper / 003

Detailed workflows for each phase.

Ready to start?

Ready to start the process?

Send us your brief. We respond within 24 hours with a confirmed scope, fee quote, and start date.

Start with a Brief → About us