RANGE NOTES / BUYER GUIDE
Look beyond the sample when choosing a supplier.
An attractive sample does not answer every sourcing question. Review the nominated factory, workplace practices, material claims and product controls as connected but distinct parts of the buying decision.
Know which operation will make the product.
Ask for the manufacturing entity and proposed site, not only the group name. Establish where materials, sampling, sewing and packing are handled and how the relevant teams connect.
This makes factory assessments and business information more useful. A document belonging to one location should not silently be treated as evidence for another. DALI keeps China materials and garment operations, Cambodia garment factories and the sock operation identifiable.
Separate workplace review from material claims.
Employment, pay, recruitment and training concern people and workplace practices. Organic or recycled content concerns the selected material and its documented supply chain. These are not interchangeable claims.
For example, a textile harmful-substances standard answers a different question from verification of organic material content. Bring the actual programmes your sourcing policy requires and review the relevant documents rather than counting logos.
Ask questions that can be answered specifically.
Where a project is still under development, preserve the distinction between commitments, existing practices and future plans. A new campus entering trial production does not make every planned system a completed result.
| Area | Useful review question |
|---|---|
| People | What are the recruitment, voluntary-employment and pay commitments? |
| Factory | Which operation and assessment scope apply to the order? |
| Material | What actual composition and documents support the intended claim? |
| Product | Which sample, specification and evaluations define acceptance? |
Connect the review to the collection brief.
State the target market, product types, material claims and buyer review requirements before the final specification. This helps the team identify the relevant site and documents without requesting confidential information about other customers.
DALI’s employment commitments include recruitment from age 18, voluntary employment, fair-pay commitments and staff training. On-site medical support is available at facilities with operating medical rooms. Water-treatment investment relates to Fujian operations; solar and storage at the new Cambodia campus remain plans. Discuss the evidence that applies to your programme.