PROCESS
A stage-by-stage overview of how every engagement is structured. Most projects follow this sequence precisely. Where a project requires variation, you are informed at the outset.
Days 1–3
Every engagement begins with a structured conversation — conducted via email, WhatsApp, or a brief call. You describe the product, your target price, target volume, and any specific requirements covering materials, certifications, or packaging. We assess whether the project is a suitable fit and establish what is realistically achievable within your parameters.
If we proceed, supplier research commences the same day. Within 48–72 hours, you receive a formal comparison of three to five verified suppliers. Each entry includes unit pricing at different order volumes, minimum order quantity, indicative lead time, and our documented recommendation with supporting reasoning.
Days 4–10
Following your approval of the shortlist, samples are ordered from your preferred supplier options to our Guangzhou address. Each sample is inspected in person and evaluated against your specification — construction quality, material accuracy, packaging, and finish. You receive photographs and written notes for each sample assessed.
Where a supplier's sample is unsatisfactory, we move to the next viable option without delay. Once you have made your final selection, we conduct structured price and terms negotiations on your behalf — covering unit price, payment schedule, lead time commitment, and quality expectations incorporated into the order confirmation.
Days 10–14, then through production
The order is placed formally through Meridian International — our Hong Kong entity. You receive a commercial invoice for the deposit, typically 30–50% of total order value. Production commences upon receipt of payment.
Throughout the production period, we monitor progress and provide weekly updates. If the production timeline is at risk or quality concerns arise during manufacturing, you are informed immediately — not at the point of shipment. We do not hold information back to avoid difficult conversations.
Days 30–45 (typical, variable by product)
Prior to any shipment, a pre-shipment inspection is conducted at the factory. The sample size follows AQL standards, ensuring statistical representativeness of the production run. Inspection covers function, finish, packaging integrity, and quantity accuracy against the purchase order. A full QC report with photographs is delivered to you within 24 hours of inspection completion.
Shipment is authorised only after you review and approve the QC report. From that point, freight forwarding, export documentation, customs compliance, and delivery tracking are coordinated through to confirmed receipt at your warehouse.
After delivery
Upon confirmed delivery, you receive a final landed cost reconciliation — a complete breakdown of every charge incurred across the sourcing, production, and logistics stages — along with a project debrief covering what performed to expectation and what can be optimised on subsequent orders.
For repeat orders, all supplier verification and relationship work is already established. Reorders typically move from confirmation to shipment in substantially less time than the initial order. The majority of clients who complete a first order move to regular monthly or quarterly procurement within the following quarter.
We operate from Guangzhou — the largest concentration of consumer goods manufacturing in the world is within an hour's drive of our base. When a situation requires physical presence at a factory, we are there the same day or the next, not the next time someone travels from another country.
Meridian International is a Hong Kong-registered company. Contracts are enforceable under common law. Invoices are issued by a recognised legal entity with an established banking relationship. Payments do not pass through personal accounts or opaque intermediary structures.
We work with a deliberately limited number of clients. Our business depends on each of those relationships producing results over time. That alignment shapes every recommendation we make — including the recommendation not to proceed when a project is not a suitable fit for our capabilities or your parameters.
Describe what you are sourcing and your target parameters. We will respond within one business day with an assessment of fit and, where appropriate, a free initial supplier comparison.
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