Changing suppliers is a project, not a decision. The decision takes one meeting; the project takes a handover pack, a new sample approval, a period of running both sources and a last order timed against your stock. Buyers who skip the project usually end up with two problems: a new supplier who does not know the product, and no stock while they find out.
The short answer
Change when a problem is repeated and unresolved, not when one batch annoys you. Run the new source in parallel on one defined SKU, hand over the full pack — spec sheet, approved sample, artwork, packaging files and batch records — approve a new sample, and time the last order so existing stock covers the switch. Keep the old source available until the first new batch passes inspection.
Signals that justify a change
- The same defect returns after a documented corrective action.
- Ship dates slip repeatedly without a credible recovery plan.
- Batch records or inspection evidence stop arriving when you ask for them.
- A compliance or labelling gap stays open across more than one order.
- Communication fails at the moment a problem needs a decision.
- The price gap persists after a re-quote, or the capacity no longer fits your range.
A single late shipment or one shade variation is not a signal; how the supplier handles it is. Judge the response, not the incident.
Signals that do not, yet
One late shipment with notice and a recovery plan, one batch fixed with credit and a root cause, a price rise tied to a named material increase, a new account manager: these are reasons to watch, not to move. A change carries its own risks — new sampling, new tolerances, a new learning curve and a period when nobody knows the product as well as the old source did.
Put a cost on the change before you commit: sample cost, stock cover, staff time, the risk of a first batch that misses, and the possibility that the new source is worse in a way the quotation did not show.
The handover pack
The new supplier can only be as good as what you hand over. The pack:
- The current spec sheet with its revision number and change log.
- A sealed approved sample, labelled with the SKU, date and version.
- Artwork and packaging files at the current version, including barcodes and carton marks.
- Batch records and inspection history for the last runs of the SKU.
- Compliance documents and any open claims or credits.
Without the pack, the new source interprets the product and you inherit a different product with the same name. Quality consistency across repeat orders explains what each record is for and why the approved sample has to be physical.
Running both sources through the switch
Do not stop the old source on the day the new one is approved. Place a qualification batch with the new source while the old one keeps supplying, and send the new batch to a defined place: one size, one colour or one channel where a problem is containable. Inspect it against the approved sample before it reaches customers.
Work out cover from stock on hand, goods in transit and the last order, against the new source’s first delivery date confirmed on your quotation. If the switch runs into a peak season or the production calendar around Chinese New Year, add buffer and set the last order earlier; planning around Chinese New Year sets out the timing.
The last order and the clean cutover
Set the last order date, the last ship date and the point at which the old source is released. Ask for a final inspection and a final batch record on that order; reconcile quantities, credits and any tooling, plates, screens or leftover branded packaging. Your artwork and brand assets remain yours; get written confirmation that production of your SKU has stopped.
Keep the relationship civil. Suppliers talk to each other, and a source you may need again is worth leaving in good order. The cutover is complete when the first new batch has passed inspection, not when the new supplier is announced.
Questions we get asked
How many bad batches justify changing suppliers?
There is no fixed number. One unresolved critical defect, or the same defect returning after a corrective action, is enough to start the process. One late shipment with notice is not. Judge whether the response changes the next batch.
Should I stop the old supplier immediately?
No. Run the new source in parallel on one defined SKU and keep the old one supplying until the first new batch passes inspection. Stopping early trades a known problem for a stock-out and an unproven product.
What should I hand over to the new supplier?
The current spec sheet with its revision, a sealed approved sample, artwork and packaging files, barcode and carton specifications, batch records, inspection history and compliance documents. Without them, the new source is guessing at your product.
How do I avoid a gap in stock during the switch?
Calculate cover from stock on hand, goods in transit and the last order, against the new source’s first delivery date confirmed on the quotation. Add buffer for peak season and set the last order early. The plan should show the week the new batch must land.
If you are moving a SKU, send the current spec sheet and sample history and we will map the handover, the qualification batch and the week your stock runs out. The service page sets out how production is placed and inspected, quality consistency across repeat orders covers the records to carry over, and the contact page reaches us — one business day.